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46 seconds in:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rF8khJ7P4Wg

And 27 years earlier...

44 seconds in:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-h8Fc3Wx2k

Once in a lifetime, there was a little fairy. A real tiny one, such as those in fairytales. Her name was Elizabeth but she did not know this herself, for Elizabeth had never spoken to any of the other fairies in her life. All the other fairies hated Elizabeth. Even her mother and father did! For all the nine years Elizabeth had lived so far, no one had ever spoken to her and because of that, she herself had not learned to speak  either. The little fairy had tried on many occasions though, but even when she tried her very best, no one paid attention. For all this time, Elizabeth had wondered why no one wanted to speak to her or play with her.  
 Then one day, someone spoke to her as she was sitting in her tiny little fairy room in the tiny little fairy house,  in the middle of a tiny little fairy town deep inside a tall, dark tree.

'Do not worry'



'All is fine'

there was, of course, once upon a time, a small idiot kid, feeling misunderstood, like all tragic children that eat too much chips and watch to much television that live among us, brothers and sisters in specie, but viewed as aliens, for no particular reason <they say>

while the small idiot kid was spending time whining,watching porn, playing mass-murdering videogames and pretending not to have an adrenalinique, but casual existence, in hell one's evil plan is germinating in one's evil mind: to destroy earth. yeah, we never heard that one before!as i was typing, the evil wants to kill life on earth just for the fun of it, so i won't spend too much time with pointless, dull explanations, for instance the creature was mistreated by its malefic parent by not wanting to buy it a mass-murdering machine, even if it was on sale.

so it gets married with another mega-evil creature from HELL! and their curious affection created a being as evil hell can be. the creature was so mean, than even hell itself was pretty shocked to host such an abomination. so hell suggested the parents to put their new born thing in an exile on earth, home of all of this kind. the evil creature i was typing about earlier <remember? it wanted to destroy the world and stuff> couldn't hope for more. it pretended to not be ok with it, but hell insisted on the deal.

so they left their creation in crystal palace park, london in the middle of the night. the other parent was not happy. it said to it <the one with the evil plan> that it's going to miss Horsiebird.

"who the fuck is horsiebird?"

"our baby!can't you see? it looks like a horsiebird. it has wings! can you fly, love?"

"i prefer not to answer to a couple of unprincipled traitors of blood lines abandoning their own kind in a goddamn freezing middle of south london park!"

"its first words!" cried it <the one who was going to miss Horsiebird> with excitment.

"don't talk to it and don't name the thing, otherwise you'll be depressed for decades and give some bad inspirations to humans, like it happened to the demon who suggested 5 member boy bands singing pop music in a very gay way!"

"that's highly thoughtful of you, having concerns regarding humans. but what about leaving some bloody mittens so i won't fucking freeze, thinking that i left a place were the temperature difference is more than 30 degrees...celsius" said Horisebird really irritated.

"oh,my! it talked to you! you hear that?"

"with all my seven ears. we have to flee, before it manipulate us with baby cuteness to take it back.come!"

so they disappear."guys? mittens?... blast and curses! i already hate existence!"

666

so the story started with the idiot kid, didn't it? he was wondering in crystal palace park, for who knows what reason, regarding the fact that he was a normal teenager, in mid adolescence, a age so inappropriate to waste time in fresh air, when you can break rules, smoke and play brainwashing video games. and he suddenly hear screams. so he thinks a cheap concert may befall.

so he hears "OMFG! OMFG! AN EVIL CREATURE FROM HELL! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!" so he thinks "i should check this shit out!"

and he approaches the monster in his innocence, with calm.

"wazup!"

"tourist, aren't you? well, i'm not a national excitement son.but you can try taking a picture to the lovely ducks that wonder around in the lake. i was feasting with a couple and, i must say, they taste rather spicy with all this pollution around!" said Horsiebird, suppressing a burp.

"no, that's the way we say 'hello' today!"

"oh, seriously? i thought that's how you say "may i take a picture?" in polish. bloody hell, the human creativity has no borders, indeed!" pointlessly Horsiebird tried some dry humor, but Idiot Kid had no concept of sarcasm.

"so, what are you, you funny looking thing? are you some exotic animal escaped from the zoo, trying to get back to Australia?"

"well, my beloved parents that were kind enough to abandon me all of the sudden wrote this interesting brochure attached to my left wing. can you reach it?"

"yeah sure." said the Idiot Kid, curious. "oh, fuck! i don't have my reading glasses!" revealing one of his darkest secrets.

"don't mind that. they choose a really big size to express their kind love towards me."

Idiot Kid took the brochure and started trying reading it. it started in this manner:

"BEHOLD! this is an EVIL CREATURE from HELL!

BEWARE! it is HIGHLY EVIL!

AND HIS FIERCE NAME IS

HORSIEBIRD  

<with blood running out of the writing, but i can't create the special effect here>

it can melt you with you with its x-ray sight, vaporize you with its smelly toxic breath, it has sharp nails made of  stainless steel and dangerous fluffy that can carry you onto space ,than cut you in pieces, than drop you, let you rain blood over the world. and most dangerous of all: it's poisonous gas. it casts loose all junk food it had it's short life in hell.

why did it have such a short life in hell, you wonder?

it was abandoned by its parents,because it was too fierce for hell itself!

but you can take it home. IT'S FOR FREE!"

"for free?" exclaimed the idiot."then i'll take ya!"

"really? why do i wonder? asked horsiebird itself. will i have my own bathroom? i fancy long baths."

"we should become friends! i'm Just an Idiot Kid."

"i figured that out by myself.what about the bathroom i asked?"

"oh, can you read minds as well? by the way, i am socially programmed to ignore subjects that i don't care about, for instance what are my parents going to say, seeing you on our sofa bed.but annoying them is the only way to make them realize my existence is still present among them. so, be prepared to be surprised." said the Kid's conscience under Horsiebird's influence, wanting to know about it's own bathroom.

"darn... well, i can perform telepathy, indeed, but it doesn't take an evil genius to figure out your name."

so they went

  666

 today:

http://climaterealityproject.org/#step-1

I could be the child
Of a god, among the silver swords
Of the grasses, and the perfect golds
Of the broad flats sloping,
And the delicate greens,
And the russets, and pinks.
The landscape of the fathers
And the mothers takes me in, the grasses
Close around my knees
And fall off the steep cliffs to the sea.

What you do so well - a sense of relentlessness.

The rise of the waters - the bee's hum of politics - the advance of the branches - black needles overtaking space, over and over, higher and higher - like a menacing forest reclaiming the world of the screen and the bit, the LED and the cathode ray tube, the white blank  ...

I watch for them every time.

Come and get me.

when i was in school, i used to study religion. it was a crappy class, because of the pointless hour we were spending. learning again and again about orthodoxy -cuz this is what it actually was, not something interesting <for example religion's history>.religion can be a very interesting subject if you know how to put it in the eyes of your audience. religious dogma is a philosophy, and, if you don't have any clue of other types of philosophies, is pointless to call others ignorant.

anyway, there was this time when the teacher managed to create a more vivid reaction from my fellow colleagues, as i am naturally half asleep and the other half somewhere in the cosmos of my own imagination, and i was pretty much the same at that time. she <the teacher> put the question:"what will you do if today, at 7pm jesus will come on Earth?". no reaction, of course. she told us to write the answer on paper. i can't recall my own answer, but, probably i was hungry at the moment and, as 7 pm was close, i said i'll eat some maccaroni and cheese, or whatever my mum was kind enough to provide. others, ze believers, said they go to greet him<with capital h on their papers>, others that they won't be at home at that time, because the bus will still be taking them home, so jesus better find another hour to pop on Earth. etc.

the teacher seemed unhappy with our answers. what? what's wrong with macaroni? than she takes a deep breath and say:"if jesus comes on Earth again, it means THE END OF THE WORLD, dummies!" oh. shit! we're such ignorants!the end is coming and we are still on the bus?

of course, that's not the way the things really happen. well, not literally. thinking at the fact that this planet is bursting into curses against us, in its own way, and we continuously ignore the signals, it's pretty low for the human being who claim they're smarter and more capable than the rest of the fauna and flora we share the world with, to keep stretching the borders of cheeky behavior against our own home.

and we are indeed more capable. no other specie sabotaged themselves like we did. and still do.

so when the glaciers are melting, polar bears start disappearing, it's the end of the world dummies!

