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vspirit
Muse Fan
Joined: 16 Aug 2006
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 Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 4:26 pm Post subject: Article: InRock October '06 |
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I actually posted this some time back in the Muse messageboards but forgot to post it here as well. And when I remembered, I procrastinated and as I procrastinated, I forgot all over again. The cycle repeated itself until I saw that new article thingy today and thought I should just do it once and for all, so here ye go, for those of you who don't go to the other board:
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Saw this Japanese article while browsing the press section of the gallery in Microcuts. Found it an interesting read so I thought I'd share. Now the original article was published in Japanese but assuming Bellamy was speaking in English (yes assuming, cos he could very well be speaking in Tongue *shrug*), this would mean this is a translation of a translation. So please read this with a pinch of salt as this is not verbatim to what Bellamy said. I'm not sure if he even remembers his exact words himself but I translated the best I could (with some liberties taken, of course) and kept it as close to what I know of the guy's personality as possible. That said, enjoy. Must say, though, it's a rather long read and I'm not a very grammar-conscious person so...there's your warning.
It’s just that feeling of wanting to leave something of yourself behind, especially in this world where you just don’t know what might happen next.- Matthew Bellamy/MUSE
“Hi.”
Matthew Bellamy is all smiles and courtesy as he greets me before helping himself to some tea.
“Strange thing, isn’t it? Whenever I’m not in the UK, I get this urge to drink tea,” is what he said. What I see, though, is not milk but a piece of lemon floating on top. I call him on it, implying heresy.
“Well, the thing is, I find milk takes away most of the taste behind the tea. And what’s the point of drinking it at all, if not for its taste?” he answers amiably as he takes his seat.
Matthew really does come off as a person who just seems to occupy a different space altogether. Eccentric, I suppose one could say. It’s hard to predict his sentiments, and I get the impression that it doesn’t get any easier, even for those in his inner circle.
The photo session before this is a good example. While the band members were having their pictures taken in front of a piano, Dom said to Matthew, who was tinkering about on the keyboard, “Why don’t you play something?”
He was shot down with a mumbled and barely audible, “No.”
Dom didn’t seem to take any offence, however. Then again, Matthew seemed to like talking to him. A lot. Case in point: even when facing the camera, he would continue to steal glances at Dom while chattering on about something or other.
---I just spoke with Dom (Dominic Howard, drummer) earlier. He seems to be looking healthy, which is a relief. He looked so thin in some of the earlier pictures I’ve seen I was beginning to wonder if he’s been eating right.
Matthew Bellamy (Vox/Guitar): Well, yeah, he’s been going through some rather tough times before this. But he had his girlfriend by his side all the time supporting him. He’s doing a lot better now with the album released and the band touring.
---Has he been going out with his girlfriend long?
Matthew: Pretty long, yeah. How many years has it been? I know for sure they met and began going out with each other even before the album before this. I’m not exactly sure how long but my estimate would be around three, four years.
---Most musicians are notorious for going through girlfriends the way divas go through wardrobes. But I heard you’ve been in two serious relationships thus far.
Matthew: Yeah, yeah.
---With Dom being in a serious relationship as well, dare I assume the same is with Chris (Wolstenholme, Bass guitar)?
Matthew: (Laughs). Yeah well, as far as Dom and I go, there were times in between girlfriends when we had quite a bit of fun without strings attached (chuckling).
---You mean one-night stands?
Matthew: Yeah. It’s just one of those rock n’ roll things, you know? That was fun in itself but there are things, good things, to be said about being in a stable relationship, as well. As in, get home, have a quiet dinner with the girlfriend, and forget all about the whole craziness bit the job involves.
---Speaking of which, the recording studio you used (Miravel Studios, a chateau in Southern France) has some connection with the Knights Templar legend so it’s kind of ‘out there’, I heard. So did you come into contact with any spiritual activity?
