A Call And Response at 20
A Call And Response album cover.
Twenty years ago we released A Call And Response. We know how much it means to a lot of people, for us it’s still as much of a series of fever dreams as it was when we recorded it.
Hearing Sitek’s first mix of Gravity in Crisis in the early hours of the morning at home and knowing instantly that’s the sound, that was how the whole record needed to sound.
Completely losing hearing during the initial album sessions at The Townhouse due to an insane virus. Playing to thuds on the side of my head. Hoarsely screaming at the 2005 FA Cup Final much to the consternation of a watching member of Blue (yes them).
Trying to play instrumental sections to a click, being out of time. Removing the click without telling us. Being perfectly in time.
Car crash outside the studio. Finding and riding a deer sculpture. England winning the ashes but then losing to Northern Ireland in the WC qualifiers. Craig Silvey as Jesus. Generic red sauce meals, Johnny insisting on making pesto as a protest. Rescuing swallows. Getting into an argument about which glockenspiel melody to use for Holy Funk then ending up using them both.
Coming back to Konk in makeup after a bad-tempered Mick Rock photoshoot for GQ, who knocked on our rehearsal room door weeks later and asked if we were the Nine Black Alps (two doors down mate).
Watching Wife Swap and eating Italian food with Cat Stevens in Mayfair, on a break from recording (really, though some of us think it was Chinese food).
Taking a break to play festivals. Having a dressing room a few doors down from Prefuse 73, Lisa Loeb at Fuji Rock. Being very hammered and asking SFA to film adverts for Longcut lighter/bottle openers.
Arriving at Stay Gold in Brooklyn straight from San Francisco and being fed pints of Dunkin Donuts coffee so we could finish the last mixes through the night. Playing with circuit-bent Speak&Spells.
We hope it still means as much to you all as it does to us. Thanks to everyone who helped us, and special shoutout to Johnny Dollar.
Yes we’ll play some gigs soon. Just not quite yet.