I uploaded a bunch of samples. Tell me what you guys think.

http://ccmixter.org/people/ReznorIsTalent\

My user name is ReznorIsTalent.

~Supercollide

...born into this world:

GoodEveningMrsMagpieGiveItBaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack

ModeselektorLove

(butshedoes)

BloomObjekt'sEcosystemVinesTwinesBurstsOpenOutUpIn

WildingHeartbeat

(anditdoes)

 Posted by Lady Newell & Friends  Curator WASTECENTRAL RADIOHEAD OFFICIAL WEBSITE

http://www.facebook.com/ladynewellandfriends

May 8 /2012

Modeselektor & Thom Yorke - 'This' (Official Video)

Modeselektor & Thom Yorke - 'This' (Official Video)

Created by FutureDeluxe / futuredeluxe.co.uk / 
Twitter / twitter.com/futuredeluxe 
Facebook / facebook.com/pages/Future-Deluxe/183007228394786

Produced by FutureDeluxe & Fractured Films

Directed by - Andrew Jones
Written by - Jason Drew & Andrew Jones 
3d & animation - Jason Drew & Xander Marritt
Girl character rigging & animation - Xander Marritt
Producer / Art Director - James Callahan
Titles - Ollie Aplin & Andrew Jones
Wardrobe - Skye Pennant

Actress - Sheryl Lee
Marionettist - Sarah Fitzpatrick

Fractured Films / fracturedfilms.com
Director of Photography - Dominic Jones 
1st AD - Will Jewell 
Producer - Daniel Nixon 
1st Assistant Camera - Jason Oxley 
Gaffer - Stefan Mitchell 
Grip - Phil Richards 
Make-up - Nathan McLaughlin 
Runner - Lorena Wright

Nov, 1/2011

Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, DOOM: Retarded Fren

The first track from Lex Records 10th anniversary compilation 'Complex'.

A new track by artists on, or associated with the label made available every Monday for 10 weeks starting November 7th.

LISTEN TO RETARDED FREN HERE !!!

As part of a compilation celebrating the 10 year anniversary of Lex Records, DOOM (the artist formerly known as MF DOOM) has teamed up with Radiohead's Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood for an as-yet-untitled track. (Maybe this is what they were working on back in March?)

The compilation is called Complex, and also includes contributions from Gruff Rhys' and Boom Bip's Neon Neon project, Boom Bip solo, and Doseone and Fog's Crook&Flail project, among others. It'll be made available digitally on a week-by-week, track-by track basis until mid-January, at which point the whole set will be released on picture disc vinyl.

This won't mark the first collaboration between Radiohead and DOOM-- Thom Yorke remixed "Gazzillion Ear", a track from the rapper's 2009 album Born Like This. Stream that remix below.

As part of the Lex anniversary celebration, DOOM will head out on a UK tour in November, teaming up with Ghostface Killah and Jneiro Jarel for a show in London. Dates are below.

Source: Pitchfork

Traducción español Graciasexitmusic.com.ar

Oct, 28/2011: Halloween Time !!!

   Modeselektor feat. Thom Yorke, 'Shipwreck' (Video)

                                                               Watch Video ! Source : nprmusic

In case you didn't get enough of a scare from "Haunt You," The Pack A.D.'s monster-filled music video, we've got another video fit for the Halloween season, this time from the German electronic maestros in Modeselektor, featuring the vocals of electronic music's favorite guest performer: Thom Yorke.

This time, we're dealing with blood-lusting zombies and a battery-hoarding little boy. "Shipwreck" is a brooder, with slow-moving atmospheric pads rising from out behind a shuffling beat. This single from Modeselektor's newest album Monkeytown sets an unsettling tone for the gray shots of the main character's fortress. Director Tony T. Datis told me in an email that, because his English isn't good enough to understand Yorke's lyrics, he drew his inspiration from the sound of Yorke's voice instead

Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary of Modeselektor contacted Datis about the video over the summer, and said of the final product. "When we saw the final video, we were moved to tears — such a great and emotional video." For his part, Thom Yorke had this to say: "Wicked."

In some ways, the wickedness of the video pays homage to one of the oldest fears of mankind. In the face of mindless zombies, it seems our hero is less worried about their homicidal intentions than he is about going to bed without a nightlight.

Thom Yorke & Gilles Peterson !!New Back to Back !! 

Thom Yorke in the Studio Gilles Peterson BBC Programme. Thom Yorke is Gilles's special studio guest.Wed 21 Sep 2011 02:00 A.M (London UK time)

Link Gilles Peterson Programme

Thom said: "The band is talking about touring on and off  next year with Clive on drums"

Radioheadcase has added: Download link to the whole show. Thanks to taker328

http://www.filesonic.com/file/2086982704/Wrzscene.info-Gilles_Peter...

Thom said Gilles Peterson BBC1: Atoms For Peace recording music together!It will be an album in the same since The Eraser was an album. ”

Today in Brazil we celebrate our  Independece Day!
And Brasilioteque follows the same way!
Now we have a new address! 

Now you can read the news at http://www.brasilioteque.com.br

Posted by Lady Newell & Friends Guest Curator WASTECENTRAL RADIOHEAD OFFICIAL WEBSITE

                   “You’ve got to find a voice”

Source: Al Tuntún

Source: Lost Pixel

To think about Radiohead is to think about something giant. One of the most important bands in Rock History, ufff, but not as fossilized myth but more like as some kind of firing material, passionate and constant. Sort of a factory of sounds, pure electricity from an eternal lightning coming from, ufff, the holly ninenties, sincronizing with the pulse of an entire decade and a whole generation defining them from the very beginning (yeah, I’m talking ‘bout Creep), giving some colour, to break right after with everything, as the only possible way to follow the best path: a path of their own. Because of that, it is no casual that after Ok Computer (1997), the album which has been so definitive in developing the algebra of making songs to a master level, and turned these five aliens into a major crisis; changing as the only northward, to turn into something else, standing in a different place, another century, another millenium. With two albums outlined within the logic of a ferocious storm, exploding into a cursed sound: roaring, groaning, calming, detonated from beasty machines out of those two obscure diamonds called Kid A (2000) and Amnesiac (2001). Confusing people, spreading idle gossip which had turned into some old, yellow, humid, magazines, Radiohead fortified its body, became famous and start walking over an electric fire of a mutant sound, that in between explotions and gentleness contained in the abyss of an inmortal repertoire, the neverlasting gas out from a flame that’s still growing now. Aldo Montaño.

This interview is the product of the delirium of a pair who traveled in a car for hours listening to the same old songs. Singing along as if we were nuts, not caring about the real sense, if there is any, but in which we would like (I would like) stay to live in. Because at the end, no matters how much I try, have no idea what the hell “I will raise up little babies eyes” means. But what I do know is that’s a part of the sweetest song in the world. Neither can explaing why it makes me so happy listen to Ed doing backing vocals in Karma Police, or when he sings with Thom in Paranoid Android, but there is a sort of a hunch that makes me feel everything surrounding these five giants is full of an enormous love towards humanity. As I said, these was our own delirium so we went “What if we ask Ed for an interview?” And althought all logics indicated we weren´t going to get any answer, even we still had some hope of a yes, at least I´d never thought that after a few weeks of singing along in a car the parts of this beautiful giant named Ed O’Brien, we would see him arriving in a yellow bike to a little cafe just to look at us and saying “Hey Sam, Casandra! How are you?”

By Casandra Scaroni and Samuel Dietz.

Fan.

Casandra- Have you been a fan when you were a kid? If that so, do you remember how it was that feeling after beeing on the other side for so long ?

