by Elegy Oct 2000
THE SCOTTISH VOICES MISTERY It rains on Paris and the hoarse voice of Robin Guthrie that come out of the telephone learns me that on the other side of the sea it also rains!. While knowing that the title 'Stars and Topsoil' of the all fresh compilation of the Cocteau Twins can be translate as' stars and program of professional retraining of oil ', I begin to think of questions like' when it rains all goes badly… ' said in the beginning of conversation. |  |
Robin : Why not I hope so ! During a very long time, I didn't want to make a compilation. If i had the choice to do that, it'll be the period 1981 à 1996. The whole history and not only 4AD, but you know, I believe that they want to make money…
<<ELEGY : Is there any mods on the songs, sound for instance >>
Robin : A few. Some pieces were remastered to have the better sound possible on CD because this technology didn't exist when we recorded them. Of the stroke, pieces lacked strength. One day, i'll do the remastering of all old songs.
<<ELEGY : Why there's no unheard songs in this compilation?>>
Robin : because nothing else exist!
<<ELEGY : Do you have already published all of them>>
Robin : Yes!
<<ELEGY : That is a joke?>>
Robin : No! some pieces exist, but if i didn't want to make them published before, I don't see why it would be done now…They were not good enough in 1985 and they are not good further today. In general, when i worked with Cocteau Twins, every piece that I began and that I finished, finished on a disk. I have some songs that I never finished but I don't have the energy to make it, and more, there's already four years that the group stopped. I have too many things to do now, not to think about the old things. At the moment, it is difficult to make music, I am occupied with ' Bella Union ' I have a very bad day ' Bella Union ' I remained in office to repair the network!
<<ELEGY : From where comes the sound of Cocteau?>>
Robin: I don't know. Maybe of a period where I wanted to make something very particular, but I had neither the musical talent nor the technique. I didn't find that I played well and I wanted to use the sound to compensate it. And it is perfected because I don't like to play the guitar as others, because I don't know how to do it !
Robin : Yes, I wanted that the BBC sessions been available. It's alvaible on Bella Union.
<<ELEGY : Bella Union, what is it?>>
Robin : In 1997, we founded a label with Simon Raymonde. It regroups titles between 1982 and 1995. We already work with a different artist heap. Since now we took out 25 disks. We publish Françoiz Breut in England, I am fan. I like the music French a lot, not indeed things as ' Louise Attaque', rather 'Dominique A' either 'Gainsbourg'. My woman is French, then we spend some time in France and I listen to the French radio from there.
<<ELEGY : The name Cocteau Twins come from a song of the Simple Minds…>>
Robin : It comes from several places. Will Heggie, the first bassist, and me, we played in a group punk and we made the first part of the Simple Minds. When we were on stage, we saw 'Cocteau Twins' on the list of their songs. One year later we used it for the band. But to this time we liked to also read things like 'Les enfants terribles'
Robin : No, the song is on their first album, but they have changed words completely, it is called now 'No cure'. That makes a long time now!
<<ELEGY : did You pick up the contract thanks to 'Birthday Party' band ?
Robin : Yes, they helped us. With Liz, we were big fans of Birthday Party. We followed them everywhere as possible. We ended up meeting them and to make their first parts. When they signed with 4AD, they gave one demo of us .4AD had like it immediately …we stay in contact, the manager of the 'Dirty Three' (one of groups of his label Bella Union, NDLR) is the manager also of Nick Cave.
<<ELEGY : Simon Raymonde declared that it was indeed bizarre to be in Cocteau Twins…>>
Robin : For him, yes, that was bizarre, Because we were together with Liz, in couple, and him he was 'the extra'. It is difficult to work in couple. It was hard for him because we had some strange relations.
<<ELEGY : On 'Treasure', we have the impression that Elizabeth Fraser sings in French…>>
Robin : No, I don't believe. She don't speak French. In Japan, numerous people believe that she sings in Japanese! Most words were in English but when she sings them that sounds differently.
When you see the written words that doesn't look like to what you hearing!
<<ELEGY : did You know what she sang?>>
Robin : Yes, most the time, but not always. Some time I made myself my own version.
Robin : When we began, I had 19 years and Elizabeth 17 years. It was exciting indeed. We began to travel, and to see many countries. That changed my life to leave my small city. But during these last four years, I made more things in my life that in fifteen years with Cocteau Twins.
<<ELEGY : What is the worst?>>
Robin : My worse experience was to see the band stopped. I didn't think that it was the right moment for us to stop.
<<ELEGY : Drugs were very important in your music…>>
Robin: You rise the morning and you are going to buy drugs. After you are staved in so that you are going to make music. Yes that makes part of my life. But I don't believe that it was culturally important, it was a way to be not as everybody. Now I don't have anything more against what to rebel. I have a girl who rebels against me!
<<ELEGY : What it's gives you like feelings to be parents of a mythical band ?>>
Robin : I believe that it's great. I find that it's interesting to know that people that now buy disks of Cocteau Twins are very young.
There is not only older people that can buy our albums by nostalgia.
<<ELEGY : The last albums are 'pop'. Was it a personnal will ?>>
Robin : No, not at all. That has never been calculated. Music comes from the inside. If I had wanted to make them pop, I would have put the beat rythm of dance songs and 'clichés' of the moment. Pop, maybe because it's some pretty melodies, but not because we wanted to be popular.
<<ELEGY : Were You maybe happier ?>>
Robin : (Bursts to laugh) No, I don't know. The last albums of Cocteau Twins were not especially happier. 'Heaven or Las Vegas' and 'Four Calendar Cafe' were of the difficult moments because the joy to make music was amputated by the pressure of disk companies, of people around us, that wanted that we makes money, money and again money. It is horrible when so many people wants to use you to make money. That has obsessed me during a long time.
<<ELEGY : And now there is less pressure?>>
Robin : No, now I am poor! I understand the pressure better, but I don't understand them still.
<<ELEGY : Did The desire to make music came back with 'Violet Indiana'?
Robin: Yes, as we don't have an album for now, we don't have any pressure! There is a mini-album that coming out in October 23 in England an album in January. It is very exciting to make music while being calm.
<<ELEGY : Violet Indiana, what does it sounds like ?>>
Robin : lyrics are more straight, stronger. Music is rather dark. Undermines the singer, has a voice really different from Elizabeth Fraser. I never wanted that it sounds like Cocteau Twins.
<<ELEGY : With Violet Indiana you restart all to zero…>>
Robin : People would want that it looks like Cocteau Twins. It is hard to let you listen to it when you don't have any idea about it. This is not easy but I have fun! The first four albums of Cocteau Twins were very funny to make. I had not felt that for a long time, I take a good time.
<<ELEGY : When it will be possible to see you in concert in france ?>>
Robin : I will like that, well but I have another problem at the moment, it is necessary for us to find a distributor to publish the album in France.
Translation & artwork by Musica Eternal.