The Thing with Otomo Yoshihide - Now And Forever Irish Tour November 2008 (1 Viewer)

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Prior to a four date tour of the USA and an Irish tour beginning November 19 (Andrews Lane, Dublin, November 22), free jazz sax colossus with The Thing, Mats Gustafsson, was good enough to do a little IMC Q & A exclusive.



Q. The new album Bag It will be recorded by Steve Albini (Nirvana, Pixies, PJ Harvey) – Can you explain this choice?

A. We already recorded this one in January this year. it was unbelievably great, a great experience! The studio was one of the best I ever been to and Steve was just a superpro!!! Total control of the sound. There is so many classic albums recorded by steve and we were really curious to see how that would effect the music. We are just EXTREMELY happy with the result! The strongest record so far...to be serious. Its mixed and mastered and should be out this winter! CD and also a double vinyl LP of course with extra material, vinyl rules.

Q. Tell us about track Hidegen Fujnak a szelek (co –written by Dutch post-punk group The Ex and Hungarian folf group Muzsikás) on the new album?

A. Well, its such a beautiful song; the riff and the theme. We just love trying good pieces out and put them in our soundworld and treat them our way. There is never a resaon to try to repeat and make it exactly like others have done before; much better to just use good songs wherever you find them and make them in your own way!
We try to find songs all around... garagerock, jazz, west coast jazz, free jazz, noise, metal, rock etc etc., just keep your ears open and you will find the sh*t!!!

Q. Weasel Walter of the Flying Luttenbachers says "What I'm trying to express is a very well-cultivated violence in sound." How would you describe your approach to composing and performing music?

A. That is impossible to put in just one sentence. That is to try to explain our and my own whole musicianship and being an artist. I think that has to be done over a pint of guiness or with a good grappa somewhere. I’m sorry. But what we are trying with The Thing is very much to make our OWN music, and its up to the listener to define for her/him-self what the f**k is going on. We try to find creative material to work with that can kick us off in different directions al the time; never take an easy solution; there has to be resistance in the music, in all possible ways, not all the time, maybe but a lot and it has to interact with all in the group on the same level!

Q. Who would you most like to collaborate with and why?

A. The Thing likes to collaborate with the people we have alreday started to work with; Jim O`Rourke, Thurston Moore, Joe McPhee, Otomo Yoshihide, Brötzmann, Ken Vandermark and I have a feeling that there will be more creative msuicians or artists that we like to collaborate with in the future. It all depends on how they sound, what they do and what attitude they have towards collaborations. As Joe McPhee says "the attitude is everything". There is so freakin many great people around to work with; it’s just the matter of going ahead and looking for the next one. For myself that is what my musical life is build upon, to collaborate with people that kick my ass in different ways!

Q. What's the best concert you've ever attended?

A. Little Richard in Skåne, Sweden around 2000...live in a castle park, playing the sh*t out of Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis.....the battle of the Titans! ROCKIN!!!!!!

Q. Would you define your music as political?

A. For myself : YES! without any question. Just the fact that we are doing music that is not mainstream and commercial and that is putting questions upon the table of what is music and what is creative etc is a political act in itself. I don’t believe in telling people what they should think or how they should act but I think that the music has the power of wakening people up and can make them start to think...make them act. There is sh*t loads more to say about this and again over a pint of Guinness it could be done easily! J
Q. “I once saw you in Rome playing with Luca T. Mai from Italian group zu. Your silhouettes looked like two prehistoric creatures locked into a bizarre mating ritual/fight to the death. Discuss.” (Question courtesy of Hag)

Mmmmh, interesting, that one I have never heard before. I like that image! Me and Luca we have our rituals J It kicks my ass when people see something or hear something outside of the music when a picture like that arises. Very good, that destroyed my possibilities to ever work w Luca again J

Ok, thats it for now. I hope I wasn’t too short. Some questions really deserve WAY longer answers but, I hope this was a beginning at least.

all the best / mats g
 
Between now and the Dublin show we’ve got some cds by The Thing to giveaway to those who buy tickets from Road Records, City Discs or IMC.

If you buy from City or Road just email [email protected] with the ticket number on the back. If you buy by credit card from IMC (01 6703885) you’ll also be entered you into a draw.

We have copies of the following

Original Silence – The Second Original Silence (Smalltownsuperjazzz)

The Thing with Ken Vandermark – Immediate Sound (Smalltownsuperjazzz)

Various Artists (including The Thing, Kelley Polar, Susumu Yokota, Mathew Dear) - Life Beyond Mars: Bowie Covered http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=111974

Thanks

I have a few of these left.

First people to mail me with their ticket number and cd preference, gets a copy.
Thanks
 
Yes, 3 pairs of tickets to giveaway.

Please answer the following questions:

Q. Name three artists The Thing have collaborated with?
Q. Who recorded the new Thing album?
Q. When did Otomo Yoshihide start the group Ground Zero?

Send your answers, name and mobile tele number to [email protected] with 'The Thing get Thumped' in the subject box, to arrive no later than 13:00 on Friday Nov 21st. Winners will be notified Friday afternoon.
Cheers
 
Listening to the Thing with Ken Vandermark 'Immediate Sound'. Amazing stuff!

Can't wait for the gig!
 
'That was fairly extreme stuff. Fun, in a pore-opening way' says someone else in Beal Feirste.
 
Anyone at Triskel, Cork last night?


Walked in to see Otomo Yoshihide arguing with the sound/engineer guy over not being put through the PA.
Doors were at 8,he was finished by 8.20
Apparently it was very fucking loud anyhow.
The Thing were great.
 
Tower in-store tomorrow at 14:30.

Will the building be in ruins by 14:50?
 
Correction for running order

The Thing
Otomo turntable set
Interval
The Thing with Otomo
 
GREAT gig last night in Galway! Otomo's solos set was really enjoyable though I was wearing earplugs (for attenuation). I took them out a couple of times and it was a bit harsh in places. What capped it off was The Thing with Otomo on guitar. They've only done a handful of gigs together as a quartet but you could tell straight off that the collab is a good one. The band are totally into it and the audience loved it! Nun's Island is a gem of a venue in Galway for gigs like this. ALT is larger ...pissed off that I won't see them tonight. I'd really like to see them again in a larger venue. Highly recommended!
 
What capped it off was The Thing with Otomo on guitar. They've only done a handful of gigs together as a quartet but you could tell straight off that the collab is a good one.

Yep, absolutely amazing in Dublin. I missed most of The Thing opening set which i was well pissed off about but their set with Otomo Yoshihide was unbelievably good.
 

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