Q & A with Tom Rowlands (2016)

[Csar]

What's your favourite pitch shifter ?

Hi LooneyJason, I'm afraid but there are no more questions being sent to Mr. Rowlands. Maybe he'll come by here sometime in the future and give some answers but that's probably unlikely. Hope you'll stick around and have fun, though!

[Serendipity]

First of all I'd like to say that English isn't my mother lenguage.

I'd like to ask Mr. Rowlands if he has ever heard of some recent music genres such as Vaporwave or similar. In case he has I'd also like to know what are his thoughts on that kind of music.

I'm afraid this might be a pretty silly question. Thanks for reading.

[Explud]

First of all I'd like to say that English isn't my mother lenguage.

I'd like to ask Mr. Rowlands if he has ever heard of some recent music genres such as Vaporwave or similar. In case he has I'd also like to know what are his thoughts on that kind of music.

I'm afraid this might be a pretty silly question. Thanks for reading.

Sorry, mate, it's too late. All questions was sent and answered:

Update: I can confirm Tom's answered the questions.

You should be carry for the next time.
Cheers.

P.S. Closing this thread, the new thread with the answers will be opened soon.

[WhiteNoise]

Chemical Brothers & Sisters!

Greetings from Chemical H.Q.   As promised, Tom Rowlands has answered selected questions from YOU that were posted over at the OFFICIAL FORUM and on the band's Chemical Facebook page. Here's the first batch of answers!

さようなら さようなら asks:
What was the most memorable audience member you have ever seen; do you try to ignore the audience?
Very early on there was a fellow called mick who used to come to all our gigs, he was quite an imposing figure with massive dreadlocks .it was always quite reassuring to see him front and center. When he stopped coming there was always a feeling of "where's mick?  What have we done, why have you forsaken us?

Do you ever get nervous on stage, at what show were you the most nervous and why?
I was probably most nervous before Glastonbury 2015, as it was the first big gig without Ed on stage with me. The festival really means a lot to me so I wanted it to be great.  There's so much expectation and anticipation, which can hem you in a bit but just tried to forget that and enjoy it (other football clichés can be applied).  Adam did a great job standing in for Ed and it turned out to be one of the most intense, exciting things I've ever been part of, which was nice...

What were your hobbies as children - when did you first become interested in music?
Riding BMX, making jumps/tracks etc.

What was your favorite subject in Elementary/grade/high School?
I was always interested in music; a lot of early obsessions came from things I saw on TV.  I had a cool guitar teacher at primary school who would transcribe things I heard like the theme from "mash" and "windmills of my mind" and the James Bond theme. He was great.

Matt Meuse asks:
There's a particular crash cymbal sound you use in a lot of your music. It's got that distinctive sound like birds chirping toward the end, which makes it easy to recognize. Off the top of my head, it's in Leave Home, Orange Wedge, Galaxy Bounce, Believe — it's even in Hanna vs. Marissa from the Hanna soundtrack. When I heard a mislabeled version of your Prodigy Voodoo People remix for the first time, I knew it had to be by you because of the crash cymbal. Where does that sample originally come from? What keeps you coming back to it?
Yes, I love that sound, it has everything I want from a crash including a kick drum, it will live on forever.

Diego Martín Naccarelli asks:
Besides the music, as a graphic designer I also love the artwork of all your albums and singles. May I ask what inspires those particular cover choices that you've made and/or how does the artwork relate or maybe even communicate with each album's music?
It's always been really important.  I put so much love and work into in the music, so why would you do not do the same with artwork.  I see it as another opportunity to be creative and to work with interesting and inspiring people.  I love records, how they look and feel and still find it exciting to make something that might live alongside other albums in someone's collection

Sebastian Pablo Vidal asks:
Hello Tom! I wanna thank you for the LP on Phantasy and ask you if you planned to release more of your work soon?
Thanks, it was fun to do, I like what Erol alkan does with his label and he's a good friend, so it was an easy choice.  As for new material, watch the skies.

Chavez Cruz‬ asks:
In the song "The Test", why does the "gotta go to bed now" line that's in the background towards the end, feel so instructive? Every time I stay up late, listening to music, that's the song that I usually tell myself "Yeah, you're right" and then I unplug my headphones and call it a night. Do that on purpose or naw?
Yes, I love that line, and also" I'm home and I'm free ", have often felt that way myself. Richard Ashcroft is an amazing singer/songwriter/force of nature

Gordon Jamieson asks:
Is Ed getting grumpy in his old age?
No

Eddie Dean asks:
What song do you wish you had written?
Paul Simon's "Graceland"

Busted Hendricks asks:
From Madrid, Spain: Hello Mr. Rowlands, my ask is very personal.... When you start your career of music, you've sacrificed something important to groove in the music like a good job or a girlfriend and after have regrets? Thanks for your attention and excuse if I offend you.
I suppose that when you do something you love it doesn't feel like a sacrifice.

