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Ventriloquist
Ventriloquist aka poet/producer Chris Redmond introduces us to the word 'Palliative'
What motivates you to make music?
Music is never static. Its parallax; an enigma, that works under a strict set of rules, which can always be broken. Working with something so intangible is never boring, always challenging, often surprising and after working at it, usually rewarding. It doesn’t cost anything but its invaluable. It has no meaning other than the one we give it. So I guess the answer is, I don’t know, which is also why I remain engaged in still making it.
What three aspects or parts of your latest release (single or album) are you most proud of?
The band – they play so well, it’s a joy to work with such great players.
The recording – it sounds great, I’m really happy with that.
The words – I enjoy telling a good story, and this one has always engaged people.
If time and money were no issue, how long do you think it would take you to make the perfect album?
I don’t know. Ask me again when I’ve made the perfect album.
What do you enjoy doing away from music?
Listening to sounds, particularly in cities. I like the drift of voices and noise that
combine to create a sort of stream of stories and thoughts that float through the air. I do it outside cities too but it becomes more ethereal and less human oriented because there’s not the concentration of people out in the sticks. I write daily, this is important to me, I like to read but I also waste enormous amounts of time on the internet, trawling around for information which I’m then not sure what to do with. It’s like being an ideas kleptomaniac. One day my eardrum will pop or my eye will fall out and all these ideas and bits of information will come pouring out in some sort of bloody data stream. Sometimes I exercise to remind myself I have a body. I live in the countryside now, so there’s a lot of walking going on.
Which song or piece of music other than your own draws the strongest emotional response from you?
2 pieces – I can’t decide. One is a version of All Blues by Miles Davis on a Live in Stockholm concert recording. It was the last tour with John Coltrane so the band had been together for 5 years or so. The interplay between all the musicians, particularly between Miles and John Coltrane, is astounding. It’s like listening to things that should be too beautiful for humans to be able to make. When John Coltrane takes his solo, I literally come close to pissing my pants every time.
Second is Jeff Buckley’s version of Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen. Floors me every time that a man could sing so beautifully and with that much depth at the age he was when he sung it.
Outside of recording and playing music, which part of the musician’s life do you find the most dull?
Organising rehearsals/recordings/gigs for a 7 piece band of busy jazz musicians is one of the most laborious, time consuming, teeth-pullingly dull necessities of this particular project. Always worth it in the end but my phone bill is ridiculous sometimes.
Which instrument do you wish you could play and why?
Bass flute would be pretty cool, I like the bend at the neck of it and it sounds like the song of an old jazzy tree. (hippy? Me?)
Apart from music are there any other art forms you relate to?
I love a good book; I read a bit of poetry, but I listen to more; I love good paintings, but couldn’t tell you what constitutes a good painting, I’m not very sophisticated when it comes to visual art. Theatre, dance, comedy - pretty much anything to do with performance.
What role do you believe music plays in the world and how do you help to fulfill it?
Someone cleverer than me once said to me “music is a palliative”. Once I’d looked it up I decided that I agreed with him. I think it’s more than that though and it can also be less. I think it’s about expressing how we feel in a way that words don’t convey; it’s both personal and universal and it’s as varied as the people and cultures that make it. It’s weird how it’s used as a backdrop/score to everything, from funerals to tampon adverts, which indicates the power and significance it has but also how it’s become a commodity and common currency. Personally I relate to it as some sort of reflection of the human experience, and the human experience can be enlightened, uniting and uplifting as well as debauched, self indulgent, ugly or facile. It’s a pretty broad church.
With the rise of the internet fans are able to become closer to and know more about their artists. Do you think this is a positive or negative development?
Positive, definitely.
How do you think music will be distributed, exchanged or sold in 5 years time?
No idea. I think there’s potential for many more independent musicians and artists to sell their music than 5 years ago, but a lot can happen in 5 years, so wouldn’t be able to hazard a guess at the future. The fact that music can be exchanged without the need for physical product any more is perhaps where the focus will continue to go. There’ll be CD and vinyl buyers for some time to come but what happens when the next generation can’t remember ever having to buy a CD? I don’t know, will we get phone/ipod nanobot police that wiggle around our music players like a worms checking for valid authorisation of music files. I think we’ll definitely be wearing silver suits when we listen. Well I will anyway.
If you could rename your band, what would it be?
I teach some kids music once a week, they form bands and we write songs and put on gigs etc. One of the bands (average age about 12-13) headed by this lad George came up with the band name I most wish I’d thought of. They go by the name “Sexy Carnage of The Dark Gods”. I don’t think it gets any better than that.
Looking back on the last century, which decade had the best music?
I’m going to be tricksy and say between early 60’s to early 70’s, post bop jazz, soul, funk, folk, great musicians playing with great singers, proto-rap/poetry, the hippies, black power, LSD, it was all going on. I never get bored of that period, it was like when show business, consciousness and great musicianship all collided for a brief spell and sparks flew.
In 10 years time, what will you be doing?
I’d love to say I’ve given that some thought and my plan is....but I just don’t work like that..who knows.. But I’m pretty sure I’ll be happy, there’ll be children and music and friends.
Please leave us with your favourite lyric, line of poetry, quote or phrase.
“You need only get up cold
and walk the dirt road at dawn
to be in heaven”
Allen Ginsberg
Ventriloquist aka poet/producer Chris Redmonf) fuses smart, 21st Century spoken word with cunningly crafted songs and music. His spellbinding stories (fans include XFM’s John Hillcock, Radio 1’s Rob Da Bank and beatbox champ Beardyman) are skilfully sound-tracked by a 6-piece band featuring musicians from new jazz pioneers Nostalgia 77, Heritage Orchestra and Example Of Twelves. The new album 'I Know Kung Fu' is out now..
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