FARFLUNG Interview (2010)
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Hatchet Vs Genitals -reaction
Rodney
- Drums 
- Bass
Why the name "Farflung"?
Michael Esther - We are still trying to figure this out ourselves, it is a rather tricky question, but if I recall correctly the decision involved a late night, a cup of black tea, a wedge of camembert cheese, a half pack of smokes and a deck of playing cards
Paul - Chrome, Heldon, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, Perrey & Kingsley,Black Flag, Banana Splits, Can, Cluster, Roxy Music, I could continue this list for 4 or 5 more pages...
Michael Esther - So many, I don't know where to start...
Tommy - Neu, Hawkwind, Amon Duul, Bobby Fuller Four
Michael Hateley - Roxy Music, Tonto's Expanding Head Band, Tangerine Dream, Slayer
You wanted to be astronauts when you were children?
Rodney - Yeah absolutely!
Tommy - definitely! I had a full astronaut outfit. I decorated my wardrobe with star charts and pictures of outer space. I would pretend my wardrobe was a space capsule
Paul
- I wanted to be a space explorer. I had a star trek shirt and everything. Unfortunately it was the red shirt of the security/engineering/communications officers, so if I had been transported to the planet surface, you know that I would die before the scene was over.
Have you ever had any recurring dreams?
Tommy - Reality
Paul - That I play bass in Farflung.
- wow. a deep question. Very well, "Kill or Be Killed", "Don't Fear the Reaper", "Unchained". So let's see, my life's philosophy is composed of the name of an 80's Kung-Fu movie, a Blue Oyster Cult song title, and a Van Halen song title. I'm not sure if I should be proud or depressed. Does that make me an Optimistic Existentialist? I'm a misanthrope with a nihilist streak a mile wide, but I'm willing to listen to Buddhists and Jains for tips on how to get through life.
Tommy - To live.
- To create more positive than negative energy....
Michael Hateley
- I believe there are sentient beings all across the cosmos
- I believe there are sentient beings all across the cosmos
Tommy
- I believe in Aliens from inner space
Michael Esther - yeah the visitors from within!
Paul
- It 's in the numbers. with the notion that we a living in a small area in a vast multiverse and new solar systems are seemingly detected weekly, the numbers support that there is most likely some sort of other life forms in the universe. is that life sentient? who knows. if there is sentient life present, I hope that they don't feed on humans.
- It 's in the numbers. with the notion that we a living in a small area in a vast multiverse and new solar systems are seemingly detected weekly, the numbers support that there is most likely some sort of other life forms in the universe. is that life sentient? who knows. if there is sentient life present, I hope that they don't feed on humans.
Do you like the book “Fear and loathing in Las Vegas”? And the movie?
- we do.
Michael Hateley
- Yes. Two different creatures, but absolutely. It hit a close to home for me, especially the bar scene at Circus Circus. That bar spins so fast when you're drunk. 
Rodney - I've had my own fear and loathing experience in Las Vegas..I've lived it
Paul - I hold the book and the film in high regard. Hunter S. Thompson is a personal hero as an author, as a malcontent, as a psychedelic explorer. His bullshit detector was as sharp as his tongue. Johnny Depp's portrayal of him speaks to his tremendous respect of HST.
- THX1138, Brazil, anything by Terry Gilliam or Kurasawa
- The original Solaris
Rodney - Blade Runner
Paul - Moon, Omega Man, Dune and all David Lynch films, films based on Philip K. Dick's works (even the bad one's featuring Schwartzenegger), Dark Star, 28 Days Later, Donnie Darko, Even Dwarves Started Small. Like listing favorite bands and influences, I could keep listing films till I'm blue in the face.
Michael Esther - when i was a kid i was fascinated with science fiction movies and cinema in general. Favorites, it is difficult to say... maybe I'll name directors....Godard, Herzog .....
- Roadburn really is a fantastic festival to play, everyone involved with it is very cool and it was a pleasure to play there.
- I concur with Michael, and add that it is was filled with tremendous amounts of fun, an incredible vibe, an amazing venue, and the Roadburn people are super friendly/helpful/organized. My only complaint is that I didn't have time to create enough clones of myself to see all the bands.
Michael Hateley - I missed it last year.
- Dave and Ego are old friends of ours from back in the day
- Our relationship with them is very simpatico. Similar extra-curricular interests. Similar styles of music in the heavy psych/space rock scene. They are a fantastic band. We had tons of fun with them on tour. Their new eponymous album is in heavy rotation for me, and I do mean heavy in every sense of the word. I look forward to touring with them again.
