Kieran Webster [The View]

I spoke to Kieren Webster, the bassist from the View on the 12th of April, 2007. The interview was a little difficult because the line was poor, Webster spoke with a heavy Dundee accent, and also he was suffering from a hangover. I was in Urawa, while he was at the Glasgow Barrowlands, where the band was in the middle of soundchecking. During the 18 minutes we talked, he only name-checked this blog 12 times.

KW: Hullo.

CBL: Hello Kieren. This is Colin Liddell in Japan, eh, interviewing you on behalf of the International Herald Tribune Asahi Shimbun…

KW: Uhu.

CBL: …about your forthcoming trip to Japan, and…

KW: Yes.

CBL: …basically the articles just about the band so far, the history, and what’s going on and how you feel about things. So, it’s just a general, eh, outline of everything, and so I’d just like to ask you a few questions about, um, everything really.

KW: Yes.

CBL: Where are you right now?

KW: I’m in the Barrowloands in Glasgow, the famous Barrowlands ballroom in Glasgow.

CBL: Aha, so you’ve got a gig on tonight?

KW: Yes.

CBL: Aha. And you’ve been doing a soundcheck? Is that right?

KW: Yehhh, I’m just halfway through it at the moment.

CBL: Mmh. OK. Well, I'd like to go back to the beginning. What got you into music in the first place? How did that happen, and how did you and Kyle start writing together?

KW: Well, me, Kyle and Pete all got to hanging around at the same time, when we were 15, and we just started playing together in the house and stuff. Then, we were in a covers band for a while. And me and Kyle were also playing our own songs at parties on acoustics. At parties, people were always saying, 'why don't you start a band?' And we always meant to, but we never had any money for rehearsal space, but we got offered a free rehearsal space in the pub called the Bay View. So there we started [garbled] And that’s when we started writing together.

CBL: So, you started doing all the cover versions first and then from that you progressed into writing?

KW: Yes.

CBL: Aha. So…

KW: It's a natural thing to do, y'know whadda mean?

CBL: I don't want to, eh, give you a big head or anything like that, but that's quite similar to the way the Beatles developed, isn't it?

KW: Yeh. Yes, they did covers as well and stuff like that.

CBL: Yes, they started on covers then they thought, 'let's write our own stuff as well.'

KW: [garbled] copy other people's stuff, but the people you look up to they're just copying a lot of thing… They're not even… You’ve just got that to do for yourself.

CBL: Is it maybe easier to write your own songs after a while?

KW: Eh, yes. It's easier to remember your own songs. I can't remember any of the covers that I used to play at parties and stuff. It was always [line interference] to play them [garbled] only play our own songs now.

CBL: OK. I'd like to ask you about the big break. It's, em, sort of… In most of the things I've read about you , eh, the key moment seems to have been when you decided to give your demo tape to Pete Doherty.

KW: Yes.

CBL: Em, what, eh, what was actually on that demo tape?

KW: Em, there were four songs on it. Em, there was Streetlights, Screaming and Shouting, Face for Radio, and Coming Down. They're all on the album, except Screaming and Shouting's the only one that's not on album. That was on the first demo.

CBL: Why did you, eh, decide to, eh, give it to Pete, because he's got a bit of a reputation for, y’know, being a bit chaotic and not, maybe, not knowing which day of the week it is?

KW: Eh, I know, but I know that he likes music and… I don’t really know, but I just thought… I just thought… I thought he'd let us on, and so I asked him and he did. I got it right. I thought… I knew he would. He's just… He's lacky [sic] like us. He’s just like anyone else. I mean I thought he would be the only person… There's really not that many people who would do that. Only him.

CBL: So, you didn't try giving the demo tape to anyone else before that did you?

KW: [line interference] other bands. I gave one to the Paddingtons when they played in Dundee. That was it [garbled and line interference]. We didn't… We never [garbled] like every other bands. We never really pushed… We never really pushed wurselves too much. We just used to give them to people who asked us for them or whatever [garbled and line interference]

CBL: I mean I can see some similarities, not between the music so much, but in the attitude between you and, y'know, Doherty’'s bands. Which is you try to create this atmosphere of having no barrier between the band and the audience.

KW: It's getting harder as we playing these bigger venues, though.

CBL: Yeh. I should imagine it will be impossible soon to, to keep that sort of cozy, close up relationship with the fans.

KW: Em, we'll always play small gigs as well. [garbled] Like we played in Dundee the other week. It was only like a 200 capacity venue. [line interference and garbled] …we're playing them so that people can know, are… Just, like in Dundee, are out the night and stuff.

CBL: I listened to the album, Hats Off To The Buskers, and, y'know, the thing that strikes you when you listen to it, y'know, it's just got this natural energy on it. And I was wondering how much of that was coming from your, eh, your fans and your audience, and how much is just from the guys in the band?

KW: I don't know, but we're all pretty energetic. Even when we're hung over everybody's running around playing football half pissed from last night. [line interference] If something is hard to do [line interference and garbled] that helps us out.

CBL: Um, yeh, well, yeh. Talking about always having a lot of energy, you've also sort of developed a kind of, a bit of a bad boy image as well. Eh, can you tell us…

KW: That's just like papers and stuff that have developed that.

CBL: But there have been a number of incidents as well, though, haven't there? I mean like, quite recently you couldn't go to America because of the cocaine thing.

KW: Yes…well…

CBL: I mean that must also be quite good for a band, though, having a bit of a bad boy image as well. I mean that must make you more marketable to a lot of, eh, your fans, coz that's what people want from rock n' roll, they want something a bit, y'know, dangerous, a bit rebellious, y'know, a bit out there.

KW: I don't think it's really rebellious taking drugs.

CBL: Sorry.

KW: I don't think its really rebellious taking drugs. I think there's better ways to be rebellious, like writing a rebellious song or I don't know. We don’'t try to promote any kind of image. We just do our thing and play our gigs. As long as people come we’ll keep playing them, y'know what I mean.

CBL: Yeh, uhu, so these things just happened, they're not intended, and then the media kind of blow it up. Is that how it goes?

KW: Yeh, yeh. It is like, sort of, things did happen, but you can focus on other things apart from that, y'know.

CBL: Yeh.

KW: Other godd stuff happens that never gets mentioned, y'know whadda mean?

CBL: Yeh. Yeh, I get the feeling you want to…

KW: That's what I meant by sort of just focus on it. I mean the Daily Star is printing stuff all the time and nobody really thinks [garbled] as soon as you get chucked out of hotels, it's all over the place. That's the way it is.

CBL: Yeh. Once you get the reputation, eh, it, eh, keeps, eh, generating more, eh, bad news, uhuh. Yeh. Also, I see you recently got an award, ah, for Wasted Little DJs, the Shockwaves NME award.

KW: Uhuh.

CBL: Yeh, I'd like to ask you, a b-bit about that song. Did you write that or did Kyle write that or was it, y'know, um, a collaboration?

KW: All our songs, they're a joint effort. Kyle wrote a lot of it.

CBL: With this particular song, how would that develop, I mean writing together?

KW: I don’t know. That was like just one off. That was spontaneous, just because the girls wanted us to write a song about them, so just done it y'know what I mean. It's quite an old song.

CBL: Mmh. So, did you write part of it and then, y-you handed it over to Kyle, back and forth, or did you just sit down together and try different things and, y'know, criticize each other…

KW: Normally one person comes up with an idea and then we both just sort of jam it out together, em, y'know what I mena, like I've got a few songs now that I need to show to Kyle because I can't finish them, y’'know what I mean, so… But me and Kyle will finish them.

CBL: So the musical ideas, you work out together. But what about the lyrics, though? Because one of the interesting points about this song is the way you use backslang or pig Latin as it's also known.

KW: Yes. That was Kyle's idea. He uses that all the time. Stick that in. Everyone uses it now.

CBL: Yeh, I mean, first time ever in a song, I think.

KW: Eh?

CBL: I think that's the first time ever that's been in a song, y'know, so that's definitely original anyway. And, em, you’ve been to Japan before, eh, in last December.

KW: Uhu.

CBL: Em, do you remember much of that?

KW: Yes. The people are really nice. They make you want to be a better person being in Japan. [garbled] It's really clean…

CBL: Yeh, it's quite a difference from Dundee, eg, I should imagine.

KW: Mm?

CBL: It's quite a difference from Dundee.

KW: Yes. Dundee's, mm, yes, very different.

CBL: How would you kind of describe your relationship to Dundee? Because in some ways it's a pretty bleak, y'know, town with not much to do, eh, but, at the same time, you've got this incredible fan base there…

KW: I have a love-hate relationship with Dundee [laughs]. I love it at the moment because I'm never there. But the reason why I wanted to get out [garbled] because I want to get back, know what I mean. Love/hate.

CBL: Love/hate? Is that one of the reasons you got into a band, though, because, y'know, Scotland's like that? There's not many opportunities unless you do something completely different.

KW: Eh, I think I got in a band because I liked to write songs.

CBL: Sorry.

KW: The only reason I got in a band was because I liked to write songs. I never really thought about doing that, y'know.

CBL: So it was, em, pull factors, not push factors? You weren't pushed into it by, y'know, having nothing else to do? It was just like you were pulled into it because you loved doing it? So, positive reasons, rather than negative?

KW: People said we were good, so yes. People said that we were good, so we just kept doing it.

CBL: I think you're coming to Japan in May.

