[kj] A Letter from Jaz to the Gathering

[fatpotanga]

Oooh... thanks for that!

Really nice for us to have a note form Jaz.
Condolences to Youth but all in all, in a word - excited!!

On 10 Feb 2010, at 08:34, Felix Norton wrote:


> 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!

> _______________________________________________

> Gathering mailing list

> Gathering at misera.net

> http://four.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/gathering





-- 
YAY SALE!
http://www.iamscuzzy.com

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://four.pairlist.net/pipermail/gathering/attachments/20100210/fa44bf1f/attachment.html>