Interversity: Githead

To put it very, very lightly, we are ridiculously excited about this week's Interversity. The one and only Colin Newman of art-poppers Githead, post-punk inventors Wire (!!!!!!!!!), co-founder of Swim~ Records, and mastermind behind experimental music hub PostEverything.com has answered a few questions for us, as well as included a few excerpts from an interview he did with a French mag a few months back (of which will be italicized). His last album with Githead, Art Pop, has been swirling through our heads in wonderfully groovy pop circles for the last month, and this interview reveals a little more insight into what exactly makes the band tick in such precise rhythms. So without further delay, we hand the mic over to the legendary Colin Newman:



Githead - All Set Up - Art Pop (Swim~ 2007)

1. For more than three decades you have been creating music whether with Wire or as a solo artist. You have obviously explored a massive amount of styles throughout your career; what were you aiming to achieve musically by starting Githead? Was there any particular inspiration that motivated you to form the band?

I see a lot of lazy journalism (present company excepted!) amongst reviews of Art Pop by US journalists. It would appear that not many actually read the press release that accompanies the album. Githead is always at great pains to point out that it is a real band and a genuine collaboration between its members. I took a decision in around the mid-90’s that I didn’t really want to do any more “solo” albums. My last one Bastard was in fact just another collaboration between Malka & myself (as were her solo albums & the work as Immersion). Since the early 90’s, in terms of having the studio, I’ve been perfectly capable of making genuine “solo” records (on which I do everything). This very fact has rendered the proposition far less interesting. It’s just more fun to collaborate!

Technically, Githead started as a one off. It was just originally conceived for a performance at our label Swim’s 10th birthday bash. It snowballed because it was obvious right from the outset that even with Malka, Robin & myself jamming along with a drum-loop it was special & somewhat unique. All its development has been organic, it’s much more about what feels right than any master plan. Obviously we’ve gone into the general pop/rock area with this but this is simply because of the time it is being done. This is definitely a mid ‘00’s band. This is a decade when electronic musicians are coming out from behind their laptops and doing songs (Ulrich Schnauss, Styrofoam), electro has got dirty and allowed its post-punk roots to show (Justice, LCD Soundsystem) and indie rock has absorbed every strand of influence ranging from euphoric orchestral folk to beat driven dance-floor anthems. This is the context in which we work. One advantage of this being considered “our” band rather than “my” band is that it only has to be true to itself & its time. With Wire it’s something different, it is also a creature of the present but also has this amazing history to draw on. Githead is more about drawing on the divergent interests of its members. This is a very interesting collaboration!

Robin actually grew up 10 minutes walk from where Malka & I live and work. We've known him since the very early days of his Scanner incarnation. He was the first person who did a remix for our 90's Immersion project and Malka & I (as our label Swim ~) were one of the first people to do a label night at Robin's "electronic lounge" (his groundbreaking "ambience & networking" club in the mid 90's at the ICA). We've often talked about doing stuff together but never quite got round to it until the right opportunity arose.

The opportunity turned out to be the 10th birthday night we put on for the anniversary of Swim ~. We got various people from the label (Silo, Symptoms, Lobe etc.) to play live and Malka felt very strongly that we should do a show ourselves as a "band".

Although we have done shows as a 2 piece we really felt that a larger unit was called for. Meanwhile we'd been chatting to Robin about maybe doing something for the Swim ~ night, perhaps DJing, but he really wanted to play live so we decided to combine the two things and all play together. This was around New Year 2004.

The thing is, we've known Robin for years and pretty much always known he can play the guitar. I don't think it was even a discussion, it was just obvious he'd play guitar. If you check the Githead web-site (www.githead.com) you can see that the first rehearsal was on January 30th 2004 and it was literally just a try out to see if we could make something for a one off collaboration. Our studio is very small, no room for a drum kit, so it was just 2 guitars, bass & a drum loop and off we go. No one would have predicted what would happen next, we just started playing and it gelled immediately. Within literally 10 minutes we had our first tune "Reset" (which is also the first track on our debut EP "Headgit") it was obviously meant to be! One thing we all have in common is that we know when something is good, it's not something you need to discuss too much (we are often too busy laughing!) It would have been unthinkable not to have continued it was like a world of possibilities opened up in an instant. When you get the key, you don't throw it away! This is why Githead is a real band, there is natural sympathy among the players and it's not a struggle to make ideas together. It just works!

