Invaders Of The Art:
An EXCLUSIVE
Q&A
with
JAH WOBBLE
with
JAH WOBBLE
From Post-Punk to
Dub to Jazz and back to Dub again, there are very few musical genres that have
not been touched by the genius that is Jah
Wobble. Born John Wardle – and
christened with his stage name by none other than Sid Vicious – Wobble has defied the odds and has remained one of
the most innovative and forward-thinking musicians of the Rock era. He first
came to prominence in John “Johnny
Rotten” Lydon’s post-Sex Pistols
outfit, Public Image Ltd. After a
few years of knocking about and causing musical mayhem with Lydon & Co.,
Wobble struck out on his own. Working with artists such as The Edge (U2) and Holger Czukay and Jaki Liebezeit (Can), he
was able to expand his resume while exploring new sounds and styles. During
this period, Wobble also put together his own band, Invaders Of The Heart. By the end of the ‘80s and into the ‘90s, he
had become one of the most respected British musicians of his generation – entirely
unpredictable yet always riveting. With Invaders Of The Heart, Wobble was able
to combine World Music, Ambient, Folk and Electronica, creating a sound that
was both unique and commercially successful – not an easy feat for any artist.
Scoring a hit album, RISING ABOVE BEDLAM, at the
beginning of the ‘90s, was a little surprising but very welcome and
well-deserved. With a line-up that has evolved over time, Jah and his Invaders
Of The Heart have become one of the most exciting and inspiring musical outfits
in modern music. One of the most prolific artists of his generation, Jah’s work
with Invaders Of The Heart is only the tip of the iceberg. As a leader or
collaborator, Jah Wobble’s catalog is as deep as the music he plays. A visit to
www.jahwobble.com will catch you up to
date.
EVERYTHING
IS NO THING, Wobble and the Invaders’ 2016 release, takes the band into
an exciting dimension – Spiritual Jazz. Produced by Youth and led by Jah’s warm and emotional bass playing, the album
takes the listener to new and exciting levels of ecstasy. Anyone looking for
Ambient, Dub or Post-Punk will not find them here. However, the attitude and
excitement of those genres can be found lurking deep within the grooves of the
album. Wobble’s never-ending musical journey means that he never makes a bad
record. Spiritual Jazz may not be the direction some fans of “Visions Of You”
may be expecting, but open your mind and you’ll most certainly enjoy the ride.
This is not music that you’ll just listen to – it is music that you will feel.
Stephen SPAZ Schnee was able to toss a
few questions over to Mr. Wobble, who kindly took time out to discuss EVERYTHING
IS NO THING and much more…
STEPHEN
SPAZ SCHNEE: EVERYTHING IS NO THING is now available. How are you feeling
about the journey this project took you on and the reaction to it so far?
JAH WOBBLE: It wasn't in anyway an endurance test. I was planning a new Jah
Wobble and the Invaders of the Heart
album back in the Spring of 2015. I figured that I would fund it via a Pledge
campaign. I thought that I would probably have to sit and write reasonably
complex, eastern-flavored compositions that segued neatly from records such as
the eponymously titled INVADERS OF THE HEART (1983), WITHOUT
JUDGEMENT (1989), RISING ABOVE BEDLAM (1991) and TAKE
ME TO GOD (1994). These records tend to feature spoken word, collage
techniques and some slick string horn arrangements – as
well as various musical curveballs thrown in for good measure. All set on a
foundation of Dub. So I figured I was in for a long haul over the course of the
forthcoming year.
At the time I was planning all this we were
embarking on a tour of the U.K. The first of these dates was in funky Brixton
in South London. Youth came to see
us play. He loved the show. We talked about hooking up to do some recording
together. We did not have a show the next day. I booked us all into a hotel
right by Tower Bridge. Just around the corner from the hotel lies a studio that
I have used extensively over the years, Intimate
Studios. I arranged a recording session for the day following the gig in
Brixton. I simply wanted us to play and have fun, whilst laying down backing
tracks that had some changes in as well as some hook lines. I thought the tracks
could contribute towards some sort of crazy offbeat album at some point.
Youth and I got together in the autumn of
2015 and I put some bass down for him on a ton of tracks. We discussed the
possibility of him producing me and the band. I hardly ever work with producers
but I like Youth and knew that he could do a good job. I must say I liked the
thought of not having to source new singers. I thought that Youth could bring
some fresh ideas into play. I sold my record label 30 Hertz Records in 2015 and I felt like I should take a whole new
approach to life, let alone my music.
The only problem was that Youth was going
off to America to tour with Killing Joke in
January 2016. That coupled with the Pledge music campaign scheduled to complete
at the end of May made the idea of Youth producing look impossible. I told him
about the takes I had from the May session with the band and he was very
enthusiastic to hear them. He loved them, so we made a plan for him to work on
three tracks before departing to the US with Killing Joke. However, the Killing
Joke tour got postponed, so suddenly everything changed. Youth and his
excellent engineer Michael set to work on producing EVERYTHING IS NO THING.
I quickly realized that the record was true to the original
early 80's Invaders of the Heart band, (that toured America in 1983). That line
up was a 'playing band'. A lot of what we did had a jazzy Afro Rock vibe. EVERYTHING
IS NO THING sees a return to the original sound. I am surprised at the
good response to the album. I thought people would find it too left field.
SPAZ:
Your records are always musically focused yet still artistically exploratory – EVERYTHING
IS NO THING is no exception. When you begin work on a project, do you
have a particular idea on how you want it to turn out or do you let the
sessions decide on what the end results will be?
