IS MISS VICKI
PEOPLE LIKE US?

by bleek

I understand you don't like the term "plunderphonics" to describe 

your work, right? What's the first piece of plunderphonia you ever 

heard?

Golden Wonder, by Xper Xr, in 1994-ish... that was about the time I 

found out what the word meant too!  Also Nurse with Wound and 

Negativland but that was before I had a concept of the "P" word. 

Plunderphonics is the name of an album reflecting what people have 

always done in folk art.

Do you think the "intellectual property" laws are legitimate or is 

fair-use the fairer fare??

No.  I think that art dictates culture and culture dictates finance. 

Also I believe there is no such thing as bad art, and so long as the 

initial intention can be validated as an artistic one then the 

property is one of the artist for the period spent before making that 

work public.  Once it is out there, it is only partly their property, 

just like the ideas they culled from elsewhere to make that work.

When did you decide you were going to start making your art public, 

and how did that occur ?

I always wanted to do what I'm doing now, to be attempting to 

communicate with as many people that will (un)reason with what I have 

to offer.  Always.  It was only practicalities and financial 

constraints that thankfully led me to not releasing before 1992.  It 

occured when my pals Abraxas (now deceased, artistically speaking) in 

Glasgow saved up 500 quid to press and make packaging for 100 LPs 

which we were very proud of, and then handed over to World Serpent to 

distribute and they offered to press 1000 CDs.

What's your favourite audio track of yours and what track do you get 

the most favorible feedback (not audio-feedback) on ?

Hmmm... it's always my most recent material that I like.  Probably a 

track I did for a John Peel session, called The Doody Waltz, named 

after a dogs holiday home in California.  I get nice feedback on 

Swinglargo, which is on the Illegal Art Exhibit CD.  Probably because 

it is very straightforwardly put together, almost a cover version.

You appear on WFMU often, do you think it's the "best station in the 

world", as some say?

No.  I think it is the best station in the universe.  I will have my 

own show there from early October, called "Do or DIY".

What's that Kenny G (WFMU) geezer like?

He's amazing, the best.  His show is a bridge between the avant to 

the retard, the latter being where I come in - that's my music is too.

Where does the name People Like Us come from?

It comes up in strong statements of recognition, where people really 

have feelings for something.  Also fun for hearing in conversations, 

to see what people are(n't) saying about you.

Have you ever made someone angry, either by the use of an 

"uncleared" sample or just because they didn't appreciate a little 

dark humour?

A group called People Like Us in San Diego said they were going to 

sue me but we laughed at them and they realised they didn't know the 

first thing about law.  Maybe people get angry, but they tend not to 

let me know about it.  PLU is so low profile, it won't happen yet, if 

ever (just tempting fate).

I can't talk to my family about art, really. What does your family 

think of what you do?

They want me to be happy, and encourage whatever it is that makes me 

happy.  Doesn't mean I'm necessarily going to have a conversation 

about art with them, but nor do I with anyone else either really...

Other people in the audio-arts realm can be a bit 

over-conceptualized or serious. You know, with installations and all 

that, which is great too, but I tend to be drawn to humour in 

audio-art. You rule in that area. why is that?

I resort to humour as a result of actually taking myself very 

seriously.  I'm super perfectionistic and pay a great deal of 

attention to detail.  I just make it look otherwise in order to not 

look like a complete psychotic control freak.  Slapstick is all about 

timing, and the best art is all about timing.  You have to do 

something well to do it badly, you have to do something seriously to 

do it and make people laugh.  Having said that, I'm a great advocate 

of complete nonsense and chaos.

Other artists like Evolutiuon Control Committe and Negativland or my 

pals in the Snuggles group seem to see the value in irreverence and 

humour as well. Any comment on these people?

I like a lot of their stuff, indeed.  What else to say?

How did the tribute album "Hate People Like Us" become realized. 

who's idea was it?

It was just a publicity thing really, an idea of my then label, 

Staalplaat.  So I asked people I knew, whose music I liked, if they 

would remix me.  Now, I'd sooner it didn't exist.  Stupid project, 

took up 2 years of my life too.

What's your favourite track from it?

The Barbed track.  A work of genius and abandonment.  Beautiful.

Is Boyd Rice an Evil nazi or not?

I don't discuss my own politics, let alone responding to someone 

being such overused and empty words.  He certainly isn't "evil" in 

any sense of the word - you are asking me a question of someone who I 

think it funny and inspiring in the realms I know him as an artist, 

and I am an artist, and nothing else, end of story.  It's up to him 

what he wants to be and how he wants to represent himself, but don't 

ask me to have an authority over that information, I've simply no 

idea.

When you work in video, what materials are you working with and what 

sources do you use?

I am currently sourcing 100% from Prelinger Archives - industrial, 

educational film footage from the second half of the 20th century. 

You can get some for free here - http://www.moviearchive.org

Say you are the wedding planner at Ben and Jennifer's wedding. How 

would the proceedings go?

Well it would depend on what the point of the marriage was on whether 

I'd even bother attending...

When we get married, who will be in attendance? Think 

Super-superstars! Eh?

Same goes as above :)

Every now and then I ask interviewees how to fix the state of radio 

or what radio they listen to. what do you think?

I listen to WFMU every day, and sometimes listen to John Peel on BBC 

Radio 1, he is great.  And occasionally Resonance FM in London.  The 

state of radio is 99% better in the US than it is here.  Radio seems 

OK in the places I visit in America, seems very healthy to me to not 

have a problem getting to play on a show.  America is different to 

the UK.  Things don't spread by radio so much here, more by word of 

mouth and email even, because it's more possible to actually know 

everyone here.

Do you think (modern) pop music is just icky rotten, or is it 

something that we need to kinda gauge who's who and what they think 

and care about, making experimental music and the like more 

striking. Like the Yin & Yang?

As long as I can remember (ie early 80's) people have said that "pop 

music today is shit, it isn't what it used to be".  But that doesn't 

mean there ain't a load of great pop out there.  The whole mash-up 

movement couldn't have happened without great pop.

What's good to read these days?

I don't get to read much.  Wish I did.  Only just before I fall into 

oblivion every night.  Currently reading about 10 pages a night (!) 

of a book called Carter Beats The Devil.

Tell me about a favourite pet.

My laptop, my bestest friend.  Best you ask me about my favourite poet.

Cheers,

Vicki