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In conversation with Matt Elliott
As interviewed - April 2003
A little background:
For people, that has known me for a couple of years, during the running of my original website "Rising Sun" (1999 - 2001), there existed an interview with Matt there in relation to his previous project "Third Eye Foundation".
Repeating what I said previously about Matt, I have been lucky enough to be into his previous work as Third Eye Foundation pretty well since he first surfaced with his debut album " Semtex " (1995), although I was familiar with him before that with his involvement with Flying Saucer Attack, Movietone and AMP. Here was a circle of bands that managed to produce a constant circle of challenging and inventive music. So a move onto the music of Third Eye Foundation was always a turning point for me, and it is a move I have never regreted. For on the debut album, Semtex, it was drum and bass music that was taken a stage forward with the use of guitars.
His later material, " In Version (1996) ", " Ghosts (1997) ", " You Guys kill me (1998) ", " Little Lost Soul (2000) ", and "I poopoo on your juju (2001) all show a progression of a genius at work who is pushing back the boundaries more and more and more sometimes throwing away the use of guitars somewhat and heading into worlds that simply go beyond what drum and bass / dance music is generally regarded as.
I first interviewed in relation to "Little Lost Soul" (2000), and as soon as I decided to get Setting Sun running, he was one of the first people I thought of approaching for repeat updated, interviews.
For further information
Matt can be contacted viva
here
Or through his website: His Website
Setting Sun: - How's things and what have you been up to since the
last time we spoke?
Matt:
The suns out & I'm desperately sorting out last minute details for my
forthcoming tour, caffenied up & wide eyed, generally good
Setting Sun: - Great to see you're back with another album. How does this compare with your earlier releases? I've found it really challenging, but one of those sort of releases which seems to take a different level to every time you listen to it?
Matt:
That can only be a good thing in my mind I like records like that myself, I
did think people were going to accuse me of selling out with this lp but
everyone's saying its the darkest one I've done which I don't think is
necessarily true, but my idea of dark & the rest of the human races are
completely different I guess
Setting Sun: - The titles are great too. What's the story behind some of them? Some of the earlier stuff have a light sense of humour that I dig, like "cause Stone Cold said so" or "In Bristol with da pistol" or my favourite "In Leeds with da Weed", but I think with the new album, unless it is just me it seems to carry a very different meaning?
Matt:
I think firstly, I ran out of funny things & also cos these tunes have
lyrics they are kind of about things so I couldn't just attach irrelevant
titles to them, but I guess that's just me being a bit of a ponce
Setting Sun: - What's next? I know you've recently told me that you'll writing the next album already? Is their any plans anything else in the pipeline say like an interlude?
Matt:
New LP is written I've just got to record it, & I have no idea how I will do it yet, but I'm kind of looking forward to it
Setting Sun: - I've heard rumours (know somebody who saw you on your last London date) that for your forthcoming UK and European tour - you are going to approach things from a slightly different angle. I've got a good idea what this is going to be, but those for who don't know - is their any hints you would like to drop?
Matt:
Who saw it? & What did they say? I'll say nothing but it's not a secret
Setting Sun: - Why the change from "Third Eye Foundation" to music under your own name this time. All I guess is the jump in your music this time?
Matt:
I was just bored with the tag, a lot of people thought I was a drill &
basser so just hadn't bothered listening to anything since ghost or whatever
& I was bored of the same old questions, I just wanted to move on really,
I'd been doing 3ef for nearly 10 years
Setting Sun:
Did you find your influences changing while making this album and in the
process from the final third eye release?
Matt:
I tried to isolate myself as much as possible musically & was deliberately
not listening to anything really from the last 10 years, the recording
processes were different as well because I was sampling stuff I had played
rather than nicking stuff off record so it demanded a different approach
really.
Setting Sun: - Strange question here, now we are getting to the end and perhaps a little less light heartened. Somebody asked me this one recently about one of my bands, and since it caught me out, I thought I would ask it you
too................. If you had to describe third eye foundation / your solo
music in 5 words or under - how would you do it?
Matt:
Err....
Setting Sun:
- Finally, to finish off (hacking a question one of my friends used to use in her magazine which I am going to hack here), if you were stranded on a desert island with a record player (although I could be tempted to let you upgrade it to a CD Player if I was feeling nice), what 5 records what you choose to have with you?
Matt:
I don't know cos which ever 5 records I chose I'd always wish I'd chosen a
different one, like when I'm going on a long journey I literally take 100
cds & I still always want to hear something I've left at home, although 2
I'd definitely have would be nigga please by ol dirty bastard & voodoo by
d'angelo.
Setting Sun:- Thanks for this, Matt. Speak to you soon...
Matt:
Cheers bud talk soon,
Matt