By Renee Jones, NZ Musician, 01 November 2005.
When heading to the Lee 'Scratch' Perry and Mad Professor press conference on September 20, held most unconventionally on a retired Navy frigate moored next to Te Papa, the Mad Professor was on our flight, so I knew that if we were late, he would be too. But we boarded the F-69 on time, supped on a bottle of Bennett's Wellington Lager, and all was going according to plan. Except that Lee 'Scratch' Perry hadn't turned up.
The 'Father' was back in his hotel room meditating. Fair enough - the man is reportedly 69 years old and has just completed 3 nights of a 4-date New Zealand tour; I'd be happy to be that active when (if) I reach that point. So the Mad Professor was given a Bible to ask Lee to bless, handed over by our host, and the Prof was on the spot.
The Professor began by stressing the connection between technology and nature, which was important to him, using as an example the crystals used in the mixing boards he creates. Hence the tag of Mad Professor - at the end of the session he explained the origins of his name - as a child, when the other kids were outside playing football, he was inside with soldering iron and resistors and all manner of other technical gear, inventing and building things.
His collaboration with Lee 'Scratch' Perry came about after Perry abandoned the studio he'd built at the back of his house in Jamaica. Perry had done some legendary work with the likes of Coxsone Dodd and Bob Marley. However, when one of the guys he was producing ran off with his wife, Lee left Jamaica, upset and 'destabilised', heading to New York and then London. It was in London that he met the Mad Professor, and started working on music again - and this time he wanted to sing.
Talk then turned to his perception of New Zealand music. He noted that we seem to have a lot of deep reggae groups; and he's done some work with Salmonella Dub and Fat Freddy's Drop, who he said have gone down very well on their UK and European travels, such as their Big Chill show in London. People seem to be quite curious about New Zealand music, he noted. He said he'd like to hear more singers coming through and suggested that many New Zealand artists may be suited to lovers' rock - ie music which is more song-based and jazzier than is maybe presently made.
He also observed that the music he's heard from New Zealand isn't as angry and emotionally driven as the music out of Jamaica and London - which is largely a response to frustration. The comparatively peaceful atmosphere of New Zealand lends itself to the creation of a more laidback sound.
The Mad Professor then shared his opinions on the current state of the music industry, and the part played by radio. He said that he now spends less time in the studio than ever before, as the advent of CD copying and music downloading has made a serious dent in the record market - he explained that there's no point making lots of records if they're not going to be bought. He has a huge archive of recorded material, going back over 26 years, which is yet to be released.
However he also believed that you can't stop progress. People are always afraid of new technology - for example, he said that drummers were worried that they'd become redundant when drum machines emerged, but the smart drummers learned how to use them. In the current digital context, you can't stop technology - you need to master it; not let it master you. He himself uses a range of digital technology such as Logic, Q-Base and Pro-Tools alongside his analogue systems.
At this point someone asked the Mad Professor if there was anything he wishes he'd known about the music industry when he was younger, before he launched himself into it. He responded that if he'd known that there would be such a large degree of piracy he may not have bothered - you can spend a lot of money promoting a record, but the returns are relatively small. He's noticed the high level of support within the New Zealand music business - a group from London wouldn't get the sort of radio play that New Zealand groups can get. He said that it feels 'cosy' here, there's a sense that New Zealand is a good fertilizing ground for music. However he acknowledged that there would also be different disadvantages here too.
Earlier the Professor had been asked for his opinion on the state of UK radio, and he answered that, while there are some great people working there, a lot of radio, to his ears, is misguided. He blames radio even more than CD piracy for killing the music business, because it gears everything toward unadventurous major label music - he said that "it's horribly safe".
Naturally the subject of cannabis was bound to rear its head, and when the Mad Professor was asked his thoughts on it, he said that he doesn't mind drugs but he doesn't personally indulge - he's running a business and needs to keep a clear head. He mentioned that Perry, one of the biggest smokers in the business, gave up about three years ago and is now very together, to the extent that he sounds like a "sober solicitor" on the phone - there are no more ramblings, and he now advocates that others also abstain. He's now also a lot more together on stage. The Professor said that the public have a perception that engineers are high all the time, but in reality most don't smoke much in the studio - they can end up with wiped tapes and other musical calamities.
He'd heard that this tour that himself and Perry were on in New Zealand was advertised as the last time they will be here, but as far as he knows that is not the case - they have gigs lined up after the New Zealand leg, and Lee is still keen on performing. The Mad Professor stated that he loves New Zealand, and sees it as a great place to have a rest.
When asked whether the bombings in London have had an impact on the music scene he replied that it's a bit early to tell, but the youth of London have been a lot more silent than they would have been twenty or thirty years ago - Thatcherism made people less politically aware.
Earlier the Mad Professor had said that, from his point of view in England, most people in the music business around the world aren't happy with the war in Iraq and the invasion of another state. People feel powerless - they elected a government who are not doing what most people wanted - most don't want to be a part of this war. Reflecting on the London bombings, he notes that for every action there is a reaction - London's not what it used to be, especially if you're Middle eastern or even a shade or so darker than white. Ironically, black people are not under as much suspicion as they normally are, but neither are they benefiting from the situation. He feels that there is a very tense atmosphere in London these days.
Near the end of the session someone asked the Mad Professor for his thoughts on music's power to influence politics, using Peter Gabriel's Biko as an example of how a song can motivate people. The Professor for the most part was a little unconvinced of the ability for music to make a real difference - he said that there was a huge march in London just after the war started, around which time Prime Minister Tony Blair stated that musicians have never changed anything in history; and as it turned out, the march didn't stop the war. The Mad Professor observed that the biggest problem really is that the media isn't too keen on playing politically charged songs.
He closed with the thought that if he was Prime Minister he would never invade another state - too many people from both Iraq and the US have died, and meanwhile the advocates for the war spent much time playing golf.
I was impressed with the Mad Professor's eloquence and considered responses, and thoroughly enjoyed the press conference.
Later that night we headed to the Wellington Town Hall and were treated to a most irie night of entertainment from both the Mad Professor and Lee 'Scratch' Perry. The Professor launched the headliners' segment of the show with a wonderfully rootsy DJ set, accompanied in part by a rather good mystery vocalist.
Perry's set was somewhat more subdued than the show he put on last time I saw him, and we speculated on how much this might have to do with age and energy levels, and how much to do with his new 'straight edge' status. However he was more coherent for it, and pulled out tunes from the entire spectrum of his career. I'd heard that in the Auckland show, his between song 'sermon' involved his views on smoking - encouraging the audience not to do it. His topic this evening was the treatment of animals, and we were advised to be kind to them at all times. This attitude sits quite nicely with me so I was more than happy to go along with it.
All in all the day I spent in Wellington immersed in intelligent dub was a superb experience, one of the highlights of my year to date.
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