Ed- Ever been a fan of…

C- of a band…

E- Oh yeah, of course. I mean, I’m still a fan of music in terms of a teenager. Yeah,when I was a teenager you know, you follow a band but it wasn’t like it is now, you would turn up at a show, you might go to one show like The Smiths in the 80′s or U2 or something in the 80′s, so yeah, I totaly remember how it feels because it’s very alive, it feels very important to you, that feeling of being into a band or when you get new music from a band it’s very important to you.

C- Or when there is a new record released and you go to the discstore.

E- Yeah, that’s right! It’s massive, it consumes, it takes over your life, days or weeks or whatever.

C- I’ve been reading interviews from you, and you’ve described yourself once as a « single’s junkie ». Do you remember which were the singles that got you into music at first place?

E- I was very lucky because I grew up in an era, a time from about 1979 onwards, and I was very aware of music in the charts in England . It was the post-punk era, so you had a lot of music like Siouxie and the Banshees, Adam And The Ants… There were bands like Depeche Mode, XTC, The Police, Bowie: the whole after punk that happened in this country. It was a very foetal place for music because people who went to Art College or artists, or musicians, suddenly thought « Oh I can be that » so, it was a great era of music, you’d been listening to the charts or tape them on a cassette recorder so you’d have Walking On The Moon by The Police, Spellbound by Siouxie And The Banshees, early Hip-Hop as well. Yeah, the whole charts would follow very diverse, very different experimental Pop music.I mean: that was Pop music when I grew up and those records went to number one. That was brilliant, you know!

Guitar.

Sam- How did you start playing the guitar? Why did you pick the guitar in the first place?

E- That’s probably because of two things that happened at the same time. I saw a poster of The Jam about 1979, a picture of the three of them: Paul Weller with his Rickenbacker was so amazing, he’s jumping and that image was really really strong. And the other thing was really The Police, Andy Summers, when I heard that it was like woah! I connect with that! And then it was listening to things like Johnny Marr.

S-That’s why you have a Rickenbaker?

E- That’s was why the first guitar I wanted after the record deal was a Rickenbaker, because of that, yeah

S- You mentionned Paul Weller of The Jam, Andy Summers of The Police, Johnny Marr, Peter Buck as being determinating to you to start to play the guitar. Is it because you wanted to be like them ?

E- I didn’ want to be like them, but I liked what they were doing, they were quite different players but I liked what they were doing. They weren’t like guitar solos, they were like space, great.

C- It’s important for you to be a part of a band, and not just a star showing off?

E- Yeah, I like being in a band, it’s like a team, like a good football team. In a great band you’re pushed harder by having great players around you, and you have to work harder.

S- How do you work as a band now? You used to say if Radiohead was the United Nations, Thom would be the USA. Is it still the same?

E- Yeeeah (laugh)

E- I mean, he’s the lead singer.

S- the main songwriter as well.

E- Yeah, he drives the music, other people drive the band.

S- But you still bring a lot of input into the songs.

E- Yeah, for example, for the last record, he didn’t know how it was gonna be, so we made the songs jamming together, and he would bring lyrics or melodies. Everybody is allowed lots of creative freedom.

S- Do you have a recurrent pattern to make the songs? Like first the music then the lyrics?

E- In the last record, music came first, then the lyrics, and the melody came after. So we had blocks of music and then Thom would write a lead vocal line melody and lyrics to it. But you know, on OK Computer, the lyrics, they’d be basic’ with the songs being strummed on acoustic with the basis of the lyrics, then we’d go to the rehearsal and the arrangements would change, and the lyrics evolved as the music evolved.

S- And sometimes the song is totally different, like Reckoner for example, with the first version very rock and then it became this beautiful thing on In Rainbows.

E- Yes, that happened because we were in a session recording Reckoner 1, then it was suggested that we needed another musical section to it so Thom and Jonny wrote this other section but we liked this other section better so we used that for Reckoner 2. And it’s so much better now.

S- Yeah it is.

Concerts.

C- So do you have a memory of a concert you can consider the best one, or the opposite, the worst one?

E- I can tell you the worst one. It was of a band called Lloyd Cole And The Commotions, you know, it was awfull, 1986, terrible, very boring. One of the best ones, there’s lots of good ones, but one of the best was in 1992 Sonic Youth at Brixton Academy, the opening band was Pavement. Pavement came on and it was on their first album Slanted and Enchanted and it was mesmerizing, it was amazing. And then, Sonic Youth came on, they had an album called Dirty at the time and it’s a great album. I don’t know if you know it, but it’s a great album. And it was incredible, it was amazing. It was one of those night that was just, you can always think I’m seeing not one but two amazing bands. Pavement was so good but Sonic Youth kind of raised…

C- Talking about the moments, once you said something very special happens when you see each other playing and you see the faces and you are all of you giving the best in the moment. Do you think we can hear some of those moments in the albums?

E- Yeah, definately. That’s an amazing thing about music. You can capture the magic on the record, that’s an amazing thing. Quincy Jones has expression for it, he says when you record a piece of music, you can play the same thing ten times, but once the magic happens and he says it’s a moment when God works through the rythm, the spirit it’s…

C- And the moment you can actually feel it and know it is the moment.

E- Yeah, you feel something, it’s very strong, it’s kind of like a spine tingle.

S- It’s all of you at the same time, you feel the same and you know that’s it, that’s the one.

E- Yeah, you sort of look at one another… you know, it doesn’t always happen like that, sometimes you go « Really? » but other times, you do know. It’s not always « Yeah that’s the one » but other times you go « yeah that’s the one ».

S- For example, for Lucky if I remember well, it was recorded in one or two takes.

E- No, I don’t think that was the one, I think a lot of stuff on Ok Computer like Let Down, Climbing Up The Walls, No Surprises they were coming like, OK, that’s the one.

Television.

C- There is a rumor that you’re going to play on Saturday Night Live.

E- Oh yeah it’s been announced, it’s no longer a rumor.

(laughs)

C- Do you like the show?

E- I never saw it. Many amazing comedians come from that show but we don’t get it here.

S- But you’ve played there already a few times before?

E- Once I think, once. That was great, good fun.

S- You like these kinds of tv show where you can play music like this, live…

E- Yeah it’s great!

S- Is it a lot of freedoom in this kind of show for the music? You can do whatever you want?

E- Yeah, they are pretty easy, they let you do what you want, you’ve got a certain amount of time, you do that.

C- And you don’t have the pressure like the host, you just go there to play and that’s it.

E- Yeah.

S- I remember one tv show in France, it was Hit Machine in 1996 and you played Just but it was playback and Jonny was playing…

E- Left handed, yeah I remember very well!

S-, It was so funny to see. You were just doing bullshit. Did you do it to ruin the show or just for the fun of it?

E- I think we did it for the fun. We wouldn’t do it to ruin it. We were like, let’s be like The Beatles, yeah and him doing the backing vocals. No we wouldn’t do anything out for the negative, it was just for fun.

S- OK, it’s not like you hate playback tv shows.

E- No it’ just like, it’s playback so let’s have some fun.

Argentina.

C- Since Kid A, before an album been released you have played in small venues and it didn’t happen with The King Of Limbs, why?

E- We finished touring In Rainbows and we wanted to go in the recording studios immediatly and try to make the songs up in the studio, so that’s why. But we’re gonna play these songs live, we’re booking some dates at the moment for next year.

C- Sorry for this obvious question but is Argentina in the tour also?

E- Oh I don’t know, we had an amazing time in South America last time. It was our first time and Buenos Aires was… I mean… you know it was interesting how we played in Brasil, Argentina and Chile and you could feel very much the flavour of each of the places we played. It was kind of quite distinct of the fans, you know, the response of the audience. And Buenos Aires public was mental, like grrraaaawr.

C- I couldn’t be there but I have a friend that was and had the idea that you and Colin were looking amazed at the audience at some point.

E- Incredible. It was magic, you know, there was magic that night.

C- There was an episode that night that someone threw a shoe at Thom.

E- Yes, it was probably in the moment, I was looking down, it was mental and at the front it was like a pack of wild dogs and I can imagine that things were flying out, yeah.

