The Legendary Pink Dots - Interview with Edward Ka-Spel
There would seem no better way to re-launch the blog than with an undeniable 'fanboy' moment. The Legendary Pink Dots have been a band I have loved and admired for more years than I care to mention, or even think about. It has been a love than has waned at times but it has always been there.
For those who are unfamiliar with LPD, well firstly what have you been doing with your life, and secondly, do not expect a neat phrase or 2 outlining what LPD are about or sound like. Their prodigious output has covered psychedelia, synthpop, post-punk, industrial, ambient, electronica, sound collages, psychedelic folk, prog rock, jazz, motorik, noise and pop. However, a couple of things tie all these sometimes disparate styles together, namely Edward Ka-Spel's distinctive voice and the poetic lyrical narratives of the songs. Positive comparisons have been made to Syd-era Pink Floyd - high praise indeed. They are Unique. They are special.
What is so extraordinary about LPD is that they have occupied the same place in the musical pantheon for over 40 years. They hover just outside the mainstream and, to this day, they remain as vital and relevant as they were in 1980 when they started; they have grown and evolved but have remained steadfastly THE Legendary Pink Dots. There have been bands that have been around longer but not many whose latest releases are as good as their earlier material. Case in point - the most recent album, 'Museum of Human Happiness' (Metropolis Records) shows the Dots as hungry and fluid as ever. It does not meander too far from the psychedelic path but the tightness and efficiency of the songs still ideally showcase Ka-Spel's imaginative and spellbinding lyrics. The fact that the album deals with the recent COVID pandemic, Brexshit and the rise of toxic nationalism here in the UK does not diminish the beauty but instils it with a feeling of fatalistic pessimism.
As if producing a huge discography with the Dots is not enough Ka-Spel also has an equally monumental solo discography (also highly recommended) and has worked with many esteemed collaborators, most notably the Tear Garden project with cEVIN Key from Skinny Puppy. The man is a force of nature! he is also an absolute gent and was generous enough to spare me the time to answer some questions:
S&V: First up, many thanks for taking the time to do this. I hope you are keeping well while the world burns!
EK: Hi Andy....Indeed just trying to keep my head above water right now,it's not so easy in the UK which seems to have an appetite for self-immolation.
S&V: The Legendary Pink Dots have achieved something that not many bands/artists have, namely remain incredibly relevant after 40 years. What’s the secret?
EK: I guess the sheer drive, bordering on obsession, is the vital ingredient.I've always been a bit of a workaholic, but music is an area where there are no ready answers or solutions. When you open a curtain, another appears in the distance and you're just drawn towards it. The concept of being irrelevant is devastating.
S&V: The musical landscape has changed dramatically over those 40 years, both technically and socially. Do you view these changes as a positive thing?
EK: Technically I welcome all the recent developments with computer technology. It is a means to an end and ultimately it's imagination that counts...after all, a hole in the wall doesn't drill itself. Any improvements to the tools we use must be good, and the better they are, the greater the challenge becomes. A beautiful challenge too.
The likes of Facebook etc. are a bit of a necessary evil in 2022. I cannot deny that we depend upon platfoms like that as the only effective promotion is 'self promotion' right now - I've never been entirely comfortable with it, and tend to simply announce things , rather than brag about them.Still the positive thing is that we don't depend on a disinterested media anymore. Back in the 80s/90s, some journalists saw themselves more important than the people they wrote about. Good riddance to those days.
S&V: I suppose this leads on to digital platforms; The Dots Bandcamp page is incredibly comprehensive and you have a strong Spotify presence. Is this something you have embraced or have adopted out of ‘necessity’?
EK: I can't stand Spotify to be honest. The free version offers poor sound quality with irritating ads and they pay almost nothing to the artists. File under 'necessary evil Part 2'. Bandcamp keeps us alive at a tough time. We're in complete control of our page and can literally release an album on the day it's finished if we're that excited (there are a few of these on my solo Bandcamp page).
S&V: Do you still have the same desire and drive to create and produce?
EK: Im tempted to say even more so,but Im honest to myself, I think it's the same.
S&V: The latest album “Museum of Human Happiness” (another masterpiece!) seems to have a pessimistic, almost sinister vein running beneath the typically beautiful sounds. I’m guessing that it was recorded during COVID is no coincidence?
