Knowing When To Shut Up: Jamie Lidell

In a world obsessed with compartmentalising everything from your sock drawer to every piece of art that’s ever been produced, it’s often a challenge to exist in anything but a dull dichotomy. Popular music is no exception, whereby any conflicting ideas are separated and shelved at opposite ends of the iTunes Music Store, in order that everyone from the marketing men to the shelf stackers to the consumers can know exactly what it is they want and where to find it.

Understandably this is not everybody’s perfect scenario, with beat boxer/soul singer/noise making Jamie Lidell a prime example. “People really seem to have an issue with this! Everyone wants to know, ‘Who are you, why do you sound so different live?’ I can sing with a drum machine or a pianist, it’s just what I do.” Intriguing, I’m sure you’d agree. So, let’s start with a rapid history lesson. His 2005 album ‘Multiply’ surprised listeners with a distinctly different tone to both his debut record and live shows, by taking his scuzzy electronic beeps and transferring them into a modern day Stax record. Swapping Autechre for Al Green is not the most obvious progression, but the album was greeted with critical acclaim. Discussing his third album ‘Jim’ by telephone from his Berlin home, Jamie enthusiastically talks Gigwise through the recording process, his upcoming live shows and his future plans.

Recorded in Berlin, L.A and Paris, ‘Jim’ shares with its predecessor the warm organic feel of an album made by collaborators helping to create one man’s vision. Lidell recorded the album wherever he found like minded companions, resulting in a set of songs rich in ideas and influences. “I did a tour with Beck in 2006, hung out with all his musicians and met Justin Stanley. He invited me over to his studio in L.A and I loved it, though it was a bit different looking out the window there compared to here in Berlin! Some songs, like ‘Wait For Me’, I’d already written and then through playing them with (Feist collaborator) Mocky and Gonzales as a trio we made a few modifications, so it had different push-pull points and energy. It’s a great way of doing it. My favourite track is ‘Another Day’, because it’s the one track that had a massive transformation from the original version. It was really melancholic from when I first recorded it drunk in my bedroom as a ballad or a weird folk song. Now it’s an upbeat gospel number, it’s a real shock to me.”

Though this is not the first time Lidell has called upon the services of others to help his cause in the recording studio, as a performer he has often preferred to remain as the lonesome crusader, with a trusty laptop as his main alliance on stage. This is all set to change however, as he’s enlisting the services of a full band for forthcoming live dates. “It’s a challenge to get it working because I haven’t got much time with the new band, only five days. One thing I have to learn is that now I’m not just a man on my own onstage, now I’m gonna have to know when to shut up. The only gig we’ve done so far was cool, because I get to a section and I know, ‘Here I’m gonna make as much noise as possible.’ If that wasn’t there I think I’d feel like I was getting bored, so the big lesson is when to pipe up and when to pipe down."