Matthew: Yeah, yeah, I can kind of sense these things, you know. (Note: Matthew’s mum used to be a medium) I’m not too sure if it’s actually a ghost or not, but I definitely felt something once back when we were recording in this studio near Boston called Longview. It was as if there’s this shadowy figure that came towards me but the moment it came too near, I sort of just do something to drive it away. In Miravel, these kinds of experiences were rather frequent. You actually don’t need to be afraid of them. If you do get scared, you’re probably only doing it to yourself. What most people perceive ghosts as, and what they really are, are actually two very different things. I think that our minds subconsciously exaggerate what we see when it’s something we haven’t seen before. It’s also why, sometimes, we only think we’ve seen a ghost, when we really haven’t. It's just our minds conjuring up things and playing tricks on us. So when people say they’re afraid of ghosts, it’s really only their imagination they’re afraid of. Our imagination is closely tied to our fears, after all.
I find myself able to easily accept things, even if they’re totally unbelievable or have nothing to do with me at all. I’m not frightened by things which I don’t understand. There’s always more to the universe then what we already understand of it which is why we discover. And I guess I’m just the type who likes the fact that there’s still so much more of it to learn about.
---In an interview with Kerrang!, Dom revealed that you guys actually planned for a double CD album.
Matthew: Yeah, actually our plan was for a triple CD album.
---Why a double or triple album?
Matthew: We initially thought of dividing our repertoire of songs by type, giving each a section of sorts. We had songs that we thought were rock-ish. Supermassive Black Hole felt that way for us. Starlight, even. And then we had songs that really weren’t the type one would put into an album. But we recorded and mixed Hoodoo. It’s kind of jazzy and it’s piano-based. Truth be told, we had about four to five songs in total that were like it. We also bought a lot of synthesizers, so we started making all sorts of noise with those as well.
---Boys and their toys, eh?
Matthew: Yeah, yeah. We pretty much were just pissing about making a racket. We actually even went as far as to record vocals over some of these noises but luckily we realised it probably won’t be a good idea to put them on record and managed to stop ourselves before we went too far with it (laughs). But I was serious about the triple CD song division thing. We held on to that notion up until we were about halfway done recording. Our idea was to have one section that’s more traditional rock, another that’s acoustic with jazzy, piano-based, not-very-loud stuff like Hoodoo…basically a section where there aren’t any frills but rather more experimental based on our recent influences, and one more that’s…well, Rich Costey (Producer) holds a deep interest in academic music. That’s basically the kind of music specially and scientifically designed to control brainwaves. We as humans have these Delta and Alpha type brainwaves, so by composing music that controls these brainwaves, scientists and researchers are hoping to gain control of the Delta part, which is the part that allows us to dream good dreams. Which is also why we thought maybe we could try to come up with things like that, as well, and put them into the third section.
But then we got to thinking, if we were to seriously sit ourselves down to write and produce a record like that, we’d need up to a two-year timeframe at least (laughs). By the time we’ve come to realise this, we had already spent more than enough time in the studio cause we’ve already been there for two, three months. It was also around this time when we figured we’d find a new point from which to start over, rather than continuing with what we were doing. But we also realised that in doing so, we probably won’t be able to reach a conclusion anytime soon. So in the end, all of us sat down together, put everything we had so far on the table and started voting amongst ourselves which songs we wanted on the album (laughs). We basically just voted based on what sounded good. We didn’t worry about details like which riff’s good and whatnot, we just discussed things over based on the songs themselves. Which song do you feel is good enough? Things like that. Each one of us was free to pick up to 12 songs that we like but everyone ended picking more or less the same ones. So we took those 12 songs with us to New York and just focused on finishing up the rest of the recording process there, pretty much abandoning anything unsolved that we might have.
---So you were in Southern France for two months?
Matthew: Yeah.
---Just the three of you?
Matthew: No, there were others there besides the three of us. Rich was there with us for about 80% of the time, so he was around almost all of the time.
---What about those who weren’t part of the recording process? People like the record company execs or your girlfriends, even. How do you stay in touch with them?
Matthew: There weren’t any phones available. For the first month or so, we had nothing. But that kind of isolation, it felt good to me.
---How can you say that? If I were your girlfriend, I’d be mad.
