BKLA: The original Gang of Four line up is back together after 20 years. Who made the first phone call, and what was most challenging about piecing the band back together ?

(Jon King) The other 3 had had conversations but it took Jazz Summers, Andy’s manager to put the meeting together.

(Andy Gill) Emails had been crossing the Atlantic every now and then for a cupla years . shall we / shant we? I mentioned a possible Gang Of Four get-together to my manager and he’d booked flights and a rehearsal room within 10 minutes.

(Dave Allen) Ensuring that we were as good as when we last played together was the challenge.

(Hugo Burnham) and [for me] convincing myself that I could actually get behind a drum kit and play everything again after a 20-year break.

Editors are no imitators, and you would be mistaken to believe that their compelling debut “the Back Room” (Kitchenware Records), is merely jumping on the post punk revival bandwagon. Obvious references to Echo and The Bunnymen, Joy Division and U2 circa “Boy” quickly dissipate to let the band’s impeccable styling impose itself as the genuine article. Luminous guitar riffs become soaring anthems, vocals shift from croon to rally cry, emotionally navigating the journey through social stigma and personal strife. Unlike Interpol who have yet to come up with one original song, Editors do more than borrow the sound of the early eighties. They make it their own, with great passion.

If the The New Pornographers were smut peddlers, their third album “Twin Cinema” (Matador Records) would get a solid “fully erect” rating. There’s no skin here, but you can still indulge without fast forwarding. The Vancouver outfit is barely a band, each record assembling a different cast of players around lead man A.C. Newman. This combo gels superbly, and even if the list of notable influences is 10 pages long, they are filtered and streamlined into one of the most catchy Indie Pop record to date.

Tom Vek’s debut “We Have Sound” (Star Time) as the urgency of a record made in under 20 minutes. Miraculously piecing together raw elements with whatever gear was available to him, Vek proves that with limited means you come up with better ideas. The unpolished result becomes stylistic bravado. Comparisons with Beck are already surfacing in the buzz wires, but his songs are more sexy, careless and unapologetic than his elusive Silverlake counterpart.

A decade ago, back when the Electronica section of the Virgin Megastore was 6 feet wide and 80% of the records had smiley faces on them, Quango Records emerged as one of the first label to champion acts that were sophisticated and obscure, compiled by the likes of Jason Bentley, Bruno Guez and Tom Schnabel, all KCRW DJs who were passionately adding their touch to this revolution in sound. Today the same musical section occupies a whole floor, and the world has heard far too many Buddha Bar, Café Del Mar, Hotel Costes and other Chill Out compilations. Count on Quango to still find the unique, seductive and irresistible sound that stands one cut above the rest. Such is Cantoma, the work of DJ Phil Mason, mixing Flamenco flavors with dub infused rhythms. The many guest vocalist help create an ethnic diversity that helps move the record along at an even pace without ever feeling repetitive. Even if this kind of sensual escapism makes you only experience the Ibiza sunset from your couch, you’re not going to want to travel alone.

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Get to know Carmen Rizzo. The studio wiz has been tweaking knobs and cursors for years for the likes of Seal, Alanis Morisette, Coldplay, Paul Oakenfold, and the Who’s Pete Townsend. He can also be credited for lobbying the Grammy organization to introduce a dance music category (the same year it dropped out of the mercury prize in the UK). His debut, The Lost Art Of The Idle Moment (Fuel 2000) is a patchwork of styles and influences made cohesive under a fine tuned production. Rizzo dodges any clichés and crafts themes with a definitive cinematic approach, meticulously layering elements, inviting the listener into a colorful panorama. The story unfolds as guest vocalist Esthero, Jem(still a one trick pony), Kate Havnevik (who can be also heard musing on Royksopp’s albums) and Ladybug Mecca lend their unique styling to each track. Leaving the Cineplex for the art house, it’s inspiring to see an artist not trying to make a splash, but rather leave a lasting impression.

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Speak quietly, and people will pay more attention to what you are saying. Year of Meteors (Nonesuch), Laura Veirs 5th album is as understated as its cover. The Seattle chanteuse will persuade you to meet her half way, invest yourself in her music, make valuable time with her lyrics. Greatness is unleashed without hype or noise. Basking in the subtle textures of this record makes you wonder what Joni Mitchell would have sounded like produced by Brian Eno. Honesty goes a long way, and when expressed through such great songwriting, it can take you in someone else’s head and make you feel right at home, even if the atmosphere is cool rather than warm. A unique voice with a beating heart.

