I had a spat on GYBO: Tim fingertrouble Interview Pt 2

In the second part of the interview with Tim fingertrouble we focus on Radio Clash, one of the first UK podcasts, GBYO egos and which bootlegs (mash ups) have stood the test of time.

6. Why did you start Radio Clash in 2004? That was very early for podcasting.

Yes – I was one of the first UK podcasts and looks like it might be now the longest consecutive podcast show in the UK as the older ones have stopped or rebranded.

There are two reasons why I started it, both true, the ‘official’ one and the less public one. Official one is that John Peel died the month before starting the show, and I was ranting to my partner about how no-one will step up to replace him, and he said ‘why don’t you do it?’. I’d just heard about podcasting so had a lightbulb moment. Not that I could ever try and compete with John Peel – nor do I try, but I do feel more eclectic musical voices need to be out there. Also he was a supporter of mashups too.

 The unofficial reason is I’d had a spat on GYBO and stomped off for a few months (yes GYBO could be very fractious in it’s earlier years, as could I), and also had to pass on working on the cover of London Booted because of bad family stuff going down. I was looking for another project outside of all that and it seemed perfect. The design of the original Radio Clash was recycled from the proposed cover for London Booted – fact fans!

7. How important have bootlegs been to Radio Clash?

Totally – for the first year it was a completely mashup podcast, and the first I think to do that (sure someone will correct me!) and they’re always a part of the podcast and blog even if I play or feature much less of them now. I’m always wanting to hear something different, and I echo Cartelmike’s comments about Gaga vs Madonna or Rihanna or whatever. Pop vs pop or Current big hit acapella vs euphoric house/trance really aint my thing, as aren’t multi-mashes (mashing many tracks together in one segue), clever as they are I think you need a theme, like Osymyso did with Intro-Inspection. Or just be such a talented producer it doesn’t matter, like recently what Madeon did with Pop Culture. That sort of ‘will this work?’ craziness I still appreciate, and I feel is very ‘Bastard’ in spirit.

8. Are there any bootlegs of yours that you think have withstood the test of time?

A few – I tend to go through a stage of hating them when I finish, and then hearing them a few years later and either wincing or being amazed they aren’t that bad. I think the first time I did something that seemed to work outside of GYBO was Instamatic – Burn Yr Radio (Queen vs Leftfield) which like a lot of mashups I had the idea 6 months before I did it, on a plane not being able to totally hear the Leftfield track and mistaking it for Radio Gaga. DJNoNo – Supercalibreakz (Shy FX vs Julie Andrews) is very silly and anarchic in a Bastard fashion and still works. Other ones I’m proud of are tbc – Golden Beard for the Blur ‘Parkspliced’ album which I listen to and wonder how on earth I did that, and recently my Instamatic – Madonna Has A Kiki and my Fleetwood Mac vs Sia ones seem to have gone down well.

Madonna Has A Kiki

9. Your “Know Your History” series has highlighted the various bootleg albums produced by GYBO. Which do you think has best survived the test of time?

I think Parkspliced and London Booted – especially London Booted, which pops up every now and then hence me re-posting it a long while back and recently Richie Deluxe posting it on his site. People really *do* remember those albums.

10. GYBO was always a fractious place. Was that inevitable with the egos or necessary? 

I think music and ego are always gong to be bedfellows to some extent, although GYBO and Bastard was mostly ego-free. People did just come to have a good time, ‘I Came To Dance’ as me and my friends used to say. I think the money side gave it a darker aspect, maybe some jealousy but mostly a genuine concern that any corporate or record label is just going to come along, suck the life out and leave. I think those of us wanting to be independent of the Industry and keep it free and illegal were pretty much proven right by what happened later, which is sad. I’d have much preferred to be wrong.

Download: Golden Beard (aka My True Love Has a Golden Beard) Tim’s contribution to Parkspliced

~ by acidted on October 6, 2012.