Laika interview

HOME

Low interview | Visionaire interview | Laika interview | Reviews | Top albums of 2001 | Norwegian bandindex | Music for trade | Classifieds | Contact
You Killed King Kong

Laika go where no other bands dares to go

The writing core of the band is myself, Guy Fixsen, and Margaret Fiedler. When a record is written then John Frenett (bass) and Lou Ciccotelli (drums) come in and help us finish it off. It is the four of us who make up the band live. I play live samples and a little guitar and Margaret sings, plays most guitar and a little samples.
Margaret and I met when her old band recorded their first single at the studio I worked at as an engineer, in North London. We got on well, and so, when that band split up she asked me to be in her new band as a writing partner. John was also in that band. Lou was in a band called God, a very extreme jazz/noise band, and heard that we needed a drummer and called us.
Our album "Good Looking Blues" seem to be generally very well-received. It was good. More people liked it. More people around the world bought it. We felt we managed to make a record that was a move on and pushed people's preconceptions of what rock music is, without just being experimental for it's own sake.
We play live quite a lot, mostly when we have a record out. This year we played about 80 shows so far across Europe and North America.
Playing live is important to us. It was a big part of making this latest record. We are a little unusual in that we come from a rock background but make electronic based music. So unlike most electronic acts we understand the live thing and make a point of playing live, not using sequencers or backing tapes.
We're getting down to writing a new record now and Margaret is playing guitar with PJ Harvey for the next year. She has our laptop and will be trading music with me back here at Laika HQ. It will be a new way to make a record, as we normally are together all the time. Should be inspiring, hopefully. We're hoping that the next record will be out in early 2002.

hawk.jpg

laika2.jpg