“Now go on Google and type The Bloody Beetroots and you know The Bloody Beetroots is playing. No nonsense. No paying money for search engines.”
Last Friday, electronica’s mysteriously private dance-punk sensation The Bloody Beetroots’ Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo headed down to Mumbai for the Smirnoff Experience. While here The Sherp had an opportunity to sit down with him (yes, we indeed did see him. He was wearing sunglasses and a cap though.) for a quick chat just before he rushed for his sound-check!
1) Welcome to India! We’re really excited to be catching you this evening.
Thank you. I’m very excited to be here.
2) So, first off, why the moniker ‘The Bloody Beetroots’? Is there a story behind the name?
The story is if you want to make a name searchable, you got to be original. So, when you google it, you find it. That’s why The Bloody Beetroots. Now go on Google and type The Bloody Beetroots and you know The Bloody Beetroots is playing. No nonsense. No paying money for search engines.
(image credits: Simon | The Bloody Beetroots Facebook)
3) Warp 1.9 was your first big radio hit, and then you worked with Paul McCartney on ‘Out of Sight’ and you have had a long standing association with Tommy Lee. So, what has your entire career-spanning experience been like?
Uhmm, I make music. So I have a lot of fun making music. And that is the secret of everything. I don’t make walls for making music of any kind. So when I work with Paul, or Steve (Aoki) or when I work with Tommy, it’s because I’ve been having a lot of fun making music. Music drives you to something you don’t really know.
4) You’ve essentially mixed two genres that is punk and electronic music and what we get is a very unique sound that only The Bloody Beetroots commands. So what would be the word of advice you would give to young producers looking to achieve that unique sound?
To create the unique sound. Haha! The answer is – HISTORY OF MUSIC! If you don’t forget the history of music, there are lot of references there to be inspired from. As long as you study what is your best influence, and then you mix it with something contemporary, and boom! You’ve created your own magic, your own unique sound.
5) We love ‘Out of Sight’, it’s one of our favourite numbers. So what is that one track that you have been really emotionally vested in?
Yes, there is a song from my first album (Romborama) calledΒ Mother. It’s very easy and simple, but it’s about my mother, so I’m very linked to that song.
6) You were talking about mixing an influential style with a contemporary sound. Who are those contemporary artists you’re listening to lately?
I listen to lots of soundtracks. Movies soundtracks. And right now, my iTunes is playing the Whiplash soundtrack. And, I’ve been listening to that soundtrack since forever and ever and ever. It’s been like five weeks and I’m still listening to that. It’s crazy.
7) While we’re on the subject of movie soundtracks, we remember reading once that you were very much interested in making a movie. So, how is that coming along?
It’s not coming along. But you know what? I’ve been trying, I’ve been really trying. But I need money to make a movie. It costs a lot of money to make a movie. You have an idea, it’s Β beautiful idea, you create all the content, and the script. And then you go to a production company, they say it’s cool. Then you say you need money. And then they go, ‘Oh!’ . So, I’ve been working on that, and I think sooner or later, I should come out with a movie.
8) How was it working with Paul McCartney? We really want to know how that collaboration came about.
With Paul, we have a common friend, who is the bass player of a band called Killing Joke, a post-punk band from the 70s. And, I started to manipulate some material from this project Martin Glover (the bassist of Killing Joke) had with Paul McCartney called The Fireman. And then I asked Martin, ‘Hey Buddy, is it possible to record some vocals with Paul’, cause I need these vocals to be done, recorded and harmonised. And he said, “Let’s ask Paul and see what he thinks.” And he liked it. And so he called us and said, “Hey, Wanna come to my studio?” and I was like, “Hell yeah I wanna come to your studio.” So we spent an entire day at the studio and made the song.
9) So what’s next for The Bloody Beetroots? Any new sound or project you’re working on?
So, The Bloody Beetroots is going to take a break of two years. Because one, to preserve The Bloody Beetroots Live and two, to make The Bloody Beetroots live experience better, I need to go through a process. And this process is SBCR (an acronym for Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo). So SBCR, right now, is the new laboratory where I’m going to make music, mad, crazy music of any kind. At least for two years. And then I’ll bring back The Bloody Beetroots live with a new album and the live performances.
10) You should come back to India when you do that!
I’m super excited to play more and more. I mean I have a visa for one year now, so definitely need to be booked here.
(image courtesy: The Bloody Beetroots Facebook)
Festive Five:
1.Β If you had to get married at a festival, which one would it be and why?
Jesus Christ, uhmm that one in the desert! Burning Man. That’d be great.
2.Β Who/What is your favourite festival buddy? Tell us why.
My buddy at a festival, Tommy Lee. He’s my buddy. He’s my family.
3. IfΒ you had to pick one festival you had to be sober at, which one would it be?
Oh, I’m always sober!
4.Β If you could take only three things to a festival, what would they be and why?
The mask is one. The loud music is the second. The chaos and confusion will be the third.
5. If there was one music festival you’d love to attend alone?
Alone? I don’t go to music festivals. I perform at music festivals. Uhmm, I don’t know. Why the heckΒ do I have to go alone?
It’s another kind of experience, you know?
I don’t wanna have that experience!
That’s alright. We’ll take that.Β