UNSHATTERED INTERVIEWS

Interview by Yannick Blay

What is this “ Idle Flow ” you sing about ?

This title came to me in a daydream kind of state. With no particular intention except perhaps to describe an overview of someone's life. In musing over this person and taking into account all that had happened to them, this title seemed also to evoke the persons nature if I were asked to sum up this character's life in two words, then 'idle flow' would be them. (And is). Songs for me have the ability to evoke a broad, unspecific, yet incredibly essential insight whether by word or by sound .

'I'm running, you're waiting'
A Serenity in chaos
A relaxed tension
An Assertive passivity
An endless passion energy
The end of the dream
Heaven awake

There are many love songs in your lyrics, you seem to often speak to a loved one in your songs. Am I right ?

Yes. You all know that I love someone, and if only you knew who! The unreachable, ineffable end of journeys. Closer than the jugular vein yet always alluringly untouchable, the 'Leyla' that resides in the twinkle of an eye. 'There is no love where there is no love'. 'It's that me-you- you- me thing.'

It's what crowds go to find at a gig, and what the singer wants to give, even if he denies it. Love; It's a word that must be rescued from the heathens mouths, it's what the muslim who is not Muhammedien needs, what the christians who sell out Christ for a dollar a prayer are fast loosing, what most performers are closer to than any rabbi. It's meaning not yet reached any dictionary. Sentiment the mere husk of.

You seem to feel very quiet and ... Unshattered by anything ?

Tell me after you see the tour.

A new word made up for the occasion. Whole, only to break apart and gather again. Something to do with '…every moment He is in a new creation' Nothing remains, but now… and all that. Don't ask a painter to explain, that's for art historians. Just watch and listen, and perhaps let go. Dive and come up for air. And dive again. Like the dolphins do. Dig deep and bring up pearls. Give em away and dive again. I reckon this is what us mannequin bards do.

What inspired the song Thelma Sings to Little Nell

A mother looses her first child at a young age. Lives a life torn by grief, the girl age 4 makes her Father take her to her favorite angel statue in the near graveyard where she sits enamored playing in utter joy. A terrible illness ravages the child, Thelma, and within a week is reduced to skin and bone to quickly die. Her parents having no means to buy her a grave to bury her, suffer Thelma's burial in an unmarked paupers grave. A grave that happens to be overlooked by that Angel statue………. (silence……….) The song takes place as Thelma greets her mother's soul as she passes from the world.

? And “ Blinded Like Saul ”

It's about my girl friend. You know, the one that goes; ..I love her and she loves me. You know the story of the vision of Paul on the road to Damascus! …well check it out and fill in the blanks.

? And “ The First Stone ” ?

Don't ask too much about the songs, it's like undoing a fine silk carpet to see how it's made. What do you get at the end of it? - a bunch of different coloured threads of silk … -and no carpet. You can't have your cake and eat it mon amie.

Who is Ned Bouhalassa ? How did you work with him ?

Ned Bouhalassa was introduced to me by my manager in Montreal where I was writing at one of my favorite studio's (Planet Studio's there). I had made up my mind to physically travel and meet people as circumstances dictated. I usually write alone and in my own cloistered surroundings. It was a travelogue of sorts. Ned was one of the musicians that I struck up a very civil relationship with the day we met, along with his fascinating film maker wife. Ned, a French Canadian of Muslim stock, and with a name like that, well! You had to get him on the album credits it sounded so good. As it turns out, I wrote a few songs with Ned, some which might well surface later on in some form. He's mainly stopped performing live, but works a lot in the Canadian film industry and on various art house projects over there.

What's so special with dolphins?

My favorite animal. When I see them, I am inextricably drawn to throw myself in after them. Terrified, but a besotted kind of thing. They have been the source of many a tale and myth, associated with the worlds just out of reach. I think I mentioned above, they dive deep and come up for air and seem always ecstatic. I would recommend the ecstatic poetry of the Turkish poet legend and saint Yunus Emre to get a feel for this.

Why was “ Unshattered recorded in so many different places?