KW: Yeh, quite soon, yes. We're coming for a week. We're looking forward to it.

CBL: What are you looking forward to most.

KW: Just playing the gigs, man. The Japanese fans are just so brilliant. Just playing the gigs, y'know, we look forward to wherever we go playing the gigs.

CBL: Anything besides the gigs, I mean, any interest in the culture, in going around seeing the sights, em stuff like that?

KW: I'm looking forward to… Yeh, we were only in Tokyo the last time. We're [line interference] really looking forward to it. [line interference] really nice to get a present.

CBL: You've had a very busy time in the last year or so, a lot of success. How’'s that changed things for you?

KW: I don’t know, em, it's harder to sort of just like, em, find time for anyone who's in your life, y'know what I mean, girlfriends, mums, dads, and stuff. It's just… What's good is… I guess [garbled] positive effect, and, aw I’m no feeling very good today. I’m just a bit hungover. Em, it’s just like, eh, it’s been, it's been… I don't think it's affected us in a bad way. I get to see my girlfriend all the time now. She's on tour with us t'isnow, even after shows and stuff [garbled]… y'know what I mean I guess it's a lot better than sitting on your arse and doing nothing, and signing on the brew.

CBL: Yeh, yeh, definitely.

KW: Mum and dad [garbled]

CBL: Because, yeh, one of the songs Tradesman Superstar kind of talks about that, doesn't it?

KW: Yeh.

CBL: Was that one of your lyrics or one of Kyle's?

KW: Yeh, one of my lyrics. That's a good song because it was written at a time when it was... I can't explain it all the time and I’ve never explained it before, um, it was written at the time when it was actually happening, y'know what I mean? I'll be looking back on that time and thinking, 'That was shit, I'll write a song about it.' That was happening at the time. Just what we meant, so…

CBL: The song suggests that you were getting some pressure, eh, maybe from your parents to sort of take on a more kind of realistic trade.

KW: Yeh, I wur. That's what happens to everyone in Dundee.

CBL: Yeh, and so you were having to…

KW: [line interference]

CBL: Could you repeat that? The line went a bit funny there.

KW: Em, what did you want us to repeat?

CBL: Just the last thing you said, because the line just went very funny for a few seconds. I couldn’t catch that.

KW: Alright… I can’t remember what I said.

CBL: I was asking about the pressure you were under from, maybe, from the family side to get a proper trade as it's called, and then…

KW: I'm just saying it's not bad [garbled]… I liked working on the building site and stuff, but if you want to do something else, you can. You don’t have to do it. If you listen to the song, it’s pretty self-explanatory. It explains itself.

CBL: Mmh. So, since the album came out, have you been writing, eh, a lot of songs?

KW: Yeh. Yeh, write songs all the time.

CBL: Is it a different direction or is pretty much the same sort of territory.

KW: They're just songs [garbled] I'm not going to start playing them on keyboards or anything [mutters]...

CBL: So, also the album was recorded with Owen Morris.

KW: Yeh, see I'm holding up four bands doing a soundcheck for the Barrowlands, so like, how long, how long… Are we running all night?

CBL: This'll be the last question, then.

KW: Alright. OK. They're all waiting on us finishing.

CBL: I just wanted to ask you how it was like to work with him and what his input into the album was.

KW: [garbled] a lot of bands he worked on, arrangements and stuff, but he didn't have to… He never changed any of the arrangements or anything, just he [garbled] when we done the demos, they sounded sort of… They were all sort of happy rocky stuff, and then we rerecorded some of the songs [line interference] He didn't want to record Streetlights because he just thought it was like a happy-go-lucky thing, but then we told him what it was actually about and he went, 'Aw no, that's [garbled] we'll have to do that one.'

CBL: Alright. That should be plenty of material for my article, so I’d like to thank you very much and wish you good luck.

KW: No problem.

CBL: OK, cheers.

KW: Thank you.

CBL: Bye.

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Angela Gossow, singer

In March 2012, I interviewed Angela Gossow the singer of the Anarchist Death Metal band Arch Enemy. After a planned phoner fell through, I was asked to send some questions by email. Interviewing by phone and by email require quite diffent approaches. With the phone you get instant feedback, but with email it's more important to create the kind of questions that can 'live on their own.' This means that they should not the sort of questions that can be easily answered with a simple yes or no. They should also be mildly provocative so as to get more than the basic press release kind of answer. This might also require a spot of humour. This particular interview is a masterclass in the art of the email interview, as Angela delivered plenty of good copy.

CBL: Your voice is astonishing. Do you remember the first time you sang or spoke in that kind of "death growl"? What were the circumstances? I imagine it was when you suddenly got angry with someone and then you produced that deep, scary voice and then you maybe thought, "Wow, I can do that" and the rest is history. Was it like that or how was it?

AG: I discovered Death Metal when I was 16. I was simply singing along to my fave vocalists – Chuck Schuldiner, John Tardy, David Vincent. I did my best to emulate that sound they produced – and one day I succeeded. Thus said I was naturally angry every minute of the day, being a teenager and all, ha ha. That def fuelled my love for this extreme vocal style as well.

CBL: Do you ever use 'The Voice' in anger, like when someone cuts in line or bumps into you or something in daily life? Also, that kind of voice must be pretty scary or a turn off for your boyfriend. Is that ever a problem?

AG: No, I don't growl at people. I usually stay calm with a firm voice. Shouting in daily life makes you look like you've lost control. If you want to be in charge and on top, you better stay calm.

CBL: In your performance, you seem angry and enraged. How genuine is the rage we see on stage and what makes the rage? Is it just tight trousers?

AG: I feel empowered and wild. I guess it comes across like angry and enraged. But a roaring lioness is not always angry either – It's just being interpreted that way. My performance is very genuine, I feel very strong and dominant on stage and my voice transports these notions.

CBL: How do you keep your vocal chords intact? Got any special secrets or does it just involve going straight to bed after each concert while the guys in the band party?

AG: That is such a cliche – you really think the guys still party after every show, twelve years into touring, having played thousands of gigs? That gets old and boring so very fast. We usually have a rather chilled evening after the show, enjoy some nice food, a glass of wine, listen to music and hitting the shower and bed early enough to get a good night's sleep. If you have pride in being a good performer you have to preserve your energies. We all do this, not just me. As for my voice – I do a quick but effective warm up before the show and a warm-down after the show. I make sure I keep fit and healthy and try to get enough sleep.

CBL: You recently lost a member in Christopher. How did that happen and did you try to stop him leaving?

AG: Chris just wasn't happy for quite some time, he doesn't want to play extreme Metal. We could tell that he wasn't really feeling it. You can't stop a traveller – and Chris simply needed to move on. We are cool with his decision and very confident about Nick and the future of Arch Enemy.

CBL: How and why did you choose the new guy Nick? Is he on board for good or just filling in temporarily?

AG: Nick can pull off Chris parts with utmost ease. He's young, driven, talented, positive and hungry. He is just as passionate as we are. We don't know yet if he will be a permanent member – the upcoming tours will show if we'll get along in extreme situations. The stress test is about to commence ;-)

CBL: When you visit Japan, will you be mainly playing 'Khaos Legions'? What about other material?

AG: We will cover the entire back catalogue. Japan loves Arch Enemy since the release of the first album in 1996. We will honour that of course.

CBL: The themes of the latest album seem to reflect your atheist ('We Are A Godless Entity') and anarchist ('Under Black Flags We March') views. I take it you wrote all the lyrics? Do the rest of the band share your values or are they too scared to disagree with you?

AG: Why would they be scared of me? They are not weak little boys. We are all atheists and we live like anarchists. An autonomous cell. We do all our own business, we are self-managed, we own our music, our merch and our publishing. Nobody can tell us what to do.

CBL: BTW, calling oneself an atheist has always struck me as strange. For example, I don't believe in pixies, but I don't call myself an 'apixieist'. If you don't believe in something why even mention it let alone make it part of your identity?

AG: Religion is such an overpowering force in this world that I feel I need to tell people about an alternative way of thinking. Atheism means believing in science and reason. It is a very new idea for many people out there – not everybody grows up in a free society like you and me do. I have to think more global as our audience is global. And I have to make a very clear stand for some of our fans as otherwise they are mislead, believing we are Satanists or support some kind of religion in one way or the other. I dont want to leave any doubt about my beliefs. or rather, non-beliefs. So I call myself an atheist.

CBL: Typical modern Western civilizational values are freedom, choice, democracy, and tolerance. In a sense these are all negative values in that they are open, empty, and undefined until each individual defines them, as opposed to positive values that just tell people what to do or be like (e.g. beards are good, wear a hijab, etc., etc.) Although your lyrics have an added element of violence and aggression, Arch Enemy's values seem a perfect fit with mainstream Western values: "Be as free as you can be..." Are you in effect just a cultural wing of the Western global superstate?

AG: Be as free as you can be - the line is taken from the song 'Cult Of Chaos' which describes how the universe was created from chaos, the beginning of this world, a chaos that has given birth to so many different life-forms and creatures. I interpret this line in a more artistic and philosophical way, not in a social or political way like you do. Freedom Of Expression. You can always be absolutely free inside your mind – there are truly no limits. Your interpretation of the line is already limiting, trying to put it's meaning into a 'box', so I reject it.

