Thursday, August 11, 2005
2005 Tour #49
An interview with Karl can be found at the official Sziget Festival site today. In Hungarian ofcourse..
# posted by Harold Noordermeer : 11:07 AM
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here goes the translation. it's weird to translate it back to english since it won't be what he really said. it's like that game when you whisper in the next person's ear what you heard from another one. you get the idea.
i tried my best though. love.
__________________________
THE KNIGHT OF POSITIVE ENERGIES: KARL HYDE OF UNDERWORLD
Just like in previous years The Prodigy and Faithless had drawn a record number of modern dance music enthusiasts in front of the Main Stage [of Sziget Festival], probably there will be a crowd of just as many [at this year's Underworld gig.] We are in for a tremendous party. Underworld, the electronic act of the nineties that has so defined its era has never before performed at Sziget Festival. In July, they started off on a month-long tour of Europe which is just about to come to an end at Sziget. That's why I called up Karl Hyde, the 44-year-old guitarist, singer and rapper, hyperactive frontman. After we discussed the weather, he gave me an interview from his office in Eastern London, surprisingly chilled and friendly.
He surprised me again by telling that when he arrives he plans to buy a guitar. He is seeking a wonderful classical guitar just like the one he got as a present at age ten... He went on to describe his experiences on the tour so far.
KH: We have yet to analyse our experiences together with our manager, but so far everything went great. The gigs have gave us a lot of exciting parties, a lot of positive energy. We are really glad that we decided to take a tour once again. This is something we never expected 25 years ago when we started making music together. Tours are real important when they can cause so much joy, because this constantly flowing energy is reassuring.
Szigethu: Did you feel any difference between how the audiences in each country responded to your music?
KH: We performed at festivals in Serbia, Poland, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Germany, the Netherlands and England, but we didn't find any major differences. We are fortunate that our music has a positive vibe, it is about the praise of the human spirit and a joint celebration. Usually people who attend our gigs want to become one with the music. They come so they can take part in this spiritual magic and in most of them there evolves a connection of sorts on a higher level.
Szigethu: Even though the mentality of a Serbian is different from that of a German?
KH: That's true but those who go to festivals want to reach this higher level together. The same ancient energies move them and in that sense, there isn't any difference. This really is a great thing. We are fortunate to be able to achieve that with our music.
Szigethu: Will you use your multimedia sound and light show onstage at Sziget?
KH: Yes, as usual. We come up with the elements of the show beforehand but everything that we perform is improvised. The music as well, we don't have a previously planned setlist so the programme is different for every night. The lights, the music and the visual effects are all improvised. We use a bunch of live-feed cameras onstage and we try to paint with them with the help of our video director, Mark. He is really brilliant in this kind of jamming and we provide him with all the themes, sounds, lights and all the other visual elements, everything. This improvisation between us is our special way to put something together.
Szigethu: Word has it that you have been working on your new record for quite a time and that it is almost finished by now. When can we listen to it?
KH: Yes, the demo material is ready. We would be the happiest if we could announce the release date as soon as possible. We will put it out sometime in the autumn but we don't have a specific date yet. We have yet to arrange a couple of things about it. But we have recorded about 100-150 new tracks. So when and how can you listen to the new record? We will play some of the new material at our gig at Sziget. If you like it, you can download it from the Internet... now that's cool.
Szigethu: What's the title?
KH: Oh we don't know that yet! (laughs) ...How I would love to decide on the title today! Sure we have given it much thought, we had a couple of ideas but none of them the right one... And we wouldn't want to be hasty so that none of these will be lost when we release the record.
Szigethu: Does the new material follow in the wake of A Hundred Days Off, your last studio release in 2002?
KH: Maybe the sound will make it feel similar. The sound design is like a huge painting... So we have already recorded the material and finished the album cover that has always been a trademark of ours. We are finished with everything but without being excessive. It's like creating an image of us in a broader sense. Since we have managed to make over a hundred tracks, we started to wonder how we could release all of them... That would truly be a unique record. Our contract with our previous record company has just expired so now we are free to make our choices. That's another reason why we are not in any hurry, we want to look around, revise our plans and we are constantly working to choose the most beautiful songs, find the best ways and that's wonderful.