EK: Yeah. Covid was terrifying and pretty much all the songs refer to it. Our last tour happened completely under the shadow of the virus. Friends would want a hug after a show, and then burst out coughing. Then there was that disturbingly low roof at our last show in London which was packed. My favourite show of the tour, but hell was I ever nervous for a few days after it.
S&V: One aspect I have always loved about both The Dots and your solo material is the strong lyrical narratives; do you consider yourself to be a storyteller first and foremost?
EK: A bit of a lame answer, but I simply do what I do....
S&V: The artists you have collaborated with over the years reads like a list of the great and the good; cEVIN Key, Amanda Palmer, Jim O’Rourke, Stephen Stapleton to name just a few. Do you enjoy such collabs and what do they offer you as a musician?
EK: Absolutely love these collaborations. There's always so much to learn and somehow I always feel like I grew a little after finishing these projects..
S&V: Is there anyone with whom you would dearly love to collaborate?
EK: Not right now.
S&V: The musical relationship between yourself and Phil ‘The Silverman’ Knight is obviously a very fruitful one and one intrinsic to The Dots …. Would you foresee The Dots continuing without him?
EK: Alas, the life of a band can throw the most unexpected banana skins under our feet, but as long as I breathe the air, there will be The Legendary Pink Dots.
S&V: I’ve always seen parallels between The Dots and Throbbing Gristle; not particularly in a musical or even aesthetic way but more of the ethos behind them. Am I way off the mark here?
EK: TG were huge for me back in the day as they showed that there was a path for someone with ideas who wasn't prepared to touch the forelock to moguls of the music industry. Let it be said that the music of TG thrilled me too (still does!)
S&V: Of all of your prodigious output, do you have a favourite?
EK: So hard. It changes day to day. From the early days, "The Golden Age" and "Chemical Playschool 3/4" really resonate with me, but Im very proud of all the new ones.
S&V: After a long day in the studio, what do you listen to for relaxation purposes?
EK: Any recent release of Ryuichi Sakamoto will always do the trick, but it does come down to my mood.
S&V: What’s next in the pipeline?
EK: That would be telling...
Links
The Legendary pink Dots Bandcamp page
Edward Ka-Spel Bandcamp page
The Legendary Pink Dots website
Metropolis Records: 'Museum of Human Happiness'
For those who are unfamiliar with LPD, well firstly what have you been doing with your life, and secondly, do not expect a neat phrase or 2 outlining what LPD are about or sound like. Their prodigious output has covered psychedelia, synthpop, post-punk, industrial, ambient, electronica, sound collages, psychedelic folk, prog rock, jazz, motorik, noise and pop. However, a couple of things tie all these sometimes disparate styles together, namely Edward Ka-Spel's distinctive voice and the poetic lyrical narratives of the songs. Positive comparisons have been made to Syd-era Pink Floyd - high praise indeed. They are Unique. They are special.
What is so extraordinary about LPD is that they have occupied the same place in the musical pantheon for over 40 years. They hover just outside the mainstream and, to this day, they remain as vital and relevant as they were in 1980 when they started; they have grown and evolved but have remained steadfastly THE Legendary Pink Dots. There have been bands that have been around longer but not many whose latest releases are as good as their earlier material. Case in point - the most recent album, 'Museum of Human Happiness' (Metropolis Records) shows the Dots as hungry and fluid as ever. It does not meander too far from the psychedelic path but the tightness and efficiency of the songs still ideally showcase Ka-Spel's imaginative and spellbinding lyrics. The fact that the album deals with the recent COVID pandemic, Brexshit and the rise of toxic nationalism here in the UK does not diminish the beauty but instils it with a feeling of fatalistic pessimism.
As if producing a huge discography with the Dots is not enough Ka-Spel also has an equally monumental solo discography (also highly recommended) and has worked with many esteemed collaborators, most notably the Tear Garden project with cEVIN Key from Skinny Puppy. The man is a force of nature! he is also an absolute gent and was generous enough to spare me the time to answer some questions:
S&V: First up, many thanks for taking the time to do this. I hope you are keeping well while the world burns!
EK: Hi Andy....Indeed just trying to keep my head above water right now,it's not so easy in the UK which seems to have an appetite for self-immolation.