I wanted to see what happened if I got some plane tickets and wrote out of my safe places; write with old and new friends / artists, and shake the dice a bit. Let the album uncover itself. I wrote the whole thing in a matter of two weeks in total. And with the remaining production by Gardner Cole, the whole album took no more than five weeks tops.

How were you signed to ViaStar Records ? I don't know this label. Could you present it ?

The label is still in the stages of coalescing on the verge of becoming a very able label which has, with Gardner Cole at it's helm, a strong bias to the needs of the artists it will sign. The label had acts signed before, but I think we will see it as a new beginning with Unshattered. Gardner is quite a maverick as well as a very real artist. I'm happy.

Why Paul Statham ? You met him by chance or you wanted him for any peculiar reason ?

I have known Paul from as far back as 1985, when I invited him to become a part of my first permanent band as a solo artist. I had known of Paul through his work with his band B- Movie, for which he wrote the bulk of the music. He turned out to be such, that I felt instinctively that his sense of composition was as of then untapped to it's fullest, and was very lucky to have caught him in that creative rise as it were. Paul and I stopped working together back in 1995. But in the spirit of going out and 'meeting up' with new personalities to co-write some of the songs - I happened to dig out some fragments of Paul's ideas from sometime in between 95 and 2002, that I had discarded of forgotten about. Talk about old valuables that you'd lost somewhere in the house and find them behind the sofa at what seems to be the perfect time to find them (He's a good lad y'know).

Do you still live in Turkey ? Do you think the place inspires your compositions, especially Unshattered ?

Yes I do, Istanbul in fact. Oh yes, Turkey became a part of my life years before I came to live here. I would say that Dust is my -out of the closet Turkish album- and if you don't mind me saying, s'cuse the French, but Dust is an all time classic album that still has to be heard more of. Unshattered is an album that I'm still convinced that when I play it the next time to myself, it'll sound naff and will have passed it's sell by date-yet every time (and I've been back to it again an again to make sure J) …it somehow always sounds really wonderful. It's such an oddity, that I'm still not used to it myself; it is enigmatic and elusive to me, even though I wrote every word. There's something in Unshattered that I'm going to find one day and I have a feeling that it will be quite wonderful.

I believe music is an essential element there, culturally speaking. How would you say it differs from a country like Great Britain, I mean their perception and conception of music ?

That's too much of a sociological question for me to answer, I try not to think like that.

Has Mercan Dede participated to “ Unshattered ” ?

Not a drop so far ;- / Mercan still wants to hear it and I haven't bothered to get him a copy. It's because I don't think he'll like it, in the nicest possible way of course. It's not up his alley . (Though he professes to 'adore' my voice and words). He's a bit spooky when it comes to the music bits. This is what I love about him. Dunno though, he might just love it. But with Dust, we both made the ultimate enigmatic album to see off the competition, so Unshattered will be too much of a shift for him to get straight away. And you know how it is, I want to enjoy my morning teas with him overlooking the Bosporus without talking music stuff.

What do you mean with this title? Unshattered to what or by what ? I don't know what this word refers to in english but its contrary, “ shattered ” literally and figuratively speaking means broken. Do you mean you broke through difficulties without too bad damages ?

I have answered this above Yannick.

Would you say you're a very positive person ? It would sound very strange to some people still attached to your image of goth icon despite your will …

I change like the wind, I tend to need tracts of intense privacy. Though not reclusive by nature, these periods tend to be incubatory in nature and lead to bursts of performance and creativity. I think Paul Morley was cheeky, but spot on when he remarked that I only ever really come alive when thousands and thousands of people are watching me!! It's a kind of star spangled sickness,

Did you know exactly what you wanted for this new album ?

Radio friendliness

Had you some peculiar ideas and ambiances to convey or did you abandon yourself to instinct and magic of creation without any leading point ?

I had many words waiting to be sung out and these are what the connecting thread was.

I read you had converted to Muslim religion. What is the essential message of Muslim religion ?

