Tricky Interview – Exclaim.ca
Tricky
INTERVIEWS 
WEB EXCLUSIVE NOV 2010
By Jesse Ship
Tricky’s newest album, Mixed Race, like his previous Knowle West Boy, features an eclectic bag of trendy minimal, electro, funk, and soulful sounds with some high-end collaborators. Making guest appearances are the ghetto-tech dancehall queen, Terry Lynn, the soulful North African lute player Hakim Hamadouche, Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie, and Tricky’s youngest brother, up-and-coming rapper Marlon Thaws. The current single, “Murder Weapon” is a cover of the quirky ’90s dancehall hit by Echo Minott, which could find its place in a Guy Ritchie soundtrack given the right musical planner. As a self-identified experimental artist you can’t expect him to return to his pre-millenial days, but the production level is still engaging enough.
What does “Mixed Race” mean to you?
I was doing a show in Ireland while I was still demoing the new album, and my uncle came from Manchester to see me. He brought up loads of pictures of all my family, many of whom were white. For the first time, I saw a picture of me and my mum together, who passed when I was four. I’ve seen pictures her, and myself, but never us together. My knees buckled, and I got really hot, like I felt I had been punched. That’s when I knew that the album was going to be called Mixed Race.
How does that reflect on the music?
I think it reflects on the music I grew up on when I was younger, as well. I was a rude boy, but I was also a skinhead. I wore doc martins and jeans. You didn’t see many black skinheads back then. I was also a boy from rap. I think it must show in my music.
The album has a pretty mixed sound. How do you figure out what you want on it?
Albums let you know when they’re finished. I don’t make music, music makes me. I had people tell me, “Oh, your album’s really short.” But I didn’t realize it. I had no idea. Music makes me. I’m still very naïve in the studio. I don’t know what I’m doing. I don’t make chords, or play music, I’m still like a kid, like. I press keys and buttons, and fuck around with the bass, guitar, or piano, but I can’t really play.
What prompted you to cover Britney Spears’ “Piece of Me”?
In that world, Justin Timberlake is more credible than Britney Spears, but I think he’s a fake, he’s a culture vulture. People take the piss out of her sometimes, and frankly, I don’t understand why. I can understand someone laughing at JT, because I think he’s a joker, a comedian. “A Piece Of Me” is like, we did it sad, so I think, it must be hard being Britney Spears. And you listen to the lyrics more, and it’s not Britney. I was just trying to go into her life. My version makes me think of her, and makes me feel sad. She’s a young girl in a very high position; it must be a lot of pressure. I think she’s way better than him, musically. If were listening to “pop,” I’d rather have her. If we have to have over commercialized music, I’d rather hear Britney. Some of her stuff is really banging. There are a couple wicked club tracks on “Blackout.”
Do you identify with her then, given your own past?
I identify with her because she is critiqued so much. I get critiqued a lot because of Maxinquaye. They say that album changed things. I can’t just release an album without being really heavily critiqued. So we’re similar in that way, and we get crucified for little things. We show ourselves. JT is squeaky clean. You never hear any gossip about him; he’s got this perfect little PR bubble. The minute I, or she, does anything, it’s on the internet.
How is it working with your brother Marlon Thaws?
It’s so cool. He’s 25 now and I got him writing when he was 17, but he wasn’t good enough, he was sounding like other rappers, and I didn’t want to put him on an album just because he’s my brother. But now, I really respect what he does, and his talent.
You don’t seem to do too many remixes. Do you have an opinion on them?
I was doing remixes way back in the day for guys like Elvis Costello, and they said that I created the remix of taking everything and changing it, when I first came out. People usually remixed and kept a piece of the song but changed the bass, or the drums. But when I did it, I didn’t know about remixing, so I changed everything, and made it totally different. I just don’t do it so much now.
You are often the name behind the album, but you work with artists on your tracks where sometimes they are featured much more than yourself.
Yeah. I think that sometimes it’s because I’m lazy. Once I’ve written the lyrics and melody, it’s easier to pass it on to someone else. My managers and label are always saying, “put more of your voice” but I don’t think about it sometimes.
Another thing, the big sound right is dubstep. Do you recognize them or shy away with the new work?
No, because a lot of dubstep artists say they are influenced by me, so I don’t want to go there. They created something from what I did, so I think that’s great, I love some of the dubstep, but it’s not worth me going back and doing something that I helped create. I can’t be involved with that; it’s got to live its own life. I’ve got to grow and learn and find new music. Every time I do a new album, I’ve got to do something different. It would be going back and influenced by myself, in a way, which I don’t think makes much sense.