S- And he takes the shoe in the middle of the song, he steps back for a second and keeps on going singing, he doesn’t stop. You never saw it?

E- Yeah, we saw it but it wasn’t a big deal, it happenned in the spirit, you know.

C- We were worried after that you would never come back again.

E- No, no, no it was great!

Second part of our interview with Ed O’Brien. Chat gets loose, so does Ed, and everything turns into a relaxed conversation. Ed speaks us about some of his personal tastes: music, football and Carlitos Tévez in particular.

Maturation.

C- At some point you said you were a bit worried by the lack of guitars in Kid A or Amnesiac.

E- Yeah, years ago.

C- Do you enjoy now to play more with the sound effects?

E- You know when I said that I was talking about a time at the beginning of the recording sessions and it was that long (very short sign with the fingers). It was an adjustment that had to be made, you know, we went from making three albums which had been all guitars and you played your thing, and suddenly like there was no scope for that, so inevitably, when change happens in anything in life you feel like, you know…

C- Did you have a moment, as a band, that you would decide how to stand in front of the audience? Because we recently watched the Astoria concert in 1994 and you were looking more rockers.

E- What you do up on stage you don’t even think about it, it just happens. We were probably moving around a lot more.

S- Yeah, for example you were jumping.

E- Yeah, yeah I can’t do that, it’s not appropriate, that music it was kind of appropriate because I was young, younger(laughs).

S- Do you think the music on the records is following the maturity of the band, or of yourself?

E- I think what happens is as you get older as a person, you personaly change, you move and then you have the way a band changes because the people change so, music is a very honest thing, so if you change, the music changes, it comes out of you so it’s inevitable.

C- Do you personally have a place, when you want to disappear from everything, you turn to?

E- Well, after having children it’s getting difficult to do that, but I guess it would be home, when I want to disappear I go home. And I like to spend time with the garden or go to the woods, camping with my friends, but I don’t, you know, it’d be nice to have time to disappear, I don’t have time.

S- But now, as a band, do you give yourselves more personal time than before?

E- Yeah, I mean when you are getting children, you have a new responsability, and when we signed as a band in 1991 we didn’t stop until 1998. You can’t be a father, you can’t be a husband, so now there has to be a little of balance, because you have a responsability, it’s important to have children grow up to be beautiful balenced human beings, so that means they need a father sometimes to find their way along so it’s all good

Projects.

C- How do you do it to be still together after all the years?

E- Because, first we love doing it, playing in a room together, playing music that we fundamentaly love, it’s a part of us. And second, we’re brothers, you know, like in a familly we don’t hang out all the time, but we’re brothers, there’s a lot of love behind that. But mainly we could be brothers but we wouldn’t have to do this, but the main thing is because we still love doing music, you know, we’re very lucky.

S- And it does happen that sometimes, you want to kill your brothers ?

E- Yeeeaaahh of course!

C- It wouldn’t be real love if you didn’t want it.

E- Yeah exactly!

C- What are your personal projects at the moment?

E- Well, I set myself to advance as a guitarist so I’m living in that way. I’m writing songs, I’m also spending time with my children, they’re not going to be young forever, they’re seven and five. I’ve been idle for the last six weeks, we had a great holiday, we’ve been driving through France, camping and stuff like that. But really I mean, my whole thing is that I like setting myself for Radiohead. I’ve done other stuff, I have little projects and also involved with musical projects with other people. I’m also involved in the Featured Artists’ Coalition that is a coalition of artists coming together to have a voice in the industry, you know, there is a lot of stuff going on int he industry at the moment, a lot of artists being traditionally riped off, so we found this coalition, we’re trying to get a voice at the table, what’s going on with the negociations, and it’s good, it’s interresting. So you know, I’m very busy.

S- So are you thinking about releasing a solo album one day, maybe ?

E- Maybe! I don’t want to just put out another album. There’s so many people just put out an album. There’s enough ok records that go out. I’d want it to be really great so wether I can do that, I don’t know.

S- If the possibility…

E- Yeah, absolutly, I’d very much like to, whether I would singing or someone else to sing I don’t know. Maybe someone else singing it. You have to find the right people. I don’t want to work on my own. I wanna work with a great great group musicians.

S- And working with members of Radiohead, is it an option, maybe?

E- Maybe, absolutely. I mean, why not?

C- I would love to hear an album with you singing, I’m a big fan of yours.

E- Really? Aaww thank you. Well you know, my voice is getting better. You’ve got to find a voice and I haven’t found it yet, but I’m getting there.

C- Actually you use the voice as an intrument sometimes, for exemple in Karma Police when you do the backing vocal, I love when you do that, it’s like a plenitude.

E- Oh thanks, it’s nice to hear.

Industry.

C- So you were talking about helping to get the artists voice heard in the industry. How do you see the future of the music industry ?

E- I don’t know, I think it’s very hard for young bands, I mean it’s always hard for young bands. There’ll always be great musicians and people always will want music so those are all positives so how that works out, I don’t know, I’m not sure.

S- Do you think the fans are ready to pay for the music online now and stop downloading it for free? We know you’re not against downloading in the way to spread the music wider.

E- Listen, I deal with people who, I think it’s important there’s a contract… I mean you know, when we were kids there was an exchange that goes when you pay for something, when you buy it, you listen to it, you really listen to it, because you pay so you have to. And I know when I’m given a cd like from a record company or whatever, I don’t really listen to it, I’ve got them and it’s all great but if I buy something I listen to it. What I think happens if you download for free, you don’t really listen to it. I don’t know, maybe I’m wrong.

C- I think it’s right because when people give value to something…

E- Yeah, when you’ve got all this music, you don’t have time to really really listen to it. when you really really connect to music, you have to listen to it a lot. I don’t listen to a lot of music, but what I do listen to, I listen to a lot so what gets in there and I hear it a lot. But if you get it for free, you get the song now and… (makes a gesture of trhowing away). I think musicians need to be paid. I’m not talking about us but young musicians. The problem is you know, the record companies have treated people who want to listen to music and fans badly, and now what’s happening is a result of that so you gotta make it easy for people to pay small amounts of money to buy something, I think. But you know, the generation of young people out there that wont pay for music, and if I was their age, I wouldn’t do either so I’m not gonna be that guy…

C- Yeah, it’s like it’s right there and you click on it.

E- Yeah it’s a shame, but that’s how it is.

C- Sometimes it happens that with this possibility you get to know things that you would never know in another way.E- Absolutely, Yes , exactly, is like a way of discovering and that is really good, I really like when that happens. That’s very exciting, it’s like when we were kids, someone would buy the album, would make us copies of it, we listen to it and if we like it, we really really like it, we buy it.

S- So that’s why you made the “pay what you want” for In rainbows? It was to discover the value people wanted to put into the music ? And you used it for The King Of Limbs?

E- Yes, there was a whole debate about what should an album cost, what should an album be, and was turning around, we were all around a table ‘what do you think it’s worth? It’s good, it gets people talking, I like to, you know, hear about families where the 14 years old wanted to buy the record, and he didn’t have a credit card so he had to ask his dad, and talk about it ‘what do you think an album’s worth?’, you know, it’s good!

S- So you were happy of the result of the experiment in rainbowns, it was quite a lot of buzz on the internet.

E- Yeeeah, it was amazing!

Music, football, etc.

C- And what music are you listening to lately?

E- My favourite album of the last few months is a band called Tame Iimpala you know them ? I really like that band, that is my favourite album, what else do I like, I kinda quite like Adam And The Ants, I like, you know the things that are like the sound of School of Seven Bells, I like, in terms of an album Tame Impala is my favorit one. I also quite like Caribou, the album Swim. I went to see a band live last week who I love called Other Lives and they have an album coming out called Tamer Animals and there’s a track called For 12, first track of the album. The album is great, they’re really great young band from Oklahoma.

C- You like The Smiths, so do you still listen to The Smiths, or Morissey?