Oh common dear questioner! ....................... How many months do you have for me to begin? I think this text that I adapted from, 'Jesus' The Son Of Man ' by Kahlil Gibran gives a taste; 'My Master...' Once more I would speak of Him. God gave me the voice and the burning lips though not the speech. And unworthy am I for the fuller word, yet I would summon my heart to my lips. He loved me and I knew not why. And I loved Him because He quickened my Spirit to heights beyond my stature, and to depths beyond my sounding. Love is a sacred mystery. To those who love, it remains forever word-less; But to those who do not love, it may be but a heartless jest. He called me and my brother when we were labouring in the field. I was young then and only the voice of dawn had visited my ears. But His voice and the Trumpet of His voice was the end of my labour and the beginning of my passion. And there was naught for me then but to walk in the sun and worship the loveliness of the hour. Could you conceive majesty so kind to be majestic? And a beauty too radiant to seem beautiful? Could you hear in your dreams a voice shy of it's own rapture? He called me and I followed Him. That evening I returned to my father's house to get my other cloak. And I said to my mother, “He would have me in His company.” And she said, ”Go his way my son, even like your brother.” And I accompanied Him. His fragrance called me and commanded me, but only to release me. Love is a gracious host to his guest though to the unbidden, his house is a mirage and a mockery. Now you would have me explain the miracles of His. We are all the miraculous gesture of the moment; our master was the centre of that moment. Yet it was not in His desire that His gestures be known. And His mind was not with the cripple; it was rather with the strong and upright. His mind sought and held other minds and His complete spirit visited other spirits. And in so doing His spirit changed these minds and spirits. It seemed miraculous, but with our Master it was simply like breathing the air of every day. And now let me speak of other things. On a day when He and I were alone walking in a field, we were both hungry, and we came to a wild apple tree. There were only two apples hanging on the bough. And He held the trunk of the tree with His arm and shook it, and the two apples fell down. He picked them both up and gave one to me. The other he held in His hand. In my hunger I ate the apple, and I ate it fast. Then I looked at Him and I saw that he still held the other apple in His hand. And he gave it to me saying, “Eat this also” And I took the apple, and in my shameless hunger I ate it. And as we walked on I looked upon His face. But how shall I tell you of what I saw? A night where candles burn in space, A dream beyond our reaching; A noon where all shepherds are at peace and happy that their flocks are grazing; An eventide, and stillness, and a home-coming; Then a sleep and a dream. All these things I saw in His face. He had given me the two apples. And I knew He was hungry even as I was hungry. But I now know that in giving them to me He had been satisfied. He Himself ate of the other fruit from another tree. I would tell you more of Him, but how shall I? When love becomes vast, love becomes wordless. And when memory is overladen it seeks the silent deep.

Do you think mysticism filtrates through your lyrics and through your music ?

Yes

I read your wife is a master in Modern Dance. Does she help you or intervene in your performances ?

She is a part of me and permeates almost every song and move that I do. How can she not help?

Can we hope to see you on stage soon in France ? Why didn't you tour for Dust in France ? Who will accompany you on stage for “ Unshatterd tour ” ?

I hope so very much to be there with you all in Paris. I can't wait. I didn't come to Paris because there was no money around from the label to support the tour. It was a bad year for the music industry. This time we're getting it right. My website, petermurphy.info will post all news of dates as we confirm them.

What are the old songs you still love to play on stage ?

I want to try a few that I haven't played for years on the new tour. But, I'm a bit of an unpredictable sort. I might get into some heavy rearrangements of the obvious set list songs and get more guitars going overall. Perhaps Metal version of songs. I can't answer this properly yet, though it will all start taking shape over the next few weeks.

Would it be possible today that you may work again with all or just one of your ex-Bauhaus colleagues? Are you still in contact with Daniel Ash? Do you know what they all do today artistically speaking?

I'd love to do an album with Daniel alone, away from the other Bau brothers. But the opportunity and desire needs to be not only mutual but self evident. Daniel keeps well out of the way these days perhaps he'll never come back to the stage and I'll respect whatever he decides……………….It'd be good though wouldn't it? Bauhaus could always reform at any point, it has it's own life (an ongoing subconscious sort) anything can happen around us four …but if it doesn't that's ok too. I'll always be Peter Murphy in or out of Bauhaus.

x

Interview by Emmanuel Hennequin

1/After "Dust", people believed that you had discovered a new way of writing through the turkish and sufi music, and that you perhaps would explore much deeper after this record. But "Unshattered" is coming back to something much marked by pop and rock formats, something much "occidental". How would you describe your state of mind during the artistic transition between "Dust" and the new album? Was it a sudden break or something much progressive?

