by Jessica Holland. Tuesday, 13 November 2007
What do you think of the UK dance music scene – is it vibrant at the moment?
No, vibrancy awaits. It will happen next May when my album comes out! I think it’s always had lulls. It had a lull and then drum & bass came along, and it had a lull and then Daft Punk came along. Then it had a lull and big beat came along. Every DJ I know, we’re all scratching our heads trying to come up with the new element, because it’s definitely a bit of a fallow period. But sometimes you need that. Fallow periods were invented by farmers to rejuvenate the soil and make it rich again.
Which other artists are having an influence on the new album?
The biggest influence at the moment is the new Radiohead album. Not musically, but the shockwaves of how they’ve released it are going round the music business like fury. Artists are beginning to realise they don’t need record companies any more. Before, we were their bitches and they got the lion’s share of the money. It’s now turning the other way around so we get more power and the record companies are falling by the wayside. It might be the death toll for traditional record companies as we know them, but I’m not shedding a tear.
Can you tell us anything else about your Âforthcoming album?
Unfortunately not. I can tell you I was working with David Byrne (of Talking Heads) quite a lot, who I’m also working with on an Imelda Marcos musical with.
Will your new album be ready in 2008?
Yeah, the aim is to finish it by Christmas, so it will be out about May next year.
What’s your wife, Zoe Ball, up to now?
Well, aside from Saturday night TV, she’s been producing some short films. She won the British Film Institute short film competition silver award recently, which was great.
What would you like to be doing in ten or 15 years’ time?
I would like to continue making music until I die. I mean, what the hell else would I do? The only honest job I’ve ever had was working in a record shop for a year – apart from that all I’ve ever done is make music.
Fat Party
Norman Cook has recently remixed a track for charity compilation album Sound Affects: ÂBrazil. The launch party will be on 21 November with artists like Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly performing live. Guanabara, Parker Street, Corner Drury Lane, WC2, 0207 242 8600, 6pm-12am, £10
source: thelondonpaper.com
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