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Interview with Indigo Brainmedia (Mexico) Full Name: Anton Elizabeth Barbeau Give us a mini bio about you and your music. I grew up in Sacramento listening to my parents’ record collection: Beatles, Doors, Neil Diamond, Simon and Garfunkle etc. My first gig, at age 10, was doing a magic show for my school. I tried doing acting and at 13 was Jesus in “Godspell,” but by the time we attempted Shakespeare, I was lost. I started playing keyboards instead and started writing songs straight away. I’ve put out loads of albums, and have worked with all sorts of heroes and friends. I’ve become much more interested in Cosmic Rock, music that contains sacred information and “the secrets of the universe,” but I’m always keen to please the people on the gruntiest level I can. Yin/Yang, Paul and Ringo. Anyway, I’ve done gigs with all sorts of people, from Japanese noise gods Mono to folk legends Martin Carthy and Robin Williamson. I’ve made albums with the Bevis Frond and the Loud Family and my newest disc, “The Automatic Door,” has just been released in France. And I’m 5ft10. And I shaved my sideburns off yesterday. And I like seagulls and robins. And… Do you believe in coincidences? Why or why not? Oh yeah! P.K. Dick described the Universe as a language of information, albeit a language we’ve forgotten how to read. And syncronicity, I think, is when we, if just for a moment, remember everything at once. Zowie! 23 indeed! If today you could do something you’ve never done before, what would it be? If I were more the adventurous type, I’d name a mountain I haven’t climbed and then head out the door with my boots on. But really, I’d rather make an album in three days with 5 synth players and a 23-person choir! In a cave with sharks and beetles. What fairy tale character do you identify yourself with? I don’t think it’s a proper fairy tale, but I think I’d be Alice of Wonderland/Looking Glass fame. Surreal, sometimes a bit hapless, but not altogether un-together. What’s your favorite time of day? Why? I don’t know! Depends on time of year, I reckon. In summer, as long as it’s not too hot, morning is great. In spring, it’s hard to go wrong at all. Maybe the 2-4pm is harder for me in general… time starts to pinch a bit and I feel pressured to get too many things finished at once. 9 at night is usually good, though. There’s nothing you can do about 9pm – it sets its own standard. Oh, 4:30 on an autumn afternoon is solid. No denying the weather, and it’s a powerful “neither THAT nor THAT” seasonal moment. What do you want your tombstone to say when you die? “I should have your money by next week. I’ll call you…” What songs do you listen to in order to get into a good mood? Today it’s been loads of Funkadelic – “Maggot Brain” and “Cosmic Slop” among others. Also, “A Glass of Champagne” by Sailor always pleases. Anything from “Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter” – it’s a perfect album. Beatles – “Two of Us” and “I’ve Got a Feeling” from Let It Be, which I put on last night. “Brainwashed” by George Harrison and “Nobody Told Me” by John Lennon. Both were released after the deaths of the two Beatles and both songs contain such humour and vibe! “Zorbing” by Stornoway is a godly song, too. If you were an object, what would you be and why? (Could be instrument, tool, etc) I’d be a mushroom spore floating through space for centuries. Nothing to do but sleep and dream and check out the scenery, but with a real sense of purpose. Or maybe I’d be a garden gnome. Same gig as the spore, but less pressure to perform! What routine do you follow before you go to bed? Well, around 12:30am I go door to door, knocking softly and making sure all the neighbors are asleep. Once I know everyone is safe, I paint clown faces on any cats I find and wait for the morning bus. I get to the hospital in time for lunch (if I’m lucky) and am usually able to start thinking about brushing my teeth. If it’s been raining, I lie awake for a few extra hours. Anyway, most of the time I’ll read a few pages from one of last week’s newspapers and that usually leads me gently to sleep. Sometimes, however I suffer insomnia and the only cure for this is listening to a bootleg cassette of Tori Amos doing “Mull of Kintyre.” I’m not so keen on Tori Amos, and I’d rather listen to Gary Numan, but these things can’t be helped. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? Taller and older! A garbage man when I was very little, then I wanted to be an actor so I could meet famous ladies! Then, when I turned 13, I became a musician so I’d never have to grow up. What word are you? Gorn. Recommend the following: Book: name, author, what’s your favorite thing about it The Third Policeman, by Flann O’Brien. It’s relentlessly absurd and very compelling. Movie: name, director, what’s your favorite thing about the movie The Wicker Man (not the remake!), Robin Hardy. It’s such a weird film with such a great soundtrack, and completely sexy. CD: name of band, what’s different and unique about it Peggy Suicide – Julian Cope. The first of his truly Turned On albums, it’s epic, cosmic rock, entirely forward-thinking and it sounds brilliant at any volume. Guitars? Guitars! Moments of humour and Light mixed in with anti-greedhead anger, very righteous. Poem or phrase: name of poem, poem, why is it your favorite A Pram for Milton Keynes How I long to say I’ve been It’s not quite ee.cumings, but I like it. My friend Half-Bearded Jonny wrote this on the X5 bus to Oxford and sent it to me recently. I guess it helps to know Milton Keynes… Snack: name, when’s the best time to have this snack, describe its taste Hmm. Not sure I’m even comfortable with the word “snack.” Some words bug me, like “blog” and “hump.” I used to have a real problem with “doily” too, but I’m fine now. Uh, if I have to pick, I’d say somosas from Al Amin on Mill Road on Cambridge make a pretty good afternoon treat. They’re very spicy in an intense yet delicate way, and the potatoes and peas sing like beavers! |
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