 |
| |
|
| |
Interview
by SashaS
13-4-2002
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
| Ben and Tjinder of Cornershop |
|
Deconstructing stars
Or, value during manipulative era
Some weeks ago – when the long-awaited album by Cornershop, the superb ‘Handcream For A Generation’ was released – dotmusic.com trailed an interview with the band’s Tjinder Singh quotes on the ‘Pop Idol’… erm, ‘scheme’. Then, when I researched for an encounter with Tjinder and wanted to refresh my memory, there was no interview. Some kinda censorship, perhaps avoiding offending Simon ‘Trooz’?
“I don’t know what happened there,” Singh sighs, “I remember doing the interview… I can tell you what I said about it. There was a programme ‘Opportunity Knocks’ some time ago but now we have – let’s knock some opportunity. It’s on the money, I think, and it is all about profit. Music has become too manipulative, so hyped and I find the whole process too sickening to even think about. But, people get what they deserve which is a very sad thing, as far as I’m concerned. It’s the antithesis of everything we’ve worked for and yet it rules right now.”
“But, you know, BBC pulled a plug on us…” he continues rather dispassionately. “We were supposed to play Jo Whiley show but got cancelled on the grounds of possible swearing. That was the official reason although we had no intention to do any… Still, it is okay to play records about bodies in the back of cars, shootings… It is different thing for a white-person than for a brown-person...”
“It’s difficult,” he concludes later in the interview, “to be an Asian rocker right now.”
Step this way
Some five years ago the sky formed a roof over this Cornershop, after the ‘Born For The Seventh Time’ album and Fatboy Slim’s remix of ‘Brimful Of Asha’ saw them reach the chart’s top-end. Just before that episode of success, Cornershop had toured with Oasis (which they’ll do again in America, from the end of April) and befriended the Gallagher lot. Thus, no surprise that Noel Gallagher is playing guitar on ‘Spectral Mornings’ but it is surprising that Guigsy (Paul McGuigan, former Oasis member) is on the same album, taking part on the formidable-but-ignored single ‘Lessons Learned From Rocky I to Rocky III’.
“No, they didn’t even know they’d be on the same album,” Singh laughs, “and they didn’t call me after I send them the album. It hasn’t affected our relationship with Oasis as we’ll be playing a few dates in America with them.”
‘The Hindu Times’ is a bit strange sounding track from Oasis but no real insight comes.
“Well, it is totally a song you’d expect from Oasis,” Singh shrugs it off. “I really think Liam is a star but his off-stage behaviour gets in the way of it, unfortunately.”
As all the crap gets in the way of quality, is there future for popular music?
“Yes, I firmly believe there is,” Tjindar’s enthusiasm start showing up, “one has to be an optimist. It’s been dire for far too long and something’s gonna give. Whether people will utilize Internet for it or find some other form to undermine the monopoly of the majors… It can’t go on like this forever, it is too depressing.”
Reign of truth
When they finished touring project in 1998, Cornershop – that’s Tjinder and Ben Ayers – decided to dedicate time to their other project, dance-orientated Clinton and after an album, they formed their own label, Meccico Records, and singed up The Toes. But, the ambition is not to create another huge corporation.
“Well, very little one,” Singh laughs again. “We’ve always wanted to have our own label and we’ve formed it not to be dependent on the industry but to be able to promote music we really like.”
Cornershop have donated a song, ‘Returning From Wreckage’, to a charity compilation ‘Love Songs For New York’, instigated by the city’s magazine Village Voice. Other notable contributor is Moby, I happen to mention…
“I am really sorry to find myself associated with something that Moby’s involved in,” he states suddenly. “He appears to be ubiquitous, he’s everywhere, doing everything… Didn’t he just remix a Bowie track? Pleeeze…”
No compromise, no diplomacy, no bull, just honesty that makes Cornershop a band the world can’t handle behind its ‘pink robots’ façade…
Tour dates:
14 April – Waterfront, Norwich
15 April – Concorde 2, Brighton
16 April – Arts Centre, Colchester
18 April – Cockpit, Leeds
20 April – Leadmill, Sheffield
21 April – QMU, Glasgow
22 April – University, Manchester
23 April – Shepherds Bush Empire, London
SashaS
26-3-2002
Cornershop’s album ‘Handcream For A Generation’ is available now on Wiiija
|
|
|
