bravecaptain meets ireallylovemusic
hello martin. interesting new album, especially considering that anyone who goes under a singlelowercase word moniker is always going to win ireallylovemusic over.
"there's always been a depeche mode aspect to my music"
so from guitar toting britpop hero to electro laptop folktronica weirdness... tell us about the path ?
well of course i would immediately refute the britpop tag, out of habit if nothing else. i had started to listening to stuff like squarepusher and aphex around 97 but didn't have the slightest clue how to make music like that. the intro to 'blue room in archway' off the last boo's album was me trying to sound like aphex when all i was actually doing was hitting random patterns into a drum machine and speeding it up. after the band folded i knew what i wanted to do but still didn't know how to go about it until i moved to cardiff about three years ago and met some people who knew laptops like i knew guitars and who were good enough to spend some time with me and show me what's what. the records are quite straight i think, it's when i play live that the true creative potential of all this gear reveals itself.
the album starts exactly as i expected with the usual type of pleasant pop song stylings lulling the listener in before things take a severe left turn at 2 minutes .. was this intentional as it really threw me (which is a good thing is should add)?
i dunno, that question could have been a review of every album i've done since giant steps. i don't have a long musical attention span, everything is intentional but nothing is planned.
"metamorphicrocks" is excellent, with its deep distorted rhythmic loops (very On-U Sound), dub bass boom and vocoder tagline, and is probably the most surprising thing i ever heard from an ex boo .. how did this track come about ?
i think it started as a totally different song. i was feeding the drum loop i'd made through some filters and this sound came out of the speakers that gave it another feel entirely. then it's a matter of finding a melody and some words that fit.
the songs definitely seem to be an experiment with the interaction of human warmth and cold machines .. how did you know where to draw the line when creating these tracks ?
i guess i'm looking for a balance of the two. i don't really want anything to be 'cold' but i am interested in sound which juxtaposes well with my ability to knock out a tune.
was it sounds first then words on top, or did you write these songs in the age old fashion on your guitar and transfer the results to the computer?
everything goes into the computer, it's my notepaper, my four track and my studio and my rehearsal room. a few were written on guitar, maybe half. the rest grew inside my lappy like musical fungus.
how do you think people who liked the boos will appreciate the deviation into this new sonic territory, after all, the boos were a classic pop band who experimented with sounds, but always based within a "real" band setup?
yeah we were and that was the main reason i didn't want to do it anymore. it felt very restrictive. i don't know what people who liked the boo's think about this music, i think it would only be a surprise if they hadn't heard the last few albums. the people who keep up with everything i do, the people at the site i'm thinking of, seem to know what i'm like and know that it's a long journey and that we rarely stop at the same place twice.
do you miss having a bunch of folks to bounce ideas around with, or do you like having complete control over the results?
i like the control but i miss folks.
surely that introduces a new element of pressure upon yourself?
yeah it does but i don't have to do it, i think if i relinquished some of the control i have over things i do then somebody would make me get a job.
how to maintain that element of quality control, as the album is a tight set of songs filling a perfect 45 minute slot, were you not tempted to fill the cd capacity with other hard disk entities ?
no, i wanted to keep it clean, this was a last minute decision that was kinda forced upon me due to time/talent restrictions. i'm happy it's so compact tho', it's a new thing for me.
you are about to tour, will this be an infamous 'man behind a laptop' type of live affair or are you fleshing out the sounds with some fellow travellers?
just me and two laptops, couple of keyboards and a rhodes piano plus a distortion pedal that'll take yr face off. i might get a band together after this though, see how this one goes.
you seem to have joined the internet world .. do you interact with your fans under a pseudonym via your message board or are you more open with your interaction.
i started using the internet about eight years ago and can't imagine life without it. i've had two or three sites, various blogs, ebay addiction (cured), met hundreds of ace people and kept in touch with people who would have been merely faded memories before. i love it. i go on the message board as bravecaptain. we're there because we all love music, i'm no different to them. we just happen to meet at my place.
do you ever miss being a full on pop star, or, are you a happy person with the lower profile you have maintained in recent times?
i don't miss being a pop star for one second but i wish i was more well known and it confuses me when people think that it's some kind of strategy.
will you ever be tempted to enter the big hyped up pop groove again?
i should start trying to write hits for other people but i am happy with the stuff i do as bravecaptain.
which aspects do you miss the most from that whole period of your life, and what are you glad to be rid of?
i miss touring the world and hanging out with my mates all the time. i am glad to stay at home and be rid of my mates. ain't life funny?
Is this album a one-off a la David Bowie’s chameleon or will you be sticking to this path of sonic experimentation or will you be retreating to the mountains with a guitar and a 4 track for your next album?
your guess is as good as mine ;)
And lastly ..
Who is going to win Big Brother ?
bubble
Enjoy the tour !
thank you, see you soon! xx
new album 'all watched over by machines of loving grace' out soon on wichita