Szigethu: So how do you create new songs?
KH: Do you think we have written any one new song at all? (laughs) There are many various ways a new song can come to life. We work together with Rick, we create separately and then mess with each other's compositions, make something in a hotel room on our laptops. Then together in the recording studio, but it even matters if it is live and loud in a big studio or in our home studios. We use every possible way to create: alone, together, loudly and making a big racket or with headphones in hotel rooms or on the tour bus. Someone who only knows us as a live band would find it strange how eager we are to work. We want to realise every concept possible. We don't want to miss out on any way of making music.
Szigethu: The catchphrase of the nineties was that electronic dance music, techno was the new rock music... Maybe the picture has cleared a little by 2005. Had the prediction become fulfilled?
KH: We shall see... But we have no worries if that's what you mean. I'm not sure though if you should attach tags on it. We cannot make such strict categories because musicians could easily become labelled. I think about music in a broader sense with its many genres. And they all inspire me. We have started a web radio programme and in between the bullshiting I play a lot of new music, from gipsy music to techno, to rock music, kolo or classical music. A lot of wonderful music. I'm not interested in categories and genres made up by critics, or for them. I'm interested in the music itself.
Szigethu: After your massive success in the nineties, where does Underworld stand in today's musical world?
KH: I don't know, no matter how hard I think. (laughs) ...It's a thing where people believe so many things that the media feeds to them. But what they will surely treasure in their minds is what they lived through themselves. And I know something will happen in Budapest as well. It will go very different from a show we do in Glasgow for instance. Even though we just play the music, it's nothing special. But still, something always happens within the audience everywhere, like it used to in the underground once, or sometimes even in the overground. Music makes its way everywhere. We really feel fortunate that we can play our own music to the people and that we can be a part of it through our performances. Because that's how I know what goes on in what I do. That's why I love to hear the music.
i tried my best though. love.
__________________________
THE KNIGHT OF POSITIVE ENERGIES: KARL HYDE OF UNDERWORLD
Just like in previous years The Prodigy and Faithless had drawn a record number of modern dance music enthusiasts in front of the Main Stage [of Sziget Festival], probably there will be a crowd of just as many [at this year's Underworld gig.] We are in for a tremendous party. Underworld, the electronic act of the nineties that has so defined its era has never before performed at Sziget Festival. In July, they started off on a month-long tour of Europe which is just about to come to an end at Sziget. That's why I called up Karl Hyde, the 44-year-old guitarist, singer and rapper, hyperactive frontman. After we discussed the weather, he gave me an interview from his office in Eastern London, surprisingly chilled and friendly.
He surprised me again by telling that when he arrives he plans to buy a guitar. He is seeking a wonderful classical guitar just like the one he got as a present at age ten... He went on to describe his experiences on the tour so far.
KH: We have yet to analyse our experiences together with our manager, but so far everything went great. The gigs have gave us a lot of exciting parties, a lot of positive energy. We are really glad that we decided to take a tour once again. This is something we never expected 25 years ago when we started making music together. Tours are real important when they can cause so much joy, because this constantly flowing energy is reassuring.
Szigethu: Did you feel any difference between how the audiences in each country responded to your music?
KH: We performed at festivals in Serbia, Poland, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Germany, the Netherlands and England, but we didn't find any major differences. We are fortunate that our music has a positive vibe, it is about the praise of the human spirit and a joint celebration. Usually people who attend our gigs want to become one with the music. They come so they can take part in this spiritual magic and in most of them there evolves a connection of sorts on a higher level.
Szigethu: Even though the mentality of a Serbian is different from that of a German?
KH: That's true but those who go to festivals want to reach this higher level together. The same ancient energies move them and in that sense, there isn't any difference. This really is a great thing. We are fortunate to be able to achieve that with our music.
Szigethu: Will you use your multimedia sound and light show onstage at Sziget?
