Missy Lorelei speaks with the genius behind Silver Apples.
Missy Lorelei: What really comes across in the documentary film Key of Yellow is your enthusiasm for new technology. Do you enjoy using new tech, such as samplers etc?
Simeon Coxe: Sure. In this age, technology and art are functioning hand-in-hand in the creation of new experiences. Every time a lab technician develops a new widget, 20 musicians are inspired to create something with it.
ML: I was at your show in Mono, Glasgow the other night and you went down an absolute storm. What is your favourite place to play?
SC: I have played festivals in front of thousands, and I have played some real tiny caves, and I can tell you a concert is only as good as the music you bring to it. If I can bring my "A Game” we'll all have a good experience, and that's what I try to do, no matter where.
ML: You are a painter as well as musician. How long does it take to produce one piece and do you stick to a routine, in terms of fixed working hours per day?
SC: Once I decide on what a painting is going to express it goes pretty quickly—2 or 3 days. I don't have a set routine. I paint only when I feel something wants out. Same with creating new music.
ML: Do you still listen to electronic music? If so, who do you recommend?
SC: I listen to all kinds of music—and I am the world's worst music critic because I tend to like most everything. What I had in my car today was a new release from Thee Offset: Spectacles from China.
ML: Obviously, you played with the mighty Portishead. Is there anyone you would like to collaborate with?
SC: I love what Pete Kember (Sonic Boom) is doing, where he puts tracks up on his website and invites anyone to add music to them and send it back to him. I don't know where he gets the time! If I could carve out enough time in my day to do that kind of collaboration, that's what I'd do. Universal Collaboration!
ML: What are the best and worst shows you ever played?
SC: The best... I haven't a clue, but the worst might very well have been a show in Los Angeles a few years ago when I had laryngitis and tried to sing anyway: disastrously. The next day one critic wrote: "Poor Simeon. His voice has turned into a brick."
ML: Finally, what advice would you give to young musicians trying to get a break in the music industry?
SC: Don't try to be trendy.
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