The other thing about Githead is that it's very open about how things are written & constructed. Because what we mainly do in our studio together is just play I record everything and then pieces are constructed out of the played elements. Sometimes what we record is pretty worked out, sometimes it's very loose.

2. Between 2005's Githead debut, Profile, and Art Pop, the band's sound has incorporated heavier influences from post-punk, dub and funk within the shoegazing Brit-pop sound; was it a conscious decision to diversify the sound? Would you consider it more of a natural progression of musicians establishing a sound and then expanding upon it, or was it in reaction to anything in particular after Profile's release?

There’s a definite creative arc between the 3 releases in fact. Headgit was done really fast and really captures that initial energy that created the band. Profile was more considered and took a little longer, but not much longer! However Art Pop took over a year to come together. It wasn’t planned like that it just happened. After the Euro tour in 2005 the idea was to get together fairly soon in our live sound man Frankie Lievarts’s Metropolis 22 studio in Rotterdam and do some recording as a band and use the live room to develop sounds and ideas to be continued at are own studio. However Frankie was still building the studio through the winter months of 05 into 06 so stuff started to get developed here instead. In the end we finally got intro the studio in October 2006. Even at that late stage we actually added a lot so it was really useful but we didn’t exactly stick to the plan! In the end the album draws on a pool of performances & experiences and I think that’s what gives it it’s diversity.

For Githead "Art Pop" is the biggest canvas we have painted on so far. There is a big diversity in creative means, musical context and emotional landscapes. The album was constructed over quite a long period of time considering we did "Headgit" really quick and were not that much slower about "Profile". Quite a lot happened in that period and we even worried at times if we'd ever get it finished. The hardest part was last summer when it was just too hot to even turn on the equipment in the studio (above 30 degrees London just doesn't function). We also waited while our live sound man Frank Lievaart finished his "Metropolis 22" studio in Rotterdam. We became a really tight unit as a 4 piece during the dates we did in 2005 and although I have lots of Max recorded multi-track which we can can play over in London and construct perfectly great sounding pieces with, there's a different energy when we play as a 4 piece. In the end it was October last year before the studio was ready and we could provide what I regard as an essential element in the mix of what "Art Pop" is.

The Rotterdam trip was also really, really important for the band. On one hand Githead is like "the field of dreams" we believe in this band 100% . If we make it good enough people will love us. In fact making it good is the only thing we can really control! On the other hand there is no earthly reason why Githead should exist, every member of the band has a perfectly viable project which people are interested in and which are already famous. The reason for Githead has to be that it is not only fucking good but also that it has something which people can emotionally connect to (you can be really impressive as a band but somehow it presents something which people can't identify with so you will be admired but not loved) . We are real people who have real lives and not everything goes well. "Lifeloops" for example is pure existential despair. The vocal Malka did was not repeatable in that moment, it's completely heartfelt but she was not yet completely consumed by the emotion. Meanwhile "Live in your Head" (as in "I wouldn't like to live in your head") is putting the final nails in the coffin of a relationship (not between Malka and I should stress!!) with someone you've just had enough of. "Drive By" is in your face London life, there really is a boy from one of the local estates who goes around with an iron bar, "Fish & Chip hop" is comic London slang for British Hip-Hop, "f-bombs" are American slang for inappropriate and very public use of the word "fuck" (I should point out that Americans are much more prudish in the main that the British, who very often use the "f -word" as humour). I can go on, although a lot of the reflections are personal we hope that people can connect them with stuff in their own lives.

3. I feel that replacing "the Beat Monster" (the drum machine used extensively on the first two releases) with drummer Max Franken was instrumental in loosening and in turn humanizing Githead's sound somewhat on Art Pop; at what point did you decided to try out a live drummer? Did it have any effect on the songwriting process?

The way Githead started is Malka, Robin & me with a beatbox (or drum loop actually). When we jam in our studio that’s how we play, there isn’t room for a drummer in our studio (it was originally a garage!) BUT we always intended that there should be a real drummer for live shows and Max was perfect from day 1. From the production side I came to the conclusion a couple of years back that I really needed proper full kit recorded drums, done in a nice room to be the real basis of creating a band sound on record. Now Frankie’s studio is operational we’ve been able to record not only Max but also Rob from Wire. This is a bit technical but there’s something about drums recorded this way that really adds space (you get something special if you also record vocals in the same room). We can’t afford to be months developing stuff in Rotterdam but employing some of that nice room sound has given Art Pop something it wouldn’t have otherwise. Creatively some tracks are also developed over trademark Max beats although we’ve yet to seriously try he experiment of developing stuff from the ground up with Max.

