So, we got everyone on the album. EROL ALKAN, James Murphy…
James: Don’t forget Steve Dub!
Yeah, who is that, by the way?
James: He’s probably the guy who is most pissed about not getting the attention he deserves. He’s been texting me the other day and asked why he’s not credited in all the press releases. And I said: ‘It’s not my fucking job.’ (laughs) So from now on, every time we do an interview we have to mention him. He’s the man.
Jamie: There wouldn’t be THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS without Steve Dub. He’s their engineer from very early on.
James: He’s the guy in the shadows.
Okay. Can we agree on the fact that there wouldn’t be dance music without Steve Dub?
Jamie: Yes! (laughs)
James: That should be the headline.
Simon: There wouldn’t be any 90s or 00s music without Steve Dub.
James: (picturing a headline) ‘Steve Dub – Credit at last.’
Jamie: The unsung hero.
James: He also worked with JAGWAR MA recently. And again he got no credit. You could totally make a documentary about him in the style of Searching For Sugarman. Searching For Steve Dub, probably.
Since we’re already in the 90s. You got a favourite club tune from these days?
James: Everything Steve Dub worked on.
Simon: Which might be basically every 90s dance record. (laughs)
Jamie: The Leave Home record by THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS is really awesome. But my favourite is DOUBLE 99 with RIP Groove.
Simon: Mine might be Voodoo People by THE PRODIGY.
James: My favourite is THE SHAMEN with Ebeneezer Goode.
Jamie: This one is also a shameless promotion for drug abuse. The chorus goes like ‘E’s are good, E’s are good’ the whole time. (laughs)
You took quite break after your last record. Were your batteries empty back then?
Simon: Well, you need some time off before you get back on.
James: But in fact, we didn’t really have any time off.
Jamie: We just hung out in London, chilling a bit. No beaches and stuff like that.
Simon: It’s a bit like we’ve got locked up in London. You know we couldn’t go anywhere else.
You once said you could barely play instruments when you started the band. NEW ORDER‘s Bernard Sumner once stated that the spirit is more important than the skills. Would you agree on this? Is there a lack on this with temporary musicians?
Jamie: Yes, they all went to BritSchool and stuff. We can totally agree with Mr. Sumner. Otherwise we wouldn’t exist.
James: A lot of current electronic producers learn to make music very differently. You know, via YouTube tutorials and stuff.
Jamie: But it’s very lonely, isn’t it.
Simon: Find a few friends, have a few beers and start a band. That’s how we did it.
James: It’s easier to make music on your own these days.
Jamie: But it’s not as much fun, drinking alone and stuff.
Sometimes I think it’s also a question of time. Many bands give up too early once the desired amount of success doesn’t come.
James: Yes, that’s a problem.
Jamie: Just keep going. You’ll get there.
Looking back on the entire buzz your debut ‘Myths Of the Near Future’ created back then with the Mercury Prize and a performance with RIHANNA – would you have done anything different now?
Jamie: Well, probably not drink so many beers. That could have been better for my relationship with RIHANNA. (laughs)
You took your chance with her?
Jamie: Big time. And I lost. You only get one chance with RIHANNA.
Except when you’re Chris Brown:
James: (laughs) Exactly.
Jamie: Damn. You’re right. I should try again.
Our magazine choose ‘Hope and Passion’ as our main motto… what would be the motto of KLAXONS?
Simon: We had one in the past. What was it?
James: ‘We take fun seriously.’
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