E- Humm, occasionally I listen to things like that, I don’t know, I mean, I might hear it on the radio but no, I wouldn’t play a Smiths record or aMorissey album nowadays, sometimes, very, very occasionally.

C- Do you think it didn’t age well?

E- No, once I was checking in a hotel and in the reception they played music, and they played This Charming Man by The Smiths and it sounded amazing you know, and maybe it is that I’ve heard this so many times, it’s not like it aged, I may wanna hear something else.

C- So what do you like beside music?

E- I like football, I like cricket, like the sports

C- Football, playing it or watching?

E- Watching, both watching, I love football.

C- You are a Manchester’s fan?

E- Yeah, Manchester United. I’m very interrested in about River Plate being relegated, and what all the shenanigans about that…

C- I am River’s fan.

E- Oh, are you? I have a friend who’s family has seats in River Plate and she said whenever you come to Buenos Aires next time you have to see a game, I’d really love to. I remember the world cup 1978, so that team: Mario Kempes, Passarella… Kempes was in River Plate, wasn’t he? And he was a star. Passarella was the captain. That was my first world cup I remember watching, I know it was a very troubled time in Argentina.

C- Yes , actually it is said that the world cup was a set up.

E- The game against Peru?

C- Yes, it’s said that the dictatorship there used the whole thing for covering, and with all the people who disappeared in the country at that time…

E- Yeah I know it’s terrible. You know there was Johan Cruyff who played for the Netherlands and he refused to go to Argentina because of what was going on, which was a great gesture. I wished more players and more teams had done that, but you know, it’s a World Cup, that’s the problem. I always remember the lights in places like Córdoba, Mendoza, the ticket tape that came down, it was very very graphic, it was amazing.

C- It happens, no? That when you are a kid and you watch the world cup is like very graphic, you keep the memories.

E- Yest true! Which one do you remember?

C- 1990 in Italia.

E- Oh yes it was a great one!

C- And Argentina went to the final.

E- That’s right!

C- And you like Carlitos Tévez?

E- Carlos Tévez? Yeah! I mean, he’s an amazing footballer, he could be the best footballer of the world, but the problem is with his attitude. He’s like, I mean I understand that he wasn’t living with his children and stuff like that, and he’s split up with his wife, but he could have been a hero in Manchester United, and he went to Manchester City… He was an amazing player you know, we remember the people with integrity and real heart, people like Cantona… And Tévez isn’t that. He’s a mercenary.

C- Yes he’s playing for the money.

E- It’s a shame because he could be like Cantona but he’s got no cojones.

C- So how is Manchester now?

E- Good! Young team, very, very young team, really exciting. We won’t win the Champion’s League but we could win the Premiership. It’s a good team, brilliant team. The average is 22 years old, amazing.

S- It’s easier for Manchester United to attract great young players.

E- Yeah, they have a very good academy.

C- And do you have a relationship with cinema?

E- Yeah I do, I don’t see enough but I do. I love Stanley Kubrick.

C- You like Wim Wenders, don’t you?

E- Yeah, I like Wim Wenders. I haven’t seen all of his films but Paris, Texas was a huge film for me when I was younger. I love also the British actor Peter Sellers, I love good comedy. There is this movie also by Charly Braun, Por El Camino, a beautiful roadtrip in Uruguay between a boy and a girl, and a beautiful romance. I loved it. We let him used our music.

C- Now that you mention the music and the films, you have been in different movies like Twilight. Do you really like to be a part of this kind of film?

E- The one that is interesting is Twilight the first one, lots of people said “oh I hear your music in that film”, and I saw it with my wife and I really enjoyed it. I can totally see if you’re a teenager, you really like that, even as an adult. I enjoyed it. I don’t know about the others. But also, what was good about that was that a lot of young people heard our music with that film and they really liked it, we didn’t do a lot of big films like that. We get asked a lot to do things.

C- It’s great what you just said that people get introduced to some music through the films.

E- Yeah! Absolutely! I’ve been in the music of Ry Cooder I got into it through Paris,Texas and I was “What is this music? Amazing!”

C- And with the power of the image it makes it be much better.

E- Yeah!

We thank Julie Calland and Richard Walsh for making all this possible and very especially Ed for his kindness and good vibe.

Version español 

Ed O’Brien Interview

Fuente: Al Tuntún

“Uno tiene que encontrar su voz”

Primera parte de nuestra esperada entrevista exclusiva a Ed O’Brien. El hombre se explaya acerca de todo y de todos sin pelos en la lengua, aunque nunca pierde la amabilidad ni la calma. Lo que se dice un gentleman.

Desde Londres, una charla sin desperdicios.

English version coming soon

Pensar en Radiohead es pensar en algo gigante. Es pensar en una de las bandas más importantes de la historia del rock, ufff, pero no como mito fosilizado, sino más bien como materia encendida, viva y constante. Una usina de sonidos, electricidad pura de un rayo eterno que arrancó en, ufff, los benditos noventas sintonizando el pulso de una toda una década y toda una generación definiéndolas desde su amanecer (sí, estoy hablando de Creep), otorgándoles un color, para después romper con todo como única manera de seguir el mejor camino: uno propio. Por eso no es casual que luego de Ok Computer (1997), disco que de tan definitivo agotó, perfeccionándola a nivel maestro, una fórmula de hacer canciones estos cinco extraterrestres entraran en crisis, el cambio como único rumbo, para pasar a otra cosa, pararse en otro lugar, otro siglo, otro milenio, con dos discos pergeñados desde la lógica de una tormenta feroz que estalla en un sonido maldito: rugidos, lamentos y oasis detonados desde máquinas bestiales en esos dos diamantes oscuros que son Kid A (2000) y Amnesiac (2001). Desconcertando a muchos, alimentando habladurías que hoy son hojas amarillentas hinchadas de humedad en revistas viejas, Radiohead nutrió su cuerpo, se hizo fama y echó a andar subido al fuego eléctrico de un sonido mutante que, entre explosiones y una suavidad contenidas en el abismo de un repertorio inmortal, es el combustible inagotable de una llama que aún hoy continúa creciendo.

Esta entrevista es el producto del delirio de dos que viajamos en un auto por horas escuchando las mismas canciones de siempre. Cantándolas como locos, sin que importe demasiado su verdadero sentido, si es que lo tienen, pero en las que nos gustaría (me gustaría) quedarnos a vivir. Porque en definitiva, y por más vueltas que le dé, no sé qué es “I will raise up Little babies eyes” pero sé que es parte de la canción más dulce del mundo. Tampoco puedo explicar por qué me hace tan feliz escuchar el corito de Ed en Karma Police, o cuando él le hace la segunda a Thom en Paranoid Android, pero hay algo que me hace intuir que todo lo que rodea a estos cinco gigantes está lleno de un amor inmenso por el mundo. Y como dije, este fue nuestro delirio de un día decir, “¿y si le pedimos una nota a Ed?” Y si bien la lógica indicaba que no íbamos a tener ninguna respuesta, aunque en el fondo guardáramos la esperanza de que nos contestaran que sí, yo por lo menos nunca pensé que unas semanas después de ir cantando en un auto los coritos de este gigante hermoso que es Ed O´Brien, lo veríamos llegar en una bicicleta amarilla y plegable a un cafecito en Londres para vernos a nosotros y decir “ Hey Sam, Casandra! How are you?”

Por Casandra Scaroni y Samuel Dietz.

Fan.

Casandra: ¿Fuiste fan de chico? Y si es así, ¿qué recordás de ese sentimiento después de haber estado del otro lado durante tanto tiempo?

Ed: Si fui fan…

C: De una banda…

E: Ah, sí, más bien. Es decir, todavía lo soy. Soy fan de la música. Pero vos decís de adolescente, ¿no? Sí, uno de chico sigue a una banda, pero no es lo mismo que ahora. Uno podía ir a un show de The Smiths, o U2, o lo que fuera en los ochentas… así que sí, me acuerdo perfectamente de lo que se sentía porque era algo muy vívido, un sentimiento muy fuerte eso de sentirse seguidor de una banda, o cuando te topás con música nueva es una cosa muy importante para uno.

