[kj] EXCLUSIVE: Interview with Killing Joke’s Big Paul Ferguson

[Paul]

Shared by BPF on Faecesbook earlier, interesting read.

https://punkonline.co.uk/exclusive-interview-with-killing-jokes-big-paul-ferguson/

EXCLUSIVE: Interview with Killing Joke’s Big Paul Ferguson

[image: Paul Ferguson]
<https://punkonline.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/paul-ferguson.png>On 24
th August, *Killing Joke’s Big Paul Ferguson*, proudly releases ‘*Remote
Viewing*’, a seven track EP on the Dead Radio Station label.

Killing Joke embark on their 40th anniversary World tour, *Laugh At Your
Peril.* in September 2018.

We caught up with Paul to discuss both the upcoming EP and Killing Joke
tour.



*How did the solo project come about?*

Over the years I’ve written a lot of lyrics, many of which have been taken
by Jaz and incorporated into KILLING JOKE songs, and a lot of which have
been KILLING JOKE songs in their entirety. There was a point recently that
I thought I had some strong ideas that were being ignored and I wanted to
do something with them, bring them to life, explore them with my own voice,
and see where they took me.

Mont asked for a track to release as an added bonus to his book, and I sent
him Fear The Great Motivator. I had met Mark Gemini Thwaite through KILLING
JOKE’s erstwhile bassist Paul Raven. They had worked together on a project
named Mob Research. So, on Mont’s suggestion, Mark put some guitar and bass
on the track, and it was shaped into the track that you can hear now on
Remote Viewing. I was delighted with what he did and what he contributed,
and it made the prospect of a future collaboration very exciting.

That was the impetus I needed as I’d found somebody with talent who without
judgment took my ideas to another level and had no problem changing
direction if something didn’t work. We had a rhythm: I’d send Mark a raw
track of drums, vocals, maybe some bass or guitar, maybe some keyboards,
and he’d take it all to a better place. We’d bounce the tracks back and
forth a few times until I was happy. There was one track that I had a
problem with, and that was X-BOX. Mark had done a lot of amazing things on
the track but I thought it needed a third perspective to bring it to where
it needed to be. So after several remixes, I was introduced to Niklas
Rundquist, known as Brainshadow, who mastered the album, remixed X-BOX with
the addition of some electric violin, and everyone was happy with the
result.



*Who apart from yourself is involved?*

My original intent was to do a percussion/poetry thing, and I laid down a
few that were just that. It was only when Mont Sherar, DJ extraordinaire,
photographer, and video artist, asked about putting out a book of his
photographs of KILLING JOKE – Twilight of the Mortals – that I began to
think of making something more of my ideas.



*Did any members of KILLING JOKE get involved at all?*

I didn’t involve any of KILLING JOKE. We have a relationship based around
the band, and as with any 40-year relationship, it’s been a constant
atmosphere of struggle between personalities. I’m happy that Remote Viewing
has been an easy and rewarding collaboration between some talented people
whose egos have been left at the door.



*Is this the start of a solo career or if your main focus is still KILLING
JOKE?*

I don’t have plans to stop focusing on KILLING JOKE; this was something I
felt needed to be done and I do expect to do more, as I have a lot of
things to say about the state of the world we’re living in, and my state of
mind within it.  As far as a solo career is concerned, who knows? It was
not my intention when I set out to create these tracks.



*What does it mean to you personally for KILLING JOKE to reach the 40-year
milestone?*

To have been working with my KILLING JOKE band mates for decades now is
reward in itself; that we’ve managed to retain our enthusiasm, creativity
and still have an audience despite relatively little commercial success is
certainly an achievement.



*What in your opinion is the best KILLING JOKE album and individual song?*

Very difficult to say which is my favorite KILLING JOKE album. It’s usually
the most recent. They all have very distinct memories and associations from
where they were recorded and when, to what was going on in my life, and
hence have very distinct flavors.

I’ve always had a personal fondness for a track called The Hum. That has
some vivid memories of performing at the Elephant Fair in the UK, where the
song coincided with some particularly ominous black clouds and a storm
filling the sky. It lent the song a poignancy that I won’t forget.



*What are the highlights/lowlights of the 40 years?*

If there was one experience that stands out the most for me, it would be
recording in Berlin before the wall came down. Our music being made and
played in that city created a very unique atmosphere, but along with the
sweet comes the sour, and Berlin has some particularly dark memories as
well.



*It’s a big tour coming up; is there anywhere you’ll be playing that stands
out for you?*

It is a big tour coming up and I can’t say that there’s any one place that
I’m looking forward to playing the most. I always enjoy our shows in Paris,
Berlin, Prague, Geneva, London. I’m particularly fortunate to have made
friends amongst the Gatherers in so many places that every gig is like a
reunion with old friends.



*What country do get the best reception?*

 It’s hard to say where we get the best reception because our fans tend to
follow us pretty much everywhere we go. So we’re always surrounded by our
“family.”



*What can we expect from KILLING JOKE in the future?*

As to what I expect from KILLING JOKE in the future, KILLING JOKE has
thrived on uncertainty and political instability for many years. I foresee
political uncertainty and instability in the future. Can’t say much more
than that.



*Special thanks to Paul for taking time out to answer our questions and to
Matt from Savage Gringo for helping organise*



BPF - I AM WAR (TRAILER) <https://youtu.be/OFmLkkXKcHs>
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