England
has regularly managed to drop names that would become big in the history of
contemporary music, beginning with The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.
They would have Loose Ends on the R&B field, then Soul II Soul
and Lisa Stansfield a bit later on, not to mention Incognito
on the jazz then the acid jazz tip. Their recipee : some solid references of the
past blended with of drop of modernity as illustrated by their new album aptly
called 'No Time Like The Future'. By the way, doesn't this remind you
anything ? Nuyrocian Soul, you're damned right ! Tomorrow never dies…
This new album, according to many observers, looks like the most accomplished
from you to date…
Waouw ! Thanks a lot. I'm very much of an optimistic character. I'm doin'
music and each time I happen no doin', I tend to tell myself : oh, oh !
Why this title ?
It's a double meaning title. First, because I love above everything the
perspective of the unknown. It's something I would search for. In other words,
what's the point as long as there's a tomorrow ? Whenever it's not doin' that
good, then we just have to be patient and should it work, it can always be used
as a foundation. But you never know what to expect. As for the second meaning –
the one that I consider as the most important – is the result of a basic notice.
Being 42 today, I've been able to see how what we currently consider as classics
get firmly their ffod in the past while achieving to maintain a today's feel
throughout the years. The future we may expect could well be more made of these
old things. There are a lot of illustrations of this around us. Fashion for
instance. What's the most in ? A modern cloth for sure, where you'll find
something hailing from the 60's or the 70's. That's about the same in the car
industry ; the new Jaguar for instance… If they really flash today, it's because
they're quite reminiscent of those periods when beautiful cars used to be
manufactured. In that extend, the said classic things are the foundations of
tomorrow. Myself, I'm coming from a universe where things have been established
in a classical manner for years To me, future is nothing but the blending of
things coming from various periods. The main question being to know which things
at the right time. Differently said : anticipation which is the basis of my work.
I've been asked if the title of this album had anything to do with the
arrival of the new millenium and I would say no. To me, it's a date like any
other, but I began to realize how significant it was when I heared people saying
that they would go to India, Tibet or Bora Bora for the occasion. I realized how
this precise date was the source of tons of interrogations in people's minds.
They'd been thinking about it for years and years, telling themselves they would
do this or that without doing anything at the end of the day. And now that
they're heavily talked about this entry to a new millenium, they want to
concretise their projects.
In other words this Jan, 01st 2000 is nothing but Dec,31st 1999's tomorrow…
Exactly ! But the fact that everyone is excited tends to make me think that
this Jan, 1st 2000 should well be somehow a special date.
A sort of subliminal thing…
Yes, considering that I've stayed for a long time considering it like any
other date, like a lot of my friends. And I'm happy to see that they've finally
changed their minds. I've always lived my life as a succession of particular
moments. Go by the seaside, to the mountain. I would do it straight away when
I'm up for it and this is how I consider life has to be. So if the arrival of
this new millenium pushes people to think like that, it's a good thing…
"Wild
& Peaceful", the opening track of this new album brings us back to the souvenir
of Rotary Connection's classic "Black Gold Of The Sun" which has been covered
the way you know by Nuyorican Soul. Could it be that there's a sort of filiation
between Nuyorican Soul and Incognito ?
We're very close to each other, although they may also be a source of
inspiration for me as they refer to the traditions and history in their
evolution. Their works undoubtly refer to the history of latin music and more
widely this of a production or a period that touches me the same way. Like
myself, they've come to know about Rotary Connection for ages. I've been
listening the music of this band for ages and the fact that Gilles Peterson has
incitated Kenny and Louie to make a cover version of "Black Gold…" has probably
pushed me to go a bit deeper in that direction. Whates makes Rotary Connection
so special is that they've provided us with a perfect blend of choruses on heavy
jazz with a real rock influence.
Aren't you tempted to do the same as Masters At Work remixwise seing their
heavy demand ?
Once again, their work is a source of inspiration. It encourages me to go
further in the direction I've chosen. We can see howx they refer to the past
while having a listen to their (re)constructions based around elements which are
a part of the collective memory. Their remixes, apart from being fresh, bring me
back to the souvenir of things which I may have forgotten as time goes and may
eventually push me for having a listen to the original. Yes, they're very
influent to me while using musicians in a very creative way. I feel like a part
of that same family of production, giving the maximum amount of freedom to the
musicians I work with. When you have a listen to a bass player on their works,
you may notice his own trade mark. In fact, you wouldn't only get Louie &
Kenny's personalities on their works, nbut also the ones of the people who
surround them and this is exactly how I'm doing.
Looks like you've reunited with those people who were with you at the
beginning.
To me this album is more of a family work than the one of Incognito as a band.
This project srands as a sort of victory facing adversity. Not only it's the
very first one which I've recorded in my own studio, but also due to the fact
that he's been completely detroyed because of inundations, which would lead me
to find another place at the end. As a matter a fact, some parts of it have been
recorded in some corridors and eventually kitchens by friends of mine. We was
always in search for some place and I guess that you have to face these kinds of
situation to really know who your friends are and this is how I started seing
original members of the group knocking at the door. I couldn't help asking them
if they would be interested to jam with us, which they would do at the end of
the day. And this is how we've ended up being around 50 people + some extra 20
solely for the chord parts !