Isn't it interesting that with Dust a listener might have discovered that I had 'found a new way of writing through Turkish and Sufi music'. Sufism is not something that can be conveyed didactically, and in my experience cannot be framed by one particular traditional style or mode. I have often replied to the question of when I would make my Turkish album, to the effect that: since I met my wife back in 1982 my subsequent albums were more Turkish than anything else (except of course they were Peter Murphy first and foremost ;-/ ) and definitely since living here or since Cascade they've all been Turkish albums. Whether they are 'Sufi' or not ?::. well God only knows. All songs that I write are very deep thingy's as far as I'm concerned, whether it be black, white, blue, red, pink, (Kiss Myself :) ) or colorless (e.g. Your Face). Formats are not to be worried about here, beautiful 'accident' rather than 'occident', and following the natural end that a song wants to go. And if I were to be more explicit, then yes with the collection of songs-that were arriving that make up the new record, (Unshattered) I decided not to let a Turkish instrument within a mile of them, and see what Peter Murphy looked like as a main stream Big Hit, played in all the bedrooms of 13 -50 something chaps and ladies out there. (In here) The impact of contrast, the quantum leap from the most inner (Dust) to the most outer (Unshattered) thrills me personally. I love to see all corners of the field covered, and for me there aren't enough artists today who are equipped to try this out. It's dangerous, yes, but in itself a totally progressive essential attitude.

2/Have you never thought after "Dust": "this is the new way to follow" ?

Yes, for a while, then again not for long. Nothing can be repeated, it's a natural law.

3/How would you describe your today relation with Turkish culture and land ?

Turkey is a miasma of paradox and contradictions. It can at one moment drive you to frustration (only in the first five years here) and in the next, a feeling of appreciation to be out of the western mind set. Though as I say that, I have to say to any reader not familiar with Turkey, that it is NOT Iraq, Afghanistan or like any other middle eastern country. It has the most forward looking metropolitan community, as 'western' as any, and a so called 'undeveloped ' populace that are so developed as human beings that they stand as a beacon of light and a living alternative to the hypnosis of materialism prevalent at home. And no, Turkey and Turkish people are not terrorists, do not want war on the West, and I have a feeling that in the future, Turkey will be the most important country in the world, representing a cultural bridge between the Islamaphobic unchristian - Christian west and the out of control unislamic- Islamic Middle east.

4/How have you composed the new songs? Was it with the whole band featuring on the record, or have you begun some things alone?

All the songs were composed alone, with various ideas from Paul Statham being the kick off point. I then decided to travel first to Montreal where I found a Studio (Planet Studio's) and Engineer - Daniel Cinnelli, with whom I mixed Just For Love and who I recorded and mixed Dust with. I wanted to write very fast a furiously, I laid down I think eight or so songs in a week with Dan. I then followed my nose, seeking out whoever was to hand to experiment writing with, musician's that I hadn't necessarily met before, or for that matter hadn't heard music from. In this respect I met and wrote two songs with Ned Bouhalassa of Montreal, onto Toronto to hang with Kurt Swinghammer (check his album Vostok 6- brilliant) back in 2000 directly after the Wild Birds tour on which I had the luck to have Eric Avery, Kevin Haskins, Peter Distefano and Doug Deangeles as my band, I urged them all to join me in a two day jam/ writing session out of which came some new songs. By the time I met Gardner Cole, who happened to be an associate of my label, I brought with me near finished songs. What Gardner did to these was and is astonishing, in that he retained most of the original recording and supplemented with the array of other guest players on the album... after getting to know Gardner whilst in Phoenix, it was clear that here was a Pop svengali, yet with a sense of originality, and no corporate Pop machine type artist. The prospect of seeing what Gardner would do with the songs thrilled me such that this gave me the final assurance that the new songs had found home. It was all done over two or three weeks. You don't need to spend a million dollars to sound like a million dollars. / You either got it or you ain't ) One thing that Gardner said at the time cracked me up and stays with me ; " Man I ain 't into polishing shit, no matter which way to try, it'll always be shit" ( he was talking about engineering producing etc..)

