Interview: Portishead
“I really like Madlib at the moment but even that’s not the same. He is utterly and completely brilliant but for me I think Public Enemy are a thing of their time. They’re timeless,” he argues. “That was so powerful, in the way that Jimi Hendrix was so powerful, that I wouldn’t try and find another one. I think it’s going to come from other worlds. I don’t know where hip-hop’s gone, same as I don’t know where jazz is going. Geoff has always been deeply into hip-hop in a fully, all consuming way, whereas for me, it came as a more surprising inspiration in my life at some point.”
Yet hip-hop is only part of what has made up Portishead’s collective musical psyche. The other elements were given a full public airing when they curated the All Tomorrow’s Parties festival at the end of last year, something that strikes as the equivalent of compiling a giant mix-tape.
“That’s exactly what it’s like,” enthuses Adrian. “It has all the same connotations, because you’re presenting so many things to the world, standing up and saying, ‘This is the kind of music we absolutely love and this has had an influence on our lives’. I think it’s the best thing I’ve ever been involved with. The coming together of that many bands and getting to meet some of them was just brilliant.
“What’s good about ATP is that the people who go there absolutely know the rules,” he continues. “These are people who are so heavily into music, to go to Butlins in the middle of December with the howling fucking wind coming at you, the rain and nothing else to do but watch music and get drunk; it’s not like Glastonbury where you can go shopping or just hang out. It’s very much about music. We spoke to lots of people while we were wandering around and it was amazing.”
Third is the result of all these influences, both from the music world and beyond. Yet however much you try and avoid the issue, you can’t deny that it took a very long time to make. Does Adrian feel that this is the only waythey can work now?
Portishead is an amazing band, Innovative use of jazz samples, big drums, simple bass and decks n effects. Great piece of music.
Leave your response!