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THE
PHANTOM LIMBS - Interview MUSIC
TO DERANGE THE SOUL... An Interview with THE PHANTOM LIMBS (October 2001)
BACK AGAIN: As you are not very well known in Europe yet, please tell us a few words about who, what, when why and everything else of interest... HOPELESS
(channeling his spirit guide CourtJesterHelterSkelter): We are everything
and everywhere. We are everyone and every reason. We are the truth. We are
the life. We are the lie. We assault what needs assaulting. We release all
animals from cages. We turn on your unconscious. We are turbo-surrealists. MIKE KLOSOFF: We are all victims of a trainwreck bound together by our love of music and lack of limbs STEVENSON:
What are my bandmates talking about? The Phantom Limbs formed in Oakland
California, US of A in 1999. The limbs consist of: Hopeless - Vox,
Stevenson Sedgwick- Keys, Sköt B - Bass, Keys, Backing Vox , Jason Miller
- Guitar, Mike Klösoff - Drums. Two 7"s, a Video, one album. One US
tour completed successfully. BACK AGAIN:
After some 7" and Video releases, your first album is now out on the
legendary Alternative Tentacles label, how did you get in contact with
this label and was the collaboration, as you wished it to be? HOPELESS
(channeling his spirit guide CourtJesterHelterSkelter): KLOSOFF: We
were originally the Dead Kennedys, so instead of suing Jello, we made him
put out our music under a different name. STEVENSON: My bandmates are pathological liars. Truth is, I met Jello at a local SAAB Dealership. We were both looking a Sport Utility Vehicles and struck up a conversation. We agreed to play golf that weekend. Jello was off to an early lead, and I made him a bet: If I won, he would put out our record, If he won, I would become his butler. Luckily, I made par on the last 4 holes! The rest, as they say, is history.
HOPELESS
(channeling his spirit guide CourtJesterHelterSkelter): It's both.
Hopeless is pure performance art --- if you consider rioting a form of
performance art -- but the band itself is music to derange the soul. KLOSOFF: If
all goes well, our shows consist of the audience inventing new dance moves
and freaking out. STEVENSON:
Yes, there is a good deal of audience participation at our shows, whether
they want to participate or not. BACK AGAIN: Can we exspect you in the near future in Europe? HOPELESS (channeling his spirit guide CourtJesterHelterSkelter): We're hoping Europe will darken our vision, make us more alchemical. We're bringing joy to the darkness ; we want to go deeper. KLOSOFF: Hopefully STEVENSON: We are planning on touring Europe in September 2002. BACK AGAIN: Are you professional musicians or do you still have to work in a daily job to pay your rent? What are you doing HOPELESS (channeling his spirit guide CourtJesterHelterSkelter): We steal everything. KLOSOFF:
Unfortunately, yes, we clean scum off the sidewalks with our toothbrushes. STEVENSON: I am a Taxi Driver. One of these days a rain is going to come and wash all the scum off the streets. BACK AGAIN:
I would describe your music as "the missing link between Misfits and
45 Grave on one side and early 80s The Damned on the other"...can you
cope with this description or do you have totally different influences? HOPELESS
(channeling his spirit guide CourtJesterHelterSkelter): Actually, our
major influence is Nightmare of the Elf. KLOSOFF:
Although we like those bands very much, we're probably more influenced by
the Birthday Party meets Sex Gang Children, meets a car accident.
BACK AGAIN:
Jello Biafra is known for a lot of collaborations with other bands, do you
think, it could be an interesting attempt for you to work with him or is
anything actually planned? HOPELESS: (channeling his spirit guide CourtJesterHelterSkelter): As I said before, no comment. KLOSOFF: It
would not work in the sense that our band cannot have 2 frontmen, nor
could Jello be a second front man. STEVENSON: We are hoping Jello will play bongos on our next record. BACK AGAIN:
Can you give some short infos, what has changed for you personally and for
your Country in genaral HOPELESS
(channeling his spirit guide CourtJesterHelterSkelter): Much more
bullshit. Paranoid visions of a security state : *yawn*. Dull visions for
dull visionaries. If Halloween were every day, none of this would have
happened. Buy our album before you quit your job. Then NEVER WORK AGAIN
ANOTHER DAY OF YOUR LIFE. Everyday life in this hellhole culture is a
terrorist act. The only solution is a deep, SADEian creativity that has
black humor at its core. KLOSOFF: More American flags, and a false sense of unity. STEVENSON: Mass paranoia and fear. Anytime someone sneezes, people think it's a terrorist attack. Anyone who at all criticizes US policy, or the president's agenda, or tries to speculate as to the motive for the attacks is now taken out and shot in order to preserve freedom. BACK AGAIN: What will you do on Halloween this year? HOPELESS (channeling his spirit guide CourtJesterHelterSkelter): Visit Santa Claus. KLOSOFF: We
are playing Portland on October 27th with Gitane Demone, Antiworld, The
Deep Eynde. On Halloween: sacrificing goats and chickens, alcoholic
beverages. STEVENSON: On Halloween, I will weep for the gothic children. BACK AGAIN: Anything important, I forgot to ask? Anything you want to add and tell our readers? HOPELESS (channeling his spirit guide CourtJesterHelterSkelter): Without doubt, we are the most fascinating Phenomenon of our times. Everything else is lame and boring. People are living lives of desperation, and our music is trying to wake people up to the sick creativity in us all. Perversity is the only answer. Only a wild, schizophrenic response to the paranoia around us will transform this life into a monster worth living. Kill the fear within you. Warp out. Warp out of control. Buy our album. STEVENSON: Jumanji! BACK AGAIN:
Nothing else to add. I guess, these people really “live” their music.