5/"Idle Flow", the first single (nota bene : it will probably appear on the next "D-Side" CD sampler included in the magazine), was - according to my infos - co-written with Peter DiStefano (Porno For Pyros) and originally released on DiStefano's Rambient project in 2001. Is it right, and how did the idea come to include this song on the record, then to chose it as the first single ?

Yes, the songs first version appeared on the Rambient CD co-written by myself, Harry Gregson Williams, and Peter (Distefano). I felt that since the record label that had released the Rambient CD had disappeared leaving the songs and the album buried, that by including Idle Flow on Unshattered it would find a better, wider platform for it to be heard. Plus of course it sits well into the album's songs. "I'm running you're waiting"

6/How did you approach the lyrics this time ? Have you established some rituals in your way of proceeding on that particular aspect?

Lyrics this time came from a few experiences; Chancing upon an avante guard experimental theatre company performing in the Byzantine Church of Irene in Istanbul, which is now a museum. The Theater company had no name, was sparsely advertised and had a strict maximum amount of audience that were allowed in those being invited. My wife and I somehow got in (and no they didn't know who I was :) ) the performance was incredibly in direct relation to an experience that I was having that summer. In fact the theme (totally improvised) that the theater group played out that night was so exactly that of my own experience that I was literally stunned. It was, wanting to sound over the top, a true epiphany. One of the songs is a lyric that I have tried out over the years, since 1986. It had never found it's place until my Montreal writing session where it appeared in my lyric notes. I applied it to one of the arrangements and in one take it sat perfectly. (The First Stone) "Hear my heart smash my self made throne" Give What He's Got was written for a close friend of mine, of my musical past."He's got to learn to relax man, give what he's got" kind of about being yourself, not allowing your ego to even censor your own talent, effectively cutting out possibilities. "Be yourself, or be as you appear to be ...be....be....be...be." As an aside it seems to me that the destruction of the ego was not and is not the aim of 'know thyself' rather a discipline that refines the 'ego' in it inherent potential ..which is perfection / light/ God. Emergency Unit; A young girl, niece of my manager Lisa, was dreadfully ill whilst I was in Montreal recording vocals, present at her bedside with her mum and dad, I was stung again by the nature of imminent loss of a close one, and wrote purely from this perspective. And the question, why do we imagine that it is a loss if and when someone dies close to us, there is no past nor present only now, there is and can be no other experience except now hence lead us looking always in the now, not loosing looking for it" ...and such ruminations..... death is a good teacher.Thelma song; Thelma is the long lost child, died young, of a mother who now dead herself, is being welcomed by Thelma to her reality. " I was always with you, why did you grieve for me?" Breaking No One's Heaven; I'm cool. Face The Moon; There's a tradition here in Turkey that the Moon is the reflector of Allah / God's light, which in itself is impossible to be looked at directly due to it 's incredible radiance. The moon an analogy for the vehicle of Holy Light (In Islamic culture the moon another name for the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) ) so anyway... the Turks say the if you look at the face of a person who has just looked at the moon light then you will be seeing the Muhamediean / holy light on them. So with that in mind, I was driving with a friend in LA when I notice the full moon . I asked her to look at the moon then look at me. She did what 'd asked her, and remarked, "oh yeah.... you know I forgot that I was sitting in the car with The Father of Goth himself, it's really weird to be with you on the full moon" :)))....can you believe that? Am I misunderstood or am I not?

7/Was it ever clear in your mind after the last Bauhaus tour and last studio sessions that you would play again with Kevin Haskins in studio, inside the band or not? How did this come?

At the time (1998) it was not an issue. But as I decided to tour for the Wild Birds Collection album in 2000 since I had recently reunited with Kevin on the Resurrection Tour a while earlier the idea for Kevin to join the band was very exciting for me. ( Though as is his way he hardly spoke to me on the tour --he's kind of the quiet one -you know the quiet one's are the most wise ;-/ ) .."True value fun"

8/What did you wait on a musical and human point of view from Mister Haskins for this new record? How would you describe your partnership today?

