I transcribed the James Stinson Detroit radio interview which he gave to Liz Copeland sometime in May 2002 just a few short months before he so tragically died. I've now included his words in the original
'Drexciya Speaks' article, which compiled six of his press interviews from 1995 - 2002. This was originally posted way back close to the start of DRL in May 2005. The original radio interview can be heard
here.
I have mentioned before that his other mainly web published interviews were fast disappearing before I managed to gather them all into one place, which was by the way, the main impetus for me to set up DRL. All but one of these interviews have, as I feared they would, become lost in the dead links of cyber-space but since then I have written another article with the links for all of the interviews via the Wayback Machine and other sources
here. I am very happy that his words are preserved here anyway and that they have a chance to be printed, copied and sent around the world, to ensure they do survive in one form or another for the future.
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Concepts(water)
“Well basically we use the concept with the water, we see it as being one of the most powerful elements on this planet and what is the best way to describe this music that we do and take the personality of what the water represents to this Earth and basically around the galaxy and whatever else is to take on that type of personality in the way we approach our music. That’s pretty much how we see things.”
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(in disguise)
“Well, we’re not really in disguise, it’s just more or less given us our own territory, it’s more about being isolated to where you can go about your own daily business or whatnot and not really be involved, like an isolated community you know and it‘s more peaceful. If you look at some of the other documentaries about undersea life or whatever it just looks so peaceful down there, beautiful, no sunlight, total darkness, but then again how do you really know that, it could be, there’s a lot of area’s we haven’t discovered yet.”
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Storm Series
“Well, basically what happened was that over the course of a year me and my partner created one hell of a storm as far as how many tracks we were making and how fast we were doing them and under different pressures and different things that was going on and that’s basically where the concept came from. It was just like total chaos, we basically controlled the storm, and basically within the storm was produced like seven different albums, Which was the first one, Harnessed The Storm, then there was the Transllusion, then there was The Other People Place and there are four albums on their way out now, their just in a holding pattern. Well basically in each one of the albums it’s a different feel. Something for everyone, some of the music you might like, some you might not like. But by the time you get finished with all seven it will be like a complete feeling that you will have, once you listen to all seven of them together.”
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(meaning of Storm Series)
“Actually that’s not for me to say, it’s up for the listener. It’s the same way it’s been from day one with all the Drexciya music. I could come out and say ok this is what it is, this is my intent, ok well what if that person listening to the record and that’s not what they feel, that’s not what they see. So basically, what I do like I have from day one, I don’t say anything about it. You listen to it, you tell me what you feel, because that’s the way I made it. You know, it came out of me and out of my partner from our soul, we dug it out of there, the one take, in the way it is, it’s a masterpiece, it’s a work of art and the energy that’s captured and whatever energy that’s projected, capture it, see what you feel. Cause everyone’s gonna interpret it differently like a picture has a million and one stories or whatever, that’s basically what it is.”
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(many different aliases)
“And that’s basically one of the reasons why we put them under different names, we couldn’t just put it under the Drexciya name. We had to basically break it up and give it its own identity so it can live and exist in it’s own world you know cause if it was under the Drexciya name I don’t think it would do so well, because Drexciya has a different kind of feel and vibe, it’s still Drexciya but it’s in a different state of incubation.”
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(upcoming Storm Series release and other related projects)
“One of the groups I’m just gonna mention is called Abstract Thoughts, that’s basically the only one I’m gonna speak on. Then of course my partner, he has a host of different solo projects or whatever and I’m not gonna really mention them. I’m pretty sure people know but I’m not gonna mention them all on his behalf. But there’s quite a few.”
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(why so many releases now, it seems urgent)
"It's not really a sense of urgency, it's like a run off, we were just filled up with energy which had to be released. Just an explosion, just let it go. So why should you stop the flow, if it's coming out let it go. It's not like it's gonna happen all the time, so go with it, see what happens.”
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On mystery “It’s not mystique its just the fact that we’re just busy. If we have something really to talk about, like we’re talking now about the seven albums and there’s a lot of things going on. When there’s something to talk about, if there’s nothing really to talk about just sit back and enjoy and listen to what’s happening, keep your eye on the record stores, keep your eyes on your friends or whatever else, ‘hey have you heard what’s going on’ or whatever else, information will pop up, but you know, anything beyond that there is nothing to talk about, just let the music do the talking.”