C: O cuando sale un disco nuevo y uno va a buscarlo a la disquería…

E: Exacto, es tremendo eso, te consume, se apodera de tu vida durante días, semanas o lo que fuere.

C: En entrevistas que te hicieron, te describías a vos mismo como un “adicto a los singles”.¿Te acordás de cuál fue el single que te hizo coparte con la música por primera vez?

E: Tuve mucha suerte porque crecí en una época, en el año 79, en la que estaba muy al tanto de la música en los charts de Inglaterra. Era la época del post-punk, así que tenías un montón de música como Siouxie and The Banshees, Adam and The Ants… Estaban cosas como Depeche Mode, XTC, The Police, David Bowie… todo lo que sucedió en este país fue muy fértil para la música porque la gente que fue a las Escuelas de Arte de repente pensó: “Uh, yo puedo hacer eso”. Así que fue una gran época para la música. Uno escuchaba y grababa las canciones de la radio en cassette y podía tener Walking On The Moon, de The Police, Spellbound, de Siouxie and The Banshees… el primer Hip-Hop. Pasaban cosas muy diversas, mucha música diferente, experimental. Es decir, eso era la música Pop cuando yo crecía, ¡escuchando todos esas canciones que llegaban al número Uno!¡Increíble!

Guitarra.

Sam: ¿Cómo empezaste a tocar la guitarra? ¿Por qué la elegiste en primer término?

E: Probablemente por dos cosas que pasaron al mismo tiempo. Yo había visto un póster de The Jam, ahí por el año 79. Era una foto de ellos tres, Paul Weller saltando con su Rickenbacker era increíble y esa imagen fue muy fuerte. Por otro lado estaba Andy Summers de The Police: cuando lo escuché fue como… “Guau, tengo una conexión con eso”. Y también fue escuchar a gente como Johnny Marr, ¿no?.

S: ¿Por eso tenés una Rickenbacker?

E: Por eso la primera guitarra que quise después de haber firmado un contrato fue la Rickenbacker, sí.

S: Ya que mencionás a Paul Weller, a Andy Summers, a Johnny Marr, y alguna vez nombraste a Peter Buck (de R.E.M.) como determinantes en la decisión de hacer música y de tocar la guitarra, ¿era porque sentías que querías ser como ellos?

E: No es que quería ser como ellos, sino que me gustaba lo que hacían, aunque fueran todos diferentes. Me gustaba que no hicieran tantos solos sino que trabajaran con el espacio. Era buenísimo.

C: ¿Es importante para vos ser parte de una banda y no estar exponiéndose tanto?

E: Sí, estar en una banda es como un equipo, un buen equipo de fútbol. En una buena banda te ves incentivado por los tipos que están a tu alrededor y tenés que esforzarte más.

S: ¿Cómo funcionan como banda ahora? Vos solías decir que si Radiohead fuera las Naciones Unidas, Thom York sería los EE.UU. ¿Sigue siendo así?

E: ¡Sí! (Risas). Es decir, él es el cantante del grupo.

S: Y también el compositor principal.

E: Sí, él dirige la música. Otros dirigen la banda.

S: Pero vos seguís aportando mucho a las canciones.

S: Sí, sí, por ejemplo para el último disco Thom no tenía mucha idea de cómo sería. Hicimos las canciones zapando juntos y por ahí él traía alguna letra o melodía. Cada uno de nosotros tiene completa libertad creativa.

S: ¿Tenés algún patrón recurrente para componer?

E: En el último disco la música vino primero, después las letras y más tarde las melodías. Lo que teníamos era bloques de música y entonces Thom escribía alguna línea melódica para cantar y le agregaba letra. Pero fijate que en OK Computer las letras son como una base, y los temas están delineados en guitarra acústica. Después íbamos a la sala de ensayo y los arreglos cambiaban, y las letras evolucionaban conforme a la música.

S: Y a veces la canción cambia totalmente, como Reckoner, que tiene una primera versión muy rockera y después se convirtió en eso hermoso que está en In Rainbows.

E: Sí, eso pasa porque estábamos grabando Reckoner 1 y se nos ocurrió que necesitaba otra parte musical. Así que Thom y Jonny escribieron eso otro y nos gustó más, por lo que terminamos usándolo para Reckoner 2. Y quedó mucho mejor.

S: Totalmente.

Conciertos.

C: ¿Tenés recuerdos de algún concierto que consideres el mejor, y por el otro lado, el que te haya parecido peor?

E: Te puedo decir el peor. Fue en 1986, el de una banda llamada Lloyd Cole And The Conmotions. Fue horrible, muy aburrido. De los otros hay un montón, pero uno de los mejores fue Sonic Youth en la Brixton Academy, en 1992. La banda soporte era Pavement. Salió Pavement, y era la época de su primer disco, Slanted & Enchanted: fue hipnótico, una cosa increíble. Y después salió Sonic Youth, estaban presentando su disco Dirty en ese momento. No sé si lo conocen. Es un gran disco. Y el show fue tremendo, sorprendente. Era una de esas noches en la que uno estaba viendo no una sino dos bandas increíbles. Pavement era buenísima, pero Sonic Youth…

C: Hablando de esos momentos, una vuelta dijiste que algo muy especial ocurre cuando se miran mutuamente arriba del escenario, y se ven las caras de que están dando lo mejor en ese instante. ¿Te parece que el oyente puede captar algo de eso en los discos?

 E: Definitivamente sí. Ese es un aspecto maravilloso de la música: se puede capturar algo de magia en la grabación. Quincy Jones tiene una expresión para eso, él dice que cuando se graba una pieza musical, vos podés tocar diez veces lo mismo pero una vez que la magia ocurre es como que Dios se manifestara a través del ritmo, el espíritu es…

C: Y el momento en el que realmente lo sentís y sabés que es ese momento.

E: Sí, se siente algo muy fuerte, como un escalofrío.

S: Son todos ustedes al mismo tiempo, cada uno siente lo mismo y lo sabe.

E: Sí, onda que nos miramos… Igual, no ocurre siempre así. A veces nos pasa desapercibido. Pero otras nos damos cuenta, nos decimos “sí, es ahora”.

S: Por ejemplo con Lucky. Si mal no recuerdo fue grabada en una o dos tomas.

E: No, me parece que no. Creo que mucho del material de OK Computer, como Let Down, Climbing Up The Walls o No Suprises fueron así.

Televisión.

C: Hay un rumor de que van a tocar en Saturday Night Live.

E: Sí, ya lo anunciamos. No es más un rumor.

(Risas)

C: ¿Les gusta ese programa?

E: Yo mucho no lo vi. Varios comediantes maravillosos salieron de ahí, pero acá no lo pasan.

S: ¿Pero ya tocaron más de una vez allí?

E: Me parece que una vez sola. Estuvo bueno, muy divertido.

S: Están buenos esos programas donde se puede tocar música en vivo.

E: Sí, totalmente.

S: ¿Hay total libertad para tocar en esos programas? ¿Pueden hacer lo que quieran?

E: Sí, es muy fácil. Te dejan hacer lo que quieras en el tiempo que tenés pautado.

C: Y no tienen la presión del conductor, van, tocan y chau.

E: Sí.

S: Me acuerdo de un programa de televisión en Francia, Hit Machine, que en 1996 ustedes tocaron Just, pero era playback y Jonny tocaba…

E: ¡Con la mano izquierda, sí, me acuerdo perfectamente!

S: Era muy gracioso de ver. Hacían cualquiera. ¿La idea era arruinar el show o era solo para divertirse?

E: Me parece que lo hicimos por diversión. Era como que nos hacíamos los Beatles. Solo para joder.

S: No es que odien hacer playback en televisión.

E: No, la idea es que ya que es playback divirtámonos un poco.

Argentina.

C: Desde Kid A, antes de que salga un álbum han estado tocando en lugares pequeños, pero no lo hicieron con The King Of The Limbs, ¿por qué?

