"I write like Mozart, literally..."
Anton Newcombe comes with a certain reputation.
Leading the Brian Jonestown Massacre for more than two decades, the American-born / Berlin-based artist matches nigh-on peerless space rock with stunning mood swings. At times, it can seem that through pouring his heart and soul into his music that Newcombe can be incapable of accepting criticism; backing himself into a corner, the songwriter can often seem prickly, defensive evasive.
But not today. The voice on the other end of the phone crackles with enthusiasm and – despite the odd ranting conspiracy theory – Anton Newcombe is a welcoming, open soul. Hell, he even signs off by sincerely wishing we meet again “because you seem like a good and decent person”.
Aw shucks...
Of course, he’s got every right to feel confident. New album ‘Aufheben’ is an overwhelming artistic success, finding a rejuvenated Brian Jonestown Massacre setting their controls for the heart of the sun. We begin, though, with Berlin.
- - -
To begin with, you’re in Berlin now - how’s the city?
I love Berlin because it leaves me alone. I don’t speak German, so I’m oblivious to the advertising and if I should even catch small talk it’s incomprehensible.
Do you spend most of your time in the studio then?
Well, yeah, I come out everyday. I don’t live in my studio, it’s set up like.. with even bunk beds and a shower and a kitchen and everything, it’s like a two storey auto garage sort of thing.
Why did you move to Berlin in the first place?
A few reasons: in the UK, anywhere, if you walk into the street... the minute you leave your door life is going to intrude on you. If you go to a party someone is like “oh, so how do you know Sue?”or “I’m Jim, I work for Mojo magazine..” blah blah blah blah blah. In German culture it just doesn’t happen. That’s one side of it, plus the city has everything, it’s cheap, the art and everything, it’s international, it’s all right there if you need it.
You’ve got a point. Do you feel more free in Germany then?
Well I am because I’m an artist of means and I just go about my business. So I have a very good life and I love this culture and I love the people. It’s safe for women and children where I live, and that’s important to me. Whereas the high street in Cardiff on a Saturday, it’s anybody’s guess if you’re going to make it home. So it’s a totally different thing.
It is clear from this album as well that you do love British music, you’ve got ‘I Want To Hold Your Other Hand’ and ‘Blue Order/New Monday’.
Well that’s a quick story, see Bernard Sumner and whoever...Graham Cox? The bass player, Bad Lieutenant, they lifted my whole fucking riff. That’s not just a guitar lead, it’s a specific twelve string melodic motif from my song ‘When Jokers Attack’. He even played a twelve string, played the exact same notes. I thought that was not cool at all, to not even say “I like this other group” or something. So do you know what I did? Algorithms, baby. Now and for all time that dumb ass mother fucker, check this out, he can’t get away, you type in their biggest hit ever and you get my song. Because I’m a real group, I’m really on iTunes, I’m really on Google, so for a thousand years from now I’ll get paid every time somebody...there’s a possibility I’m married to that song now, just because the way a computer works, because they can’t pay Google to say; a search engine to say ‘not buying Jonestown Massacre’. See, so it’s just a scramble of worlds. Plus, there’s another whole side to the illumination aspect of it, like for instance in Free Masonry the first three steps equal the blue lodge and the blue order. Then, that is like a solar cult, with a solar deity, hence illumination and light. But then the more Julian Cope people, their all into the moon and the Goddess, that’s the other cult. So it’s like the Blue Order - the sun guys, and the moon people.
To talk about the album, let’s start with the title ‘Aufheben’, what made you choose that?
Believe it or not I was reading the Economist, a left wing intellectual political magazine from the UK, and this person brought up some word, and I think it was in regards to the power position that Germany now has within the continent, but they go, “How scary is it that they have this word with multiple meanings that are all contradictory?” When I looked at it I thought wow, that is interesting. But when you apply that word to German culture in the last century, it means to abolish or destroy, to pickup and preserve. So tearing apart something to save it. If you can imagine that in relation to...you know they had the East Germany intergration back in...the whole culture, the history of national socialism, they had to tear apart this society to build it up to save it. I love that.