CBL: You recently made a post on your Facebook page about the persecution of EMO kids in Iraq. You said "If they target EMO kids they will most likely target Metal fans..." Your comment echoed the famous quote by Martin Niemöller (first they came for the communists...). This sounded a little bit like you are equating Islamic conservatism of the Iraqis with Hitler. Is it really that bad?

AG: You are putting words into my mouth. I simply stated that I'd be a target too in Iraq – just like these emo kids – if I'd be living there, being a female Metal fan. The Iraqi police is waging a deadly war against 'Satanism' – how do you think wearing a Slayer, Morbid Angel or Death t-shirt will look to them?

My culture, appearance, as a teenager, would have put me right in the crosshairs of this particular outrage. I feel empathy and revulsion. with the story printed worldwide, the Iraqis will know that they are being watched. That it's not being ignored. That's all we can hope for. It might save one kid's life. That's what I am trying to do. Not having some fancy discussion about Islamic conservatism and Hitler.

And yes, it is that bad. Child murder is THAT FUCKING BAD. It is the most horrible, awful, disgusting crime one can commit.

CBL: Despite cultural differences, Metal in its various forms continues to spread to new cultural zones. This tour sees you visit India and Israel for the first time. Even Japan, which is familiar territory, has a very different culture. How aware are you of the cultural differences as you tour the world? Does this effect the way you play to different audiences, or does everyone get the same show?

AG: We are very aware of the cultural differences, but we have also found that the passion for this extreme form of music unites people and overcomes those differences in a very powerful way. Every audience gets our maximum output of energy and passion. I don't change my message either, no matter if we play in a Muslim country, in Israel, China or Turkey. I am not afraid of Governments or religious extremists. Whatever happens, happens. We practise what we preach. Fuck the system. Be as free as you can be!

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Sousuke Morimoto, artist

Sometimes interviewing can be very precise and specific, but other times you just throw out questions and hope for a good response. In February I interviewed three Realist artists for an article I was writing about the Hoki Museum. As they were all good painters of nudes, I sent them three identical sets of questions. This is the response from Sousuke Morimoto.

CBL: Tell our readers why you have become a Realist painter?

SM: Realist painting is objective and is a common language to convey people's emotions, so I think Realist painting appeals to someone's instinct directly. I chose Realist painting to use the fruit of my basic studies, and have made efforts step by step for a long time. At first, we start to watch. If we watch natural scense, flowers, fruits, and people closely to paint them, we can find there is a mysterious and unknown world that approaches God. There is always more to learn.

CBL: How is the situation of Realist painting in Japanese art? Is it still marginalized? Last week I went to three exhibitions at major public museums of Japanese contemporary artists. Of course, none of them were Realists. They were Ay-O, Atsuko Tanaka, and Hiroji Noda. What do you think about the dominance of non-Realist art in public museums? Do you sometimes get angry about the apparent bias?

SM: When I see the regular exhibition at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, most of them are contemporary art, such as abstract painting or semi abstraction. Few of them are realist paintings. They said to me, "If you do not paint abstract, you are not a man" at the height of abstract art about 50 years ago. At that time, almost all tentative expression and style was running out. Young people who have not experienced such days, feel abstract art is attractive as a new challenge. But for me, I've watched a lot of abstract painting, so that for me it seems old, as if it is the same as 50 years ago when I first saw it. Does history repeats itself?

CBL: Who are the artists who have influenced and inspired you?

SM: Vermeer, Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, and Andrew Wyeth.

CBL: You are best known for your paintings of the female form and nudes. What is the attraction of the female form to you, apart from the attractions it has for any healthy heterosexual male?

SM: I've never felt attracted to a man, but I've felt attracted to women many, many times. Only when I feel she is the most beautiful, I get motivated and I can paint Realist paintings. When I face off against the beauty, I want to give her lots of attention. And I pay attention to detail. I build up one line or stroke and this leads to building up the impression and makes the expression of Realist painting as a result.

CBL: Realist oil painting is considered a very European style of art. The tonal qualities in particular are very different from anything in indigenous Japanese art. This has led some scholars to speculate that there may even be some differences between the way in which the European and East Asian eye perceives light. Light in Western Europe is more diffuse because of the clouds, mist, and the angle of the sun (it is much further North), while Japanese light is characteristically bright and intense, so that bright colours are more important than tones. What do you as a Japanese painter working in a tonally-rich Western Realist style think about these points?

SM: I've never thought about the difference of light between West and East. I don't think such differences affect the picture plane.

CBL: How important is it for Realist art to have someone like Mr. Hoki who collects realist art and creates a museum like the Hoki Museum?

SM: In every age, there will be always a few realist painters and their supporters. Realist painters need a lot of time to paint, so that they cannot paint many artworks. This causes Realist painters to be minor. But thanks to the Hoki museum, I'm sure that Realist painters have got to receive attention and this museum draws in the numbers and shows the fun of realist painting, and also draws in young Realist painters and infuses them with energy.

CBL: How do you feel about showing your art, which is very traditional, in such a futuristic building as the Hoki? What do you like about the building? What are its good points?

SM: I’ve never seen such a futuristic museum as the Hoki museum, but it seems to me that the building matches up so well with the new Realist paintings, which are created by the artists today, when realist paintings are exhibited.

CBL: At the exhibition you are showing a painting called The Future. Could you tell our readers a little bit about the story of that painting, such as its origins and meaning?

SM: I had started to paint this artwork, but had not decided the title when we were struck by the strong earthquake on March 11. My atelier suffered damage and two paintings in progress fell down. One was broken and torn. Another one fell down on the palette, and oil paint adhered to the canvas, but I could wipe it with a cloth and it was OK. I gave a title to this painting, thinking of it as a "survivor painting" and the disaster area.

CBL: How do you work with your models? Do they pose for long periods or do you use photography? How about when you paint nudes? Does that create any special difficulties? I am thinking the models must feel very self-conscious. How do you deal with that?

SM: I always deal with models sacredly. I trust that I've never caused a model to feel self-conscious. I take photos of the wrinkles in her clothes to remember the detail exactly, because the wrinkles change whenever she moves. Every artist's target is to paint works of high artistic value. I think it is OK to use any means to achieve that goal. The point for the artist is to paint a good one.

CBL: Have you used foreign models?

SM: I've never painted foreign models. I feel attracted to Japanese women, so I feel no need to, at the moment.

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Gianluca Iannone, politician

Gianluca Iannone is the founder and leader of CasaPound, an Italian political movement that takes its name from the American poet and Fascist sympathizer, Ezra Pound. Although it is surrounded by controversy the movement falls outside the usual Left/Right political categories as shown by Iannone's criticism of the EDL and his holistic approach to politics. The interview was done through an exchange of emails in early 2011.

CBL: CasaPound is still not so well known in the English-speaking countries, even by those active in right wing politics. Could you introduce your movement to our readers and describe it? How big is CasaPound? How many members and how much support do you have?

GI: First of all, linking CasaPound to the right wing is a bit restrictive. CasaPound Italia is a political movement organized as an association for social promotion. It starts from the right and goes through the entire political panorama. Right or left are two old visions of politics, we need to give birth to a new synthesis. CPI has more than 4000 members all over Italy but the supports and sympathy we gain days after days is far larger… Just think that the Blocco Studentesco, our student organization, obtained 11,000 votes in Rome and the Province for the students’ elections.

CBL: Please tell us a little about yourself personally and your background.

GI: I was born in August 1973 and started political activism at 14 in the Fronte della Gioventù (Youth Front) in Acca Larenzia, one of Rome's downtown neighborhood. Since then I have never stopped to be part of this world. Journalist since 1999, I worked for TV and radio stations and also wrote for national newspapers on international conflicts, literature, cinema and music.

CBL: Why did you become politically active? Was there some event, action, or person that triggered your political activism?

GI: To tell the truth, there is not one thing in particular. I think it was just fate.

CBL: What are main policies and objectives of CasaPound, both short-term and long-term?

GI: CPI works on everything that concerns the life of our nation: from sport to solidarity, culture and of course politics. For sports, we have a soccer teams and academy, we do hockey, rugby, skydiving, boxing, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, scuba diving, hiking groups, caving, climbing. For solidarity, we have first aid teams, we do fundraising activities for the Karen people, and we provide help to orphans and single-mums. A phone line called "Dillo to CasaPound" (tell it to CasaPound) is active 24/7 to give free advises on legal and tax issues. On the cultural ground, we host authors and organize book presentations; we have an artist club, a theater school, free guitar, bass guitar and drum lessons, we created an artistic trend called Turbodinamismo, we have a publishing company, dozens of bookshops and websites. Politically we propose various laws like the Mutuo sociale (social mortgage), Tempo di essere Madri (Time to be a mother) or against water privatization and so many more. Speaking about CPI is never easy because all these things are CASAPOUND. All of these represent our challenges and projects for now and the millennium.

CBL: Do you have any significant links with groups or parties outside Italy?

GI: No.

CBL: The first thing that strikes people in the English-speaking countries is the name of your group, which, of course, refers to the famous American poet Ezra Pound. How important are Pound's ideas to your movement? Why have you chosen to include his name in your movement’s title?

GI: Ezra Pound was a poet, an economist and an artist. Ezra Pound was a revolutionary and a fascist. Ezra Pound had to suffer for his ideas, he was sent to jail for ten years to make him stop speaking. We see in Ezra Pound a free man that paid for his ideas; he is a symbol of the "democratic views" of the winners.