E: Terminamos la gira de In Rainbows y queríamos volver a los estudios de grabación enseguida y tratar de hacer las canciones allí mismo. Pero vamos a tocar estas canciones en vivo. Estamos planeando algunas fechas para el año que viene.

C: Perdón por esta pregunta obvia, ¿la Argentina está incluida?

E: Uh, no sé, pasamos momentos maravillosos en Sudamérica la última vez. Era nuestra primera vez y Buenos Aires fue… Nos gustó mucho tocar en Brasil, en Argentina y Chile, y se podía sentir el sabor de cada país a partir del comportamiento de los fans, de la respuesta del público. En Buenos Aires el público estaba enloquecido.

C: Yo no pude ir pero tengo un amigo que sí y le pareció que en un momento Colin y vos miraban asombrados a la audiencia.

E: Increíble. Fue algo mágico. Esa noche había magia.

C: Y hubo un episodio en el que alguien le tiró un zapatazo a Thom…

E: Sí, es probable. Yo estaba mirando para abajo y era una locura, al frente era como una jauría de perros salvajes y me imagino que volaban cosas.

S: Y Thom agarra el zapato en el medio de la canción, retrocede por un segundo y sigue cantando, no para. ¿Vos lo viste?

E: Sí, sí, lo vimos, pero no fue la gran cosa, era parte del entusiasmo.

C: Estábamos preocupados con que después de eso no quisieran venir de nuevo…

E: ¡No, no, no, fue genial!

Segunda parte de nuestra entrevista exclusiva con Ed O´ Brien. La charla se suelta, nuestro entrevistado también, y todo termina en una conversación de amigos en la que Ed se explaya sobre algunos de sus gustos personales, fútbol, y particularmente sobre Carlitos Tevez. Que la disfruten.

Maduración.

C: En algún momento dijiste como que estabas preocupado por la ausencia de guitarras en Kid A o Amnesiac.

E: Sí, fue años atrás.

C: ¿Ahora disfrutás jugar más con los efectos de sonido?

E: Mirá, cuando dije eso estaba hablando del principio de la grabaciones de esos discos, pero duró nada (hace un gesto con los dedos). Fue un ajuste que había que hacer. Nosotros habíamos grabado tres discos llenos de guitarras, y de repente no había espacio para eso. Así que, inevitablemente, como con cualquier cambio que hay en la vida…

C: ¿Hubo algún momento en el que, como banda, se plantearon cómo pararse frente a la audiencia? Porque hace poco vimos el show del Astoria de 1994 y se veían mucho más rockeros.

E: Lo que uno hace en el escenario ni siquiera lo piensa, simplemente se da. Probablemente antes nos movíamos más.

S: Sí, por ejemplo, vos saltabas.

E: Sí, sí, ya no lo hago más, no sería apropiado… Aquella música se prestaba más porque yo era joven. Más joven.

(Risas)

S: ¿Te parece que la música refleja en los discos la madurez de la banda y de ustedes como personas?

E: Creo que lo que ocurre es que conforme uno se hace más viejo como persona va cambiando, se mueve. Y la banda cambia porque sus miembros lo hacen. La música es una cosa muy honesta en ese sentido. Cambia con uno. Sale de uno, así que es inevitable.

C: ¿Tenés algún sitio personal donde vas cuando querés desaparecer?

E: Bueno, teniendo hijos se vuelve cada vez más difícil hacer eso, pero supongo que ese lugar es mi casa. Cuando quiero desaparecer voy a casa. Y me gusta pasar tiempo en el jardín o ir al bosque, acampar con mis amigos… Pero no lo hago. Sería lindo tener tiempo para desaparecer, pero no tengo tiempo.

S: Pero ahora, como banda, ¿se dan más tiempo para su vida personal que antes?

E: Sí, o sea, cuando tenés hijos tenés más responsabilidades, y desde que firmamos nuestro primero contrago como banda en 1991 no paramos hasta 1998. Así no se puede ser padre, ni marido. Ahora las cosas están más balanceadas, porque uno tiene su responsabilidad, es importante que tus hijos crezcan como seres humanos con equilibrio, y eso significa que tengan un padre con el cual encuentren su camino.

Proyectos.

C: ¿Cómo se las arreglan para estar juntos como grupo después de tantos años?

E: Para empezar, porque sentimos que todavía nos gusta hacerlo, seguimos amando tocar juntos, haciendo música que, fundamentalmente, amamos. Es una parte de nosotros. Y segundo, somos como hermanos. Como en cualquier familia, no vamos a todos lados juntos, pero somos hermanos, hay un montón de amor involucrado. Pero más que nada podríamos ser hermanos pero no tendríamos necesariamente que hacer esto, así que lo principal es que seguimos amando hacer música. Nos sentimos muy afortunados.

S:¿Y ocurre a veces que tenés ganas de matar a tus hermanos?

E: ¡Sííííííí, por supuesto!

C: Si no fuera así no sería realmente amor.

E: ¡Exacto!

C: ¿Qué proyectos personales tenés en este momento?

E: Bueno, me propongo crecer como guitarrista, así que estoy en eso. Escribo canciones. También paso tiempo con mis hijos: no van a ser niños toda la vida, tienen siete y cinco años. Pasamos unas lindas vacaciones las últimas seis semanas, estuvimos recorriendo Francia, acampando y eso. Pero siento que lo que más me ocupa, aquello en lo que estoy metido, es Radiohead. He hecho otras cosas, tengo pequeños proyectos musicales, como tocar con otra gente. También estoy involucrado en la Featured Artist’s Coalition, que nuclea artistas para tratar de tener voz y voto en la industria discográfica. En este momento hay un montón de artistas siendo esquilmados, así que fundamos esta coalición para ver si logramos hacernos oír a la hora de las negociaciones en la industria. Y está bueno, es interesante. Así que estoy muy ocupado.

S: ¿Y estás pensando en sacar algún álbum solista quizá?

E: ¡Quizá! No quiero sacar un disco cualquiera. Ya hay mucha gente sacando discos que están más o menos bien. A mí me gustaría hacer uno que fuera realmente bueno, así que cuándo será eso no lo sé.

S: Si se dan las posibilidades…

E: Sí, absolutamente. Me gustaría mucho. Ya sea cantando yo o que cante otra persona. Hay que encontrar la gente apropiada, no quiero hacerlo todo yo. Me gustaría trabajar con grandes músicos.

S: ¿A lo mejor con miembros de Radiohead?

E: Sí, a lo mejor. ¿Por qué no?

C: Me encantaría oír un disco en el que cantes vos… Soy muy fan tuya.

E: Uh, ¿en serio? Bueno, muchas gracias. Mirá, como cantante estoy mejorando. Uno tiene que encontrar una voz propia y yo todavía no lo conseguí, pero en eso ando.

C: En verdad vos usás la voz como si fuera un instrumento más a veces. Por ejemplo en Karma Police, cuando hacés la segunda voz. Me encanta cómo queda, hay un sentido de plenitud ahí.

E: ¡Bueno, gracias! Qué lindo oír eso.

Industria.

C: Recién hablabas de ayudar a que los artistas sean escuchados. ¿Cómo ves el futuro de la industria de la música?

E: No lo sé. Me parece que las cosas son difíciles para las bandas jóvenes. Quiero decir que en realidad toda la vida fue así. Siempre habrá buenos músicos y gente dispuesta a oír lo que hacen, ese es el lado positivo. Ahora, cómo se desarrollará la cosa no sé, no estoy seguro.

S: ¿Te parece que los fans estarán dispuestos a pagar para obtener música online y dejarla de bajarla gratis? Tenemos entendido que vos no estás en contra de las descargas, en el sentido de que ayudan a difundir más la música.

E: Mirá, cuando éramos chicos había un intercambio en el que uno pagaba por algo y realmente se ponía a escucharlo. Ahora cuando vía las discográficas o lo que sea me llega un disco la verdad es que no lo escucho. En cambio cuando lo compro es distinto. Lo que me parece es que a lo que te bajás gratis no le das mucha bola. No sé, quizá estoy equivocado.