JAH: It really
depends on the circumstance of the session. With something like CHINESE
DUB it was all about staying disciplined and sticking to the Chinese
melodies and arrangements and supporting them. Whereas the DEEP SPACE sort of
records are more about getting to the starting point. Once you are there,
anything can happen. I did a session with this present line up of the Invaders
a couple of months ago. I was calling out keys and making tempos and time
signatures change. They are such good players and so free that they stayed
right on the groove and took it too some great places. We have ended up with
something that is pretty close to Psychedelic Rock.
SPAZ:
Was there a particular song/session during the recording process that helped
you to decide the direction of the rest of the album?
JAH: I think the
motif that repeats (in different keys) in the first two tunes set the
scene for us. Youth correctly read what we had done as spacey Spiritual
Jazz/Afro Rock. We were a track short of an album so when we went back into the
studio to record “Symmetrical-Asymmetrical,” we knew what we had to do.
SPAZ:
The musicians on the album really lock into a groove based around your playing.
Do you feel more comfortable in ‘leading’ the recording session or
has it always been about collaborating with the right musicians who understand
your musical vision?
JAH:
A bit of both really. I do tend to lead, I must say. Having said that, when I
work for other people, I tend to step back and be amenable to their
vision.
SPAZ:
Which musicians did you work with on EVERYTHING IS NO THING?
JAH: My band
consists of George King on keys, Marc Layton-Bennett on drums and Martin Chung on guitar. Trumpeter Sean Corby also plays with my band
regularly. He is on the album as is Nik
Turner of Hawkwind fame. Aurora Dawn of Alabama 3 sang vocals. Tony
Allen plays drums on a couple of tracks.
SPAZ:
EVERYTHING
IS NO THING really has a great ‘feel’ to it – natural and warm – yet it
still manages to take the listener outside of their comfort zone and into a
completely new comfort zone. Being a musician, is it hard to balance what
is aesthetically pleasing to you while also being aware of the listener’s
expectations?
JAH: Hopefully, the two are not mutually exclusive. As I said earlier in
the interview I thought the album would turn a lot of listeners off, but that
does not seem to be the case. To give Youth credit, he predicted the album
would be well received. He said it was the zeitgeist.
SPAZ:
EVERYTHING
IS NO THING has a nice Jazz groove, yet there are splashes of Funk
popping in and out. Space Jazz is the best way to describe it. How much of the
album was written and arranged beforehand and how much was improvised during
the recording process? And is there a lot of music left over that didn’t make
the album?
JAH: No music was left over, everything was used. I came up with bass
lines and those two hooks at the top. Funnily enough, a couple of people on the
session (one tech guy and one musician), criticized those hooks. They said they
were like old fashioned Rock and advised me to drop the idea. I'm glad I
didn't! I put changes in because you can roughly judge what that would be like
with strings and horns on. You know it will be a nice modulating musical
bedrock. The playing from my band is pretty much improvised. They are amazing
players. I do not say that lightly. We have played together for a few years so
we have a great understanding.
SPAZ:
Do you like to challenge yourself each time you go into the studio to make a
new album? And do you still surprise yourself sometimes?
JAH: Oh yes I always like to be challenged. I am always surprised by the
music. It's like it is an extension of the deep communal mind. It throws up
surprises similar to that experienced in dream states.
SPAZ:
The album was co-produced by Youth, who has travelled a path very similar to
yours ever since your Post-Punk days with PiL. Do you see him as some
sort of musical kindred spirit? Or is he just a good mate that you like to have
a chat and laugh with?
JAH: He is a
mate of mine. I get on well with all of Killing Joke. But above all he is an
excellent producer. Just look at his CV. It's amazing. He is very bright and
aware. Doesn't miss a beat.
SPAZ:
There’s always going to be those who only accept you as
the PiL bassist or want all Invaders Of The Heart albums to
sound like your early ‘90s releases. Does it bother you that there is a faction
of listeners out there who won’t like what you do no matter how brilliant it
is? And yet, if you DID cater to their whims, they’d moan about how it wasn’t
as good as ‘the old days’? As I see it, you’ve never been one to stand
still, artistically, for too long…
JAH: None of that bothers me. There are always enough people with fresh
ears and open attitudes to work with. I'm not bothered about people being
conservative.
SPAZ:
You’ve gone from Rock to Dance to Jazz to Funk and back again over the years.
In which category do you feel the most comfortable, if any at all?
JAH: I would say Dub is the genre that I am most at home in.
SPAZ:
Are there any genres left that you’d still like to musically explore?
Maybe fill the vacancy in One
Direction?
JAH: Ha, maybe! Rock - especially avant-American Rock – is an area I want to work in. Maybe I should do something in Seattle
or something.
SPAZ:
How did the name Jah Wobble come about?
JAH:
It came from Sid Vicious. We were both drunk and he changed my real name – John
Wardle – into Jah Wobble. Jah because I liked Reggae and all the Reggae guys
were called Jah this, that and the other. I said "I like that, Sid! I'm
going to keep it because people won't forget it....”
SPAZ:
What’s next for Jah Wobble?
JAH:
Psychedelic Rock.
Thanks to Jah Wobble
Special thanks to John Wardle, Alex Jimenez, Ian Attwell, Sue Wincott,
Chris White
and Nick Kominitsky
and Nick Kominitsky
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