CBL: Ezra Pound is also a name routinely associated with Anti-Semitism. Some will automatically see the invocation of his name as a rallying cry for Anti-Semitism. Could you clarify CasaPound's position with regard to the Jews and Israel?

GI: To associate Ezra Pound and anti-Semitism is an absolute twist. It is the same for CasaPound, it has no sense. It is true that we are against Israel politics towards Palestinians, against the bombing of civilians, and the embargo on international help. To say so does not mean to be anti-Semitic, it means analyzing facts.

CBL: You are also known for anti-usury rhetoric. Most sensible people oppose excessive usury, but are you opposed to all usury? If not, where does constructive credit end and destructive usury begin?

GI: Usury is the worst thing. It is the head of the octopus. It is it that initiated the wars that are starting around the Mediterranean Sea, which generates illegal immigration and destruction. It is it which creates unemployment, debts. It is it that threatens the future of our children, which make them weak and ready for the massacre.

CBL: My impression of CasaPound is that it is very much a grass roots organization that operates successfully in the "arena of street politics," with marches, parades and events that build identity and community, rather than through conventional elections. In Anglo countries right-wing street politics backfired in the past, allowing the mainstream media to paint very negative images of the National Front in the 1970s and the BNP later. Because of this the BNP now avoids the street as a political arena. Your group's success suggests that the street is a much more acceptable political arena for the right in Italy. Why do you think this is? What are the differences that make this possible?

GI: First of all, England was never a fascist state. This creates a big cultural difference. Also, as I said before CPI works on dozens of projects and with various methods: from conferences to demonstrations, distribution of information, posters. The important thing is to generate counter information and to occupy the territory. It is fundamental to create a web of supporters other than focusing on elections. For election, you are in competition with heavily financed groups and with only one or two persons elected, you can't change anything. Politics for us is a community. It is a challenge, it is an affirmation. For us, politics is to try to be better every day. That is why we say that if we don't see you, it is because you are not there. That is why we are in the streets, on computers, in bookshops, in schools, in universities, in gymnasium, at the top of mountains or in the newsstands. That is why we are in culture, social work and sport. That is a constant work.

CBL: Because of the differences between Britain and Italy do you think it is better for the right-wing in the UK to avoid street politics? In this context, what is your view of the English Defence League, a group that obviously sees the street as its arena or forum?

GI: I think that the EDL is going on the ground of the clash of civilization. For me and CasaPound, this provokes a kind of disgust. If the British right is reduced to this, then let's speak about soccer, it will be better.

Read more...>>>

Glenn Tipton, guitarist

Back in 2001, I interviewed legendary Judas Priest axeman Glenn Tipton about a forthcoming trip to Japan. The interview was by telephone and lasted about 26 minutes, during which he clocked up a grand total of 46 y'knows, a rate of 1.76 per interview minute.

Glenn Tipton Interview

CBL: Hello...Hello.

GT: Hello. It's C.B.Liddell, right?

CBL: That's right. Is that Glenn Tipton?

GT: It certainly is.

CBL: It's an honour to speak to you.

GT: It's an honour to speak to you.

CBL: This is a piece I'm doing for the Asahi Shimbun International Herald Tribune here in Japan.

GT: OK.

CBL: And...well, I'll just get on with it then.

GT: Alright then.

CBL: OK, when was the last time you were in Japan?

GT: It was about three years ago. I'm not very good on dates, but round about three, three and a half years ago, I believe.

CBL: You did some gigs then?

GT: Yeh, I think we did about six dates.

CBL: Uhuh, so quite similar to this time?

GT: That's right.

CBL: OK, now with regard to the forthcoming trip, how do you feel about coming to Japan, and what are you looking forward to?

GT: Well, Japan's always been the sort of country, y'know... The kids there are real loyal supporters of Judas Priest and they've been with us right from the start and so we love the people, and we always look forward to coming back to Japan. It's just a joy to play for the Japanese fans.

CBL: Do you ever get much time to see the country?

GT: Sometimes. I mean we've played Japan a lot and there have been times when I've got a chance to go to Kyoto, y'know, the old capital. I used to collect Japanese pottery so I spent many happy hours browsing round there, but normally we don’t get a lot of spare time. We're in and we do the gig and we're out the next day which is a shame.

CBL: Yeh. So, you're on a tight leash this time?

GT: Pretty so much...

CBL: So?

GT: We see a lot of the bullet train though.

CBL: Sorry?

GT: We see a lot of the bullet train.

CBL: Oh yeh, you're doing Nagoya and Osaka and...

GT: That's right. We've passed Mt Fuji lots of time on the bullet train.

CBL: Uhu. So, it seems that heavy metal/hard rock is still very popular in Japan, much more so than in Britain. Also, nowadays, like, y'know, Britain used to produce most of the great heavy metal/ hard rock bands, which are mainly American now. Why do you think hard rock music's declined in the UK?

GT: I don't think it's declined as much as changed. I think it's going to, I think, to New Age metal. Has South America, really. Europe is still pretty big. Europe itself, Germany and Spain, Italy and France, and we've just been in Scandinavia and it was just fantastic, y'know. So there are pockets of heavy metal fanatics still left. I just think Japan has always been loyal to metal and just appreciated it for what it is. I mean Priest, although we've been around for 30 years, we have evolved a lot so I think that's why we're still around. Our music's still got classic undertones of metal but we have progressed a lot, and we've been fairly brave on some of the albums so I think that people understand that.

CBL: I would say that it's a bit more marginal than when you started out in Britain anyway.

GT: Marginal? In what way?

CBL: I mean like most of the new bands which come through in Britain are into much lighter styles of music. Like even rock music, there're bands like Travis and so on which play this very delicate rock music rather than the real heavy stuff.

GT: Well, I mean, we've always been… tried to be heavy metal. Some bands try to avoid the type of heavy metal because they feel it's dated. But in our case I don't think... I think Priest are a unique band. It's got a unique character in its music and therefore we've existed quite easily in the ever-changing, y'know, backdrop of heavy metal and I think that the fact that we genuinely love heavy metal and we genuinely love Priest music is what's carried us through. We don't just go on stage and go through the motions. We really love what we do and we've always believed in it and stayed faithful to it. I think people respect that.

CBL: Yeh, em, I've always thought of heavy metal as a very industrial working class kind of music. Do you think so too?

GT: I think whatever, y'know... It appeals to the masses. I don't know whether you come from the upper or lower or middle classes. I think that it's got a wide appeal. Y'know I was born in an industrial area. Priest came from Birmingham. I worked for British Steel for years. Y'know, I think it was a good thing. It gave me the determination to break out of there, so I think what it does do is give you a lot of determination. In our case definitely we were influenced by the Black Country sky so to speak. But for the kids, I think it's got a wide appeal, and, no matter what walk of life you come from, there's always someone in it who knew it.

CBL: So, OK, it's still very valid for people from, y'know, a more privileged background or like a less working class background?

GT: I think it's right across the board. It appeals to all classes.

CBL: I'm sort of still amazed that you're doing these very heavy touring schedules and at your age you've still got the energy, the aggression, the hunger, and indeed the stamina to keep it up. How do you manage to do that?

GT: Again, I just think it's a belief in the music. I've got more enthusiasm than ever, and I surprise myself sometimes. But I think it's deep down, it's quite honestly just the fact that we love Priest music and we love what we do, and, as long as you're enjoying it, it gives you the enthusiasm. So I think it's that combination really that drives us on.

CBL: So, on the new album, Demolition, I was looking at the lyrics of In Between. It kind of sounded a little bit like a kind of middle age song or a kind of song of male menopause or confusion because of all the contradictions...

GT: I'm not sure it's a middle aged song. It's a song that I think is very appropriate for the younger generation because I think a lot of people nowadays are lost, y'know, they're 'in between,' y'know, they're not one thing or another, or sometimes they are in between and sometimes they're not. It's just a, y'know, I'm either polite or obscene or I'm nowhere in between, so it's just as though an appropriate song for the confusion that you're getting more, I would have said, in adolescent years, not knowing where you're going. I mean so many people go to university and study something that they never use again. It's a part of life where you sort yourself out. But it's a good message really in the sense I would say it's trying to tell you to focus on things, but it's just pointing out maybe that a lot of people maybe don't round about that age. It's just a little bit of, well, advice in a sense. It's just a [lacuna] in that area.

CBL: Would you say that society's becoming more like that, where people are left not really knowing what they’re there for?

GT: I think absolutely. Today's society is an ever-changing...particularly with recent events as well, but nobody really knows where they stand, what the future holds, and sometimes it's good to talk these things through, and I think that In Between sort of sums that up from my point of view, anyway.

CBL: One of the key things in heavy metal is its uncompromising stance so that seems to be something which doesn’t really sort of fit in with the modern world where people are constantly having to adjust themselves and assume certain kinds of faces.

GT: I think our music and our lyrics... I mean there are serious elements in there. There are with Priest a lot of tongue-in-cheek lyrics and we've always had a sense of humour woven in there, which is essential really because you can't take yourself too seriously. I mean, you can stand on a soapbox and say whatever you like, but there's only certain people going to appreciate it, understand it, or agree with you, and so many people are going to disagree so you can't really put yourself on that platform and believe that what you've got to say is right or wrong, but you can voice opinion and as long as you don't do it all too seriously I think that there's some good in that, and that's what I try to do lyrically is broach some of our opinion without pushing it down people's throats and still try and maintain a lighter side in there. I think that's essential.

