When Faithless first emerged in the mid-1990’s, the idea that a dance music act could produce rich, full-length albums rather than one-off tracks, sell out live concerts, headline festivals and bring together all kinds of genres and music fans, seemed quite revolutionary. Over the course of their career Faithless changed both the game and all perceptions of what a dance music act could be.
When Faithless first emerged in the mid-1990’s, the idea that a dance music act could produce rich, full-length albums rather than one-off tracks, sell out live concerts, headline festivals and bring together all kinds of genres and music fans, seemed quite revolutionary. Over the course of their career Faithless changed both the game and all perceptions of what a dance music act could be. And 15 years later, the blueprint they helped create has laid the foundations for the likes of Chase & Status, Pendulum, Nero and countless others. Often political and always passionate, Faithless were musical movers and shakers of the highest order. Last year the band hung up their stage boots as a live act for the final time, the days of dancing in fields with sunshine on our faces or burying our heads in speakers in sweaty clubs to the sounds of arguably the best ever UK dance act gone forever. DMC speaks to Sister Bliss on the eve of a new DVD and CD from their goodbye show in Brixton…
Words : Dan Prince
Sister Bliss welcome to DMCWORLD. An honour to have you on board again. Faithless burst onto the scene in 1993 with ‘Salva Mea’, a track that turned a lot of people’s heads who were used to Rollo’s normal dance productions, all of a sudden rap was part of the sound. One of the key factors in why Faithless never looked back was how yourself, Maxi and Rollo got on from day one. What were your first impressions on this larger than life character entering your and Rollo’s studio space back then?
“To be honest it’s all a bit hazy now – but I do remember that my mum came across Maxi before any of us – he was playing a jazz gig with Jason Rebello and she came home raving about him – but calling him “Maxi Max”!! I said it sounds like a guy who’s coming down the studio later this month called Maxi Jazz and indeed they were one and the same. My mum is always ahead of the curve! Maxi was actually rather quiet on initial meeting as he had appeared on a couple of hip house tracks back in the day and wanted to get the measure of us. But when Rollo asked him about his Buddhism, and to write lyrics about being so frustrated in your own skin you can barely hold it together, I think his interest was piqued! He had a very cool and collected vibe about him though, and we all shared a passion for music, weed and cool trainers and talking long into the night about life, the universe and everything- so there were plenty of points of connection even though we had just met.”
A brand new DVD/CD/Digital release coming out in March, ‘Passing The Baton – Live From Brixton’, a night that was broadcast live via satellite to cinemas across the world. What can you remember about the night?
“It was a really special night in so many ways – I was very excited (and nervous) because I knew along with the mixture of the usual incredible energy we have at a Faithless gig there would be that added layer of emotion from it being the last ever show – people literally were dancing through their tears, it was just amazing – a real outpouring of love from everyone who had supported us over the years. Maxi had also just got over a cold that day, so he was in a great mood, and sounded so full and rich and I knew he was going to give one of the performances of his life. And that in turn inspired the band to be the very best we could be. It was really the most fantastic way to go out on such a high – and when people texted me pictures of people dancing in the aisles of cinema’s I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face the next day.”
You are a multi talented musician, you play the piano, violin, saxophone and bass guitar. Were any of these instruments pushed onto you by your parents at an early age?
“Not at all – in fact I nagged and nagged for piano lessons and they finally relented when I was five and had tortured them with terrible screechy recorder playing up until that point. Then around age 12 I decided I wanted to be Prince and tried my hand at pretty much everything.”
You have been DJing for decades now. Where around the world in the last 12 months has given you a real lift and kept the fire burning after all this time travelling the planet?
“I think everywhere I’ve played has inspired me in one way or another- playing shows all over the world constantly reinforces my belief in dance music as a global force, which brings people together in peace and harmony in large numbers in fairly troubled times! Having flown the flag for the scene for such a long time its so heartening to watch it explode and witness its newer fans discovering= such a rich musical genre, with such an amazing range of DJ’s, especially in the face of it being largely dismissed as a mindless unimportant genre not so long ago! I have to say my residency at The Gallery at Ministry of Sound gives me an awful lot of pleasure, as it is such a great place to road test new material and the crowd are so welcoming! Ibiza continues to inspire as it is never the same from year to year, and there is such an international and musically knowledgeable crowd there it keeps the sounds evolving in all sorts of unexpected ways. Who’s have thought DJ’s would be spinning the likes of Grant Nelson ‘G.O.D’ at DC10 last summer ?!”
What is the current top 10 you are spinning?
