“You’re gonna be a bad motherfucker.”
laidout interview with Derek Thompson, aka Hoodlum Priest 6/03/07
Laidout: Firstly, I have to say, I think Heart of Darkness is a superb album that stands up after all these years. How was it received at the time?
Derek Thompson (Hoodlum Priest: Very well critically. The deal for Hoodlum was signed with ZTT originally but by the time Heart of Darkness was finished they had been bought by Time Warner. The corporate sensibility is risk averse and Heart of Darkness was withdrawn soon after its release. No review copies were sent out but word of mouth ensured that most media got hold of it. Refusing to take Cop Killer (B-side) off the proposed 1st single "Caucasian" did not encourage them to take Hoodlum to their bosom.
LO: One sound that can date quite quickly is rap, yet the Hoodlum Priest raps still sound good - I'm reminded of the close-to-the-mike testosterone of early LL Cool J - how do you feel the album sounds today? Is there anything you'd change?
DT: My feelings on the record change over time. Some tracks (e.g. Tyrell) continue to give pleasure and seem not to date. I'm pretty happy overall with how it stands up over time and it should contain some material that sounds more "of its time". I don't like to go back and tamper with things, e.g. all guitar takes (on everything I've done) are 1st takes, I don't polish.
LO: Though there are a lot of samples on the album, from Mysteres Voix Bulgares to Robocop, it still sounds of a piece; it all hangs together beautifully. Was that hard to achieve? How would the tracks be built up? Was there an initial bass line or drum track, or did you have an idea of how each track should sound?
DT: I don't have any particular techniques so the way the record hangs together is probably more to do with the pent up release of a 1st album. I don't have an idea of how the tracks will sound as they spring from concepts or particular inspiration (eg film). They can evolve from speech sample down or drum track up.
LO: Again, I don't think the samples date the album, but have there been any films or sounds in the intervening years that you would have included if you'd known about them at the time?
DT: The only film that springs to mind is "The Big Lebowski". The dude has some pretty good lines; perhaps they could have really tied the album together.
LO: The way that the album can switch from the aggressive man/machine electro meld of Rock Drill to the drifting dream pop of C Horse is really impressive; each track maintains the high quality whilst switching styles. Is your background in any particular instrument or musical style? What were you listening to at the time of making the album?
DT: I have no musical training, I started in music playing traditional Irish music at a young age and went on to teach myself guitar, bass & Atari and will attack anything to hand. I couldn't give you a detailed list of what I was listening to at the time but typically it would have been- Shostakovich, Public Enemy, Eric Satie, Jesus & Mary Chain, Stooges, Joy Division, Hendrix, Led Zep, T-Rex, Arvo Part,
Lalo Schifrin et al.
LO: I love the "Oh yeah, oh yeah" in the background of Caucasian, and the tripping Spanish guitar in Sex Spirit. Is there anything on the album you'd like people to listen out for especially?
DT: No, I would hate to dictate what people find in music. People find things in my music that I never put there, that's as it should be.
LO: The album cover looks amazing, with the eyeless Tunisian. Was it your choice? What input did ZTT, the label, have in the album design?
DT: Yes the artwork was my choice (chosen or shot by myself). ZTT were told we would go away and come back with a finished product. They were happy to do this.
LO: What did you move onto after the album? Do you think the album has had an influence on anyone? I always thought the Lo Fidelity Allstars probably had a copy somewhere!
DT: What I have done since is best explored on the hoodlum website which is slowly coming to life (as you can tell I don't rush things). I have no idea who may have been influenced by the record.
LO: Is there any question you expected me to ask, and wanted to answer?
DT: Is it really better to reign in hell than serve in heaven?
review by Titus Cotton