CBL: So, when you're writing lyrics, I mean, how much of the lyrics do you actually completely subscribe to or believe in?

GT: I believe in everything really, but I mean a lot of the lyrics you don't have to believe in. A lot are make belief, y'know, like Metal Messiah or Jekyll and Hyde, y'know, they're just fun lyrics. There's a message, like, in One On One, which is just about, again, the music today, to give some determination and strength for the ups and downs, to pick yourselves up, focus, and get going. So, in a sense, when it's an issue like that, I try, y'know, and make that serious because it's only going to do good. We've never written lyrics that encourage people to do bad things anyway, so, in that way, we're pretty conscientious.

CBL: I've always thought, like, that Heavy metal is a music of extremes. The themes are destruction and horror and the Devil – things like that – and I've always thought that maybe this somehow reflected the horror of nuclear destruction that used to hang over the World during the Cold War year and, of course, that's all finished now, so what gives you that sense of rage and horror when you're writing lyrics now?

GT: We don't really write about things like that. The problem with heavy metal is it's its own worst enemy. There are a lot of bands out there who look for sensationalism, y'know, and they look for extremes and unfortunately we get tarred with the same brush, but if you look back at our lyrics, y'know [lacuna] but at the same time our lyrics have never been, y'know... If it's about battles, it's about star battles and futuristic battles, and, y'know, it can be what you want it to be. Unfortunately there are a lot of bands out there who do specialize in horrific lyrics bit we're not one of them, and I think we do get tarred with the same brush, but I mean if people delve into our lyrics I think they'll see that our lyrics are harmless, but interesting and very current in places, and they should be entertaining really. Y'know, lyrics aren't just words for a song. They should have some interest going for them, and they can be as evil as you want them to be, but in our case we've never believed in those extremes.

CBL: So you're saying that the lyrics, it's a bit like the Rocky Horror Picture Show: it's a bit of fun; it's a bit tongue-in-cheek; it’s a bit Halloweeny? Is that right?

GT: Well, our lyrics cover many subjects, y'know, on this album I mean. For example Hell Is Home. It's got the word "Hell" in, but, if you listen to the lyrics of that song, it's not about Hell at all. What it's about is again finding your level in life. If you aim too high then you're not going to be successful in that particular level, but if you're realistic and set your sights a little bit lower, on that level in life you can be somebody, so it's all about finding your position in life...

CBL: It's about someone having their basic integrity and not trying to pretend to be something they're not?

GT: That's right, and I mean it's got the word Hell in but it's not really about Hell at all so, y'know, sometimes you can read the title and, unless you actually listen to the lyrics, you can get the wrong impression.

CBL: Do you think it's misleading then to put, to slap that title on it 'cos people will start thinking, "Oh, great – Hell is home! This is the Devil and everything"?

GT: I don't think it's misleading at all if you read the lyrics, and I think the kids have got far more intelligence than people give them credit for, y'know. They don't just go "Mwwah, Hell is home! Bwoah!" y'know. They do listen to the lyrics, and if there's something to be got from them, they get it, y'know. You can say that about any song really. You could read it, I mean, we know more than anything, but, y'know, then you get taken to the... It's a subliminal title, y'know, so you can't win really. If you're in a heavy metal band, people often say to me, "Oh, you write about demons and black magic," and I say. "No, we don't," but, y'know, I can't really blame them for thinking that because, y'know, heavy metal has got a lot of bands in that do specialize in that and that's quite OK if that's what they want to do. I've got an open mind. My son's 15. He doesn't, y'know... He's not brainwashed by any means. He picks and chooses what he likes...

CBL: What does he like listening to them?

GT: ...and he switches off what he doesn't want to listen to, and if he likes them, he likes them. They choose what they like and what's good and bad. They're, y'know, more intelligent than people think, I mean, kids are probably far more intelligent than what the adults, y'know. They're certainly more astute at working out what's good and bad.

CBL: What sort of music is your son into then?

GT: He's into new age metal, y'know. He likes all the bands that are out there at the moment, yeh, the Limp Biscuits, the, em... But he's also... I mean, I suppose he's a little bit influenced by me. He's got an open mind and he'll accept anything, y'know, if it's good.

CBL: So, he's got quite diverse musical tastes?

GT: Yeh, I think he's got every band that [lacuna] there at the moment, but he changes on a monthly basis, and, y'know, he's only searching for something new to listen to.

CBL: So, what are your thoughts on the current state of the music scene?

GT: I think it's good. I think it's interesting. I think it's more visual at the moment than anything else, but there are some great bands out there, and I think, y'know, it's a necessary thing to evolve and change. It keeps the whole heavy metal scene interesting or it can be very stagnant. It can be very old-fashioned and when things evolve, good things come from it. I mean some bands fall by the wayside, but the stronger bands or the more talented bands are still up there, and they've got a lot to offer for quite a long time. I think if you've been around a long time, it proves that you've done a lot of things right and you have got something to offer that people want.

CBL: Which bands do you particularly like at the moment?

GT: Em, System of a Down. System of a Down are pretty unique. Looking at what's out there at the moment, a lot of it sounds the same. I'm not – although I've tried to get into it – I'm not particularly into rap metal at all but there are certain bands that stand head and shoulders above the rest. I checked System of a Down. I particularly like the singer. I think he's got a unique voice.

CBL: Yeh, I think there's a bit too much rap metal going on at the moment.

GT: Um, I wouldn't say there's too much. If there's a demand for it then the kids obviously like it. As for my preferences, I don't dislike... But I think some bands actually pull it off, and, again, if the lyrics have got something to say or are funny, y'know, or are amusing or entertaining, then that's fine. So often I think they're mundane lyrics with very little meaning.

CBL: Yes, that's often the case because they spit them out. And also they're often singing over something so there's less of that kind of organic interplay between singer and guitar and drummer and bass player, so I think they lose out a bit there as well... OK, talking about the music evolving, you had that very major change in Judas Priest when Rob left, and people are still sort of digesting that. It's been digested through the cinema as well, apparently. What do you think about the recent movie Rock Star and how much of the Ripper's story is in there?

GT: Very little actually. We've sort of kept our distance from it. They did ask us to write some music for it, but when we saw its format we decided... Definitely the only factor that's true in there is a guy from a tribute band joining the real thing, and, well, after that, they've just gone off on a Hollywood trail. We thought that if we got too involved with the film people might mistakenly think it was the story of Ripper Owens. It just isn't! It just isn't! So we've just distanced ourselves from it.

CBL: Do you think that the controversy it's generated has sort of got you back in the media spotlight to a certain degree, and it's been useful in that respect?

GT: Not particularly because what we're trying to do is show that the film has nothing to do with us. Unfortunately a lot of people think it has because they bought the story from the New York Times. [lacuna] joining the band but we [lacuna], y'know, so we just tried to keep as far away from it as possible.

CBL: I was reading somewhere that you're not too keen to sort of focus on the past and things like that, but still I want to ask you anyway what are the main differences between Rob and Ripper as singers for you.

GT: Um, it's a difficult question to answer because they've both got their own characteristics but they're both Judas Priest singers. What really surprises me about Ripper is the fact that he... Over the last two albums, I've helped him to find his own character and style, which there is an immense amount within him. He's very versatile, very flexible, and keen to develop his own character, but the thing that's amazed me is that it's still Judas Priest, so at the end of the day I'd say there's very little difference between them. They're absolutely perfect to sing for Judas Priest.

CBL: You'd say they're both equally as good?

GT: Oh yes. Yes, I would think so. Yeh.

CBL: There must be some differences like, y'know, they must have different strengths or weaknesses.

GT: There are different characters in the voice, but, as I say, it's still, y'know, acceptable in Judas Priest, and that's the thing that amazes me, 'cos with Ripper we found new routes to go down but once it's all done and dusted, recorded, it's just so appropriate for Priest and there's no real definition of why. That's just the way it is, which is it's a small miracle really that we found Ripper.

CBL: People are bound to harp on about Rob for quite a while. What do you think it'll actually take for them to forget about that whole question and to sort of just concentrate on the band as it is now?

GT: I don't think the subject will ever drop, y'know. I think it will always be there and will always be old.

CBL: So, you're quite happy to live with that then?

GT: Absolutely, yeh.

CBL: So, you've changed an important member in Rob and, of course, you’ve been through quite a few drummers as well, and would it be possible for Judas Priest to keep going even after you leave the band, y'know? Do you think that would ever be possible?

GT: I've really no idea if another key member left, the band would continue or not. Um, I've never even thought about it yet. It hasn't crossed my mind because I don't see any point where I will leave the band. Until we lose the energy and enthusiasm that we've got at the moment, and then I think it is time to give up, y'know. If you're just going through the motions and just going out there for the dollars – or yen perhaps as I should say in Japan – but I just don't think it's right to carry on. It must be very soul destroying to go out there and play when you're not enjoying it, y'know; just for the money.

CBL: Well, you don't really need the money, do you?

GT: I'm never going to say I don't need any more money. There are always good things to do with money but money isn't the issue, y'know. The issue is enjoying your music and going out there for the fans because, y'know, they've been so loyal throughout the years and they deserve it. They deserve their just reward.

CBL: So, what is the essence of Judas Priest? Is it something greater than its sum parts?