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(will there be a time when you come out from behind the mystery)
"Well, I don't think so. I think it will be just in the music you know and if someone happens to really really appreciate it and take it to that level then we'll talk about it and discuss that but I'm not gonna say anything because I always let the people do their voting and they tell me what they want and if they like it they like it, if people don't then someone else will. I'm not gonna push it on anyone."
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(describe Drexciya theme)
“An infinite journey to inner space, within and find out the beauty that’s inside and bring it out.”
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Interviews (why not previously)
”...because there was nothing to talk about at that time. I’ve done some for the recent release of these albums and whatnot to let people know what’s going on and so forth and so on but after this, this is basically the last interview for I don’t know how long, might be years from now, cause basically I’m going back to work, got to go back to the cave and lock myself away like I usually do.”
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(radio interviews)
"This is the first and last, plus I'm leaving Detroit too. Another reason I wanted to get on the air too was cause I know there are a lot of people listening, probably like friends or whatever else, are wondering why am I leaving and all the rest of that. Well, I'm not leaving here because of people and so forth and so on in the music scene and so on. I'm leaving because of a health reason. And some of my other friends that I know, they know what my health problem is and yes I have to relocate to a warmer climate, cause I'm going to be shut down for probably like a year or two years, something like that."
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Approach to making music (next step)
“Continue doing what I’ve been doing, just lock myself away, don’t listen to other people’s records, don’t listen to the radio, stay away from my friends, don’t pick up none of their energies or vibes, I don’t want to suck it up like a sponge or whatever. Basically just take it to whatever the next page is. I don’t think it’s the next level, I mean I don’t see it as taking it to a higher level, over a mountain or something like that, just turn the page and keep on to the next phase or whatever is gonna be there. You know nothing is planned as far as what we do, just like life, we never know what’s gonna happen, it’s very spontaneous so you should just live your life like that. To the best of your abilities you can plan something’s but you shouldn't just plan it, just do it."
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(you see it as a sacrifice you make)
"Yes, I make a very big sacrifice because one of the things Detroit artists, not just Detroit artists but any electronic music artist, you have a lot of problems when it comes to the social status with your family and everything else because people don't really believe in what you do and because if your really dedicated your giving up a lot, cause people don't believe in you. No one even thought that this stuff would even get to the point where it's at now, thanks to Juan and the others from day one and then the other guys who backed them up, there's myself and Mike and the whole crew and everyone else, there's just too many to name and a lot of people here in Detroit and family members don't even know what's going on. And still they have that big festival that's coming up in a couple of weeks and in a way I’d like to say I'm thankful that happened to where it's like some kind of recognition to where they grew to that point but that situation with this music festival is a thing that’s losing control and more power to Carl that’s all I can say, I’m a full supporter and if he don’t have anything to do with it, to hell with the festival. That’s the way I feel about it.”
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(taking breaks)
"Sometimes in those shutdown periods, you have to shut down in order to try and get a new direction because things change all the time and you have to change with them. You can't keep with the same thing, you have to grow. The same way that you thought five years ago is not the same way you think today. So you have to change things that you might have done in the past, whether it was a mistake or whatever else. Today you might not really feel that way, you realise 'I made a big mistake' or whatever you know. That's basically what that was about."
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(have you plans of stopping?)
"No, not till I die. That's been a motto, 'Experiments must continue even till death'. Well even if I die next week or whatever there’ll still be a lot of music left. I have a nice stock pile left.”
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(electronic music)
"It’s got to such a level where you have many different forms and really I’m not too concerned because what they do on a commercial level or what anyone else do that’s not what I do, that‘s not my category. I can only be concerned about what I do. Say for instance, Moby is making 300 million copies or whatever-else, well, that’s what Moby does and you have to respect it cause that’s his area. I don’t do what Moby do, there’s nothing I can really say about it but just give people the respect. But if someone happened to come into my area, into the kind of music I’m doing, happened to come in and make a little bit of noise and all the rest of it then I can feel the competition and all the rest of that and I’ll be looking for the challenge for it. But even then it’s still not necessary, there’s enough room for everyone. If you put in the hard work and the dedication into what your doing and your concepts and everything else and do it your gonna be successful no matter what. What you gotta remember, whatever you do your gonna have to give something and compromise when it comes to the business side of things. You might have to do some things you don’t want to do in order to get that type of money or exposure. Now if you don’t want to do those things then don’t expect the money, don’t expect that kind of fame."