Chez Damier – Can U Feel It
Mason – Superimposer
Tom Novy – Gimme Gimme
Letthemusicplay – Space
Steve Bug – The Z
Miike Snow – Devil’s Work ( Alex Metric)
Hardfloor/ Robert Babicz – Aceperience
Lazy Ants & Rob Threezy – Chi To Rome
Roxy Music – Love is the Drug ( Todd Terry dub)
Skrillex – Breakin a Sweat ( Zedd mix)
If we checked out the albums on your shelves in a Sister Bliss’s ten year old bedroom, what artists would we find – some 80s synth pop perhaps?
“Absolutely heaving with 80’s syth pop!! How did you guess? Actually, when I was 10 I didn’t really have enough money for albums – so I used to buy cassettes and me and my mate would tape an album on each side – one of mine and one of hers – that way we doubled our collection! Art of Noise and Thomas Dolby was definitely on one tape, with Queen and David Bowie on another, Durutti Column and Penguin Cafe Orchestra on another! ( and so on…) But I mainly bought singles as the newsagents down the road sold them for 10p each after they’d been played to death on the jukebox in the pub!
August 2010 saw Faithless team up with Fiat for the ‘Feelin Good’ campaign – what are your thoughts on that looking back?
“It was a great opportunity for us to have some free promotion for our music in the tail end of our self-financed album campaign. They wanted to sell cars, and we wanted to sell music so it was a mutually agreeable relationship – though for me, the ‘pro-mercial’ itself was the weakest link – but we didn’t have total artistic control of that bit so that was the only thing I look back at with any criticism – given how sophisticated and futuristic many car ads are these days, and given that we have always had a strong visual sensibility and input into in all our Faithless artwork and videos, it was hard to let go of that control.”
What do you think are the finest five Faithless releases of all time, and why?
“Reverence, Sunday 8pm, Outrospective, No Roots and The Dance – cos they are the 5 best albums!
We all expect future Faithless material at some point, what though was the main reason behind calling it a day live gig wise? Were the knees getting a bit creaky?
“Maxi called time on the band because he felt it was the right thing to do to leave on a high, while we were still relevant and at the top of our game, and because he wanted to spend more time in Jamaica with his family. Plus it was a punishing schedule and set to do at his age even though he’s fitter than many frontmen half his age – anyone who has seen Faithless knows we give a 1000 percent and the show is over 2 hours long – and it really took a lot out of him physically on this last tour. Musically, I still think we have an amazing chemistry in the studio, as well as live, but I also appreciate we have spent 17 years doing this and living to a tight schedule, so it felt like the right time to inject some spontaneity into life!”
One of my favourite quotes from the band when talking about going on stage “We imagine we are going out to the battle of Agincourt”- what was the most memorable live Faithless gig and why was it so good?
“There have been so many exceptional and memorable gigs – most people know that our sets at both Glastonbury 2002 and 2010 second headline on the Pyramid stage was an experience we never imagined enjoying twice! But last year we played the Sziget Festival in Hungary – always a wonderful festival to play – but it was particularly special as we watched the legendary John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten) snarl his way though a set with P.I. L and then a reformed Specials with Terry Hall to follow – it was just inspiring watching our heroes – these artists who had shaped the sound of British music. Maxi was so fired up he refused to do any press as he was enjoying the bands so much, and then channelled that punk spirit into our headline set that night – he is the original Buddhist Punk after all!!”
Was there ever a time on the road over the last 20 years that you nearly threw in the towel as a live band?
“There have been moments of great exhaustion that have created rifts and tensions, especially towards the end of a long tour.
Faithless are responsible for one of DMC’s finest (if not greatest) ever Back To Mine releases (dmcworld.com) – so, if we came back to the Bliss boudoir after a club, what is the all new Faithless Back To Mine Top 10 you’d spin us to carry on a mellower groove?
“I think I’d just bung on SBTRKT’s album and go make a cocktail or two!”
What club looking back do you think you really have to give a high five to for helping launch your DJing career?
“It was a combination of clubs really – Heaven in London was the first residency I got and from there people saw me play and booked me for other clubs, so a high 5 for them – and of course further down the line in the mid 90’s Turnmills has been integral in my life as a clubber and as a DJ. In the early days of Trade – a seminal night at Turnmills – I used to go down on my own just to hear music I couldn’t hear anywhere else in London, then I was invited to fill in for Smokin’ Jo when she was guesting elsewhere. Then The Gallery opened on a Friday night, where I have remained a resident ever since. So double high 5’s for The Gallery methinks!”
Right let’s get some urban myths cleared up once and for all…
1. The onion peel/stale bread shrine to Jim Morrison
2. Joining a left wing version of The Brownies called The Woodcraft Folk
3. Hitchhiking to Turkey in the style of Thelma & Louise
“Yep all true!”
What are the qualities that yourself bring to to the studio, who is great at what?