Get “Applied Ignorance” and visit the website www.thephantomlimbs.com
Thanx to
Hopeless, Klosoff and Stevenson for answering the questions and Maiko Hara
at Alternative Tentacles (www.alternativetentacles.com
). (A.P.) THE PHANTOM LIMBS - Applied Ignorance (LP/CD 2001) (Alternative Tentacles, www.alternativetentacles.com / www.thephantomlimbs.com )
FLESHIES / THE PHANTOM LIMBS - Split EP (7“EP 2001) THE PHANTOM LIMBS are one of my personal discoveries this year, it is such a great Death-Punk-Trash-Rock band and it´s great, that their debut album has been released on the legendary Alternative Tentacles label. This Split EP with California´s Trash-Rockers FLESHIES is a worth collectable piece of vinyl. Both bands are featured with two song, one of their own and one cover of the other band, which is a good concept for such a release. The cover versions are played in every band´s very own style. I guess, that the FLESHIES are a wonderful and powerful live band, which can´t be tranferred to vinyl, but I like their tracks a lot. Actually I prefer THE PHANTOM LIMBS, ´cos they use a nice Organ and the voice of singer Hopeless reminds me a bit of Black Francis in some very early Pixies live tracks like „Caribou“. Really a fine 7“, you shouldn´t miss, if you like a brilliant mix of Death-Rock and Punk-Rock with a heavily trash influence. (A.P.)THE PHANTOM LIMBS - Promo CD (CD-EP 2001) Yeassss, that´s it! THE PHANTOM LIMBS from Oakland/California are a great band, playing some kind of punky Death-Rock, combining bands like 45 Grave, T.S.O.L., The Cardiacs and Pixies, which is a brilliant mixture. I guess, they are fantastic live and I am absolutely curious about their forthcoming album on Alternative Tentacles. The voice of singer Hopeless, which is a perfect name, sounds like, if he has gone totally mad, there is always an Organ and Drums and Guitars are very Punk orientated. Yeah, it is Death-Rock, but not in the doomy gloomy vein of bands like Christian Death or Mephisto Walz, but more like Morticia playing on a Helloween Party full of drunken Punks, who jump in Horror outfits totally mad through the club. It is perfect, so look out for the album, which definetly will be great! (A.P.) As far as I know, this was the debut of California´s finest THE PHANTOM LIMBS and it is a brilliant one. Beside the really powerful music, still somewhere between Punk-Rock, Death-Rock, Garage-Trash with the very own Organ sound, that makes the band uncomparable, you get a wonderful artwork. All the three track are powerful and surely live classics (even if I unfortunatly had no chance to see them live yet). The single is in clear green vinyl, contains a lyric sheet, a fold-out cover and if you order it directly from the band, I guess, they will also put a band sticker into the package, if you ask kindly, ´cos they seem to be nice people. This is close to a perfect release! (A.P.) |
Some months
ago, I got on THE PHANTOM LIMBS Website by chance through various links.
What I found out there, made me curious and I asked them to send me some
of their stuff. From then on, I turned completely mad about this band,
just read my reviews about the releases and you possibly know, what I
mean. Even, if they do not sound similar to 45 Grave, one of my all time
favourite bands, THE PHANTOM LIMBS are totally crazy in a comparable way.
Singer Hopeless seems to be a study-object for every mad scientist on
Mother Earth, but what else to say about such a band? THE PHANTIOM LIMBS
are definetly one of my Top 25 all time faves. Find out more about them in
the following interview...
BACK AGAIN:
Can you tell us a bit about your live show? Is it a "big" show
or more kind of "pure music"?
STEVENSON:
Yeah, the Misfits are wonderful, but I'm not sure I'd compare us to them,
but if you want to, that's fine, we are not insulted, we're flattered. 45
Grave is ok. Damned are good, but that Captain guy is pretty annoying.
After
a 7“, a Split-7“ and a fine Videocassette, here is finally THE PHANTOM
LIMBS´ first complete album, out on Vinyl and CD on the legendary
Alternative Tentacles label, which gave us many classic records for many
years.
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