Seems like you've ended up being a sort of king of the live arrangements…
You're too kind ! Live music is the essence that helps me to preserve my
integrity and my dreams. I think that you have to find the right words with the
musicians you're working with in order to a good producer.
A little bit like a global network…
True ! That's the way I'm dealing with things. I'm the one who's gonna give
to those musicians the will to communicate with each other. My wish is to
achieve maintaining this state of mind as well as keeping the excitation which
was ours at the persepctive of doing music in our early days alive.
Some of your tracks have been covered by people being considered as masters
of technology. Carl Craig for instance…
For me, every piece of music is relevant. It's just a matter of depth or
width in terms of forms of expression. I've always been interested both by the
club scene and some more traditionnal stuff… The universe of jazz, acoustic,
which doesn't prevent me from following the evolution of technology. I'm very
fan of this even though it's not the basic tool I would work with. Other coming
from the elctronic scene would do so, like Carl Craig meanwhile maintaining a
soulful side on their approaches, which provides me with some other learnings.
This said, Incognito's uses is to use technology with the sole purpose of
putting original soul to another level, not as the starting thing…
Never tempted to make an album with specialists of the genre ?
No, simply because there couldn't be more than three of four people in that
kind of exercise. Not only would this limit the discussions between
participants, but also be the exact opposite to what has made Incognito what it
is. In other words, more people involved in order to broaden the conversation
spectrum and develop the musical language.
Would it be that electro isn't social enough for you…
Things speak for themselves. I mean, you may see a full album done by a
programmer on his own. I sometimes happen to work like this with my son for a
particular element. But should I want to do an electro album, I then would have
to create a more appropriate concept in an appropriate spirit.
We've seen the emergence of a whole afro/bossa/jazz scene, most notoriously
in Germany with people like Jazzanova, Trüby Trio and the likes. Could this be
the illustration of music going into cycles from a decade to another ?
A return to this fusion that was around at the beginning of the nineties… A
return to the roots, which means to the drums and subsequently Africa. Because
the roots of jazz and soul are to be found there. That's how we've gone back to
Fela's music nowadays and how African music has got that impact on today's
production.
Joe
Claussell has deplored seing many house producers including Afro beat in their
works without being aware of its signification, not to mention some exploitation
which has been done following Fela's death…
Considering his position both as an entertainer and educator, I've got to say
that I don't agree with him. My son who's always been living in my surroundings
knows Fela's music because I've regularily had a listen to it. A friend of his…
who doesn't live here, had gone at Bar Rhumba on a Monday night where he heard
afro tracks and remixes. Then all of a sudden, he would come to see us asking if
he could borrow the original from us in order to know where this was coming
from. We can only progres via education. You wouldn't see yourself stopping a
kid in the street and tell him to learn about Fela, especially knowing that his
albums may not be available in the same proportions today. We are older, but for
most of the kids, Fela is almost unknown. Then if those house mixes that they
may hear at some club is the opportunity for them to discover Fela, I have no
problem with this, and it's even better if he ends up seing his music used as a
reference for the generations to come…
Even though, as Joe says, people would get some benefit out of it ?
It's always the case when some well know people come to disappear. I'm happy
to see that someone has decided to reissue Fela's music. These multi vinyl box
sets which have been released have surely been done by someone who loves music.
I very much prefer seing someone taking benefit from this than having him
investing money into some other girls band. And I would say the same thing about
a Felalike pacckage for Miles Davis as well as for any musician worth of
interest. See Femi's album for instance, it's a very good project that gives us
the opportunity to have a better view of his father's heritage.
Where do you find the energy to keep on what you're doing facing the crappy
programmation of most of the British clubs ?
I haven't come to do music with the sole aim of selling. I've got into it
because it's my life. The simple fact that I can keep on doing what I want while
getting incomes allowing me to have a decent life is enough for me. So no need
to complain as long as I can live like this. I'm doing my music, I go to clubs,
my son has just signed a record deal with Talkin' Loud and we work together… My
life couldn't be better. Have dreams and wishes that I work on with the aim to
concretise them… I'm rather lucky !
Have you ever been interested in the music of your ancestors ?
Yes, considering the fact that I've been following my father's work who has
writen a book about sega (the traditionnal music hailing from Mauritius)
and i've recently bought an album from an artist called Ti Frère (little
brother in Creole). Not so easy to find unless in the "world music"
shelves. Production is a little bit poor, but the lyrics are quite interesting,
added to a bit of African backgournds…
I suppose that you have some connections with Molière's language (French)…
My French is very limited, as shown by the title of our first single
–"Parisienne Girl" – in 1980 ! Besides in the Guiness Book of Records, it's said
on the 'Hit Singles' section that Incognito is a French band !!!
And you could eventually find an Austrian band of the name at some time…
Yes and an American one, also doin' music + a UK one made of magicians…
Why Incognito by the way ?
Because it's a name that allows to make eclectic music. We could be a funk
band, a jazz band or a dance music band… We can change our music from a track to
another and work with whoever we want, we will always be Incognito. I've wanted
us to have a name that might suggest surprise. Even myself, I've never tried to
know what it could be. In fact, evrything remains possible…
Excerpts from an interview released in June 1999
NEXT WEEK >> TONY HUMPHRIES
INTERVIEW
