2001 / Cookie Scene (Jp) /

Japanese magazine Cookie Scene recently went in-depth with SP and it's pretty great. Respect to Kenji for letting us check it out.
CS: Tell me why you wanna be an label owner again. Is it have any economical help from others (like: majour money or something) or just started by yourself & co.?

SP: To be truthful I can't really think of myself as a label owner. Geographic is more like an imprint of Domino, styled by myself and Katrina. Laurence Bell of Domino is the senior partner in the arrangement and Domino are completely funding the label. I could not afford to run a label on my own; or at least at a level that I would feel proud of. That said, I am completely optimistic about what we can do as we have an excellent relationship with Domino. So that is the answer in practical terms. But actually the impulse came from Maher Shalal Hash Baz, because we love their music and want to help Tori.

CS: How could you know about japanese hidden gem Maher ? What's your impression of them ?? Tell us a short review for their live in Scotland with you.What Tori Kudo said to you ??

SP: Katrina and I were introduced to MSHB by our friend David Keenan who writes for The Wire magazine. We were staying at his flat in London and he told us about Tori and Reiko and played us a few tracks from Return Visit To Rock Mass. It was very late at night and we just thought the music had some kind of magical quality so I was very happy when I managed to find a copy to give Katrina on her birthday. By now David had moved back to Glasgow and we were running a club called Salute! But who did we most want to salute? Which music was closest to our hearts? Mysterious MSHB of course. So we just asked them and they said yes, and before too long they arrived in Glasgow from what seemed like all over the world. The concert was incredible, beautful, funny, touching. They completely captivated the audience from the first sad notes of 'Unknown Happiness', a fragile version featuring the enthusiastic and righteous talent of Puka Puka Brians. Response to the concert was actually frenzied and I think Tori was moved by how much Glasgow people loved his music. The next day at the Botanic Gardens Tori told us of his elaborate idea about different voices of birds which seemed to suggest that in his mind, nothing is ever out of tune...

CS: Tell us about the Maher record.

SP: MSHB record will be double-vinyl and on CD, featuring music from cassette only releases, 'Pass Over Musings', 'MSHB', and from 'Maher Goes To Gothic Country' and 'Return Visit To Rock Mass' Org releases. It will close with the Glasgow version of 'Unknown Happiness'. We also hope to make a seven-inch single with some of the music that didn't make it on.

CS: What kind of artists would you release after Maher record? Do you have some on your mind to release in the future already ?

SP: Music that is original and maybe has a hand-made or slightly naive style. We will be releasing music by Bill Wells, a local jazz guru, and by Empress from Leeds who are night-time, minimalist and quite excellent. Also we hope to help our friends that are involved in making music that they, like us, believe in: International Airport, Telstar Ponies, Appendix Out, National Park. Most of these records will be one-off's because The Pastels is our main activity.

CS: The Pastels' contribute to the Domino sampler CD with the Hallelujhas track with love is just amazing for me. I even felt some kind of holy feeling on it throughout. Do you still have any other plan of this cover song project? Should we think this is the end of the long story??

SP: I'm so glad you enjoy our version of 'Star'. As you know, we love that music and hope that people can hear that. From a personal point of view I wish the recording had not been so rushed, or done so late at night. We also recorded the song in adverse circumstances for the John Peel Show. Maybe some kind of combination of the two versions would be closer to what we intended.

CS: Let us know update of the Pastels.

CS: Hidetsugu told me you have an plan for the compile very early the Pastels archival collection possibly soon. Let us know some details of it. I guess you have not much interested in those kind of reissue for long long years against people always want it. Do you think it could be have that fabulous "Suppose to Understand" with Strawberry Switchblade ?

SP: I feel I would like to release some of our earlier music but we just need to wait until we can establish ownership of all our recordings. Also I know that as we become more involved in new Pastels music that will be our focus. But yes, I think we would like to please the people that like us with the older music, so we will be open to suggestion.

CS: Tell us about the other Pastels update.

SP: We didn't really do enough Pastels in 1999 but we have some good memories; the MSHB show, recording 'And Your Bird Can Sing' for John Peel's birthday, Katrina and I playing Secret Music (new Pastels song) onstage with To Rococo Rot, and hanging out and playing music with Kevin Shields. For next year we just need to multiply these precious moments and stay fresh and excited.

CS: I've heared Aggi successed by her art/paintings lately. Could you please tell us something about her exibitions?

SP: Aggi is currently illustrating magically for the New Yorker magazine. So far they have commissioned her work for concerts by Belle & Sebastian, Looper and Stereolab. It looks like the Financial Times will also be using her work regularly. That's a good idea. Exhibiting is not really her main thing but she may soon be involved in an exhibition with her sister, Melanie, and with Jad and David Fair. That will be in Glasgow next spring.

CS: Let us know about your next plan to come to japan for touring. Would you really do an session play with Shinji/Nagisa Nite ? Do you think Nagisa Nite is able to having an Geographic release in the future ?

SP: We should go to Japan when our new record finally comes out. It would be incredible to play with Nagisa Nite; I really love the aesthetic of Shinji Shibayama's music. Of course it would be wonderful to release Nagisa Nite through Geographic. First we need to prove that we can do a good job with MSHB. Different flowers bloom in different seasons.

CS: Do you have any further plan of your life outside of the music ?

SP: Crazy though it sounds, we're all trying to do less so that Pastels can devastate next year. Also I would like to be invisible from time to time so that Katrina and I can get on with some secret stuff.

CS: Tell us about Scotland's music scene now.

SP: A lot of very bad generic post-rock and Belle & Sebastian and Pavement copy bands. A few real nuggets. Mostly the people I mentioned that we'd like to help with Geographic.

CS: When I saw the Pastels show in may 1997 in seattle, with the Sleater Kinny and the Bartlebees, in audience (an P.U.N.K.girl, I guess) shouts out "(you)Crazy Guy !" to you just you finished play absolutely tripping out version of "Basement Scam". And then you were smiling at her impression. Same Aggi did. I still remember that just like yesterday. What's on your mind at that time?

SP: I don't know, maybe pleased if it was as absolutely tripping out as you say.

CS: Do you still on the Belle and Sebastian's guest list always?

SP: Sometimes. Sometimes I pay in. I'm happy to pay in for that band.

CS: And Stereolab's as well ??

SP: Likewise.

CS: Cornelius ???

CS: Let us know your today's favourite for musically (record and live stage), and non musically (cat? rabbit? or sunny side up eggs ? whatever).

SP: Musically I'm pretty into Ennio Morricone, Alice Coltrane, Gabor Szabo. Maybe getting a bit obsessed wth some of Robert Fripp's guitar playing, although usually not his own compositions. I like the Maher-mobile (the car that Tori gave Katrina) and the Dogme films. And a Celtic footballer called Lubomir Moravcik who looks like someone in a Truffaut film.

CS: Now the place for your request to presents from japanese fans with loving messages !

SP: No requests but thank you for sticking with us.