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The New "Odyssey" of Fischer and Spooner
Интервью · 16.05.2005
By Анна Щербакова
Nothing had been heard of these New York boys for two whole years. Now FISCHERSPOONER are back, and loudly and beautifully so. Their second album "Odyssey", released in mid-April, has already been dubbed by NME "the best thing that could have happened to music since electricity." Casey and Warren themselves are these days referred to as nothing less than the princes of electroclash. A bright future lies ahead of the lads - a residency on Ibiza, where every Monday from 4 July to 19 September they'll be DJing as part of the Manumission show. Such an abundance of wonderful events is a great excuse to ring up Casey Spooner and find out about it all first-hand.
Casey, clearly you didn't overthink the name of the project - could you really not come up with something more creative?
Well, they don't say for nothing that all things brilliant are simple. Everything we do or have already done started with me and Warren. And it's still the same now - there's me and Warren. We simply combined Warren's surname (Fischer) and mine (Spooner) and named the band that way. The name seemed to us simple and at the same time reflective of the essence of our group. Actually, at first I was inspired to name our group by two Swiss guys - Fischli and Weiss. I love them very much. And I liked how they used their own names. So that's how it worked out for us too - and pretty creative at that!
And why did you name the new record that? Are you into ancient Greek mythology?
As it seemed to us, the name reflects that little journey we were on in the process of working on the album. We put it that way literally, figuratively and metaphorically all at once. We had this emotional journey through the songs. We really did travel through many cities, gained a mass of experience and in the end came back home again. And it seemed to us that the name captured exactly what we went through. As for the mythology - well, we know a thing or two.
Before, when your first album "#1" came out, all the tracks could be downloaded free from your official site. And now what - the freebies are over?
We just wanted people to have access to the songs. That way we wanted to win over our audience, to establish some kind of contact with people. We never planned a traditional music career. So this gesture of goodwill seemed unusual to us, the kind no musician could allow himself. Now, of course, things have changed a bit. We simply can't afford such freebies anymore. Because now we have a contract with a label. And naturally it's not in their interest to allow that.. But I think that's exactly what a beginning artist should do. It's the sure path to winning an audience. It's easier for people to discover new bands that way, to download new songs.
How long did you toil over the second album?
Oh, the work turned out to be very long. I started working on the album full-force in October 2003. And Warren a whole year earlier, in November 2002! Well, he started slowly composing musical themes back then. So there you have it - we worked intensively on the album for almost 2 years.
And we heard that it all dragged on so long for you because of disagreements with Warren.
You see, we had to change our usual way of working... The process itself underwent some changes and the question arose of changing our creative approach. We also had to work at full strength and sometimes even force ourselves to work in order to come up with something new, absolutely unlike our previous work, something much better. That led to breakdowns, there's no denying it. But it's fine - everything's alright now)
Tell us about your long-standing friendship with the art gallery Deitch Projects.
Well, Deitch Projects is a community of fashionable artists. So when it comes to any kind of artistic design, we turn to Jeffrey from Deitch Projects. From time to time we do some performance for that museum, or some installations, or just some party, or we exhibit photos. In other words, Deitch Projects is our representative in the art world.
I see... And are you setting off on an "odyssey"? I mean, where are you heading in the near future?)))
Right, so, soon I'm going on a promo tour in support of our new album.
First to Europe - Belgium, Holland, France, Germany, Spain, England and Switzerland too. Those are only the countries I know about as of today - what comes after that I don't know.
First to Europe - Belgium, Holland, France, Germany, Spain, England and Switzerland too. Those are only the countries I know about as of today - what comes after that I don't know.
And what about Ibiza?
Well, Ibiza goes without saying! We'll be, so to speak, in residence there for a whole 3 months. We'll be putting on our show program there. We also have 2 shows in Istanbul, and a couple more in Spain over the summer. On Ibiza we'll have a collaboration on many fronts with the nightclub Manumission. It'll be a kind of round-the-clock rock'n'roll ritual. There. I won't say any more!
And you're not by any chance planning to come to Russia?
OH, I personally really want to! I'd even say I'm definitely planning to come to you. It's good that we'll now have so many opportunities to travel the world. This summer we'll be in the Mediterranean for a whole 3 months. From there it'll be easier for us to get to Russia or Greece or Turkey. So maybe we'll turn up in Russia pretty soon. I'm dying to get to St. Petersburg, that's how badly I want to. It'll be so cool. I can already picture myself walking its historic streets. I've even started reading a biography of Nijinsky - trying to learn a little)
And do you know much about Russia in general?
I know that I want to see the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. There are tons of sights there! I know the main ones, but that's not enough for me. In Moscow I want to see the Kremlin. I also want to go on an expedition to Siberia. I know for sure that all this interests me, and I want to learn even more!
And what else do you want to learn more about?
Not so much about what, as about whom. About women! They're so mysterious)))
Right, like men and women are creatures from different planets?
No, definitely not from different planets! That's not it, there can't be such a simple explanation - like, we're just different)) I know a bunch of guys who are simply unbearable in character, and I also know plenty of women who are so easy and pleasant to talk to. That's why I want to get to know every woman better)))
And are you interested in fashion? What's in fashion in New York right now?
Well, fashion interests me a lot less than women))) What's fashionable with us right now - I'll try to figure it out. I honestly don't know. I don't notice any particular fashionistas among New Yorkers. Whatever you put on is fashionable. Right now, for instance, I'm in a bathrobe. So I'll put it this way - here in New York bathrobes are in fashion)))
Well, we'll have to take your word for it. By the way, what was the last thing you lied about?
OOOH!!!! Let me remember. Well, everything I've told you in this interview so far - it was all lies))) But honestly, I can't even remember. Oh! I've figured out why I can't remember - I just never lie. I'm very honest)