Matthew: (Laughs). Well, we did have some contact. If we wanted to make phone calls, we just head out into town to do it. But in the end, we caved and rented a satellite system so that we can go online. The antenna that was set up was about the size of this table…no, even bigger. Anyway, we rented it with the expressed purpose of being able to communicate with the people from the record company as well as others, but we also wanted to listen to some satellite radio. Rich and I were both interested in listening to some Iraqi and Turkish music, as well as music from other Middle Eastern countries, so we tuned in to satellite radio and did just that. There were also other stations which played music that’s different from the ones we usually listen to, and listening to all this music from faraway places that I can’t even begin to fathom, made it seem as if my slate was being wiped clean.
Listening to only the usual fare of pop and rock, you’ll fall into a sort of trap that makes you feel as though you’ve understood all there is to understand about music. When it comes to music, it’s always better to leave bits which aren’t so easily comprehensible. A song’s appeal will only last if it’s mysterious so bits which people can’t totally grasp are a must. If you take a listen to some Middle Eastern and African music or perhaps other world music, you’ll definitely hear a difference between those and the music that you’re familiar with, and you’ll find that you don’t know everything about music after all (laughs). Having a period in which I’m able to do something of that degree is what I meant with feeling good about being isolated from civilization. We’ve managed to come up with some new songs and I even think it’s good that we didn’t just start all over.
When we were in France, we could hardly come to definitive conclusions with what we had so there weren’t many results (laughs). It’s not that it’s a bad thing but there’s only so many times you can go, “Oh, how about we do this?”, “No, how about we do that?”, “Oh, let’s do this!” and “Let’s try something completely different this time!” before you just say, “Fuck it, let’s just trash everything and start over.” So going to New York was a refreshing change for us. When we were there, we really got down to business, like, “Nah, this doesn’t sound any good. Let’s not waste anymore time and focus on this other song instead.”
France had been a good place for fresh ideas and thinking back on it now, it seemed that everything had been a good idea to us while we’re there. I mean, it even got to a point where we didn’t care that all the sound we’re making with the synthesizers were just noise, it was all music to our ears (laughs). But then again, as artists, if you didn’t like your own work, who else would, right?
---What stage do you think you’re at now in life? Do you find yourself striving for stability the way most adults do, what with things being so steady with the band now? Are things going just as steady in your life?
Matthew: I suppose it is, yeah. I think I’m at a stage in life where I’m about to reach one of those proverbial bridges. So maybe things will be different two or three years from now, who knows, really. It may not even be the band itself. It could be just our music or me personally.
---Like becoming a daddy, perhaps?
Matthew: Yeah, maybe. But I just feel as if there’s going to be some sort of huge change that’s about to happen.
---How come?
Matthew: I can’t really explain it. I just feel it, is all.
---Maybe something deep within your soul is trying to tell you something.
Matthew: Maybe. It’s really hard to explain, I feel as if I’ve finally just reached a point where I’ve always been struggling to reach. What this point is exactly, not even my premonitions can tell me. Which is why after the tour for this album is over, I think I’ll be going off on a trip somewhere. Just take some time off for myself and travel to some place…I don’t mean a trip where all one does is shop or whatever, not a vacation, but something a whole lot simpler. Something inside is driving me, telling me that it’s high time I do that.
---You did something similar before the band started, didn’t you? You went to Spain and a number of other countries to polish your guitar skills, right? If I recall correctly, you did that for about half a year.
Matthew: Yeah, back when I was 17, I spent about two or three months in Spain, and I also backpacked to several other countries in Europe.
---Are you planning to do the same this time around?
Matthew: That’s right. It’s just that feeling of wanting to leave something of yourself behind, especially in this world where you just don’t know what might happen next.
---Is this a sign of your getting tired of reality?
Matthew: (laughs). Not really, no…or rather, I like changes myself. This has nothing to do with the band, I’m talking about my life outside of it. Everyday is pretty much the same for me and that drives me to find something different to experience. And I think that whatever I find will end up having a positive effect on my music, anyway.
---Oh, you mean like shedding old skin.
