[kj] A Letter from Jaz to the Gathering

[Felix Norton]

I will be playing all the new 19 KJ songs at the playback party in Geneve in
early March. As you know, record companies only like 9 or 10 tracks on a
record, so your input would be appreciated. As yet I have not heard any of
the final mixes, I spoke to Youth yesterday to pass my condolences on his
father, Alan, (who was a father to us all since we were teenagers) who
passed away on Sunday morning. I was amazed by the fact that Youth kept
going on at the new record, said, it is the best vocals I have ever done,
which also echoed in email of Big Paul and ... well, Geordie is beaming! The
rough tracks sound unbelievable, so I cannot imagine listening back to
everything finished. When we went in the studio the afternoons were
dedicated to structured songs and evenings to jams, you cannot tell which is
which. One of the jams (which was initiated by Youth) is called The Raven
King. The vocals went down very fast, when I listened back to it, it was too
painful. However, the lyrics are to be taken in a broader context, I'll give
you an example of the first verse:



The Ravens flown and left the Tower

and Albion feels all abandoned

A desecrated cenotaph - surveillance state and waning choices

Guarded by warriors we knew

Guided by our ancestral voices



I am just about to leave for India to do one more vocal (press - Killing
Joke appears to be big in India) then continue on a press tour through Asia,
Australia, New Zealand, South and North America in three weeks. On February
2 I've finished all recording, having had three days off since writing in
studio with Geordie on September 26, and I suppose it is non-stop until the
end of the tour. Frankly we'll all be lucky if we can get through to the
tour without Iran kicking off. I have always had this horror that if Killing
Joke is successful, war will follow, and indeed, if we look at key years
i.e. Revelations - Falklands, Extremities - Gulf war I, 2003 - Gulf war II,
a pattern emerges. I sincerely hope it is my paranoia this time and as I
head to New Zealand I have a sort of pre-Iceland feeling, I hope I'll make
it back so I can see you all.

Last year I took Raven's ashes to Lord Shiva's hill in South India, I have
become quite religious in my old age, acknowledging perhaps for the first
time my Hindu roots I performed Giri-Valam - investigate.

It would be nice to have as many British gatherers at the Paris show - it's
gonna be an incredible day. A state ceremony in which (to my amazement) I am
to be decorated as Chevalier of the Arts and Letters by the French
government for my contributions to classical music. Then I'll introduce my
eldest french speaking daughter to her grandmother, my brother and her
sisters for the first time - some different music then off for a two hour
set with Killing Joke.

Book One is nearly finished, I'll probably upload a couple of chapters.
Well, think of us all on February 26 - the band's birthday and Youth's
father funeral.
You are all my family.

Jaz

PS: The Magpie club and playback party to be held at Moloko bar, L’Usine.
Drop us a line if you are coming (HAHA). You must apply for invitation -
Grand Union management. Probably first or second Sunday of March.

PPS: It's a great life!

PPPS: Masks are to be worn at all gigs in the manner of a masquerade party
as we are re-establishing the ancient feast of fools festival - research it
yourself.

The war criminal Blair must pay!
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