“I write all the music, and do the initial programming – and Rollo plays around with sounds, beats and arrangements – he also writes lyrics which is quite rare in a producer. We are both great at being very opinionated and believing we are right!”
I remember Rollo saying once that hearing Maxi’s words over your music “was more than brilliant, it was fate”. Did you agree?
“Well I guess what was truly brilliant was that the music we created was greater than the sum of its parts – we all brought something unique to the project – and it touched people. Perhaps it was ‘fate’ that my mum discovered Maxi first! But really, you meet musicians/ singers/ DJ’s all the time in this world – it’s up to you what you make of those connections and whether you have an open mind to try things out that may look ridiculous on paper!”
What sort of music is your son Nate getting now he is five? Does he dig your electronic sounds?
“The other day he announced “there’s only one thing louder than daddy’s snoring and that’s Skrillex !! “. He has his own mixtape in the car with his favourite tunes on – Eric Prydz, Barbara Streisand and Justice being his current faves, and Skrillex for the school run!”
Tell us about the film score you for ‘Knife Fight’ starring Rob Lowe…
“It’s a political thriller – very current with the US elections coming up – and the music editors were also on ‘The Social Network’ so it was exciting to work with an award winning team who had an appreciation for electronic music and the mood it can create. A working with two times Oscar winner director Bill Guttentag was also inspiring as his film really has so many pertinent points to make about modern life, politics and human foibles. All subject matter that we have broached through our music in one way or another!”
You once said “I look back over every album and feel blessed we’ve never had to compromise. I can be a glass half full person but that means I’m less disappointed when things go wrong because I half expect them to. It drives Maxi up the wall.” So what really drove you all mad about each on tour/in the studio/wherever…
“Maxi always loses stuff on tour – never drove me mad, but he drove himself mad on several occasions!”
What is the finest record you have ever played to a dancefloor?
“I’d say ‘God Is a DJ’ comes quite close because I think the sentiments in it aspire to something rather noble. It communicates a real desire for ‘respect, love, compassion’. The record is also statement of intent – it’s saying: we stand for something here – not just mindless hedonism – there is a sense of all that is great about humanity in this room here tonight. Not many artists have the insight to say that, and say it so poetically too! Also it was a big moment for us as a band as it proved we could have another global hit with a record that was quite different sonically to ‘Insomnia’, plus the video cemented our reputation as a live band to be reckoned with.”
It’s your birthday party – what 4 DJs do you invite to spin and why?
“DJ Lottie – as she is a proper music-head like me, and someone I don’t see enough of. Sasha – I’d ask him to play an old school Italo piano set and dig out some of his Shelley’s classics to get everyone throwing shapes! Danny Tenaglia – because he needs to conquer that fear of flying and his early disco selection would be impeccable! Daft Punk – just so I could say “Daft Punk are playing at my house”.
And we hear you are working on some new productions for Steve Angello’s Size Records…
“We have been very busy in the studio starting a new project which is very exciting as we have been properly fired up about making music again, it’s all on its way out into the world – watch this space!!”
What is the most rock n’ roll, A list event you lot ever rocked? Who was there?
“I guess the MTV awards a few years back was rather star studded – Madonna was there playing and staying in our hotel – guess you can’t get more A list than that!”
You were born on December 30th. Did you think you got cheated a bit being born slap bang in between Christmas and New Year party wise?
“Haha…I was actually due on Christmas Day so I think I got lucky!! It usually means I have a hangover for 3 days instead of one…”
And finally Miss Bliss. Looking back at the Faithless era, what was your proudest achievement?
“All of it really – I guess I’m most proud of making music that actually meant something to people all over the world – not many musicians enjoy such a privilege. I’m also proud that my band broke a ‘glass ceiling’ in dance music – we took our music on the road with a live band, and worked our way up to headlining the biggest and best festivals, arenas and stadiums. And having a wonderful happy baby in the middle of it all who was part of the journey of the last 5 years!!”
Info:
FAITHLESS
‘PASSING THE BATON – LIVE FROM BRIXTON’
FORMAT: DVD/CD/DIGITAL ITUNES
NATES TUNES
RELEASED 19 MARCH 2012
*INCLUDES BONUS ‘LIVE’ CD, PHOTO GALLERIES & EXCLUSIVE RARE INTERVIEW WITH ALL 3 BAND MEMBERS*
DVD TRACKLIST:
Brixton Setlist
Happy
Sun To Me
All Races
God Is A DJ
Feel Me
Crazy Bal’Heads
Mass Destruction
Emergency
Flying High
Tweak Your Nipple
Insomnia
Everything Alright
What About Love
Bombs
I Want More, Part 1
I Want More, Part 2
Salva Mea
Not Going Home
Encore:
Music Matters
Muhammad Ali
We Come 1
Music used on End Credit of DVD (not in live show):
North Star
