Interview with Momus (Nick Currie)
Nylvi caught up with fellow Berliner Nick Currie, also known as the recording artist Momus who released a series of albums on the now seminal Creation Records before finding a home on the equally brilliant Cherry Red. Alongside writing and performing his music he is a journalist and author for publications such as Wired, Vice, The Moment, Frieze and Design Observer. An all round fascinating gentleman in a world of fake celebrity. Enjoy.
Would you kindly begin by introducing yourself Mr Currie?
I’d call myself a polymath-dabbler who’s essentially a writer. I come from Edinburgh in Scotland, but I’ve been living in Berlin for the last five years, and before that I lived in London, Paris, New York and Tokyo. I live by making pop records and performances, by journalism about art and design, by writing books, and by doing “unreliable tours” which qualify as performance art. I think my main ambition is to create or investigate parallel worlds.
You are set to put out all of your records for free via their website, because Sony are non-responsive? and what are you looking to achieve by this?
Six of my early albums are unavailable because Creation Records doesn’t exist any more. The only people to be making them available are Russian pirates, who charge money for mp3s. Sony didn’t finance these albums — they were made before Creation’s deal with Sony, and paid for themselves long ago. My contract with Creation wasn’t even on paper, so ownership is a legal grey area. I decided to do a guide to these albums on my website, including mp3s of all the songs. Music needs to live, to resonate in the minds of listeners, to circulate, otherwise it’s nothing. I’d be happy for Sony to do something with the albums, but I suspect they barely even know they exist. (Actually, Sony Music Japan continues to be my song publisher.)
Is the CD and tangible music industry really over? the futility of the overall industry for young bands is obvious for all – what were your fears as a young band member?
I think the CD is over, yes. Physical objects aren’t necessary for music now. Concerts, though, are. My beginnings in music are all tied up with the development of UK independent labels. I didn’t have “fears” about these, except perhaps the fear that they would go out of business or be swallowed up by the majors. My current label, Cherry Red, has a pretty amazing story: Iain McNay, who started it in the late 70s, invented the independent chart. He’s one of the very few indie label owners never to have sold out to a major, and as a result he’s still there. He’s now acquired the catalogues of many other labels.
What inspired you to want to be in a band? Do you miss being part of a gang and up against the wall but willing to come out shooting?
Momus has always been a solo act! I was in a band called The Happy Family, though, when I started. We were related to the Postcard Records scene. I felt a strong political impulse to consider the band a democracy, but a strong creative impulse to dictate everything, and then a strong guilt as those two impulses conflicted. Bands are not for me.
Scotland or Berlin?
Scotland-in-Berlin. I find when I’m in Tokyo or Berlin or somewhere I get pictures of a slightly altered Scotland, cropped and enhanced by absence and distance. And this imaginary Scotland (you can hear it in songs like The Laird of Inversnecky) interests me. It becomes an ongoing work of fiction, writable as well as readable. The real Scotland is free to embrace or reject this parallel world, this fictional Scotland. Perhaps it might want to use small parts, interesting misunderstandings.
Thank you Nick Currie. You can find out more about Nick, on wikipedia, by reading his quite brilliant blog or visiting his website. Watch out for The Book Of Scotlands and The Book of Jokes in 2009!
Momus – Jahwise Hammer of the Babylon King, from Momus’ latest release Joemus. Get it here
Momus titles available on vinyl here
Tags: Cherry Red, Creation, Momus, Musicians in Berlin