GT: Em, I think Priest is an institution in a sense. It's been around for a long time and people... We're a yardstick really. People, they wait for our next album. Whether it's to criticize it, they still wait for it, and, because we've done over 15 albums, people have got a lot of regard for us. A lot of the younger bands at one time or another have done a Priest song, and they respect us, and we respect them as well, so, I think, at the end of the day, y'know, we're looked to with respect and that's something I'm very proud of. I think that, y'know, most bands out there have got a lot of good things to say about Priest, and, again, that's something I’m very proud of because it means a lot to us.

CBL: What's your favourite track on the new album and why?

GT: I think Hell Is Home for the reasons I said that it's all about finding your level in life so it's...

CBL: I'm sorry, I didn't hear what you said.

GT: Hell Is Home for the reasons that I've already stated. I think it's all about finding your own level in life and trying not to bite off more than you can chew just to get it right, and if you get it right you can be somebody. I think it’s a good sentiment.

CBL: I particularly like the lyrics on Cyberface. I thought they were quite, eh...

GT: Ehhh, Scott [Travis] was involved in the lyrics on that track as well, the drummer, so I think it’s very current really, y'know.

CBL: Sorry?

GT: Very current the lyrics on Cyberface.

CBL: Yeh

GT: [lacuna] computers

CBL: So, part of your attempt to always keep Priest up to date? Is that right?

GT: I suppose it is in a sense, but I mean I think you're [lacuna] just keeping your ear to the ground, not really trying to do it or contriving it, just being, moving ahead and trying to progress which is what we’ve tried to do

CBL: Yeh. Em, could I ask you a little bit about where you are right now?

GT: I'm at home.

CBL: In England?

GT: Yeh.

CBL: Yeh. Oh, 'cos I was half expecting that you'd be in Sweden or somewhere

GT: No. We've just finished over there. We just got back, well, yesterday.

CBL: Mmmh.

GT: Doing Scandinavia for about three weeks.

CBL: And how was that?

GT: Fantastic. It was... The people there are so much, so much into metal, y'know. They're so enthusiastic. It was great. It was a fantastic...

CBL: They've still got that Viking mentality, haven't they?

GT: I don't know whether it's Viking, but it's certainly totally into metal and it was just really enjoyable to do.

CBL: Where is home at the moment? I mean, I don't know where...

GT: I'm in Worcestshire.

CBL: Mmm?

GT: Worcestershire, yeh.

CBL: Leicestershire?

GT: Yeh.

CBL: OK, well, thank you for speaking to me this morning.

GT: It's been a pleasure, C.B.

CBL: Hope to see you in the future sometime.

GT: OK.

CBL: OK, thanks a lot. Goodbye.

GT: Bye bye.

Read more...>>>

Seiko Mikami, media artist

On the 5th of November, 2011, I had a short telephone interview with the Japanese 'media artist' Seiko Mikami for an article I was writing about her exhibition, "Desire of Codes," which was being held at the NTT InterCommunication Center in Tokyo. While the mere layman might find her English difficult to understand, I am an expert in understanding Japanese English so her meaning was clear to me throughout the interview.

SM: Hai? Moshi moshi.

CBL: Hello.

SM: Moshi moshi.

CBL: Hello. Is that Seiko Mikami?

SM: Yeh.

CBL: Hi, this is Colin Liddell.

SM: Aha!

CBL: I'm phoning on behalf of the Japan Times about your exhibition.

SM: Ah, yeh yeh yeh yeh, ICC's Hatanaka emailed me about you.

CBL: Yeh.

SM: Yeh, yeh, OK.

CBL: I'd just like to...

SM: I'm sorry. I'm now in Yamaguchi prefecture...

CBL: I understand.

SM: ...working on my new piece.

CBL: Uhu.

SM: So now it's really critical condition so I cannot answer your question sorry, but I have... If you want to know a couple of things, I have time, like 30 minutes.

CBL: Sorry.

SM: I have time.

CBL: Uhu.

SM: 30 minutes only.

CBL: OK. I probably don't need that much time.

SM: OK.

CBL: So, just a few questions.

SM: OK. You already saw it my piece?

CBL: Oh yes.

SM: At the ICC, and Hatanaka, curator Hatanaka told you about...

CBL: Yes, he explained some of the points.

SM: Aha!

CBL: Em, could I just ask you, first off, is your work designed to give us a kind of foretaste of artificial intelligence?

SM: I think I'm not using, I'm not interested artificial intelligence so much actually.

CBL: Uhu.

SM: Aha, and then, uhmm, this "Desire Code" is not hardware, more like information oriented society, I express. For example, ah y'know, not machine have desire anymore like the security camera or y'know... These things are metaphor for information oriented society. So your name is Colin?

CBL: Yeh.

SM: Colin. So if I type it your name Colin whatsaname...

CBL: My full name?

SM: Your full name then something appear y'know like your information inside a social network things.

CBL: Yeh.

SM: Where you work it, where you bought it this book or sometimes something, right?

CBL: Yeh.

SM: And this all information, I mean for more... For example, you have social security number, maybe United States, right?

CBL: Ah, well, UK – yes.

SM: Yeh, UK, or some kind of number of calls, elect sometime very your income or y'know your all information this year.

CBL: Yeh?

SM: So your are... We are living in this kind of world for information oriented society, so if I type it your name so I can see your figure, what kind of y'know people are you, no?

CBL: Yeh.

SM: Then so, other hand, I'm talking to you by phone but real you is in there, right?

CBL: Umhu.

SM: There is two kind of, uh, you in this world. One is information, inside information, one is real.

CBL: Yeh.

SM: Do you understand? And so, it's OK, for example some... I bought it a teddy bear for my friend to birthday, right?

CBL: Mmhh.

SM: Through Amazon dot com. So Amazon dot com tracking me OK, This Seiko Mikami is likes teddy bear y'know some kind of.

CBL: Yes.

SM: And then they are sending over and over to me, OK if you like teddy bear y'know teddy bear likes people buy this book, blah blah blah. Do you know this system, right?

CBL: Yeh. I'm very familiar with that, yeh.

SM: Ya ya [***lacuna***] but anyway I don’t like teddy bear. Just I bought it for my friend, right?

CBL: So it's like... You're interested in how people's, em, sort of information selves will become distorted and different from who they really are?

SM: Ya ya or sometimes this information may be real you or... It depends the people, right?

CBL: Yeh, but of course, e-every single person knows several other people and all those other people have, uh, a kind of image of that person so doesn't that mean every person exists in many maybe hundreds or even thousands of different kind of versions.

SM: Uhu, yah. So, but especially this information world, I mean, for we are living in such a like iPhone or PC or this kind of world. It's more different type. For example my friend has lots of blog stff, right?

CBL: Uhu.

SM: Her blog is pretty famous so now, she, her act, action is, 'OK I have to see this movie or I have to eat this dinner because of this blog.' Not she decide. Because she has blog or a blogger things to make decision. Such things. So I am talking about more like this and then this desire code, y'know, if you are inside everything recorded.

CBL: Ah.

SM: Your face is recorded because this is three parts. One is wall have like really small camera to catch you, right? And then so and then this arm catching you also and then there is also microphone inside this room and all, y'know, conversations is recorded right? And then...

CBL: But your installation is not really capturing information is it? It's more of a kind of tacti... Well, sort of a sensory response. It's not...

SM: Yeh yeh.

CBL: There's no specific, eh, uh, information that's connected to the person.

SM: If specific it's illegal. Anyway this fragment...

CBL: Yes.

SM: ...this fragment of information, catch this and then if you are outside this sensor area, just for keeping tracking you to again, It is recording stuff to show it to people. You see this circle?

CBL: Umhuh.

SM: Fifty...sixty-one kind of compound eyes that...

CBL: Yeh.

SM: [***lacuna***] the screen. You see, right?

CBL: It's, it’s sort of reminded me of some of the kind of science fiction movies like uh well Solaris or 2001...

SM: Yeh, yeh.

CBL: ...where you have this this computer which has...

SM: ...like 1984 or...

CBL: ...which starts to develop its own kind of intelligence and will...

SM: Yeh, yeh, exactly. Anyway...

CBL: I thought, I thought you were trying to give people a kind of, y'know, impression of how artificial intelligence might seem in the future when, when machines and computers...

SM: OK.

CBL: ...will be more powerful and possibly more self-motivated than they are now.

SM: I am really question about technology... So, like more critical.

CBL: Yeh.

SM: Cristicize. Either way, y'know, like become bigger things. On the other hand it's really critical for the humans...

CBL: Could I say you're pessimistic about technological development? Do y... You see lots of dangers?

SM: Pessimist and optimist, both.

CBL: Umhu.

SM: It's not either side. It's not like doing a wrestling. I mean more we are living between worlds...

CBL: Umh.

SM: ...so that, that's my position - two: sometimes AI is good, sometimes AI is scares, y'know.

CBL: Uhu.

SM: It's not so... It's not... [***lacuna***] art is just reflection of society, right? Now too I think. That's why I express this installation, big interactive installation to be... I am thinking about right now of my, our society, yeh?

CBL: Uhu.

SM: So it's not either side, so just reflection through my brain.

CBL: Yeh.

SM: Uhu...so, is that answer to you?

CBL: Well, uh, uh, I was just, uh, interested, eh, in another aspect, because usually this kind of technological area, it's usually associated with the kind of otaku or male geeks and otakus...

SM: Yeh, yeh!

CBL: ...and, and you're a female artist so why are you attracted to the technological art because...

SM: This is a kind of really strange question, y'know.

