Godflesh is over but dont despair because Godflesh frontman Justin Broadrick has reinvented his sound, teamed with drummer Ted Parsons from Swans and Killing Joke and Diarmuid Dalton on bass. Its slow, heavy and often melodic. Its a real change that will satisfy old and new fans alike.
Check out the official website for Jesu
Daniel Robert Epstein: Did you come up with the idea for this new collaboration?
Jesu: It was my idea after splitting up Godflesh. While recording the last Godflesh album with Ted Parsons I was recording some stuff on my own that I didnt tell anyone about. I felt like I wanted to go further than Godflesh so when we actually got it together I knew that Ted was the only real choice to work with.
DRE: So not even Ted knew you were recording this stuff?
J: No he didnt because I was doing it in my own studio. Literally about the last month of recording the Godflesh album I was recording bits at home at the end of the day. It was pretty much a good indication that Godflesh was over reached its peak. For me J is a pop band but maybe not to other people.
DRE: How is Jesu personal for you?
J: I guess its construed as personal because I made it in a vacuum. Obviously I had to get people to help finish the album but before that it was an entirely solo venture. I did it outside any scene without any input from anyone. It was just completely self indulgent and self gratifying thing. I just sat there doing this in my own space like masturbation.
DRE: What was it about Ted and his work that you thought he would do good on the Jesu album?
J: Besides the fact we are close friends he is one of the few drummers in the world that is completely disciplined, focused and he beats the fucking hell out of the drums. Hes not only completely tight with the drums but he has so much power as well. A lot of drummers only like to fill spaces but he gives you a solid wall of drums. Hes really direct and I really appreciate that form.
DRE: How much work did you put in before he came in and laid down his work?
J: I think the only thing missing before Ted laid down his drums was vocals. Pretty much most of it was there. Before I gave Ted the whole Jesu album it just had drum machines like in Godflesh. I gave him the stuff and told him that this is how the beats are and if he could keep within that then well run with it. He got my beats and then expanded it to make it more human. He was real sparing with the stuff. I guess I was a being a bit of a dictator but thats the way Jesu is.
DRE: Why did you feel the need to keep it such a secret?
J: I only wanted to show it to people once I had a rough mix of the album done. People would ask me for shit but I didnt want anyone coming along and telling me what to do. I wanted it to be completely singular and somewhat pure. Sometimes my favorite art is created in a complete fucking vacuum.
DRE: Have you played this stuff live yet?
J: Not with a full band. We did some shows in August but Ted wasnt there so it was just me, the bass player and some technology like we did in Godflesh. But it came out like complete shit and we even left the tour because we were that bad. It showed that we need Ted or at least another drummer. The way its transpiring Ted might not be able to do it because he has two kids. Hes going to do half the tour then someone else will do the second half. Its getting fucking mental.
DRE: Why are tracks nine and ten only going to be on the Japanese version of the album?
J: Its a funny thing that is involved with a lot of internal politics. I think that since buying CDs in Japan is much more expensive than buying an imported CD from the US so Japanese record labels try to give their buyers an incentive to buy the CDs in Japan which is quite cynical. I was only aware of this very recently. I just did a couple of very laidback remixes of two songs. It was good fun and I think well get those tracks into the US eventually.
DRE: What made you decide to end Godflesh?
J: Throughout Godfleshs career it was essentially me writing the songs but there was Christian Green who had been with the band since the beginning so he was an integral. He left the band right after we did Hymns which was about two weeks before a big European tour. He left because he was 40 and didnt want to play live anymore. But because this tour was coming up so fast I didnt have time to absorb the fact that he left the band because we needed a replacement so quickly. We ended going with Paul Raven from Prong and Killing Joke. Halfway through that tour I knew that Godflesh wasnt right anymore. We ended right before a big US tour which we cancelled and put me into financial crisis. I had to move forward and push things into a more perverted melodic kind of way.
DRE: When is the Jesu tour starting?
J: I think well get to the US in early summer or early fall.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
Check out the official website for Jesu
Daniel Robert Epstein: Did you come up with the idea for this new collaboration?
Jesu: It was my idea after splitting up Godflesh. While recording the last Godflesh album with Ted Parsons I was recording some stuff on my own that I didnt tell anyone about. I felt like I wanted to go further than Godflesh so when we actually got it together I knew that Ted was the only real choice to work with.
DRE: So not even Ted knew you were recording this stuff?
J: No he didnt because I was doing it in my own studio. Literally about the last month of recording the Godflesh album I was recording bits at home at the end of the day. It was pretty much a good indication that Godflesh was over reached its peak. For me J is a pop band but maybe not to other people.
DRE: How is Jesu personal for you?
J: I guess its construed as personal because I made it in a vacuum. Obviously I had to get people to help finish the album but before that it was an entirely solo venture. I did it outside any scene without any input from anyone. It was just completely self indulgent and self gratifying thing. I just sat there doing this in my own space like masturbation.
DRE: What was it about Ted and his work that you thought he would do good on the Jesu album?
J: Besides the fact we are close friends he is one of the few drummers in the world that is completely disciplined, focused and he beats the fucking hell out of the drums. Hes not only completely tight with the drums but he has so much power as well. A lot of drummers only like to fill spaces but he gives you a solid wall of drums. Hes really direct and I really appreciate that form.
DRE: How much work did you put in before he came in and laid down his work?
J: I think the only thing missing before Ted laid down his drums was vocals. Pretty much most of it was there. Before I gave Ted the whole Jesu album it just had drum machines like in Godflesh. I gave him the stuff and told him that this is how the beats are and if he could keep within that then well run with it. He got my beats and then expanded it to make it more human. He was real sparing with the stuff. I guess I was a being a bit of a dictator but thats the way Jesu is.
DRE: Why did you feel the need to keep it such a secret?
J: I only wanted to show it to people once I had a rough mix of the album done. People would ask me for shit but I didnt want anyone coming along and telling me what to do. I wanted it to be completely singular and somewhat pure. Sometimes my favorite art is created in a complete fucking vacuum.
DRE: Have you played this stuff live yet?
J: Not with a full band. We did some shows in August but Ted wasnt there so it was just me, the bass player and some technology like we did in Godflesh. But it came out like complete shit and we even left the tour because we were that bad. It showed that we need Ted or at least another drummer. The way its transpiring Ted might not be able to do it because he has two kids. Hes going to do half the tour then someone else will do the second half. Its getting fucking mental.
DRE: Why are tracks nine and ten only going to be on the Japanese version of the album?
J: Its a funny thing that is involved with a lot of internal politics. I think that since buying CDs in Japan is much more expensive than buying an imported CD from the US so Japanese record labels try to give their buyers an incentive to buy the CDs in Japan which is quite cynical. I was only aware of this very recently. I just did a couple of very laidback remixes of two songs. It was good fun and I think well get those tracks into the US eventually.
DRE: What made you decide to end Godflesh?
J: Throughout Godfleshs career it was essentially me writing the songs but there was Christian Green who had been with the band since the beginning so he was an integral. He left the band right after we did Hymns which was about two weeks before a big European tour. He left because he was 40 and didnt want to play live anymore. But because this tour was coming up so fast I didnt have time to absorb the fact that he left the band because we needed a replacement so quickly. We ended going with Paul Raven from Prong and Killing Joke. Halfway through that tour I knew that Godflesh wasnt right anymore. We ended right before a big US tour which we cancelled and put me into financial crisis. I had to move forward and push things into a more perverted melodic kind of way.
DRE: When is the Jesu tour starting?
J: I think well get to the US in early summer or early fall.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
VIEW 14 of 14 COMMENTS
nice interview as usual ^^