MVRemix: Where were you during September 11th terrorist attack? How did you deal with it?
Matt Black: We were on tour in the Balkans. In fact, we’d just left Mostar having done a show there, with 20 people and a 40Kw sound system. If there was going to be an outbreak of war, we felt we were well placed to survive having already adopted a nomadic lifestyle.
MVRemix: Death penalty – for or against?
Matt Black: I’m against. But I don’t think that murderers should be released after a few years for good behavior. Life, in some cases, should mean that convicts are not released.
MVRemix: Abortion – pro-choice or pro-life?
Matt Black: I can’t see such a crucial question identified by these two polarities. It’s more complex than that. Each case is individual.
MVRemix: What has been in your CD player or on your tape deck recently?
Matt Black: I’m getting into the Temperance Seven at the moment, who were a bunch of art school students in the 60’s. My parents used to play them and I’ve recently rediscovered them. They’re absolutely stinging! They’re like us, man, four white guys who fell in love with Black music. In their case, 20’s and 30’s New Orleans jazz. It’s so witty. The musicianship is excellent. I’ve been learning the Charleston, with my girlfriend, over Christmas.
MVRemix: Word association. I am going to say an emcee or name of a group and you tell me the first word that pops in your head. So, if I say ‘The Beatles’, you may say ‘Revolution’ or ‘Lennon’. Ok?
Massive Attack.
Matt Black: Heavy.
MVRemix: Trisomie 21.
Matt Black: Unknown.
MVRemix: The Stone Roses.
Matt Black: Flowers.
MVRemix: Morrissey.
Matt Black: Shoes.
MVRemix: Slowdive.
Matt Black: Carpet.
MVRemix: The Fall.
Matt Black: True Grime (laughing).
MVRemix: The New Fast Automatic Daffodils.
Matt Black: Old.
MVRemix: My Bloody Valentine.
Matt Black: Park.
MVRemix: The House Of Love.
Matt Black: Nonsense.
MVRemix: Momus.
Matt Black: One brown dried leaf.
MVRemix: Felt.
Matt Black: Svelte.
MVRemix: The Wolfgang Press.
Matt Black: I am not a computer.
MVRemix: Cocteau Twins.
Matt Black: Lush.
MVRemix: The Dandy Warhols.
Matt Black: A copy.
MVRemix: Psychic T.V.
Matt Black: Softwarmgood.
MVRemix: Renegade Soundwave.
Matt Black: Bass.
MVRemix: New Order.
Matt Black: New York circa 1979.
MVRemix: Meat Beat Manifesto.
Matt Black: Dangerous Tones.
MVRemix: George Bush.
Matt Black: Playing the role that has been prepared for him by his handlers.
MVRemix: Margaret Thatcher.
Matt Black: People should be numbers in a state computer.
MVRemix: What do you think of the U.S. involvement in the Middle East?
Matt Black: US involvement in the Middle East has many unfortunate, clumsy aspects, but I wouldn’t know how to fix it. I admire aspects of American culture immensely, but the way it is painting itself as the 4th Reich is pretty upsetting.
MVRemix: Who came up with the name Coldcut? Is there a deeper meaning?
Matt Black: I came up with the name. Hip-hop DJ-ing is about cutting records, hence the term ‘cut’. ‘Cold’ is cool. So, ‘Coldcut’.
MVRemix: What is music lacking these days?
Matt Black: Cowbell.
MVRemix: What is next for Coldcut?
Matt Black: Gigs, Gigs, Gigs! Party, party, party! We’ve got about 30 or 40 gigs in the tour. That’s going to be a hard grind, but we love it. We’re going to do Europe, Japan, the States, and even Chile this time, I think.
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"I’m getting into the Temperance Seven at the moment, who were a bunch of art school students in the 60’s. My parents used to play them and I’ve recently rediscovered them. They’re absolutely stinging!"