CBL: Umh?

SM: Strange question.

CBL: Why?

SM: Lots of female doing media art also. Lots of female in Japan have the same kind of mathematics or computer, or it's a lot of people are interesting right now.

CBL: I just thought being a woman might give you a different way of thinking about technology than a man because usually y'know technology's very associated with the male mentality, and when a woman is also interested in technology how does that, eh, effect the equation?

SM: Uhu. OK. But I'm not like that. I mean I don't think about that [***lacuna***] female or male... Also, all my pieces using eye-tracking or gravicells series about gravity, more like... Even I don’t... It doesn’t matter to Asia or it doesn't matter to area to... It doesn't matter to black and white or doesn't matter to female, male.

CBL: You say that, you say that, but I also, I also found out that the exhibition, eh, which is being shown around Japan also travelled internationally. It didn't travel to, say, Africa or South America. It went to Germany. So it went to a very technological... It went from a technological country to a technological country, so there are certain countries that are much more technological and the people are much more technologically inclined, aren't they?

SM: Yeh. No, no, I mean talking about my, my piece, my concept...

CBL: Mmm.

SM: ...of my piece is always using eye-tracking .

CBL: Yeh.

SM: ...[***lacuna***] or human-like eye to eye or just walking through to [***lacuna***] to gravity.

CBL: Yeh.

SM: I mean so like more universal things I use.

CBL: Well, aspects of humanity?

SM: It don’t matter to female, male, or Asian.

CBL: Yeh, well everybody has eyes, yeh?

SM: Uhu.

CBL: So, as long as people have eyes your eye-tracking art is obviously relevant to that, to every human being.

SM: Yeh, I'm not so using for this female or Asian. Normally a lot of Asian artists do...

CBL: Yeh.

SM: ...the cultural stuff, but I don’t do that...

CBL: But also if you're doing eye-tracking, you must notice there are differences between what men look at and what women look at, aren't there?

SM: Aaah, but eye-tracking I'm not using for real pictures, I mean more eye can make objects, this kind of stuff, yeh.

CBL: Mm? Sorry.

SM: My Eye [***lacuna***] maybe… Are you living in Tokyo now?

CBL: Yes.

SM: OK, so maybe this December 9th I will show also ICC one piece of eye-tracking at theatre A.

CBL: Uhu. Oh good, I should try to mention that in the article then.

SM: Yeh, yeh, so, anyway, uhhh, my piece doesn't matter so much female or male.

CBL: Umhu.

SM: Like, sorry about that.

CBL: Oh no, I'm just, y'know, the key point would be what people look at and people look at different things connected to their interest and motivations.

SM: Uhu.

CBL: But your art doesn’t look at that.

SM: I don’t care about that.

CBL: Uhu. OK.

SM: Yeh. Very unusual, yeh?

CBL: Yeh?

SM: I don’t know.

CBL: OK, let’s see, em.

SM: It’s Ok?

CBL: Yeh, I think that's plenty of material for my article actually, so I don't think I really have to, y'know, em, spend any more of your time because I have a lot of information to give the reader already.

SM: That's good.

CBL: OK. Thank you very much for your time.

SM: Thank you very much, so keep in touch.

CBL: OK, I will. Goodnight.

SM: Bye!

Read more...>>>

Miya Ando, artist

I interviewed the artist Miya Ando by telephone on the 12th of September, 2011. She was in California, where she was anodysing some of her metal sculptures. We talked for around 40 minutes, mainly about her recentlty unveiled London memorial to the victims of the 9-11 attack and about her connections with Japan. Here are the first 25 minutes of the interview, during which she produced a commendable 22 y'knows.


MA: Hello

CBL: Hello, is that Miya Ando?

MA: Yes, it is. Is this Colin-san?

CBL: Yes, Colin here.

MA: Hello.

CBL: Nice to speak to you.

MA: Likewise. Nice to speak to you. Thank you so much for your calling.

CBL: Yeh, yes. You seem to be quite, quite busy, moving from, between different time zones. I mean a few days ago you were in London and then back to New York and then you’re in California now, and soon I think you'll be in Tokyo, won't you?

MA: Yes I will, but, y'know, first I have to go to Korea and Seattle, so I am a nomad at the moment I think. [laughs]

CBL: How is that effecting, effecting your work?

MA: Well y'know before I left for London, I was very, very busy making all of the work for the Tokyo show and also for Korea, which is, em, an outdoor public piece, and also for Seattle, so I was doing a kind of [*lacuna*] art making this very, very busy, but actually between the time... In October and November I am going to be, em, doing some more of my aluminium works...

CBL: Yeh.

MA: ...that I do, em, in a facility in Santa Barbara California, so I have a little [*lacuna*] where that I can do the anodysing stuff, the new stuff.

CBL: Yeh, cos I mean, your art, em, it's quite different from somebody who's just doing sketches. It's very dependent on, eh, having the space and the materials, all ready and to hand, isn't it?

MA: That's true, but, y'know, while if I have to be travelling I usually bring something like drawings or some little things that I can work on because, y'know, even though I [*lacuna*] the metalwork, I also do a lot of work, small, middle, y’know, I work with little light things and some drawings. I put forth some scrawls and things that y'know I repetitively write things like prayers and things like that. Yeh, so I do... I've got sort of my art practice that I work on when, even if I'm not in my New York studio.

CBL: Uhuh. Now, um, like to, em, go back a few days to when you were in London and the 9-11 memorial. Em, how did that come about? Why were you, eh, selected out for what is quite a, obviously, eh, a kinda high profile thing because I mean, uh, at the unveiling there were... The mayor was there and, y'know, a few other dignitaries.

MA: Oh yes. Yes, yes. I have to say I was not the first choice.

CBL: Sorry.

MA: I was not the first choice for the 9-11 London Foundation. It is... The 9/11 London is a non-profit group that commissioned me to do the sculpture. The first person they approached was Richard Serra and he said no. [laughs]

CBL: Uhu.

MA: And then in London they met with Anish Kapoor's agent and Anish Kapoor's agent said he was interested in it but he didn't want to use the World Trade Centre steel, and the whole project was based upon the fact that the September 11 London Foundation had received... They had written to the Port Authority and they had gotten permission to receive [*lacuna*] really a piece of the World Trade Centre Steel to utilize for a memorial.

CBL: Aha.

MA: So after those two very famous artists who, y'know, they are my heroes of art. Those are two of my most favourite artists.

CBL: Yeh.

MA: The, um, London Foundation called up the September 11 Tribute Centre, which is just across the street from Ground Zero in downtown New York.

CBL: Uhuh.

MA: When they called the Tribute Centre, the man who was the head of that organization was a fire-fighter and his name was Lee Ielpi, and Lee Ielpi just by coincidence, but by chance had been, had known of my work because of a public commission, a small public commission that I did for a non-denominational chapel in Brooklyn.

CBL: Yeh.

MA: So, he had known my name and although I was nowhere near establishment... Really, just in 2009, when the London people called him, y'know, I'm an emerging artist, so he said, "You may want to look at this young lady because she works with steel and she's from a Buddhist family and, y'know, she's from a steel family," and, and, um, so the London Foundation, I get a call from them. I got an email which is followed up by an immediate call, and they just said if you had the opportunity to work with World Trade Centre Steel what would you do? And I said I would leave it exactly the way that I found it, but I would sand it to a near finish, and would reveal something that was very, very refined inside of this rusty steel and I... It would be a meditation, and, um, they said, "OK – meet us at the Hangar 17, which is a giant hangar out at JFK Airport in New York, and, um, you can select a piece. You're our girl. You are our perfect artist. We can’t think of anyone else. We’re going to give you an opportunity to do this project." So they selected me, and then, y’know, it was a week later when I went to JFK, and I looked through all the 2,000 pieces of steel that they had saved there.

CBL: What were you... When you were selecting the piece of steel, what were you actually looking for? Did you have any kind of, em, sort of notion of what, what would work or, em...

MA: You see because I have been an artist who has been refining the surface of steel and metals and using them as [*lacuna*] works like a painting, but... I [*lacuna*] sanding and polishing, and working with fire and chemicals to create the very highly finished steel surfaces out of steel plates and steel sheets for several years, so when I saw the piece what I selected, it was three columns that were connected by a very big plate, and that plate folded over when it fell down and it fell about seventy stories – seven zero stories – from the World Trade Centre, but when I saw the plate, I thought that plate, I can polish that plate, I can treat that plate just like the other steel plates that I’ve been working on and sand it down and finish it so that it looks transparent, or it becomes a mirror, and it becomes very light and ethereal, and hopefully that will communicate an idea of transcendence and ascension in this tragedy, so I really, when I saw this, um, y'know, very tall... It's about thirty feet tall are the columns but as, y'know, the whole outside, the whole exoskeleton of the World Trade Centre was comprised of these columns and these big flat plates that connected the columns, and I didn't change the form. I just kept it exactly as I found it. All I did was polish it and sand it down. It didn't [*lacuna*] subtract anything from the form. So, I looked at it sort of as a continuation of my studio practice, just on a really huger scale, y’know.

CBL: Yeh. Em, also the Mayor Boris Johnson he was making a speech at the unveiling I think and he, em, he referred to, em, sort of conspiracy theories about 9-11 and how this foundation is trying to sort of counter that. I was wondering if there is any tie-in there, because your piece of work, it's sort of, em, reflecting like light in what can sometimes be a kind of murky area cos there are a lot of theories out there, and there's a lot of disbelief about what actually happened on 9-11.