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(what needs to happen next for the music)
“People just need to respect a little more of themselves and dig more into themselves to pull it out and be more of who they are and believe in what they do and don‘t worry about what other people are doing, don‘t worry about the other major companies or whatever else or who has what and who‘s doing what, you know, it doesn’t matter. Forget about it, put in the hard work with the music, the perks will be there, the money, travelling and all the other things, it’s gonna be there. That’s basically what needs to happen.”
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Misc(people will always recognise you with Detroit)
"That's fine but I try not to take on those characteristics because I just don't want to ride the image of a place or attitude or personality. I wanted to do something that involved a total concept, to where it was something different and take people somewhere else, instead of giving them the same thing that they see every single day when they step outside their door. Yes I was here and was born here and all the rest of that but still I want the music to have a different feel. That's the reason I want to isolate myself away from everyone. From even the music, I don't enjoy myself, I don't go out to clubs or anything because I'm dedicated to what I do. I'm not enjoying myself. I don't get a chance to get out, I don't do anything. I guess you could say it's almost like a phobia, if I go out I'm gonna pick up something and I don't want to pick it up. I don't want to pick up other people's ways of doing things and the music and so forth because I don't want it to come into my world, into my music and make it un-pure."
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Labels “You basically have to analyse who you are and what your about, what your gonna give up, what your willing to do and not do. If your on an underground level and that’s where you want to stay at then stay there. Then you have no complaints whatsoever if you don’t make X amount of dollars or whatever, your only making underground money, and if your happy with it, be happy, cause then it’s all about the music, there’s no complaints. As far as if you want to be on a major label then you have to do the things that it takes to be on a major label, that’s the bottom line."
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(would you complain if you got success?)
“No because of the simple fact I’m still on an underground level and the success would come from our hard work that I put in to it and if a million people happened to like it they like it because it’s good music and what I did wasn’t fabricated to the point where I’m flashy or whatever else and I didn’t do certain things that you have to do to become that way such as do a million and one shows back to back and all the rest of that. I’m still doing things the way I normally do, make my music, do the concepts, give to the people the way it is you know and I think that’s what people really like. It should be ‘just give me the music and forget all the rest of the stuff.’"
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Live “There will be live performances but not right now, still a lot of work to be done. There will be concerts but it just hasn’t been the right time. As far as even leaving the country and so forth and so on, it's just been too many things that I had to do here to really make sure things were right before I leave here but it's coming soon.”
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Atlanta “You know, just recently I discovered the new land of Atlantis, hot Atlanta, down in Georgia. (what's goin on there?) There's a lot going on there, the weathers better than up here I tell you that much, it's cold up here. It's a whole lot better. (any unexplored territory down there?) Not yet, I've basically just put the flag up so now I have to go out and look a little bit more.”
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Information
(how can people find out what happens next, Submerge?)
"No, record stores, friends, people. Cause I'm all over the place, I'm wave jumping all over the place in different places. As soon as our production companies up, Dimensional Waves. (tell us about that) Well, Dimensional Waves is just the production company we're putting together and it's basically just set up to do a lot of wave jumping to different companies and what not. Just putting out good music period, that's what it's all about, just putting out good music.”
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Last Comments "Just believe in what you do, keep your confidence no matter how much people get down on you and don't want to support you. You just gotta keep going and stay strong. Everyone have different issues, different problems in their life but you gotta keep strong. Like I really have some real inspiration from a friend of mine I just saw yesterday. Everyone know him as Mr. Shake and I have a lot of inspiration with him because he, that guy can talk, he can go, he has a lot of life in him you know what I mean. So I get a lot from that guy and I haven’t seen him in a long time and really talked to him but it really felt good to really talk with that guy the past couple of times, just before I left here but I plan on staying in touch with him though.”
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“Well basically just love each other, love the music and go for it, whatever your heart desires.”
New Der Zyklus 12” ‘Cherenkov Radiation’ out very soon on Frustrated Funk. You can order it now from Clone at http://clone.nl/item11136.html