Matt Hollywood’s on this album, do you two just have a certain chemistry that brings out something musically out in you?
Well I taught him how to play guitar and we taught each other how to play music and really make a band, even though we have an interesting notion of stability and roles that everyone plays in this business. So, there’s that psychic thing that twins have, it’s almost like that. I have an idea and he automatically knows the sensibility and then we’re both boiled down to “I don’t want you to be singing that topic.” I write like Mozart, literally it comes like a lightening bolt and I can hear a symphony. I go what is that sound in my head, and I go what is this song I am singing? Oh, it’s mine, I better get to work on it. Most of the time that’s how it really happens.
You really have taken to the internet and you use the web to kind of communicate with people. What is it as a format that you really enjoy about that?
Well I’m interested...the words to the song...“I use the enemy, I use anarchy,” to quote Johnny Rotten, right. I’ll use fucking anything. If you’re sitting there making a BandCamp and your big fucking plan is to add Johnny Marr on Facebook as a means to furthering your career by pestering him with your fucking BandCamp, you don’t have a fucking plan. All that BandCamp is - putting your fucking demo up on BandCamp doesn’t magically make it an album. I hate to tell you, the internet didn’t bring that to anyone, and that’s only for fools that believe that. Just because the Daily Mail talks about who Wayne Rooney fucked doesn’t make you a star just because they print it, that reflects the taste of people...like pigs that eat slop. It doesn’t mean anything. In fact, the more they print about stuff, it just lowers the bar so low that you should feel good about yourself if you're doing anything you enjoy, because you’re doing more than all the people just reading about other people losers fucking and what car they smashed. But, check this out, right on. Get him, he’s pissed! So, I can’t remember what the question was.
It was the internet.
The internet! Instead of making BandCamps alone, if you were to...I make these tunes with my mates - whatever they are, you can define how you want - me and my mates make videos to them, you can check out that. And we play down at the pub. So you’re doing all these different things instead of like “listen to my record on my BandCamp,” I’ll just put that with the rest of my one million unanswered emails. So do everything that can occur to you, do it just for the joy of doing it. That’s something, then you can at least look anybody in the eye on planet earth, whether it be the NME or your mom and you can say “I’m doing all kinds of stuff, mom.”
Are you looking forward to getting back out on the road or would you prefer to just sit in Berlin and make music?
I want to do...what a fucking hypocrite, right, I’m talking about pestering Johnny Marr on Facebook like the young ones, I want to pester Simon Pegg into making a decent movie and me getting all my mates that I know and making an insane soundtrack that will define our technological generation. A skill level. Drag everyone into it. Tweak it, remix it, do just mad stuff, so when you’re sitting in the theatre and the movie is already compelling, then it wouldn’t even matter...
Hollywood’s not in the movie business, their in a billion dollar of anything business. They don’t give a rat’s ass about quality, the best idea they can is going to rip off Guy Ritchie or whoever. Anybody who’s got an idea or formula. That’s the best you’re going to get, ripping off somebody else. Could you imagine a compelling film? Like it was cool watching ‘Trainspotting’ when they kick in the Iggy song and all that shit, it’s genius. Could you imagine something you’d never heard before that kicks your ass even further into gear? Fuck, this is our time, thank you. So, that’s what I want to be a part of as a mature.. I don’t have any reasons to be a teenager, like that’s not what it’s about. Who’d want to be a fucking teenager, Jessie J’s a fucking muppet. Fuck it. I want to make dope shit!
- - -
'Aufheben' is out now.
The Brian Jonestown Massacre have also lined up a few British shows, dates are as follows:
July
6 Scotland T In The Park
7 London Shepherds Bush Empire
8 Manchester Ritz
9 Birmingham Academy 2
Click here to buy tickets for The Brian Jonestown Massacre!
