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| Photo credits: Mads Perch |
๐ท๐๐๐๐๐๐’s long-spanning career featured a punk-rock beginning, with lyrics full of teenage angst and hedonism, but soon turned towards a more introspective mode, bringing themes like depression, medication, relationships and melancholy into their songs, with a sound more mature on each subsequent album.
Chaoszine had the opportunity to catch up with ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ถ๐๐๐ ๐๐ about the new album and the role ๐ท๐๐๐๐๐๐ had in bringing important themes like sexuality to the conversation, as well as their expectations for the upcoming tour. You can read the interview below.
๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐จ, ๐ก๐จ๐ฐ’๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ ๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ ?
๐๐ฅ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฅ: Hello. Yeah, I’m good. Thanks.
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฒ๐ฌ ๐๐ฌ ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐?
๐๐ฅ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฅ: I think it’s affected everyone, you know? I suppose it’s been frustrating, obviously. I think we would have had this conversation two years ago, if it hadn’t been for the pandemic. But, you know, it’s what happened, and we will adapt. We just get on with things. Some things became harder and, strangely, some things became easier, life became simpler. And I think, perhaps, I personally welcome certain aspects of it, I’m not gonna lie to you. Because it’s been such a hectic life for so long. We had more time to really get inside each and every song, and to really explore all the possibilities and explore all the layers without any constraints.
๐๐ญ’๐ฌ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ข๐จ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฆ๐ข๐. ๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐?
๐๐ฅ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฅ: With every record, we tried to not get bored and to get out of old, comfortable ways of working. We tried to start off approaching from a different angle. And this time, Brian came to me with that idea, saying, “Let’s try to do it backwards,” you know? And we started off with the album artwork and the song titles and kinda worked our way from there. But at the same time, this was the first time that we started an album, just the two of us, because we didn’t have a drummer. So, there were a few factors in starting this record that were a little bit different. And I think we need that. I mean, the end result might still sound very much like a Placebo record. And I think it does. There was a time in the beginning of this record that we thought, “Let’s make this whole album without a drummer.” So, we started writing with a drum machine. And some of those elements are still on there.
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| Photo credit: Gizellerenee |
๐๐ฅ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฅ: Yeah, I think we’ve learned to embrace happy accidents. We like to use equipment and technology in the wrong order and plug things in that are not supposed to be plugged in that way. Or when the computer corrupts, you know, the sound of that. And also incorporate the imperfections. I think perfection is impossible, and also it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s best, you know? So, some little noises and things slightly out of tune and sounds that are not supposed to be on the record, we kinda left in because they felt right. And I think, in today’s age, when technology allows you to make everything completely quantized and super clean, I think we wanted to make an album that felt very human as well.
๐๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฆ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฆ๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ฅ๐. ๐๐’๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐๐ง ๐ ๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐ญ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐, ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฑ ๐ฒ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ̶ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง ๐๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฆ๐ข๐, ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ง ๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ฅ๐. ๐๐ข๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ง๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฎ๐ฆ?
๐๐ฅ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฅ: Yes, certainly, we’re human beings who are affected by what goes on around us, for sure. The end of the world has always been on the human mind. If you’re talking about turmoil and discord and violence and destruction. I mean, the human is no stranger to all of these topics. Perhaps, we’re seeing them a little bit more prescient now.
๐๐ฅ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฅ: When we started out, in the mid-90s, there was a lot about us that didn’t fit in. As a band, we kind of didn’t really fit into what was happening, in the height of Britpop. So, yeah, at times we did feel like outsiders, ever since we were teenagers, trying to find a place to fit in, trying to find like-minded people. And I think that kind of search for belonging and a space to freely express ourselves kind of led us to Placebo. And it’s something that we’ve held on to ever since. We didn’t feel like we fit in anywhere else, so we can create our own world. I suppose, we kind of searched for that space to be able to express ourselves freely, be it the way that we present ourselves or what we sing about, or how we perform, how we act. It’s all part of our identity. And I don’t think we could have done it any other way. I think the things that you’re talking about, perhaps there is more open discussion about them now. There’s more visibility in terms of gender identity and sexuality and perhaps mental health. And I think that’s certainly a positive thing, but I’m not so sure that it’s where we want it to be. Have we advanced really, you know, as humans? I don’t know.
๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ค๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ๐ฅ๐ ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง. ๐๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ก๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐จ๐ง๐๐ง๐๐. ๐๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐ค ๐๐ญ ๐ก๐จ๐ฐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ข๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ง๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ฐ ๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐, ๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ? ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ .
๐๐ฅ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฅ: Yeah, absolutely. It feels like we attracted like-minded people, you know? Those are our fans. And absolutely, that’s an extreme form of validation for us, which we’ll be forever grateful for. I guess I was referring to this visibility and this kind of more open discussion. You look around to a lot of governments around the world, and you’re not necessarily seeing that it’s happening on that level. I guess that’s where my question was. And there’s bands of music that have helped me in my quest to find my identity and finding like-minded people or finding strength and finding a soundtrack to me trying to come to terms with myself. And if Placebo has provided that to one person, then that’s an amazing thing.
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ซ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ “๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ญ ๐๐ ๐๐จ”, ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ฌ?
๐๐ฅ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฅ: I guess during the pandemic, we all got used to disappointment, right? And also not to expect things to be the way that you plan them to be. I think it was a big lesson for all of us. And, in a way, it was liberating. Obviously, it causes a lot of anxiety and a lot of grief and problems. But at the same time, we have to get used to the fact that we can’t just think that we can have everything the way that we want it. So, in terms of touring, we are going into rehearsals, and we’re gonna get this record right into tour. I really hope that we can. But until we step onto that stage and play, I’m not gonna believe it, you know. And I guess I’ve just got to a place where I have to manage my expectations.
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| Photo credit: Gizellerenee |
๐๐ฅ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฅ: Yes. We’re already experiencing it, you know. And, in a way, it’s great because everyone wants to go out and play. And it’s a beautiful thing, because people really wanna go out and play and people really want to come to see the show. So, that’s great. I mean, the technical aspects, the logistics… we’ll work around it. I’m in England now. And to go on tour to Europe is not as easy as it used to be. So, there, we have more logistical issues, and with the leftovers of the pandemic, things aren’t the way that they were, you know, when we were last touring. But the thing is: that’s not the main focus. The main focus is trying to get out there. All the other stuff, it’s gonna be harder, but that’s what we got.
๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ: ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐๐ฌ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ฎ๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ๐ง’๐ญ ๐ ๐จ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฌ. ๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐จ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ?
๐๐ฅ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฅ: It’s certainly a different landscape to what it was when we started, you know, for sure. And I don’t know if we talked too much about technology. But what we’re living through right now is a bit of a technological revolution. It’s developing at such a kind of ever-increasing speed that I don’t think we, humans, are really able to comprehend exactly what the consequences are and the price that we will pay. But certainly, some bands today and artists have to spend almost half their time creating content in order to be even heard. And sometimes, the whole format of how does a song reach an audience, it’s like there’s so much noise out there that sometimes you have to make your song explosive sonically just so people will pay attention. We’re a million light-years away from the way that you heard a song was you bought the sheet music, you know? You took it home, and you played it on the piano: we’re so far away from that, you know? So, the role the sound or the arrangement of a song has kind of crept into the picture. I mean, I have friends who have started playing the stock market to help pay the bills, you know?
๐๐จ, ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง๐ค ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐๐ก ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ. ๐๐ญ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ค ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ. ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ฒ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ’๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ค๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐๐ง๐ฌ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐?
๐๐ฅ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฅ: Just stay safe and take care of each other.
๐ถ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ป๐๐๐: ๐ต๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฐ๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐ถ๐บ.๐ถ๐น.๐ธ๐ถ๐ธ๐ธ.
๐ถ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฐ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐:
https://bit.ly/3Cp1AU4
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