Steve Ruybe‬‬‬ asks:
Who is your favorite author?
Evelyn Waugh and John Steinbeck

whirlygirl asks:
Hey Tom! What do you think of Star Wars: A Force Awakens? How many times have you seen it, and... Did you shed a tear when that thing happened to that one guy from the original trilogy.... you know?
Hi Whirly, good to hear from you!
Yes, seen it quite a few times with the Rowlands gang. Really enjoyed it. Felt it was almost like a 2015 remix of the original Star Wars

WhiteNoise asks:
Tom, it was great of you to give up an hour of your evening to hang out with us geeks in Chicago.
It was fun, good to meet you all.

Knowing that you and Eddy are huge fans of New Order, what was it like meeting them for the first time? What is it like to produce and write songs with them now, especially on their newest album?
Yeah, new order is something very special to me.  NO and Joy Division's  music has been a constant presence through my life. Working on the latest album "music complete" was such a buzz and I'm really happy for them that it's been well received. it was great that Gillian came back in to write, her melodic stuff is really cool and definitely gives the band something else

I also find Bernard and Stephen real inspirations, they both work really hard at what they do and still have that drive and desire to try and do something great

Csar asks:
Tom, what do your family members / neighbors say when you're producing loud electronic music, experimenting with synths? Have you ever bothered them with it? Do you consult your family from time to time when making certain tracks?
Yeah sometimes my kids wander in, they're always quite good instinctive judges of what's happening, mostly it's,"this is boring, lets do something else." which is often about right...

Fragor asks:
Hi Tom, I am writing from Mexico. While making music have you ever experienced anything paranormal? Does your inspiration come from something spiritual? You play with soundwaves like nobody else!
No.

hstn and Dynn Javier ask:
What's your favorite visual by Adam or favorite performance over the course of the Chemical Brothers?
So many, I've always loved what he does for the band.  Adam is someone who really understands what the band is trying to do when we play live. This tour I really loved the "rotor" sequence he shot for EML Ritual, it had just the right mix of terrifying fun and dizzying excitement

Stefan asks:
What's the power consumption of a typical Chemical Brothers Live show?
Lots, sometimes too much, as we've found out to our cost a few times...

InChemWeTrust asks:
All three of you (You, Ed and Adam) should be on stage sometime. Can it happen? I'm sure there's plenty of room on stage for all 3 of you.
3 way jam? Maybe one day..

Chops and  Andrew Martin ask:
Have you ever considered a one off live show complete with loads of your collaborators performing the tracks with you? I realize it would be a logistical nightmare but I would love this to happen.
Yeah, we've sometimes discussed a "last waltz" kind of thing but would probably only really makes sense as our farewell concert and hopefully that's a while off.

Fox asks:
Being a beginner producer I have a relentless feeling of unsatisfaction when working on tracks. I just can't enjoy it and always feel it's not good and too far from my expectations. But I mostly like my tracks when I listen to them later. How do you guys decide when a track is completed? Do you consider external feedback? Do you manage to actually feel satisfied of your tracks when working on it?
I always feel when I can listen to something back and not want to change anything about it then it's done, never really feel "satisfied" with stuff, I guess that's why I still have that incessant feeling to keep making music

Apostle, Sneaker, thg and Hutchio all ask:
Are there any plans to release some of your DJ edits, like Lack of Love or C.H.E.M.I.C.A.L? Are/were plans for a Brothers Gonna Work it Out follow up on the table? It would be a great way to get some of those exclusive edits out.
That would be cool, I've made so many over the years that it might be nice to put them all out in a release. Whilst we still dj though we'll probably just keep them for our own sets

Csar and ThePumisher ask:
What does the mysterious track name K+B+D on Further stand for?
Not telling.

WhiteNoise asks:
We've discovered some early prototype nicknames for songs like Guitar Tuned to D, Germ, Jabba... What are some great names we haven't heard? What happened to the track called Contra?
"Bert in Africa" or "peter the bellboy" are ones that stick in the mind for some reason. "Contra" is still a work in progress

WhiteNoise asks:
I think I remember that you like cycling. What kind of bike do you have? Do you listen to any music when you ride?
Yes, I've loved cycling from an early age. I don't listen to music whilst cycling though, I like it as a time to think, get lost in the repetition

Csar asks:
Will the octave kitten ever get a key repair?
Not that one, but we now have a box fresh one that might come out someday

AndroidGeoff asks:
How long did you spend making Wonders of the Deep?
A while, can you tell????