To be honest, Kevin did his part in the writing jam sessions of 2000 after the W B Tour .He simply did his bit, as did we all, then.I expected from Kevin what I always expect from him, a keen, minimal and very intelligent drummer with more than just a few drum skins beats to contribute. Our creative relationship is one that is very natural, unspoken and rich. ( He still looks twelve years old too) ...oh go on then!...I love the boy.

9/The album features also contributions from Jane's Addiction bassist Eric Avery, and Stephen Perkins (Porno for Pyros, Jane's Addiction). What did touch yourself in their own ways to approach and play music?

Eric's Bass playing is not overly technical but add power house of groove and feel, he puts into it what I put into my singing it seems to me. And like Kevin he is not limited to the bass alone. As a performer he has got what it takes and to be onstage with Eric was as powerful as being with any of the Bauhaus chaps. I hope to work a lot more with him in the future. Stephen also is a power house of feel technique and sheer passion on drums and what a sweet and brilliant bloke he is too. So glad he wanted to play on the album. Both Eric and Steve should play again together is my hope. Perhaps I might persuade them to do just that live with myself?

10/Why did you chose Gardner Cole, who is known as collaborating with some mainstream artists as Madonna, Tina Turner or A-Ha, to produce the new record ? What did you wait from him ?

See answer No 4

11/The record gave me the impression that you had tried to touch a much precious and polished way to do things than during the "Dust" sessions, which I saw as very risky. Are you still in this state of appeasement you feel since you're a father ?

I don't hear the album as being polished myself. I think you may be referring to the fact that there are some quite electronic elements woven into the band performances that are not as up front or dominant as say on Dust. As I said earlier, the recording sessions were finished very quickly and certainly without months of agonizing in the studio. What you're hearing is Gardner Cole's experience in superb recording techniques of the acoustic elements as much as his ability to glean some stunningly appropriate yet not over obtrusive performance from the musicians that later guested... not least the talent and nature of the various players brought a shift in the final outcome. Dust is Dust a snapshot of what happened then. Unshattered is Unshattered ...ditto.

12/Another feeling's escaping from the music flowing: the album appears to me as a funnel, something that starts from clearest and airy, to come on the second part to strangest, much deranged formats, with some more "attack", with some tracks like "Blinded like Saul" or "The First Stone". Did you have this intention to make something progressing this way, or do you consider the tracklist as a second zone affair?

What you say here is very smart. What else can I say? Except to add that poise is the raising of an eyebrow and not the voice (sometimes wink wink) Deeper ...deeper...

13/You have toured with the turkish band Mor Ve Ötesi just after the release of "Unshattered". What was the context of your apparition? Did you play only a few songs with them on stage or was it for a complete concert with your own band?

I have been listening out casually for something to come out of Turkey that cuts it in a real way. Some Turks long to be 'western' and in attempting to be, often miss the point creatively speaking. It is to be yourself to such a degree that your music /art etc... takes care of itself. I first heard Mor ve Ötesi's album as I was passing by my daughter's room . My ears perked up, because as you know we all want to hear something new that excites us and tells us that there're still bands making good stuff out there. I asked who it was and assumed it was a new British band. To discover that it was Mor Ve Ötesi was even more of a vibe. It's time people got to know Turkey and it's music scene. I immediately offered to begin producing an English rendition of their current album which is what I'm in the middle of doing as I write.The band invited me to tour Turkey with them. Since I have never toured or worked as such on a tour basis here, I wanted to see how it worked and it has been fabulous to go on now and again singing in Turkish and covering Joy Division's transmission from time to time. Plus I use the time to assess their show performance, and get to know what they're about which informs my English renditions of their own work. ..."watch this space"

14/A few questions about the past... some of us heard that after the Bauhaus reunion, you personally intended to pursue this second beginning. No regrets?

Oh yes, for sure. It seemed blatantly obvious at the time. Of course there are some deep regrets at having not pursued recording etc.. Peter Murphy is Peter Murphy in or out of Bauhaus, I am cool in or out. But I recognize the uniqueness of the band still... But some of us are diggin our own river bed!!.....But that's a story for another time

15/How do you explain the difference between your opinion about the fact Bauhaus had to pursue and Mr Ash's opinion? What did the other members think of the fact to lay down after a so much appreciated tour?