Ninja Tune – XX 20 Years of Beats and Pieces – Exclaim Magazine
Various Ninja Tune XX
By Jesse Ship
Best known for founding their fan base during the infancy of sampling in the early ’90s, or the “gee, aren’t we clever?” days by founders Matt Black and Jonathan More (aka Coldcut), this massive 20th anniversary release is mostly made up of cutting edge electro-, bass- and dubstep-inspired tunes and remixes. Low End Theory bass bin shakers like Daedelus, Eskmo, Poirier, Toddla T and the Bug appear in a big way, although it still has a dab of nerdy, jazzy, yet soulful, bedroom pontificating many associate with the label, like Floating Points Ensemble, Andreya Triana and Jaga Jazzist. The label is using this release as an opportunity to show the world what it’s been working on lately rather than what it did in the past. It’s time to move on and Ninja is keenly aware of this. As a label, Ninja Tune still has the impeccable taste of an eagle-eyed, young crate-digger, and is using the compilation, a year in the making, to show the world that Ninja Tune still has it. The compilation does make some concessions to the glory of the past, with familiar Amon Tobin and Coldcut remixes getting facelifts by the likes of the Orb and Switch, obscure cuts by a rarely heard, dub-y, ethereal Diplo, with “Summer’s Gonna Hurt You” (Diplo 2010 Remix), a joint Bonobo and Speech Debelle track titled “Sun Will Rise,” and stalwart UK rapper Roots Manuva getting remixed by Hot Chip for a built for the dance floor lyrical ride on “Let The Spirit.” Along with the six discs, the set includes a book, posters, lifetime memberships, six seven-inch singles and more.
(Ninja Tune)
Tricky – Mixed Race Review – Exclaim Magazine
Tricky
Mixed Race
By Jesse Ship
Tricky’s Mixed Race, like his previous Knowle West Boy, features a, well, mixed bag of current sounds and collaborators, in support of the once top rude boy of British trip-hop. The single, “Murder Weapon,” a cover of the quirky ’90s dancehall hit by Echo Minott, could find its place in a Guy Ritchie soundtrack, given the right musical planner. It does its job for the radio, with a steady beat and infectious chorus, but it’s little more than background noise. “Time to Dance” references two-step and minimal techno, vocally driven by Franky Riley, with literally a hint of his whispers in the background. Terry Lynn, known for her diverse bass lines, appears with a blunted redo of her Jamaican ghetto-tech anthem “Kingston Logic,” with Tricky dropping a couple bars so he can claim the song as his, but it’s robbed of its bass mentality. As an experimental artist, he’s constantly seeking to re-invent himself, so one shouldn’t expect a return to anything of his pre-millennial days. If anything stands out on Mixed Race, it’s that Tricky can still create well-produced, commercially palatable music. It may pique the interest of new listeners, but this one is mostly for open-minded fans.
(Domino)
Undeadify Thy Weapons, Young Slayer
Ministry of Artistic Affairs, as seen in Design Lines, Fall 2010
The Ministry of Artistic Affairs
Coffee Porn – The Syphon Project
Yes, I dare type the P word, and risk inviting the sticky tendrils of spammers the internet wide. No matter, it was worth it. There is no better occasion commemorate my very own acquisition of a Bodum Santos syphon coffee maker than posting this short film, briefly titled, The Syphon Project. Syphon coffee is made using an ingenious contraption that looks more like a chemistry set than a coffee maker, and delivers a clean and pure taste, similar to a plunger / French press, but arguably more refined even.
The video is supposedly composed of about 30 hours of footage created by Jake Forrest, of j4 studios. Extra bubbles provided by Massive Attack.
Ok, I guess the two chambers do kind of look like, well, you know...
Day of the Dead Homer & Bart
I have not been impressed at all by any of the Simrpsons vinyl figures that have been coming out lately but these two customs made with Toy2R blanks are blowing my mind. Made by artist Kim Mayhew, they will spice up your life in a psychedelic ( and psychopompous) fashion.
More pix after the jump.
DVAS – Society – Album Review – As Seen in Exclaim Magazine
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Chromeo – Business Casual Tour – Toronto Gig
In case you haven’t noticed, Chromeo played a solid show last night, delivering exactly what the crowd wanted to hear — a mix of classic gems (e.g. Needy Girl, Momma’s Boy, Bonafide Lovin’, 100%), and a couple of new tracks to show off their new album, Business Casual.
Check out the intro to Bonafide Lovin’ where they riff off of Dire Straits, Money For Nothing. Pure gold.
Skanks
Omg, check out at the hot Russian mail order skanks at the Chromeo show!!! They come equipped with deadstock Brooks runners, only available now from top Soviet athletic purchasing points!
Taken & blogged with an iPhone 4.
