Pitchfork

Welcome to the latest edition of Pitchfork's Guest List. Each week, we ask one of our favorite artists to fill us in on what they've been up to lately: which tracks they can't stop spinning, what books they can't put down, and what new bands they've caught on tour. This week it's Jamie Lidell, who speaks to us from the privacy of some venue's restroom and tries unsuccesfully to avoid picking his favorite songs, bands, and movies-- a feat that requires him to stretch his memory to fantastically retro lengths.

>> Favorite New Songs of the Past Year

I don't really listen to new music. Is that an answer you can deal with? [laughs] Yeah, that's my honest answer.... Well, that's not really my honest answer; that would be a lie. One of many lies. Is that helpful?

Pitchfork: [laughs] Not entirely.

Hang on, bear with me. I don't know what was released last year. Everything I have on my computer is old. I haven't got a clue what's going on. I did enjoy the Atlas Sound record. I'm a big fan of Bradford [Cox]. He's a good man. Although, that doesn't really represent where I'm coming from, some would say, but it's cool. What a lovely man.

There's been a lot of good stuff [this year]. I don't want to name drop just for the sake of it.

>> Favorite Older Songs at the Moment

That's a lot easier. I've been enjoying the music of R.D. Burman, the Indian dude. I've also been enjoying this band called the Moovers. There's this song of theirs called "Darling I'll Go", which is fucking incredible. I don't know where they found the recording. It sounds like someone tried to bury it and a dog found it or something, like someone scratched all the tape. It's this really horrible creaky, scratchy recording, but what a fucking song. It's a blazer-- not the jacket, obviously-- but it's marvelous, love it.

Can is on a permanent playlist on my computer. I've been checking out the music of a lesser known artist: Prince. I listen to a fair amount of Sly Stone, still. I listen to all kinds of shit. I listen to Sun Ra, the Congos, Delia Derbyshire. I even listen to a bit of Perrey-Kingsley, Arthur Russell. Even chuck in a bit of vintage Radiohead every now and again when I'm feeling blue. They are bloody good. Of course there's Serge Gainsbourg. There's a lot of stuff going on in my computer. It's a fair mix. Even started to enjoy a little of the Avalanches, which surprised me.

Pitchfork: It's quite a record.

It's kind of amazing. There we go. If you'd let me, I could go on all day.

>> Favorite New Band

I'm not really doing the favorites thing. It seems to be an obsession of people. I find it's quite a damaging way to look at things. Gold, silver, bronze, and all that crap. I prefer to stay between precious and heavy metals.

Pitchfork: Well, that may preclude the next question...

>> Favorite Song Ever

It would be impossible to have a favorite song of all time. I mean, people ask you for a desert island disc sometimes. That sort of makes sense to me: when it comes to the crunch, and you're on your way to the desert island, and you've only got one song. After a while, it's going to drive you mad, no matter what you pick. You could love it in the beginning, but surely it'll drive you mad. Either that, or you could choose a really long song that goes through many moods, like Terry Riley "In C". You get many moods. It's a toughy. What you're asking for has no answer.

Pitchfork: That's a pretty good answer itself.

Okay, that will be my answer. It is the truth.

>> Best Recent Concert

Best show I've seen recently was Mr. Bungle, many years ago.

You know what? I'm not just saying this because I toured with him, but I really enjoyed the last Beck tour. I thought it was a really successful concept that actually translated into a fun show. So often these things look good on paper, but they don't really work. Seeing all those puppets and everything out there was bloody awesome.

I've always enjoyed seeing Liars live. I quite enjoyed Deerhunter; that was probably the best show I've seen in a small room. That was fucking great. Probably not what people would expect from me. Well, I don't really know what they'd expect from me. I don't really care.

>> Last Great Film I Saw

Good question. I enjoyed Jacques Tati, Play Time. I'm a big fan. Go and check that out; you won't be disappointed. He's a real character, a slapstick master. [Play Time] is something entirely unique. It really paved the way for films like Brazil. I don't know if you're familiar with that?

Pitchfork: It's one of my favorites.