Actually there's no real set formula about how anything is constructed. If I go through, say the 1st 4 songs it might give you an idea about how we work. On one level "On your Own" is pretty much played as a band, we recorded the basic track in Rotterdam but it was based on a previous piece which had a chorus we really liked but a verse we didn't like so much. Once I got into mixing here I discovered that I could incorporate elements from the original song (even though the verse was in a different key!) so although it sounds simple there are elements that actually come from somewhere else! "Drop" is classic Githead, an absolutely irresistible Malka bass-line that everything sits on. On a track like that it's all about following the logic of keeping the arrangement spare enough to feel the bass/ drum groove. "Drive By" is another turn around, the main riff is Malka playing guitar with Robin on rhythm guitar & me playing bass. Everything is in service of the driving rhythm, even the voice! "Lifeloops" is just Malka & I. I had this acoustic guitar part and Malka wanted to sing on it. it was done very quickly it absolutely captures a moment in time, and so it goes on through the album.

The sound is not decided in advance, it's just about following the logic that the piece suggests. We want to embrace the music's organic nature and follow trails to see where they lead. It is after all Pop which is informed by Art practice (that's the literal meaning). Actually we are extending that now with an "alternate" Githead which you might call "Art Git" (we even got t-shirts :) which is a version of Githead designed for high culture venues. Githead can be many things in many places and we are resolutely interested in opening possibilities rather than closing them.

4. Malka Spigel's supple bass lines always feel like they are in the forefront on Art Pop; does the band write from the rhythm section on up? Was it a conscious decision to emphasize the bass in the mixing process or was it more of a natural evolution? Did any bass-heavy styles or artists influence you in particular while crafting this album?

Every band has to work to it’s strong points and if you’ve got a fantastic bass player like Malka then not to take advantage of her skills would be self defeating! I think there’s another point too which I see much less understood in the USA than in Britain. As a “producer” (i.e. someone who crafts music in a recording studio) my roots are very much in the late 80’s “midi revolution” which was really the point at which musicians themselves could start to produce stuff in their own spaces that didn’t shout “home recording”. It was all about rhythm! So I learned my art in this respect (as did Robin) from what was basically about making dance tracks. Even though I now am able to work in much more advanced ways there is a definite influence from those days and still a lot of stuff from Githead is based on a solid groove. For people who appreciate a sublime groove then “Drop” is THE track on the album, on that track, for the rest of us it’s about getting out of the way! For mixing, it really depends on the track but if a track sounds already cool with just the bass & drums then it sets the direction for how you bring the other instruments in. It’s ultimately all about feel!

5. PostEverything.com (amazing name by the way) has become one of the internet's premier hubs for experimental and genre-bending music and labels; how has creating the site influenced you as an artist and a musician? What are your ambitions with the site? Any large-scale plans in the future concerning it?

Thanks for the compliment! The name was Malka’s actually, even though English isn’t her first language she’s got a knack for coming up with cool names.

Obviously the big thing at PE right now is the fact that’s we’ve re-launched the site and added digital to the offerings (we also re-instated the radio BTW – tip, log in to hear full tracks). It’s taken a while to get there and we are still tweaking (which is why we “soft launched”) but over the next couple of months we will start to publicize the changes more. Right now however people reading this should know that there are quite a few things associated with me that were completely unavailable in any format without paying “collectors prices” now available in digital (320Kbps No-DRM MP3) these include the early Pinkflag releases by Wire (Twelve Times You, The Third Day, It’s All in the Brochure), Wire’s Vien and my It Seems. Obviously the Pinkflag & Swim catalogues are available in digital as well as a lot of Robin’s work, although we haven’t come up with a digital format for t-shirts yet ☺.

For the future we are looking at increasing the formats, adding digital video for example, as well as strategic collaborations & adding a lot more labels & artists. We’d also like to increase the editorial side, give more potential for people to interact as well as finding ways to allow people to stream the radio independent of the site. In other words get a bit more web 2.0

We are still turning over the artistic possibilities. Certainly the possibility of “digital only” releases does open the door to other ways of getting stuff out there but one still has to deal with the basic fact that attention needs to be focused o the site in order to make that effective.