Leading the Brian Jonestown Massacre for more than two decades, the American-born / Berlin-based artist matches nigh-on peerless space rock with stunning mood swings. At times, it can seem that through pouring his heart and soul into his music that Newcombe can be incapable of accepting criticism; backing himself into a corner, the songwriter can often seem prickly, defensive evasive.
But not today. The voice on the other end of the phone crackles with enthusiasm and – despite the odd ranting conspiracy theory – Anton Newcombe is a welcoming, open soul. Hell, he even signs off by sincerely wishing we meet again “because you seem like a good and decent person”.
Aw shucks...
Of course, he’s got every right to feel confident. New album ‘Aufheben’ is an overwhelming artistic success, finding a rejuvenated Brian Jonestown Massacre setting their controls for the heart of the sun. We begin, though, with Berlin.
- - -
To begin with, you’re in Berlin now - how’s the city?
I love Berlin because it leaves me alone. I don’t speak German, so I’m oblivious to the advertising and if I should even catch small talk it’s incomprehensible.
Do you spend most of your time in the studio then?
Well, yeah, I come out everyday. I don’t live in my studio, it’s set up like.. with even bunk beds and a shower and a kitchen and everything, it’s like a two storey auto garage sort of thing.
Why did you move to Berlin in the first place?
A few reasons: in the UK, anywhere, if you walk into the street... the minute you leave your door life is going to intrude on you. If you go to a party someone is like “oh, so how do you know Sue?”or “I’m Jim, I work for Mojo magazine..” blah blah blah blah blah. In German culture it just doesn’t happen. That’s one side of it, plus the city has everything, it’s cheap, the art and everything, it’s international, it’s all right there if you need it.
You’ve got a point. Do you feel more free in Germany then?
Well I am because I’m an artist of means and I just go about my business. So I have a very good life and I love this culture and I love the people. It’s safe for women and children where I live, and that’s important to me. Whereas the high street in Cardiff on a Saturday, it’s anybody’s guess if you’re going to make it home. So it’s a totally different thing.
It is clear from this album as well that you do love British music, you’ve got ‘I Want To Hold Your Other Hand’ and ‘Blue Order/New Monday’.
Well that’s a quick story, see Bernard Sumner and whoever...Graham Cox? The bass player, Bad Lieutenant, they lifted my whole fucking riff. That’s not just a guitar lead, it’s a specific twelve string melodic motif from my song ‘When Jokers Attack’. He even played a twelve string, played the exact same notes. I thought that was not cool at all, to not even say “I like this other group” or something. So do you know what I did? Algorithms, baby. Now and for all time that dumb ass mother fucker, check this out, he can’t get away, you type in their biggest hit ever and you get my song. Because I’m a real group, I’m really on iTunes, I’m really on Google, so for a thousand years from now I’ll get paid every time somebody...there’s a possibility I’m married to that song now, just because the way a computer works, because they can’t pay Google to say; a search engine to say ‘not buying Jonestown Massacre’. See, so it’s just a scramble of worlds. Plus, there’s another whole side to the illumination aspect of it, like for instance in Free Masonry the first three steps equal the blue lodge and the blue order. Then, that is like a solar cult, with a solar deity, hence illumination and light. But then the more Julian Cope people, their all into the moon and the Goddess, that’s the other cult. So it’s like the Blue Order - the sun guys, and the moon people.
To talk about the album, let’s start with the title ‘Aufheben’, what made you choose that?
Believe it or not I was reading the Economist, a left wing intellectual political magazine from the UK, and this person brought up some word, and I think it was in regards to the power position that Germany now has within the continent, but they go, “How scary is it that they have this word with multiple meanings that are all contradictory?” When I looked at it I thought wow, that is interesting. But when you apply that word to German culture in the last century, it means to abolish or destroy, to pickup and preserve. So tearing apart something to save it. If you can imagine that in relation to...you know they had the East Germany intergration back in...the whole culture, the history of national socialism, they had to tear apart this society to build it up to save it. I love that.