MA: Yes, Yes, it's very, um, it's, it's very, um, very sensitive and complex, um. I thought that it was, um... Well, my intention was to put forth the steel at least as a relic of the tragedy, to put that object forth in a truthful manner, and, and that's the reason why I didn't want to unbend it or attach any other new materials. I really wanted to look within the material itself, to remove the rust and to try to create something that would put forth and redirect light to the viewers really in the hope that, um, that object would look transformed and would be a poem or metaphor for perhaps finding something within the tragedy that could become [*lacuna*] for peace, and this I did for the families and for those who perished in the tragedy, but also as, y'know, a symbol for this educational program. I don't know if it is, um, possible for a sculpture and the educational program to, um, counter any of these conspiracy theories, but I do, um, have hopes that this sculpture as an object, as a symbol for the educational program that teaches children about tolerance and about many different religions and many different views and how we can, em, get along with one another, that I think, ah, the reverberations of having education, uh, educational policy could very well promote peace and, um, understand… more, a deeper understanding of one another in the name of not letting something or this kind of tragedy occur again, so, I, I can't really, because...

CBL: So...

MA: I don't, y'know, I can't... I felt my, my role was really, um, to try to make something that did stand for peace, and my, my, my responsibility was to pay homage and respect those who had perished and not let those people pass in vain, and I wanted those memories to stand for something that would, um, promote, uh, this type of tragedy to not happen again.

CBL: Uhu.

MA: That was what... Y'know, I’m from a family that…of Buddhist priests and I very much respect, um, my particular heritage and my, my belief of, um, being respectful to the spirits of those and memories, ah, and, and approaching this project and this material with reverence.

CBL: Well, the way you've, em, tackled this project, you've kind of preserved, em, the character of the steel, which is this piece of gnarled metal from a, a cataclysmic event, and you've kind of... So, it contains the tragedy within it, but because of that it also has a very brutalist aspect, and I think some of the people in London were kind of a little bit negative about that. They thought it looked a bit too violent and brutal, so you did get some criticism and I mean probably that's also related to the, y'know, recent events in London because, y'know, those teriible riots very recently, and so, when you have something that looks broken or vandalized or, em, in some way a kind of a symbol of something violent that's happened, it sends out a kind of, em, the signal of negativity as well, doesn't it?

MA: Well, I think, yes, I, I, I completely understand and I felt very, very, um, both heartbroken and empathetic to the voices that opposed the sculpture and I wanted very much to put forth a message to those people who had, uh, an opposition to this artwork and the material and I, I wanted to say that, um, in leaving the form of this object in an unchanged form, I was, my hope was to... It... Even though it is very violent, it is very brutal, it is, it is the truth. It is a... It has the memory of this terrible tragedy, and to stand this object up after it has fallen, I hope it would give a message of a symbol of the resilience of humankind and our ability to stand up again and be tall and transcend this and to look to the future with this highly reflective, uh, surface, and to optimistically, um, stand again. That was my hope of taking something that, that was brutally gnawed and... To see the effect on, on such a object of materiality is a very intense, ah, looking object, but I also think that, um, as sort of, um, as difficult an object as it is, it is also quite powerful because it is undeniably a relic of a terrible tragedy.

CBL: Uhu.

MA: And I think sometimes that sort of, um, that an object of intensity could very much be put forth with the right intention, could symbolize especially to onlookers and young people that we cannot let something like this occur. I mean this is one-inch thick steel that has really, am, gone through this horrible event so I pose... I very much... I try to proceed with an intention of respect and reverence, especially for the victims' families and in my mind, um, they were... and the victims, the actual, the people who perished, am, it was most important to me to honour them with the piece.

CBL: Yeh, well, I hope it's understood in that way, but London being London I'm sure, eh, a lot of people will take it in different way, because it's such a diverse city, but anyway you’re mentioning your Buddhist background and, em, of course, this is going to be in CNNgo Tokyo, so I'd like to sort of delve a little bit into your Japanese background. First of all could you tell me a little bit about where you were born and grew up and when you moved to America and your family background and your ancestry?

MA: Yes, of course. Well, my mother is from Japan and is Japanese. My father is American of Russian... He's Russian American, ah, but I was, um, born in America and I went first time to Japan when I was an infant and spent some time...

CBL: Could I ask how old you were?

MA: I think I was months old. I can ask my mother.

CBL: Months?

MA: My mother is here. I can ask my mom. I know I was in diapers. [laughs] I was a little baby when I was in Japan but, um, and primarily, y'know, when I was a very little girl, um... My mother is, ah... The family lives in Okayama City.

CBL: Yeh.

MA: And Okayama City, my mother's father, so my grandfather was the head priest of a Nichiren Buddhist temple, so the Nichiren is a very, very old sect. It's [*lacuna*] a very old sect, the lotus [*lacuna*] and that...

CBL: Is he still around?

MA: No, he passed away, unfortunately, and his... Now the head priest of the temple is my cousin. My cousin, he, when my grandfather passed away a few years ago, em, my eldest male cousin became the new, ah, priest.

CBL: Yeh.

MA: And, um, that is the environment in which I was, in which I lived. Ah, it's a small temple in Okayama, and, uh, y'know, my aunts and uncles and my cousins and everyone sort of lives... My grandparents lived in the temple and my cousins and everyone lived next door, so that is the environment, um, that is, has had a great impact in my, well on many things in my life.

CBL: Umhu.

MA: I would [*lacuna*] that, um, y'know, I spent all of my summers, I spent time kind of going back and forth and bouncing back and forth. It's was basically when I was, uh, before, y'know, young, but high school, all of my, y'know, high school and college was in America. Um, as soon as I finished high school I went back to Japan...

CBL: So, was it, was it a kind of thing where you were living in America but then during the summer holidays, you'd come to Japan frequently
MA: Yes, exactly. Exactle. Um, and, y'know, I spend, y'know it was, y'know, there was some schedule but it was [*lacuna*] more high, y'know [*lacuna*] back and forth I would say, but a bit more...

CBL: Yeh.

[There is a silent pause]

CBL: Hello!

MA: Yes.

CBL: It went quiet for a moment. Sorry.

MA: No, in my [*lacuna*] I’m the sixteenth generation of the, my mom's side so that is the Ando family.

CBL: Yeh.

MA: And, but several generations before the, the family went into the Buddhist priesthood. There is, there were some ancestors who made katana swords, so this, uh...

CBL: How many generations ago is that?

MA: Well the most famous of these Ando sword makers is a person called Yoshiro Masakatsu Ando Yoshiro Masakatsu and that was in eighteen, early eighteen-hundreds, up until then.

CBL: Yeh.

MA: And I have some photos of his swords and things, and, and y’know [*lacuna*] visit his grave, uh, not last year, but [*lacuna*] the year before but he is sort of the most renowned of the, ah, Ando sword, ah, makers, and...

CBL: Do you have any of his swords in your possession?

MA: I don't personally. Um, my great uncle, who am... In my grandfather's generation, they have some and so they took a picture. They took a photograph of one and they emailed it to me not so long ago and they say [*lacuna*] just got a Japanese book, uh, like, talks about, uh, this person...

[The rest of this interview will be posted at some future date.]

Read more...>>>

Heidi Klum, model

I interviewed supermodel Heidi Klum at the inaugural MTV Japan Awards on Friday the 24th of May, 2002, in the press conference room. There were about 30 other journalists, some of whom asked a couple of questions, but I have included here only the questions I asked her.

HK: It [MTV Japan Awards] is very exciting because it's the first time. I think MTV’s really big in Japan. MTV’s big all over the World but I think especially in Japan. I’ve never been in Japan so I love coming over here.

CBL: You said that MTV's very big in Japan, but you've never been in Japan before, you said.

HK: But I know it's very big over here.

CBL: How would you learn about this?

HK: Because I think that the Japanese people are really into fashion and they're really into music, and that it's known in the World that they're very fashionable.

CBL: So, do you think that fashion is an important component of MTV?

HK: I think so too. Yes, because the artists, the performers, they show the public, y'know, different hairstyles and they show them different clothes and I think that influences the designers too and that’s what we wear outside.

CBL: There are a lot of fashionable people here tonight and you're very fashionable as well, but you're not a musician. Do you feel a little bit out of place?

HK: No, not really because what I do is entertaining too. I've done movies and sitcoms so I feel that it all goes together a little bit.

CBL: It's all showbiz?

HK: Yeh, and Akebono [sumo wrestler] is not a musician. Y'know, I think that is what's very exciting . . .

CBL: It's Konishki [another sumo wrestler]

HK: Sorry.

CBL: Tonight, it's Konishki, I think.

HK: No, I was with Akebono.

CBL: OK, thank you very much.

Read more...>>>

Dr. NakaMats, inventor

Yoshiro Nakamatsu, a.k.a. Doctor NakaMats, is Japan's best known inventor. In fact he is more famous for being an inventor than actually inventing something as most of his inventions seem to be novelty items or subtle modifications of existing technology. Nevertheless, he is a real celebrity in Japan.

In late 2010, I visited him at his Tokyo home and H.Q. for a prospective article that never saw the light of day. In this segment of our long conversation, the Doctor talks about how Japan can be revitalized through an emphasis on non-material factors, like education, politics, and the spiritual.

Read more...>>>