interview, memeplex prime, experimental music,
Richard Morgan
interviews MeMePleX PriMe
[reprinted with kind permission]
"There was something
really weird going on here a minute ago"
MeMeplex Prime produce a kind of Stadium Drone Rock, blending groovey beats with the most liquid, chromium guitar sounds since, well... since never. My conversation with MeMePleX protagonist Martian starts like this:
"You
look around at the current musical climate and you're just totally amazed
at what's on offer. All we get are drama school kids who've been trained
to look like they mean it: they have this surreal kind of Bonnie Langford
- Spice Girls smile, the harmless cheekyness. It's such a removed notion
of what music is really capable of. So when real people do break through
they are empowered because their attitude is so unfamiliar and new."
This latest incarnation of the players that brought us Stray Dog City [a legend in their own lunch-time] and Odeama, MeMeplex sounds like electronica with a Hollywood Blockbuster budget [despite the fact that they still record at home].
"No amount of PR or production or image consultancy can ever compensate for a lack of attitude: we don't want praise, we want debate.
"Our music is the product of influences, of course it is, but nothing is ever forced, and we're into more than one band, more than one style: we're only really into creating our own culture - we don't have to belong to some phoney little gang anymore. We're influenced just as much by rock culture as we are by dance - but that's still pretty rare - it's easy for the magazines to say it's the norm these days, and it's easy for cunts like Richard Ashcroft to say that they're influenced by hip-hop when they are quite obviously not, but when it comes to actually finding it, all you get is Funk Metal - or dance acts using some shite guitar riff - or Eric bloody Crapton!"
Their indipendence [MeMePleX are unsigned] has afforded them the oportunity to distribute tracks for free via CD's and MP3's, which has in turn allowed them a certain amount of credibility amongst tape traders and the underground web communities [in particular the SpyPunk movement inspired by the work of Grant Morrison and Barbelith].
"most people who want to see a live band want to be able to see how you are creating the sounds - but they aren't interested in how many chords you are using - that's the difference between people who love music and people who 'appreciate music'. We don't care what we have to do to make the sounds, as long as they're they feel right."
fiend
leelee
mr gen &
mr ade
noise
martian
hostile
For us music is always a good combination of emotional and intellectual content: you've got the therapy of performance, and the challenge of creating tracks.
Our writing is based on the first take - we just play, we might have a beat we've worked out in advance but other than that we improvise. Then we'll sit down and see what we've got, cut to the chase.
What kind of feedback have you had regarding material?
Who've you been talking to? Apparently the songs aren't long enough - but this is people who've come from a purely dance orientated climate - but that's there only complaint. They can see where we are coming from because we are just as much inspired by electronics as we are by rock music.
You seem to be very conscious of the divide between playing live and studio orientated music. Is this a problem for you?
Well early on with stray dog city we struggled to create a balance between oposite interests - sound versus strumming. But I think we've reached that place now - we're equally at home on stage as we are in the studio - both me and Ade [Bordicott: bass and turntables] have our own studios, and we've all had loads of experience of playing live.
What happens next?
We're hopefully going to be rehearsing in the next few weeks, with the intention of doing a couple of live shows - just us, Compsey and some records - no mod bands to spoil the fun! We've done a remix of a Nubia track too, and that's going to be out on TAR soon hopefully.
Ade's starting to work up some bass, and we're dead chuffed with how the new stuff is turning out - it's very 'hi-fi' - very dynamic - lots more depth - but it's still very us!
why has it taken you so long to get back to work?
because we don't know the right kind of people, because we frighten them a little, because we've never tried to compromise or conform, and because we don't kiss the right kind of arses.
what are your long term goals?
To be heard and to get some feedback. Other than that, I'd like to think
that we'll be able to play live on a regular basis. That's what I'd really
like.
In terms of trying to remain an underground band, you still have to deal with the same kinds of hangers on - would be record company owners, promoters etc, who make great promises and yet have no real idea of who you are and what you are actually trying to do. At least looking like car thieves we tend to get less of it.
The medias representation of what being a musician is - that's not something we aspire to - it's just something that none of us can identify with. We don't aspire to any of the things they want you to be involved with.
We're interested in documentation - not product. We want people to hear what we do - but we want to have nothing to do with any notion of 'corporation' - the business world disgusts me - totally sickens me.
who are your heros [if any]?
I respect people like John Lydon, Liz Frazer, Tricky, Tom Waits, Grant
Morrison, Genesis P'Orridge. I respect the people that I make music with
- Ade and my brother [Lee, alias Gilbert] because their attitude to making
music is totally bullshit free and that's bloody rare. They can totally
look beyond what notes they are using and just LISTEN. Nobody can teach
you that. And I'll continue to plug them endlessly because they deserve
it. We've seen each other through some pretty mental times.
Who are your audience and what do they look like?
Ha! Mostly other musicians [some of them with tape recorders and notebooks].
But they all have very nice dress sense though.
What is a meme?
It's this idea that all we are is the things that we've learned to immitate.
A meme is anything that can be learned or immitated. In the invisibles
it's like something that you can switch on and choose between different
meme-personalities. I don't think I believe it but I liked the idea of
this subculture based on multiple personality disorders.
Who are the invisibles?
a perfectly respectable bunch of fun loving anarchists with excellent
dress sense.
and what's a Barbelith?
the online home of the real life invisibles.
are you serious?
Mostly.
Hopefully I'll get to speak with the illusive MC Noize soon - stay tuned.
Richard Morgan.
TAR are set to release CD's from the legacy of Stray Dog City and Odeama in the coming months, and a number of MeMePleX eps will be made available via escapeart [output].
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