There’s a disco party at the funeral parlor and you’re on Ladytron’s guest list. What is being laid to rest is any doubt cast on their career longevity."The Witching Hour” (Rikodisc), as for prior offerings, is both curse and antidote: robotic beats mark the sterile pulse of an industrial world on the verge of implosion, while demure vocals are struggling to escape a generic emotional state. It’s all so deliciously post modern, but having outlived the Electro-clash fad, Ladytron have undergone significant evolutionary steps and have grown into their own (synthetic) skin. Playing with a wall of sound attitude, this record is more Jesus and Mary Chain than Kraftwerk. The day beat boxes and synths are traded for good for drums and guitars, pressed uniforms for skirts and fishnets, it will be remembered like Dylan going electric at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965.

Daddy G’s DJ kicks (!K7 Records) has been out for a year, and hasn’t left my CD player since. Because the reviews were on hiatus, it never received the mention it deserves.
The tall lanky man in shades on the cover is also known as Grant Marshall, one third of Bristol’s Massive Attack, and the compilation reflects the musical influence the Jamaican community of that city has had on the band. Dropping dance hall classics like Willie Williams “Armagideon Time”, Johnny Osbourne’s “Budy Bye”, then moving into Trip Hop territories with rare Massive Attack remixes of Nusrat Fateh Ali Kahn and bohemian French outfit Les Negresses Vertes. Daddy G then takes the mix up tempo with Leftfield, Aretha Franklin like you never heard her before, and closes on the quintessential Massive Attack track “Unfinished Sympathy” remixed here by Paul Oakenfold. The perfect flow builds up to the perfect momentum in what amounts to the most timeless and inspired DJ mix in this collection.

Gilles Peterson has impeccable taste and a radio show called Worldwide. Combined, the two contribute to make him one of the most influential figure in today’s music world. His quasi Papal standing for all things groovy made him the perfect selector for the first release in a new Luv and Haight/ Ubiquity Records series focusing on notorious record collections and the gems they hold. On Gilles Peterson Digs America, Brownswood U.S.A., the listener is treated to 16 remarkable tracks, both classic and obscure, performed by Jazz, Soul and Funk artists that time has forgotten. This obligatory lesson in groove musicology won’t appeal to purists only, and the timeless quality of the music bridges all the gaps to become an ass shaking fest. If you need a separate house to store your gigantic record collection, it’s not a bad way to show off the goods. I wonder what kind of insurance coverage Mr. Peterson had to purchase

Howl (Red Ink) is what happens when a band know for its guitar heavy sound suddenly discovers American roots and the Delta Blues. In this case of Rattle and Hum, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, having been very successful as a Rock n’ Roll band on two prior albums are revealing broader ambitions. By shedding their leather clad attitude and entering a path so soulful it borders on Gospel, the band dares to leap into the unknown. In an age of formula and redundancy, it’s a career moves that takes guts. It will be interesting to see where they take it from here.

BKLA: Taking a trip back in time before MTV and the internet, what was so significant about the Post Punk era? What bands had inspired you then?
(DA) Punk rock was a musical revolution of a kind that had taken place since the late 60’s. It allowed anyone with a band the opportunity to just get out and play and be judged only by their peers.
(AG) We were not inspired by any Punk bands , NY or otherwise . We invented a new music . There were , of course , lots of things going round our heads, like Dub , Jimmy Hendrix , Dr. Feelgood , Velvet Underground, the Band.
(JK) also Bob Dylan, Muddy Waters, The Band, Velvet Undergound, Funkadelic, Reggae, Chic and Bacharach/David.
(HB) It was all just happening…only with fewer safety-pins.

BKLA: There’s a new generation in your concert audience today that wasn’t born when your lyrics, ripe with social discontent, were first written. Do you feel that in a more globalized culture, your political message is still as relevant today as it was then?
(AG) Not sure about the social discontent bit and we never had a political “manifesto”. However , the Gang of 4 take on things is absolutely relevant - when we started rehearsing it struck me how these songs could have been written a week ago , they were so up to the minute in a way which almost no one else is; it’s one of the things that convinced me the current Go4 thing was a good idea.
(JK) The idea that human beings are increasingly defined by what they buy- both material and philosophical- and that they come to see themselves as commodities in a system of exchange that ties them into tight predetermined lives isn’t one that’s going away.
(HB) ignoring a discussion about a definition of ‘political manifesto’ (ours was so much more than simply political) – yes, everything we sang and spoke about is equally relevant…if not more so, as the soporific malaise brought about by rampant contemporary consumerism is overwhelming. The new generation is woefully inactive and uninformed politically.

BKLA: Your performances are pure energy and physically demanding.
Then add the strain of a touring schedule. How do you maintain such stage stamina ?
(AG) Fear of having to get a job.
(JK) I have a rigorous exercise regime before tours designed to get me in shape: I jog for about 15 minutes to warm up and then circuits : star jumps, lunges, squats, press ups. Then pilates, cool down and stretches. Once I’m on the road the concerts keep me fit.
(DA) I hired a personal trainer.
(HB) Far less booze and stimulants. We play smarter because we’re older. We don’t do overnighters in the bus…we fly. We don’t share hotel rooms.