AndroidGeoff asks:
Your vocals are featured on many tracks! Which is your favorite?
Probably either "swoon" or "Hanna's theme" though I like them all, if I didn't, you wouldn't hear them.

Biff asks:
Most importantly, what is the SH-101 used for live? This has been driving me crazy for 15 years and I'm sure the answer is obvious. Is it just to brag that you guys have one and they cost insane amounts of money now due to hype?
It runs through a Morely distortion/wah and is responsible for the drone sound that get's played around with when we first come on stage, it then gets used for siren type sounds later in the set

InChemWeTrust asks:
Any possibility in releasing Superflash? (the DJ version, not the live version) And why are there 2 versions of this track? Also, is there a chance get C.H.E.M.I.C.A.L released too?
Maybe



That's all for now... more news soon from Chemical HQ!

[Redout_Chemical]

Interesting.

I love some of his answers, even if they were a bit vague or did not actually answer them. Like the K+B+D question made me laugh.

Too bad no answer to the Canada question though.

[Wolkenkrabber]

What can Tom tell us about the Trespass Against Us soundtrack and film?
No reply.

Bernard Sumner says he thinks that Giacomo who did the Italian voice on Tutti Frutti is a guy who works in Tom's local sandwich shop. True?
No reply.

If you were to put together a DJ set of current (i.e last 12 months or so) tunes by artists other than the Chems, what sort of stuff would be in there?
No reply.

Skyscraper hit rate 0/3. Am I old enough to not sulk about this? Yes. Will I sulk anyway? I might. 

[WhiteNoise]

I repeat, here's the first batch of answers.

[Wolkenkrabber]

I repeat, here's the first batch of answers.

I saw that but...I'm skeptical.

[Biff]

Yay, my question was finally answered. I can die in peace...

Wait, now I'm curious about which Morley/wah pedal...

[Explud]

Sad, my not answered.

Yay, my question was finally answered. I can die in peace...

Wait, now I'm curious about which Morley/wah pedal...

I was right!

It's used for this intro thing:

[Csar]

Wow! I didn't want it to end, I love reading some nice insight tidbits! Also, I wasn't expecting any of my questions to be answered, but man, three? That's a bit of a surprise (fingers crossed for you, Skyscraper, for the second batch!).

So, Tom, you actually refused to tell us the story behind K+D+B? Hm... making the mystery even more mysterious. Perhaps it is true what Pumisher said about it. It's god-like, isn't it? The formula would reveal the chems' mystical ingredients that make them so special in their field.

Looking forward to the next round, hopefully with less vague answeres

[inchemwetrust]

Thank you Tom for delivering. And this is just the beginning.
Cant believe a new kitten is waiting to purr onstage. Good answers all in all.

But no C.H.E.M.I.C.A.L.or SF!😭😭😭

Waiting for the 2nd batch

[ThePumisher]

Csar and ThePumisher ask:
What does the mysterious track name K+B+D on Further stand for?
Not telling.

I didn't ask that! Csar did! I've asked for K+D+B! Thats why he's not telling... 

[Enjoyed]

That was freakin' excellent!

Thanks so much, Tom!

I kinda wish I'd asked more now, but everyone else is asking great things all around.

Solidly top performance from everybody. Well done.

[inchemwetrust]

I just noticed that Tom didn't answer Matt's question of the bird chirp sample.

I liked Tom's answer from WN. Contra is coming though.

I wonder which song is Peter the bellboy?

[WhiteNoise]

I just noticed that Tom didn't answer Matt's question of the bird chirp sample.

Never reveal your sources!

I didn't ask that! Csar did! I've asked for K+D+B! Thats why he's not telling... 

Shit

[whirlygirl]

What a great read!! You guys all know the greatest questions to ask! Especially the tech ones. That's why I decided that maybe pursuing journalism all those years ago really wasn't for me. I never know what to ask but am tickled pink that Tom liked the new remixed Star Wars, haha!

[whirlygirl]

I repeat, here's the first batch of answers.

Rad! Can't wait for the second round!

[Foxboy]

Pretty cool, but who is Fox? 

[Csar]

I didn't ask that! Csar did! I've asked for K+D+B!

Can we track this a##hole down and tar and feather him? I swear, if I see him, I'll make him eat his K+B+D!