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Interview
by SashaS
31-12-2003
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More on: The Cooper Temple Clause
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| The Cooper Temple Clause's hoverboat... |
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Polarizing expanse
The Cooper Temple Clause: Reading’s global cadets?
In spite of music industry’s modus replicatus, The Cooper Temple Clause believe they can redress the balance by dedicating themselves to the search of alter-reality. Their trek has already taken a detour from Reading’s pantry to the Rock Parthenon’s ante-room with big, epic, intriguing songs on the second album. ‘Kick Up The Fire, And Let The Flames Break Loose’ sounds 100 per cent better than most of the competition: it is not metaphysical music but it is valiantly curious and anxiously punctilious.
That’s why we track down two members of TCTC in a neon-lit naked-concrete walled room in north London and it is somehow appropriate as this band ain’t of the poppy, sunny-disposed kind, you think of them more like… well, playing for ‘Buffy, The Slayer’ babe: dark and mysterious and sexy. TCTC members also look like The Darkness could if they had any taste.
Conversation starts with the subject of geography, commuting and discovering how to operate with half the band living in London, half in their place of origin and a studio in the middle of… a cow-farm. They want to relocate it but don’t know where to yet, whether London is the best place for it. There are hardly any fields populated with livestock and it is obvious that watching heifers, calves and bulls evoked some strange inspirations in the TCTC camp.
“We need to change atmosphere,” singer Ben Gautrey explains, “it is good to keep moving and have different experiences, meet different people and sample variety of cultures… We want to do the third album the way we did the second, on our own, without interruptions…”
“There was a talk of moving to Brighton,” fellow member Tom Bellamy adds, “but Ben doesn’t like Brighton.”
It’s become London-by-sea…
“Exactly,” Gautrey nods vigorously, “but Tom’s girlfriend’s lived there for three years and he’s highly motivated.”
Leap of élan
Something majestic occurred between TCTC’s two albums: promising but under-realised ‘See This Through And Leave’ has been succeeded by ‘Kick Up…’, a disc that sounds like having being produced after change of medication, perhaps?
“The possible problem we might have had on the first album,” Gautrey attempts to nail the quality leap, “was it being the product of us being in a studio for the first time and the way we write. Since then we’ve realised that we don’t have to cram in so many ideas and there are better ways of achieving our goals. We don’t all have to play at the same time and have found out the way how to work the best in a studio, as a six-piece.”
Freedom blows through these grooves, there is liberty from the prevailing formulae, (label) demands and (market) expectations… In the world that thrives on restrictions and the (blinkered) bizmen’s guidance of ignorant wannabes, TCTC are in for variety, quality, class and fun.
“We are not about the money,” Gautrey states calmly, “and that was the first thing we told the record company. We are not blinded by money and our aim’s always been to make challenging music in 15 years time, rather than explode in meteoric terms and disappear within 15 months! We love music and we feel very lucky to be in this position of doing what we want, like and believe in.”
Anti-retroneers
TCTC are a gang of friends whose credo is rockist, in a fairly idealistic way: they love music and believe in its power but don’t shirk from attempting to pervert the course of mass taste, usurp the prevailing mode of satisfying one mood, one despair, instinct… It is like they offer an opportunity for one to search and find what we all may be looking for.
“Correct, that’s the whole point,” Gautrey shifts his laidback gear up-one, “expansion, branching out, the musical expanse. We started out because there were no bands making music we liked. We are very big fans of so many different kinds of music, it reflects in the songs we record. I don’t think we try to be pioneers, but we try to do something different and new, something that excites us…”
“…And inspires people,” the EFX-man fills in the ellipsis. Like Radiohead, I like what they are doing, a lot of people don’t because they don’t have the tunes anymore, but they are changing from album to album.”
To be inventive, to choose innovation in the age of Rock’n’Roll conservativism, is bordering on renegade…?
“Whatever are the market trends,” Gautrey states firmly, “we’ve got strong, dedicated fan base, in the UK, Japan and Germany. We are not flavour of the month but are proud to be on the fringe, doing our own songs, our own way, be our own kinda band.”
Artists who don’t polarize, can’t usually complete the distance: if everyone likes you, who’s there to push you to progress? TCTC have their own ‘retro’ fashion and hairdos, even the image as their currency…
~~~
Addendum: Few days after completing this feature, we learn that TCTC used the pre-Chrimbo frenzy to get back in a studio - the same one their recorded ‘Kick Up…’ in, obviously unable to agree on where, or find the time, to relocate - for the third long-player. The plan is to have the album finished for the summer release and use Festival season to promote it before their own headlining tour.
It’s gonna be interesting to find out whether they’ll include any new tunes at their one-off date in February.
*
Live date:
06 February 2004 - Brixton Academy, London [NME Awards Shows, with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club]
SashaS
31-12-2003
The Cooper Temple Clause’s album ‘Kick Up The Fire, And Let The Flames Break Loose’ is available now on Morning/BMG
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