Matthew: (laughs). Anyway, what I’m trying to say is, I want to continue where I had once left off. Maybe I might gain a different way of looking at things, a fresh insight, who knows. In the next four or five years, if I just go back to merely living the way I did before, I’m pretty sure I’ll end up always feeling like I’m lacking something. I’m not a pious person by any means, but I think a pilgrimage of sorts will allow me to reevaluate my beliefs. You know, I even thought of going to the Amazon and then bring back with me some sort of mysterious plant. If I were to totally blend myself in while I’m there, I’d be able to personally experience a totally different dimension in itself. I know it sounds cracked that I’m into these kinds of experiences, but I’m actually not influenced by things like drugs or Satan. We as people are pretty much set in our way of thinking and looking at things but I just think that if we were to just take a moment to step outside of ourselves, even for a little while, we’d be able to experience so much more. And that’s what I’m trying to discover.
---How long do you think it’ll take you?
Matthew: To get there? I’m not really sure myself (laughs).
---Does a year sound long enough?
Matthew: Perhaps.
---So is it safe to assume that the next album will take a wee bit longer than usual?
Matthew: That’s certainly a possibility…I can’t exactly make a statement of it now. What I’ve just said, it’s more something for myself than anything, really.
---So are you planning on taking that pilgrimage of yours alone? Or are you planning on bringing your girlfriend along?
Matthew: I’m willing to bring anybody who shares the same feelings as I do (laughs).
---What about your girlfriend? Do you think she’d be willing to go along?
Matthew: Well, I won’t know until I ask, will I? But I don’t think she’d approve of my plans to begin with. She’s just not the type to (laughs). She’s a psychologist who works with people like those who have multiple personalities. Something interesting she told me was, some of the things I say are remarkably similar to what some of her patients spew out sometimes. I guess the society we live in today just aren’t very kind to people who think differently. Escapism, I believe they call it.
---While your inspirations might be hard to explain, knowledge of your girlfriend’s field of expertise is something which can be learned from books, isn’t it?
Matthew: I suppose you can call that following the system or something. I’m pretty much someone who’s looking in from the outside of it, though.
---Now I’m aware that Kerrang! has a habit of fabricating some of its content, but it seems you’ve been avidly reading up on survival books, having a rather acute fear for ‘The End’, so to speak. And because of that, you’ve had something that protects against electromagnetic waves built. (Matthew is laughing quite hysterically at this point) Are you really that paranoid or what?
Matthew: There’s this book called Day to Prepare (original title)* and it teaches you stuff like how to filter water.
---Pretty taken by the book, aren’t you?
Matthew: Yeah, yeah. It’s a great book. It teaches you how to survive without the conveniences that the system has afforded us. Things like shops and supermarkets and the like. They may be very important to the human daily life, but it’s also important to not be too dependant on the system. It’s actually more fragile than we think it is. Though I don’t think that it would just disappear overnight or anything, we as humans shouldn’t forget the basics either. Like how to start a fire without a match or a lighter.
---So it’s actually not a book that teaches you how to survive in a world overtaken by pollution or something like that?
Matthew: But there’s a picture of an atomic bomb on the front cover.
---whoa…
Matthew: So there may be people who read the book for the very reason you’ve described but the content itself is actually filled with practical and useful tips.
---Have you actually tried out anything that was mentioned in it?
Matthew: My house in Italy is near a forest so I’ve actually tried starting a fire in there but all I had to show for it after two hours of hard work was smoke (laughs).
August 9
Compiled and Edited in Tokyo
*T/L Note: The romanized form of the kana reads exactly that, Day to Prepare, but I ran that title through Google and Amazon and came up dry. Personally, I think it’s an error made by the journalist and what Bellamy actually meant was Dare to Prepare by Holly Drennan Deyo since the summary and reviews of the book kind of match what he has described but I can’t be too sure, having never read the book myself. Didn’t notice any atomic bombs on the cover, though I heard there’s a second edition so…who knows. |
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hystericali
Gig Whore
Joined: 27 Jul 2006
Posts: 4184
Location: on a road to nowhere!
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| Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2007 4:58 pm Post subject: |
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thanks for posting that 
_________________
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MUSE CALENDAR 2006/07
27th August 2006 - Leeds Festival
17th November 2006 - Nottingham Arena
18th November 2006 - Sheffield Arena
16th June 2007 - WEMBLEY STADIUM
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