KH: Yes, as usual. We come up with the elements of the show beforehand but everything that we perform is improvised. The music as well, we don't have a previously planned setlist so the programme is different for every night. The lights, the music and the visual effects are all improvised. We use a bunch of live-feed cameras onstage and we try to paint with them with the help of our video director, Mark. He is really brilliant in this kind of jamming and we provide him with all the themes, sounds, lights and all the other visual elements, everything. This improvisation between us is our special way to put something together.
Szigethu: Word has it that you have been working on your new record for quite a time and that it is almost finished by now. When can we listen to it?
KH: Yes, the demo material is ready. We would be the happiest if we could announce the release date as soon as possible. We will put it out sometime in the autumn but we don't have a specific date yet. We have yet to arrange a couple of things about it. But we have recorded about 100-150 new tracks. So when and how can you listen to the new record? We will play some of the new material at our gig at Sziget. If you like it, you can download it from the Internet... now that's cool.
Szigethu: What's the title?
KH: Oh we don't know that yet! (laughs) ...How I would love to decide on the title today! Sure we have given it much thought, we had a couple of ideas but none of them the right one... And we wouldn't want to be hasty so that none of these will be lost when we release the record.
Szigethu: Does the new material follow in the wake of A Hundred Days Off, your last studio release in 2002?
KH: Maybe the sound will make it feel similar. The sound design is like a huge painting... So we have already recorded the material and finished the album cover that has always been a trademark of ours. We are finished with everything but without being excessive. It's like creating an image of us in a broader sense. Since we have managed to make over a hundred tracks, we started to wonder how we could release all of them... That would truly be a unique record. Our contract with our previous record company has just expired so now we are free to make our choices. That's another reason why we are not in any hurry, we want to look around, revise our plans and we are constantly working to choose the most beautiful songs, find the best ways and that's wonderful.
Szigethu: So how do you create new songs?
KH: Do you think we have written any one new song at all? (laughs) There are many various ways a new song can come to life. We work together with Rick, we create separately and then mess with each other's compositions, make something in a hotel room on our laptops. Then together in the recording studio, but it even matters if it is live and loud in a big studio or in our home studios. We use every possible way to create: alone, together, loudly and making a big racket or with headphones in hotel rooms or on the tour bus. Someone who only knows us as a live band would find it strange how eager we are to work. We want to realise every concept possible. We don't want to miss out on any way of making music.
Szigethu: The catchphrase of the nineties was that electronic dance music, techno was the new rock music... Maybe the picture has cleared a little by 2005. Had the prediction become fulfilled?
KH: We shall see... But we have no worries if that's what you mean. I'm not sure though if you should attach tags on it. We cannot make such strict categories because musicians could easily become labelled. I think about music in a broader sense with its many genres. And they all inspire me. We have started a web radio programme and in between the bullshiting I play a lot of new music, from gipsy music to techno, to rock music, kolo or classical music. A lot of wonderful music. I'm not interested in categories and genres made up by critics, or for them. I'm interested in the music itself.
Szigethu: After your massive success in the nineties, where does Underworld stand in today's musical world?
KH: I don't know, no matter how hard I think. (laughs) ...It's a thing where people believe so many things that the media feeds to them. But what they will surely treasure in their minds is what they lived through themselves. And I know something will happen in Budapest as well. It will go very different from a show we do in Glasgow for instance. Even though we just play the music, it's nothing special. But still, something always happens within the audience everywhere, like it used to in the underground once, or sometimes even in the overground. Music makes its way everywhere. We really feel fortunate that we can play our own music to the people and that we can be a part of it through our performances. Because that's how I know what goes on in what I do. That's why I love to hear the music.
# posted by 
: 9:37 PM
: 9:37 PM
Big thanks for translating it for me! Yeah I know the feeling, I translated a number of dutch and german interviews/reviews to english for www.dirty.org. Especially because and Karl and most writers are using 'colourfull' language.
I've read it and you did a good job :)
Nice interview with a few new insights in what Karl thinks. Great!
Thanks again.
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I've read it and you did a good job :)
Nice interview with a few new insights in what Karl thinks. Great!
Thanks again.
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