Some of us are chasing stars, when all the time we're sitting right on one. Some are carrying the treasure in a sack on our backs, heading toward a crevice, peering up at the night sky. Some of us were offered heaven for free, finding it unbelievable, we returned the next day to take it, having realized it was real after all, and found it to have a high price tag second time round.

16/How would you describe your own state of mind and the ambience inside the band during the tour and especially the studio sessions for the cover of Dead Can Dance¹s "Severence"? Did the choice of "Severence" come from you personally (and why this title)?

Totally inspired. Severance was a song that I had saved in the back of my mind for Bauhaus to cover (were it to ever happen) musically a fitting tune for us to cover, lyrically very much akin to my own. Performance wise,, well just listen to it...Danny is well just Danny on it..rhythm section achingly simply ..less is more. A trident.

17/You had also created an unreleased song with Bauhaus, titled "The dog¹s a vapour" for the "Heavy Metal" soundtrack. Is this the only title you have created with the band this time or does it exist some unreleased sessions from this period ?

Not telling you ;-/ (pretty brilliant though isn't it)

18/The last ask about the past : the movie "The Hunger" is for the first time ever edited on DVD format. Have you taken a part to this and has this first experience for the cinema given you some other wish, perhaps still living today, to re-create in this context : the movie?

Not having appeared in The Hunger as a legitimate actor but as the singer in the night club scene. After seeing the premier of the film I realized that what people had been telling me, that I should act, seemed a reasonable point of view. Tony Scott used my Bela character very cleverly. To get into the acting business would take me away from what I do I guess. I'd miss the singing, writing and touring. Though If I were offered a part in a film whose script, director etc.. I loved, of course I'd go for it.

19/Let¹s come back to present. It was explained on your official website that you absolutely wanted to defend your new album by an extensive tour. Do you think you have not done it for "Dust" at the level it needed to? Will you come in Europe? France?

Not being able to tour Europe has been a thorn in my side since the late eighties. It is boring and pains me to explain that it has been entirely through lack of record company support to do so. I desperately wanted to tour Europe extensively with Dust. But a mixture of no real record company presence therefore funding, and management's inability to realize my wishes prevented it. I truly want to and plan to tour Europe as soon as I can get them money men to help me do so. ( Locomotive in Paris would be just fine )

20/Will the band formed to create the record in studio be present on stage by your side?

Possibly and certainly a few of the band members.

21/How would you describe your mean, the "thing inside" during the live performance ? The transe, you know perhaps what I mean, I don¹t have the words today for that... the accomplishment, at THIS moment...

It's the same off stage. Reacting to the moment, the intention brings you to that magical space, what and why it is that you find yourself there / here. The songs have an energy, the audience not easily fooled by showmanship. Theater needs to breath and live there and then. Live performance in like theater, often and can be the only way to lose 'yourself' it can be compared to the moment of climax where nothing but you exists, not to say that it's a necessarily sexual experience. To take the audience away from the limited mind, to look into their eyes directly. ...........and all that.............

22/Does your current solo art permit to you today to feel much emancipated than in a "band" logic, or do you face in this perspective some other difficulties ?

I enjoy working with a band set up. as much as I do collecting fragmented ideas and coalescing them alone. There are difficulties within the band social unit that can be compared to a marriage relationship ...interior jealousies, that breed negative stuff. This is what destroys great bands. Often this leaves you with no choice but to leave it alone.

23/What kind of relation do you have with your voice as years pass? Do you still surprise yourself doing things with this tool, or is there a moment where you have felt that you have accomplished the maximal mastery? Do you still SEARCH?

I honestly have no idea of how to answer this on Emmanuel.

24/"Unshattered" seems to be an evident record but it¹s not, it's modern and takes some time to be revealed and appreciated. There's still danger in it, a hidden perversity, I believe that. Would you say you still have the wish to experiment on sound, as you did it on the Dali's Car project? What do you keep from this curious record ?

Definitely, I will go to great lengths to experiment if I can still continue to make music.

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