Michael Esther - We had such a great time with them on tour. We hope that we can tour together again sometime in the future
- Yes we are planning to do a split with our brothers and sisters in space-White Hills. We also have a couple other things in the works but nothing is confirmed.
- Splits are in the works, first and most importantly with the mighty White Hills, then some more surprises!
- Nik is a great guy. We had a lot of fun on the Nik Turner and Farflung as the Sons of Cydonia tour... So many laughs... sonically speaking... I think of "Silver Shrooms" from the last album as being influenced by the time that Grenas and I ate shrooms with Del Dettmar when we played a festival out in the Mojave Desert..... a totally crazed night....
The line-up Farflung constantly changed. How do you explain these changes? The current line-up is stable?
Michael Esther - The current line up is very stable now. I always think of Farflung as a collective. People coming in and moving on.
- We are heading to Europe with the current 5 members in October, so that will be fun. Tours seem to sort out the bad seeds y'know, but I am excited about the current quintet. If I have 1/2 as much fun as the last European tour, I'll still have more fun than I can handle.
You exist since 1995! You are proud of your career? What was the most incredible moment? Your show with the Melvins?
Michael Esther
- The Melvin's show was good fun There are so many, it is difficult to name them all. Roadburn and the European tour with White Hills was great.
The Nik Turner tour and especially the week of rehearsal at the Raging Slab farm in PA. Meeting Simeon and playing with Silver Apples on their first reunion tour.
Gong, Keiji Haino, Mark Mothersbaugh, Damo (Can), Epic Soundtracks, Amon Duul ll...
Roedelius (Cluster) is a wonderful person and always a joy to hang out with... I could go on and on... Paul
- With Farflung my favorite gig was at Roadburn and then in Linz, Austria. The house audio engineer made us and White Hills sound so huge! It was phenomenal. I understand that you are currently writing new material. How is that going and how will it be compared to your previous albums?
Paul - The new material is smoking. is it a quantum leap forward. it's still very Farflung, just more focused, refined.
Michael Esther - Farflung really is a monster, it is always growing and changing. I am hoping that this one captures more of what I would call the live Farflung experience... total sonic cinematic sound...
- We are not sure right no. We are working on the new recordings as we speak.
Some of the working titles are Tubelcaine, Lupin Mooneye Howl, Punching Holes in the Twilight You think your new album will be available when? It will be available on which label? MeteorCity?
Michael
- It should be out by the end of the summer... not sure on what label yet. We do have a release in the works with MeteorCity right now but the details are still being worked out.
Has your approach to writing and playing changed any over the years?
Michael Esther
- I don't think it really has for me , hopefully it has improved over time......but it still starts from the same place... a late night, a cup of black tea... hahaha - I find I think more about writing than actually just writing. Not a very productive habit. It helps to have friands to write with. Fortunately, there's a lot of great writers in my world these days.
- The duality of metaphors in a science fiction context... post punk shamanism
Michael Hateley - For me, Europe is always an exciting place to play. The people are thoughtful and excited and take really great care of us. - Germany
Paul - Three off the top of my head are Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, 013 Tilburg, Sojo in Belgium. Having said that, Europe is very kind to Farflung. Looking forward to getting back over there and playing gigs in strange places; castles, cathedrals, dungeons, caves, high in the alps, islands... If the fans have any suggestions, please let us know.
Michael Esther - Paul's top three sound good to me. I also have fond memories of a show we played for Kupro Sauwald at Gasthaus Berghame in Sigharting, Austria.
It looks like we will be in Europe this October.
If you are interested in us playing in your town or if you have a venue, radio show or event, let us know.
What do you think about the french bands?
Michael Esther - I'm a big fan of Aqua Nebula Oscillator.
Can we call Gong a French or part French band?
What can I say... I hope it does not sound cliche but for me Serge Gainsbourg
is still just the best.
Paul : I am woefully uneducated when it comes to French music but here are my favorite French bands in no particular order: Monarch, Heldon, Antaeus ,Metal Urbain, Alcest, Amesours, Blut Aus Nord, Deathspell Omega , Spektr, Jacques Brel, Serge Gainsbourg, Magma.
What one song do you feel is most indicative of what you hope to accomplish with Farflung?
- One Song is difficult...
Landing on Cydonia, The Way the Sky Is, Endless Drifting Wreck..... What kind of utopias you have in your mind about the future of our earth?
Michael Esther
- I just hope the world is still around... ha ha ha... more seriously I hope that we as a planet understand at some point we all have more to gain by working together than against each other. Would you have wanted to live in the 60's / 70's?
Michael Esther - For the most part I am happy where I am...
Do you take illegal drugs? If yes, what type? This is important when you compose your music?
Michael Esther - Just black tea... ha ha ha...
Myspace
. Caedes
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