Audiversinquiry (10 questions we ask everyone)

1. What did you specifically remember listening to as a child that triggered a notable response?

Well I remember hearing “Telstar” by the Tornadoes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telstar_(song)) when I was 6. Beyond it’s squeaky charms the thing that really got me interested was the fact that I heard somewhere that it was the “music of the future”. I loved that idea!

2. Let's say you are heading across town this moment and will have time to listen to one complete album during the trip, what would you listen to?

I’m not sure if I actually listen to complete albums any more. I think many artists (Githead excepted) don’t actually make albums any more… I’d probably fire up “Lime Light” by Mrs. Tanaka a very obscure release from the equally obscure Town Tone label from Osaka. I’d skip the re-mixes at the end which don’t really help but the first part (which is really an EP to be honest) is Japanese indiepop gold!

3. Are there any other media that you draw inspiration from? Books, authors, painters, actors, movies, celebrities, etc?

Definitely no celebrities! I recently re-mixed a band called Celebricide and subscribe to the concept (even if the band split up). I’m generally interested in culture inn all forms but I’m not sure about specific influences, it’s more about the milieu one swims in.

4. Where do you go to discover new music and sounds?

It kind of changes all the time, there’s the general background radiation of stuff you hear from people you know, that weird osmosis that enlivens the “chattering classes” with the new genre, band and artist everyone talks about. I’m also pretty much responsible for maintaining the rather popular Wire myspace, which I’m pretty conscientious about and try to check out (however briefly) ALL the friend requests so I get to hear a lot of bands and while the vast majority are of limited interest I have discovered a few gems and even if they’ve only got one thing that’s really good it’s one more than most bands will ever have!

Here’s a selection of recent ones I’ve come across, some are obscure & unsigned, others have achieved some measure of success. Malka & I feature artists we have discovered through myspace alongside more established ones on our occasional [supposed to be monthly] radio show, now syndicated! You can check out a recent play list here - http://www.swimhq.com/mp3/Radio/Radioshow6.html -

http://www.myspace.com/parsleysoundmusic - Parsley Sound - "House is Shaking Demo"

http://www.myspace.com/lesbiansonecstasy - Lesbians On Ecstasy - "Tell Me Does She Lo.."

http://www.myspace.com/bichi - Bichi - "my footfalls are superfluous"

http://www.myspace.com/gustavosantaolalla - Gustavo Santaolalla "De Usuahia A La Qui.."

http://www.myspace.com/thewns - The White Noise Supremacists - "She's Soft Inside"

http://www.myspace.com/lastdaysmyspace - Last Days - "The Safest Place"

http://www.myspace.com/monostars - Monostars - "Wenn Du Mich Suchst"

http://www.myspace.com/monkeemanmusic - MONKEEMAN - "Moving In Circles"

http://www.myspace.com/marconiunion - Marco Union - "Sleepless"

http://www.myspace.com/jerryandthesuits - jerry and the suits - "Shooting At The Moon"

5. What question do you get most often that you hate answering?

Probably this one… (Ed. Note -- hahahhahhaha.. damn.)

6. Favorite instruments or specific sounds?

I like to get sounds to work together so I’m quite agnostic on specifics.

7. The record store is closing in ten minutes and you are hell-bent on buying something before they close, what section do you head immediately towards?

Art pop ☺

8. What is the last notable daydream you had and where did it take place?

I wish I had time for daydreamimg!

9. What is the perfect album to you? Are there any? Is it possible?

Hmmm.. I’ve got pretty broad taste, I like different things at different times & I’m one of those people who feels at home with (and connected to) many diverse genres in music so I think it would be hard to have one album that “said it all”… The trick of really good music is to make you feel you are having the best experience ever when listening. It’s just that so many share that skill!

10. Do you keep up with blogs? Which do you read if so?

Sometimes I read people’s myspace blogs. I tend to enjoy stuff that’s written by people who don’t really expect anyone to read it. British bands have the tendency to the funniest blogs. Self depreciation comes naturally to Brits!

On the more “public” scale I no longer really see any difference between paper & online publications. A lot of writing about music has always been pretty informal and you can arguably save the planet (or at least some trees) by publishing online. Obviously Audiversity is the best ☺ (Ed. Note -- We agree, and would like to add a ☺ of our own)