Q:
Would you like to tell us a bit about your musical life since
You Are Here?
I was
very disappointed with the attitude within the industry
and media towards that album, basically they told me no
one was interested (even though we continued to sell plenty
of cds and have good audiences at gigs) so for a while I
wasn’t to keen to put myself through the mill again
and write another one! After some months though it all started
flowing again and I’ve been concentrating on Farewell
Ferengistan since then. We just did the first live show
with the new material so finally it is definitely feeling
worthwhile.
Q :
With the release of Farewell Ferengistan what can we
expect from Banco De Gaia?
I’m
never the one to ask but initial reaction from the few people
who have heard it has been very encouraging. Certainly at
this point in time I’m really pleased with it, I think
maybe it gets even closer to my ideal of what I’m
trying to do than I have managed before. I know some people
weren’t so keen on my experimentation with ‘proper’
songs on the last cd and I’ve not focussed on that
so much this time, I think it’s more like a classic
early 90’s Banco album but more sophisticated and
better produced!
Q :
What were the origins of the new album, how did it first germinate?
No idea,
like everything I do an idea will pop into my head from
somewhere and I just follow it. The name came to me very
early on in the writing though, guess it captures where
I’m at at the moment, so that felt very right, and
the artwork idea fell into place easily too so it feels
like it was all part of the divine plan!
Q :
What is the main concept behind the music on the album?
Ferengistan
is simply put an old name for Europe used in central Asia
by the inhabitants when the first Europeans started appearing
in noticeable numbers in the 18th and 19th centuries. Really
it captures the essence of western industrial material society
in contrast to traditional eastern community and spirit-oriented
societies. If there is a concept it is that as a society
we are at a dead end in our culture and it’s time
to re-assess our devotion to material comfort and wealth
as the primary concern.
Q :
Have you used any new gear, techniques, or approaches that
are evident in the new music?
Don’t think so, much the same set-up as last time
although we did master to half inch analogue tape this time
which gives a really warm, inviting overall sound, which
we didn’t do last time.
Q :
How would you say that your music has most significantly changed
or evolved over the years since Banco got started.
I guess
I’m just getting better a doing the same old things!
The technology is making it much easier to do the simpler
things so I have more time to focus on detail and subtlety,
hopefully it’s an improvement!
Q :
What are your current influences, musical or otherwise, that
help to shape Banco’s sonic identity?
I’ve
been reading a lot of history about the British empire in
Asia which has been providing food for thought, musically
I’ve been listening to a lot of Sigur Ros the last
couple of years which I’m sure has coloured my writing
too. But as usual I’m listening to all sorts from
Mozart to Motorhead via Moby so god knows what influences
are getting in there.
Q :
What part of musical life do you enjoy the most and why?
Playing live (usually). The
instant feedback when it’s going well is so rewarding
and just sharing the experience of the music with a bunch
of other people is great.
Q : What
plans do you have for live outings and would you say that
your live performances affect your compositions in any way?
A
few festis in the UK and Europe through the summer then
probably some city dates in the autumn and maybe a trip
to North America. Playing live keeps me connected to the
energy of the dance-floor, I think if I stopped doing it
I would end up concentrating solely on more ambient music.
Q :
Looking ahead, what can the fans look forward to in
the coming months?
The gigs,
some new videos hopefully, and I’ve got some new collaborations
and projects in the pipeline so maybe something very new
and a bit different before too long.
The album will be released on June 12th
in Europe and July 4th in North America, and we will be
accepting pre-orders from May 15th on the website at http://www.banco.co.uk/mail_order/
there is also preview video and audio now up on the site
at http://www.banco.co.uk/releases/farewell_ferengistan/
if people want to get a really good idea of what the album
is like.
Thanks
to Toby Marks for kindly allowing us that interview.
