The following was taken from the Rational Alternative Digital Cyberzine Use FINGER [email protected] for more information.
On a cozy day, Lush and RAD spent the afternoon and evening. First, we enjoyed the very pleasant company of Philip and Miki for a much longer-than-expected interview about 4AD's move to L.A. during the recording of their latest album, "Split." The interview was good (very interesting for any 4AD fans out there), the album "Split" is great, but the show is simply the best show (music and lights) put on the small stage this year.
RAD: How do you like being on 4AD?
Miki: It's alright.
phiL: Pretty laid back.
Miki: You can't say any label is better than most labels, it depends on what you want. If you want a lot of money, then go on another label.
phiL: If you want more control over what you do...
Miki: then you want the support of an indie label.
RAD: How do you feel about 4AD moving to L.A?
phiL: It's not the whole lot (of the 4AD label)...
Miki: just Ivo's moved to L.A. It's a bit difficult in some ways, because 4AD IS Ivo, really, and it always has been in this little office. And if you have a problem, you can phone him there. It's good in a way, because obviously...
phiL: there's more exposure....
Miki: Now that 4AD's got a license with Warner Brothers, or Reprise, there' s a lot less communication goes on. And don't expect them to call. We weren't expecting when we were making this album that Ivo was fuckin' nowhere to be found. He wasn't around and he didn't come to the studio and I think that's wrong. That's exactly the way it's changing. He got married, and it's fine. It's a transitional period and I wasn't exactly pleased that our record was caught in that transitional period. But what is there, you know, it's not like we're not going to leave 4AD.
RAD: Who did you produce this last album with?
Miki: Mike Finters.
RAD: How did that go?
Miki: Fine...
phiL: ...it went fine...
Miki: Actually, we spent a long time trying to find a producer. A lot were unavailable. And we didn't say what we were looking for in a producer. Bob Mould, we wanted, for obvious reasons, you know, for that specific sound he could get. And when he couldn't do it, it was like well...we didn't wasn't anybody with a specific s ound, we just wanted someone who would bring out our sound. And Mike Finte rs was more of a engineer than a producer, and he likes to co-produce. And so all he did was loyally record what we played. And the problems came in when we did the mixing, because that IS a producers real job, in the mix--their sound or whatever. And it didn't really work out.
phiL: He just sort of lost interest at that point.
Miki: We only mixed the whole album and all the b-sides and everything and then go, "it's not working". It took a long time. We spent like a month mixing them, and then took a couple of weeks off and then came back and remixed the whole album and b-sides with Alan Moulder, and he was great. phiL - He was a bit more dynamic...things just jumped up. Because on the original mix, everything was quite flat on it.
RAD: Who are some of the bands that you listen to?
phiL: Nick Cave
Miki: Blur, Suede. It's a sad thing about Suede.
phiL: Some band that has sold about 3,000 albums.
Miki: I'm glad that never happened to us. Lush U.K.
phiL: London Lush.