BKLA: When you go to a concert these days, you often get the feeling that the band is going through the motions, playing their songs straight off the record. Watching Go4 is almost like witnessing a jam, with loose perfectionism and room for improvisation. Is every show different for you ?
(DA) Yes. Our live performance has been compared to some of the improvisational jazz greats such as Coltrane. I’m very proud of that.
(AG) most Go4 songs are written with the drama of the stage in mind. For the most part they are tightly structured but there are areas within many songs where improvisation is required , mainly from the guitar.
(HB) There’s certainly an element of surprise from each other around some corners…. We work on tension and listen very hard to each other.
(JK) Every show is different. We improvise a lot and many of the songs have elements designed for this, such as the intro to At Home He’s A Tourist , the guitar & vocals on Anthrax and the whole of He’d Send In The Army. As the show unfolds we get the feel for the event which depends on the room, the PA but mostly the audience’s reaction.

BKLA: Jon, live, you’re bashing a rather peculiar percussion instrument with a baseball bat. How many microwave ovens do you go through in a tour, do you carry a full supply, do you hit an appliance store in every city, and what in your “expert” opinion is the sturdiest brand?
(JK) My favorite brand is the US manufactured Zenith microwave which is heavy steel with an attractive wood effect print. Zenith’s don’t deform like the flimsy Japanese brands , give a satisfying “thunk” sound and are easy to find on dumpster sites. They’re very big which is why I suppose they are being disposed of so recklessly. They usually last 2 shows. I am -and pretty confident to say this - one of the world’s leading Microwave Artistes. Available also for bar mitzvah’s and weddings.

BKLA: Go4 is often cited as one of “the most influential bands” who have helped shape the early 80s sound. Where do you hear this influence today? Are there any new bands that particularly stand out for you, and do you see this as stylistic revival or a nostalgic fad ?
(HB) Today? I’ve been hearing it for a long time.
Franz Ferdinand are a great pop band. Bloc party spend too much time denying our influence. The Futureheads are lovely chaps. It’s neither revival nor fad…it’s part of the ever-turning circle of generational revision.
(JK) I hear echoes of our sound all the time. Musicians always look for authenticity – I certainly did – and a good place to look is in the past. It doesn’t mean the hunt is for nostalgic content but a musical place that’s not been determined by market research.
(DA) Rock music is such a young art form that it has not had time to develop, so consequently every decade or so, there is a recycling of styles. Currently we are the flavor du jour. It will pass, I’m reading the signals. I have no favorite amongst the new breed of bands that are borrowing from our particular sonic niche. They are all competent at their craft. What I despair of most is that they are bringing nothing new to the table, if anything they are merely cluttering up the airwaves. The comparison to Go4 could only be drawn if they not only borrowed from us musically but had something to say lyrically. I’m afraid that none of this new lot do and therefore the gulf between them and us remains very large indeed.

BKLA: What motivated your decision to re-record old songs for your new release “Return the Gift”? What was achieved and is your personal connection to the songs any different now?
(AG) The songs feel very modern to me, I wanted a modern recording of them; in particular, a recording that did the drums justice.
(JK) We wanted to make a record that sounder closer to what the band sounds like live without making a live record.
(DA) I think the idea was a simple one – what would a 2005 version of the original line up sound like doing those old songs? I think we achieved a very fine balance between just merely indulging ourselves VS delivering a worthwhile project.
(HB) Besides a desire to re-tool some of the sounds that, while exemplary, did not tell the whole story, is also an attempt to wrest control and even possibly some income away from EMI and Warner Bros.

BKLA: The UK version of the album will boast a collection of remixes (to be released separately in the US) by the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s, Ladytron, the Dandy Warhols and others. Please tell us about the remixing process, how you selected the artists and what you feel they contributed to the Go4 sound.
(AG) Initially, I got into making lists of who I thought should remix . . . then I realized all these people I would never have thought of were clamoring to have a go [ like Ladytron ] so I sort of let go of the reins and let it happen , which I have to say is an unusual experience for me.
(HB) Personally, what i like most is that so many surprising artists did re-mixes for us...it wasn't just the predictable ones. There are newer ones not on the disc that will be available later that i love - the Melvins and Tortoise, specifically.

BKLA: Your reunion has been met with a resounding success. Is this a new beginning for the band? Will Go4 be working on any new material?
(HB) It has been very hard to even get together to play live. We all have careers and separate lives from one another.
(AG) We might do some new songs.
(JK) It’s been a lot of fun. We’re thinking about next steps for 2006.

Words and photos: Marc Goldstein. Location courtesy Avalon/Hollywood. “Then” photos courtesy Gang of Four. See our live coverage of the 10/21/05 Gang of Four Show at the Avalon in the special event section.

Gang of Four online:
www.gangoffour.us/
www.myspace.com/gangoffour

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