this is my favourite interview of this press cycle, he asks as well as he answers, reminds me of when I met him and it was like, uhh, an actual conversation! obviously writing that down loses a certain dimension but I enjoyed it. i'm glad Sevigny forewent insincerity regarding familiarity with John's work as it gave room for explanation. also he looks older. obvious thing to say but he does.
it's interesting he talks about this labour of building instruments in nearly every conversation recently. it reminds me of the mythos around someone like Kevin Shields and his endless tales of exploration on
Loveless (which is back with a vengeance this week). i've never been of the opinion that great art necessarily requires this depth of commitment to not just craft and execution but also some kind of fundamental and material familiarity with the technology that goes into it. i think it's totally fine to delegate technical and manual tasks to those better suited to it - even though there's always this communication breakdown between "the artist" and "the technician" that understanding could help, like learning a new language.
been listening a bit more. i went walking yesterday and had a few drinks afterward and listened on the train on the way home, slightly drunk. no scintillating new insights. contains some of his best work to date. Decide Decide is the only song i can't crack. i've got the official download to replace the leak and it is slightly different...and better.
has anyone ever compared JM to Thomas Dolby? i think there are comparisons to be made beyond the superficial.