C: Es verdad, porque cuando valorás algo…

E: Claro, cuando tenés toda la música te falta el tiempo para ponerte a escucharla realmente. Cuando conectás de verdad con la música la escuchás un montón. Yo no escucho mucha música, pero lo que escucho lo hago de verdad. Si lo obtenés sin costo alguno, tenés la canción y… (hace un gesto con la mano como de tirar algo lejos). Pienso que muchos músicos necesitan que se pague por oírlos. No estoy hablando de nosotros, sino de músicos que recién empiezan. El problema es que las compañías discográficas han amenazado duramente a la gente que quiere escuchar música, a los fans, y ahora lo que está ocurriendo es el resultado de eso; así que tratamos de hacer las cosas más fáciles para los fans, que paguen menos plata. Pero las nuevas generaciones de chicos no están dispuestas a pagar por los discos. Y si yo tuviera la edad de ellos tampoco lo haría, así que no voy a ser yo quien…

C: Sí, es como que está ahí y basta con clickear.

E: Es una lástima, pero es como es.

C: Pero también pasa que uno tiene la posibilidad de conocer cosas a las que no accedería de otra forma.

E: Sí, totalmente. Es un modo de descubrir cosas, y eso está buenísimo, es muy excitante. Como cuando uno era chico y alguien compraba un disco y nos hacíamos copias, lo escuchábamos y, si de verdad nos gustaba, íbamos a comprarlo.

S: ¿Por eso hicieron el “pagá lo que quieras” para In Rainbows? ¿Sirvió para descubrir el valor que la gente le otorgaba a la música y lo tuvieron en cuenta para The King Of The Limbs?

E: Sí, hubo todo un debate acerca de cuánto debería costar un disco, qué cosa debería ser un disco, y se estuvo dando vueltas al asunto, todos haciéndose la pregunta: “Cuánto te parece que vale”. Está bueno, hace que la gente discuta. Me gustó oír de familias donde el chico de catorce años quería comprar el disco, pero como no tenía tarjeta de crédito le tenía que pedir al padre, y se daba esa discusión acerca de qué precio ponerle.

S: Así que están contentos con el resultado del experimento de In Rainbows. Fue un gran tema de debate en Internet.

E: Síííí, fue increíble.

Música, fútbol y otras yerbas.

C: Y, ¿qué música estás escuchando últimamente?

E: Mi disco preferido desde hace varios meses es de una banda que se llama Tame Limpala. ¿Los conocen? Qué más me gusta… Me gusta bastante Adam & The Ants. Me gusta las cosas que suenan como School of Seven Bells. También me gusta Carbou, con su disco Swim. La semana pasada fui a ver un grupo que me encanta llamado Other Lives, que tienen un disco que está por salir que se titula Tamer Animlas. Son una gran banda originaria de Oklahoma.

C: Y sé que te gustan los Smiths ¿Los seguís oyendo a ellos o a Morrisey?

E: Mmmmm, muy ocasionalmente escucho esas cosas. Por ahí los oigo en la radio, pero no, no me pongo a oír un disco de los Smiths o de Morrisey actualmente, salvo muy cada tanto.

C: ¿Pensás que no envejecieron bien?

E: No es eso, hace poco me estaba registrando en un hotel y en la recepción estaban pasando This Charming Man, de los Smiths, y sonaba muy bien. Así que no es que suene fechado sino que ya lo escuché tantas veces que por ahí prefiero otra cosa.

C: ¿Y aparte de la música, qué te gusta?

E: Me gusta el fútbol, el cricket. Los deportes.

C: ¿El fútbol para jugar o para mirar?

E: Para mirar, todo para mirar. El fútbol me encanta.

C: Sos simpatizante del Manchester.

E: Sí, del Manchester United. Me intrigó mucho el descenso de River Plate y todo el quilombo que se armó alrededor.

C: Yo soy de River.

E: Uh, ¿vos sos de River Plate? Tengo un amigo cuya familia tiene plateas en River Plate y me dice que cuando vaya a Buenos Aires la próxima vez tengo que ir a ver un partido. Me encantaría. Me acuerdo del Mundial 78, ese equipo en el que estaban Mario Kempes, Pasarella… Kempes estaba en River Plate, ¿no? Era una estrella. Pasarella era Capitán. Y me acuerdo de que fue el primer Mundial que vi. Estoy al tanto de que eran tiempos complicados en la Argentina.

C: Sí, y en verdad el mundial fue medio como una puesta en escena.

E: Por el partido con Perú, ¿no?

C: Sí, se supone que la dictadura en ese momento usó aquello para disimular, porque en el país estaban haciendo desaparecer gente.

E: Sí, sé que fue terrible. Sabés que Johan Cruyff, que jugaba para Holanda se negó a ir a la Argentina por lo que estaba pasando, lo que es un gran gesto. Me habría gustado que más jugadores y más equipos hubieran hecho lo mismo. Siempre me acuerdo de la iluminación en lugares como Córdoba, Mendoza… era muy, muy gráfico, asombroso.

C: Eso pasa, ¿no? Que cuando sos chico y mirás un mundial es muy vívido, te queda el recuerdo.

E:¡Totalmente! ¿Vos de cuál te acordás?

C: Italia del 90.

E: Ah, ese fue buenísimo.

C: Y la Argentina llegó a la final.

E:¡Es verdad!

C: ¿Y te gusta Carlitos Tévez?

E: ¿Carlos Tévez? Sí, es decir, es un jugador extraordinario. Podría ser el mejor del mundo, pero el problema son sus actitudes. Yo entiendo que él estaba lejos de sus hijos y todo eso, que había roto con su mujer… pero podría haber sido un héroe en el Manchester United… y se fue al Manchester City. Es un gran jugador, pero tenemos mejores recuerdos de tipos con integridad y verdadero corazón, gente como Cantona. Y Tévez no es así. Es un mercenario.

C: Juega por la plata.

E: Es una pena, porque podría haber sido como Cantona, pero no tuvo huevos.

C: ¿Cómo está el Manchester ahora?

E: ¡Bien! Es un equipo muy, muy joven, con mucho entusiasmo. No ganaremos la Champion’s League pero podríamos ganar la Premiership. Es un lindo equipo. El promedio de edad es de veintidós años. Increíble.

S: ¿Le resulta fácil al Manchester United conseguir jugadores jóvenes?

E: Sí, tienen buenas inferiores.

C: ¿Y tu relación con el cine?

E: Buena, no mucho pero algo veo. Me encanta Stanley Kubrick

C: El que también te gusta es Wim Wenders, ¿no?

E: Sí, Wim Wenders me gusta. No he visto todas sus películas, pero Paris, Texas significó mucho para mí cuando era joven. También me encanta el actor inglés Peter Sellers. Me gusta la buena comedia. También está esta película de Charly Braun, Por el camino. Un hermoso viaje a través de Uruguay entre un chico y una chica, con un lindo romance. Me fascinó. Les dejamos que usen música nuestra.

C: Ahora que mencionás lo de la música y el cine: han estado en diferentes películas, como Twilight. ¿Realmente les gustó ser parte de esa clase de cine?

E: La que es interesantes es la primera de la saga. Mucha gente decía “escuché la música de ustedes en esa película”, y la vi con mi mujer y en verdad la disfruté. Pensé que estaba bien y que si fuera adolescente iría a verla a full. No sé cómo serán las otras. Pero también, lo que estuvo bueno fue que mucha gente joven escuchó nuestra música con la película y les gustó. No participamos en muchas películas como esa, aunque todo el tiempo nos están solicitando que lo hagamos.

C: Está buenísimo eso de conocer determinada música a partir de una película.

E: ¡Sí, absolutamente! Me copé con la música de Ry Cooder a partir de lo que hizo para Paris, Texas. Yo estaba onda “¿y esto qué es?. Fue increíble.

C: Y con el poder de la imagen se hace mejor todavía.

E: ¡Sí!

Agradecemos a Julie Calland, Richard Walsh y, muy especialmente, a Ed O’Brien por su amabilidad y buena onda.

Interview with Ed O’Brien. Part Two.