S&V: The Legendary Pink Dots have achieved something that not many bands/artists have, namely remain incredibly relevant after 40 years. What’s the secret?
EK: I guess the sheer drive, bordering on obsession, is the vital ingredient.I've always been a bit of a workaholic, but music is an area where there are no ready answers or solutions. When you open a curtain, another appears in the distance and you're just drawn towards it. The concept of being irrelevant is devastating.
S&V: The musical landscape has changed dramatically over those 40 years, both technically and socially. Do you view these changes as a positive thing?
EK: Technically I welcome all the recent developments with computer technology. It is a means to an end and ultimately it's imagination that counts...after all, a hole in the wall doesn't drill itself. Any improvements to the tools we use must be good, and the better they are, the greater the challenge becomes. A beautiful challenge too.
The likes of Facebook etc. are a bit of a necessary evil in 2022. I cannot deny that we depend upon platfoms like that as the only effective promotion is 'self promotion' right now - I've never been entirely comfortable with it, and tend to simply announce things , rather than brag about them.Still the positive thing is that we don't depend on a disinterested media anymore. Back in the 80s/90s, some journalists saw themselves more important than the people they wrote about. Good riddance to those days.
S&V: I suppose this leads on to digital platforms; The Dots Bandcamp page is incredibly comprehensive and you have a strong Spotify presence. Is this something you have embraced or have adopted out of ‘necessity’?
EK: I can't stand Spotify to be honest. The free version offers poor sound quality with irritating ads and they pay almost nothing to the artists. File under 'necessary evil Part 2'. Bandcamp keeps us alive at a tough time. We're in complete control of our page and can literally release an album on the day it's finished if we're that excited (there are a few of these on my solo Bandcamp page).
S&V: Do you still have the same desire and drive to create and produce?
EK: Im tempted to say even more so,but Im honest to myself, I think it's the same.
S&V: The latest album “Museum of Human Happiness” (another masterpiece!) seems to have a pessimistic, almost sinister vein running beneath the typically beautiful sounds. I’m guessing that it was recorded during COVID is no coincidence?
EK: Yeah. Covid was terrifying and pretty much all the songs refer to it. Our last tour happened completely under the shadow of the virus. Friends would want a hug after a show, and then burst out coughing. Then there was that disturbingly low roof at our last show in London which was packed. My favourite show of the tour, but hell was I ever nervous for a few days after it.
S&V: One aspect I have always loved about both The Dots and your solo material is the strong lyrical narratives; do you consider yourself to be a storyteller first and foremost?
EK: A bit of a lame answer, but I simply do what I do....
S&V: The artists you have collaborated with over the years reads like a list of the great and the good; cEVIN Key, Amanda Palmer, Jim O’Rourke, Stephen Stapleton to name just a few. Do you enjoy such collabs and what do they offer you as a musician?
EK: Absolutely love these collaborations. There's always so much to learn and somehow I always feel like I grew a little after finishing these projects..
S&V: Is there anyone with whom you would dearly love to collaborate?
EK: Not right now.
S&V: The musical relationship between yourself and Phil ‘The Silverman’ Knight is obviously a very fruitful one and one intrinsic to The Dots …. Would you foresee The Dots continuing without him?
EK: Alas, the life of a band can throw the most unexpected banana skins under our feet, but as long as I breathe the air, there will be The Legendary Pink Dots.
S&V: I’ve always seen parallels between The Dots and Throbbing Gristle; not particularly in a musical or even aesthetic way but more of the ethos behind them. Am I way off the mark here?
EK: TG were huge for me back in the day as they showed that there was a path for someone with ideas who wasn't prepared to touch the forelock to moguls of the music industry. Let it be said that the music of TG thrilled me too (still does!)
S&V: Of all of your prodigious output, do you have a favourite?
EK: So hard. It changes day to day. From the early days, "The Golden Age" and "Chemical Playschool 3/4" really resonate with me, but Im very proud of all the new ones.
S&V: After a long day in the studio, what do you listen to for relaxation purposes?
EK: Any recent release of Ryuichi Sakamoto will always do the trick, but it does come down to my mood.
S&V: What’s next in the pipeline?
EK: That would be telling...
Links
The Legendary pink Dots Bandcamp page
Edward Ka-Spel Bandcamp page
The Legendary Pink Dots website
Metropolis Records: 'Museum of Human Happiness'
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