Matt Hollywood’s on this album, do you two just have a certain chemistry that brings out something musically out in you?
Well I taught him how to play guitar and we taught each other how to play music and really make a band, even though we have an interesting notion of stability and roles that everyone plays in this business. So, there’s that psychic thing that twins have, it’s almost like that. I have an idea and he automatically knows the sensibility and then we’re both boiled down to “I don’t want you to be singing that topic.” I write like Mozart, literally it comes like a lightening bolt and I can hear a symphony. I go what is that sound in my head, and I go what is this song I am singing? Oh, it’s mine, I better get to work on it. Most of the time that’s how it really happens.
You really have taken to the internet and you use the web to kind of communicate with people. What is it as a format that you really enjoy about that?
Well I’m interested...the words to the song...“I use the enemy, I use anarchy,” to quote Johnny Rotten, right. I’ll use fucking anything. If you’re sitting there making a BandCamp and your big fucking plan is to add Johnny Marr on Facebook as a means to furthering your career by pestering him with your fucking BandCamp, you don’t have a fucking plan. All that BandCamp is - putting your fucking demo up on BandCamp doesn’t magically make it an album. I hate to tell you, the internet didn’t bring that to anyone, and that’s only for fools that believe that. Just because the Daily Mail talks about who Wayne Rooney fucked doesn’t make you a star just because they print it, that reflects the taste of people...like pigs that eat slop. It doesn’t mean anything. In fact, the more they print about stuff, it just lowers the bar so low that you should feel good about yourself if you're doing anything you enjoy, because you’re doing more than all the people just reading about other people losers fucking and what car they smashed. But, check this out, right on. Get him, he’s pissed! So, I can’t remember what the question was.
It was the internet.
The internet! Instead of making BandCamps alone, if you were to...I make these tunes with my mates - whatever they are, you can define how you want - me and my mates make videos to them, you can check out that. And we play down at the pub. So you’re doing all these different things instead of like “listen to my record on my BandCamp,” I’ll just put that with the rest of my one million unanswered emails. So do everything that can occur to you, do it just for the joy of doing it. That’s something, then you can at least look anybody in the eye on planet earth, whether it be the NME or your mom and you can say “I’m doing all kinds of stuff, mom.”
Are you looking forward to getting back out on the road or would you prefer to just sit in Berlin and make music?
I want to do...what a fucking hypocrite, right, I’m talking about pestering Johnny Marr on Facebook like the young ones, I want to pester Simon Pegg into making a decent movie and me getting all my mates that I know and making an insane soundtrack that will define our technological generation. A skill level. Drag everyone into it. Tweak it, remix it, do just mad stuff, so when you’re sitting in the theatre and the movie is already compelling, then it wouldn’t even matter...
Hollywood’s not in the movie business, their in a billion dollar of anything business. They don’t give a rat’s ass about quality, the best idea they can is going to rip off Guy Ritchie or whoever. Anybody who’s got an idea or formula. That’s the best you’re going to get, ripping off somebody else. Could you imagine a compelling film? Like it was cool watching ‘Trainspotting’ when they kick in the Iggy song and all that shit, it’s genius. Could you imagine something you’d never heard before that kicks your ass even further into gear? Fuck, this is our time, thank you. So, that’s what I want to be a part of as a mature.. I don’t have any reasons to be a teenager, like that’s not what it’s about. Who’d want to be a fucking teenager, Jessie J’s a fucking muppet. Fuck it. I want to make dope shit!
- - -
'Aufheben' is out now.
The Brian Jonestown Massacre have also lined up a few British shows, dates are as follows:
July
6 Scotland T In The Park
7 London Shepherds Bush Empire
8 Manchester Ritz
9 Birmingham Academy 2
Click here to buy tickets for The Brian Jonestown Massacre!
