25men / D-Side magazine - interview by Emmanuel Hennequin
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How has originally come the idea of the 25men project ? What had you
in mind through this project ?....

It wasn't a preconceived idea so I had nothing in mind originally; it evolved naturally from single celled things into this multi-layered, complex organism. 25men is not my project as such, it just is what it is, it may not even involve me in 12 months time. You need to speak to the others about it.
 
How did you built the "Dancing Wu Li Masters" album ? Was everything
ready before to record in the studio ? Had all the guest musicians
given their parts to you before to make the album concrete, and how
did you chose these guests ?....

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The album developed organically with some tracks evolving into something quite different from their conception, although there was no conceived notion of what anything was supposed to be in the first place. I didn't choose anyone to guest on 'Wu Li', originally I was asked to work on a track by Shane and some of the tracks were constructed by other people involved. Although for the follow up album – 'Four', we have invited other musicians/vocalists who have expressed their want to contribute whatever they wish to the pot.
 
What kind of links do you see nowadays (in the way to conceive art)
between Gangwar, MK Ultra and 4080peru on one side, and the way you do
things in 25men ?....

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I see 25men as a refinement of my ideas that I had with the other projects, ideas that I couldn't translate into something substantial with the tools I was working with. It's all there in more than just spirit. It's the future, it's tomorrow.
 
As far as I know, you've recorded the album in France. Where was it
and why did you chose this place ?
 ....

We mastered the album in Nice with FranK from 'Curl'. We chose it because we were invited and the studio was on the French Riviera, which on consideration seemed like a better choice than anywhere in England. The album wasn't recorded in the usual process of writing/then going into the studio to record finished tracks, we throw ideas down individually then hand them over to someone else to do with whatever they want.....

For me, 25men incarnates a new form of electro-psychedelia. Do you
expect to reproduce this on stage or is 25men a project you will only
develop in the studio ?
 ....

I agree totally, there is far more depth in 25men than anything else I have been involved with. 25men live is an onslaught in full surround-sound technicolour. Think of 'Zeitgeist', the musical! We need to perform it on a very big stage to do it any real justice.....

Some kind of 80's / 90's revival seems to perfume the air, I think for
example to the return of the March Violets these days. How do you see
this kind of things and have you ever thought (even if it was only one
second) to resurrect James ray & The Performance ? Is there a future
for Gangwar, reformed in the last years for a few live apparitions ?
 ....

There is absolutely no chance of The Performance being resurrected (it was never more than just me – Carl posed for photographs) as it evolved into Gangwar which in turn imploded beneath a weight of jealousy and lies, so no chance of that happening in this dimension. The latest Gangwar apparition was just a whim and didn't involve any ex-members of the band. I personally couldn't go on stage playing tracks that are 15 to 20 years old, I'm not the same person I was then, it would be mere karaoke. I heard a complaint when we played at The March Violets show because 25men didn't play any Gangwar tracks! People really should learn to grow up and stop thinking about what has been and concentrate on what is.....

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Have you personally kept some contact wth Andy Eldritch since the
Merciful Years period and how do you see the way he manages the "only
live" career of The Sisters Of Mercy ?....

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I haven't spoken to him recently and I don't suppose I would recognise him if he knocked on my door, it's been sometime since I saw him face to face. As for how he manages his business, well that's his business. If it keeps him in Malboro's then I'm sure he's happy. If he wanted to record something with 25men he'd be more than welcome, although I would have to explain to a few of the men exactly who he is.....

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