You'll find that Terry Gilliam stole many things from Jacques Tati, and Play Time in particular: the look and feel of his offices and stuff, the way he's presented all of that-- it's genius really. He spent three years making it, lost all his money, and no one really liked it. It's really sad, because it's a fucking cool, really funny film.

>> Last Great Book I Read

I was going to say that Oliver Sacks book about music [Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain], but I didn't really like that. Fuck. This really does reveal that I don't read a great deal, which is really awful, because I want to read so badly. I've turned into that bloke who just answers e-mails all the time. It's very difficult for me to answer that question, so I'll probably say the other Oliver Sacks book: The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, and Other Clinical Tales, which I have enjoyed relatively recently.

Got anymore "favorite" questions?

Pitchfork: [laughs] Yeah, actually. Here comes one...

"What's my favorite 'favorite' question?"

Pitchfork: [laughs] We'll save that one for last.

You've turned me into a trivial man-- all my favorite things. You're going to put me on the side of the webpage, just sort of like, "by the way, Jamie's favorite film...would you believe it!?"

>> Favorite Piece of Musical Equipment

Trivially, but truthfully: the microphone. There are many variations, of course, but I open up to the world with the microphone. Fast, prolific, spans history, and will remain relevant forever. We're using them right now.

>> Favorite Record Shop

Well, I don't know a great deal. I have greatly enjoyed Amoeba. Very easy answer, of course, but it is bloody amazing. You can't really argue with Amoeba in L.A. I don't know how you could beat it.

>> Best Purchase of the Past Year

That is a tough question. I did recently buy some tea I liked a lot. It was green tea, but there was something special about it. It just had a certain je ne sais quoi. Good tea, you know? Hard to find. When you find it, you cherish it dearly.

>> Best Thing I Did This Year

I don't know, really. Get a band. That's the hardest thing I've done in a long time. It's been amazingly tough, just rocking here with my band right now. Well, not now, but today. [Wistfully] I don't feel lonely anymore...

>> Favorite Music Venue

I really enjoyed playing the Hollywood Bowl. I only played it because I was supporting Björk with Matthew Herbert, but I'll always remember that place. Spectacular. You can't fuck with it. I loved California. Thinking about it now makes me want to go.

[Pause] Sorry, I'm in the toilet right now. Possibly not the best place. I'm trying to find a quiet place in the venue. I often go towards the toilet.

Pitchfork: [laughs] Works for me.

>> Favorite TV Show at the Moment

I haven't got a fucking clue what's on tele. Last thing I enjoyed was "Project Runway". I'm a big fan. I only watched the season that had Christian. I didn't want to jump on again if they made another one. I kind of had enough. By the end of that series, I was a little bored, but I do enjoy it. Fucking marvelous.

>> Favorite Video Game at the Moment

I used to be a [video game] fanatic when I was a kid. I was glued to the screen, had my hands permanently on my joystick. At the moment, I haven't got a fucking clue. What was the last video game I played? I think it was something on my cousin's Game Boy, some sort of 3D "Mario Bros." thing. It was pretty nice. That's about the last thing I bothered to play. I always like "Marble Madness", do you remember that game?

Pitchfork: Yes, I still have that one at home.

I'm going to say "Marble Madness", because it was amazing. It's very rare that you get to be a marble. That's pretty special.

>> Favorite Radio Show

[I don't have a favorite show] anymore, since John Peel died. Of course it was the Peel-y. He was the only one I cared about, really. At the moment, I'm a digital man, it's all on the computer. I don't really know what radio is anymore. Of course, another reason to go to L.A. Bloody marvelous place to listen to the radio. If I lived in L.A., I would listen to the radio and I could answer you that. Maybe someone needs to buy me a ticket to L.A....maybe Pitchfork?

>> My Ringtone

My ringtone at the moment is by Perrey-Kingsley. They might have made a famous song. They were a devilish deal, electronic composers with a lot of catchy little melodies. The one I've got on my phone at the moment is early electronica. It's really soothing. I always think it might be them calling, to be honest.

Pitchfork: [laughs] That'd be something.

I suppose I ought to go back then. Permission to leave toilet?

Pitchfork: [laughs] Granted.

All right, hasta luego.