The J Files: TCB + Tom Rowlands interview

[SouthernBrother]

A two hour radio show with an interview to Tom.

http://tinyurl.com/y2nlnzga?fbclid=IwAR1B_E0AJYXtt4I7gJgPl7CiDgGFDkvuL_LhjtwOHpHtMLdlNUdQF3vPZkA

[MIKL]

I thought this was going to be another bunch of rehashed old interviews from triple j from the 90s (like they've done before under the J Files name) but there is a recent interview at the start and further on towards the end, thanks for posting. I actually learnt a few new things about Tom growing up.

The track selection is quite commercially standard compared to other J Files done on them in the past where they digged up tracks from Ariel and when they were known as the Dust Brothers.

From 1 hour 43 min in theres discussion on making of the new album for anyone who hasn't listened to all or any of it yet.

[SouthernBrother]

for anyone who hasn't listened to all or any of it yet.

You're welcome. I don't know for how long it will be kept for.

[Wolkenkrabber]

there is a recent interview at the start and further on towards the end, thanks for posting. I actually learnt a few new things about Tom growing up.

...

From 1 hour 43 min in theres discussion on making of the new album for anyone who hasn't listened to all or any of it yet.

Got any TL;DR (or TL;DL perhaps) highlights?

[MIKL]

From memory...
I think some takeaways from it was that...

Even though they did go back to how they used to work and approach making music with earlier albums and equipment (as mentioned in other new interviews) the music for the album all sounded cohesive/connected as a whole Tom seemed to think. But saying the record has a 'mixtape' type of feel and it feels fresh and new to them.

The whole process of playing testing out new tracks DJing and live (he mentioned 5 or 6 last year) and would go back and fine tune them after getting inspiration playing them finding something new in them.

And kind of funny how he was obsessed as a kid with a 70s war soundtrack and now look whats on the cover of the new album and the theme. Its kind of come full circle with the themes running through as they've always have going to raves as a form of rebellion, the manchester scene in particular. And again the 70s and social movements how they echo now was still an inspiration.

After hearing older interviews again how they try to avoid collaborating online and prefer to do it IRL in the same studio...This train of thought comes through again and something came out of that with Aurora it seems since she is on more than one song and maybe why it sounds more like a whole body of work.

[Wolkenkrabber]

Ok, I've given this a bit of a listen now. So they've taken a recent, recorded, phone interview with Tom and interspersed it sporadically throughout a 2 hour show, and also thrown in some bits from a couple of old Ed interviews.

Around 7 mins in, Tom talks about what he listened to as a kid:
"Oh What a Lovely War" soundtrack (even though he hadn't seen the film)
The Beatles
Harry Nilsson's album, Nilsson Schmilsson

Then he talks about going to youth clubs circa 11 years old and finding his first "scene"; the 2 Tone/Ska stuff of The Specials and Madness (Double J play Our House here, but I think Baggy Trousers would have been more appropriate for the 2Tone era of 80/81).

Then Tom's teenage years: Psychocandy by Jesus & Mary Chain and Yo Bum Rush The Show by PE. (I think this is really reflected in Exit Planet Dust: indie tuneage meets hip hop beats).

Then acid house arrived when he was 17. He talks about how he and Ed had both done the M25/Orbital thing prior to going to University. Of course he means the illegal raves that you had to find on a Saturday night whilst driving around London's "orbital" motorway, the M25 - (which is where the band Orbital got their name from). But I'm pretty sure he means they had done it seprately, not together.

The presenter talks about them being classmates at school before going to Manchester university together (though she doesn't say it to Tom). I think this is a misconception, perhaps spread by wikipedia. I don't believe they knew each other prior to meeting at Manchester Uni. (Americans: school doesn't mean university outside of America)
They talk about "30 years", but I'm pretty sure that's 30 years since they met at Uni, because they haven't been the Chems for that long. If they knew each other since school it would actually be more than 30 years.

Anyway, Tom then talks about Eastern Bloc records in Manchester and their friend Justin Roberton getting a job there which gave them an "in". Tom mentions the shops own label F.R.O which stands for "Fuck Right Off" (are you allowed say that on Australian radio??).
[Fun fact: Eastern Bloc is still going to this day. It's in Manchester's Northern Quarter. Personally, I think they should have called themselves Northern Bloc...]

The stuff about Galvanize was interesting. Tom says the first version of their Q Tip collab was over the internet and it "wasn't everything that we thought it could be", so they went to America and recorded at The Hit Factory where Q Tip had his specially ordered gold microphone.
But he doesn't mention the bit where Q Tip visited them at Orinoco studios and then sneaked out and got a plane back to America. Where did that fit into the Galvanize story?

There's stuff about No Geography around 1hr, 44 mins. Tom trying to choose his words carefully re MAH, talking about a "realigning of peoples thoughts" and eventually mentioning Brexit. He suggests that this album fits together in a more linear way than other Chems albums.

At the very end of the programme they finish - I presume as a joke - by repeating Tom saying "the pressure is on", something he said whilst telling the Q Tip story.

[androidgeoff]

So Q-Tip was the rapper that Tom and Ed were talking about during the DYOH Radio commentary?

[SouthernBrother]

The show is no longer available at its full length, only 30 minutes. I have a recording of the whole show if you want (pm). I think the interview is the most important topic of the show.