Goldie: Hello everybody, Goldie here in Australia. Have had a mad time so far, it’s been really funny. Peace, what’s up?
awallis: You were the first drum & bass act to sign to a major label back in the mid 90s. What was that experience like for you, working with a major label? Did you find you were pressured at all, or did you have the freedom to do what you wanted?
Goldie: ‘Timeless’ sounds pretty free to me. I was pretty established as an artist, so one thing looking back on it now I don’t really regret anything. There’s a fine line between art and commerce, and if you can find that line it works. Looking back I’m glad, it worked for me and them – we parted amicably.
jetgrrl: Are you a big hip-hop fan? If so, what sort of stuff do you listen to?
Goldie: I’m into Common and Mos Def and a bit of Wu. As far commercial stuff goes, I’m not really into it.
jetgrrl: Your biography says that you discovered drum & bass at Rage in the early 90s. Do you still have a lot of respect for Fabio and Grooverider?
Goldie: Oh yeah, of course I do. You don’t forget that no matter what they do. If you have respect for someone, it’s just one of those things. I’ll always have that admiration and respect.
X-oOHTIK: Hi Goldie, what can we expect to hear on your Australian tour?
Goldie: Whatever’s in that big fat fucking box! I’ve been given some great stuff at the moment. There’s some great artists making great music. I’ve been playing some really lengthy sets over the past 6 months. If someone gives me more time I can play more records.
awallis: Do you think technology has changed the sound of drum & bass?
Goldie: I think it has but it’s also taken out a lot of the soul from it. Even though it has gained a lot… it’s a very thin line – art vs science, that’s how I look at it! I have to look at it that way, I’m an older person.
Junior: What was it like being in Celebrity Big Brother?
Goldie: A good fucking laugh! It was pretty strange. I spent 17 years of my life in an institute with kids who didn’t know who they were, then in a house with these celebrities. It was good because at the end I’d raised 48,000 pounds.
jetgrrl: What new drum & bass acts have you heard over the last year or so that you think are really taking the scene forward? Are you familiar with Australian act Pendulum?
Goldie: Yeah, I don’t really think they’re taking it forward though. I think there’s a lot of other artists who are doing other stuff who aren’t getting the recognition – like Concord Dawn. Pendulum are ok, they do what they do and good luck to them. But personally I think there’s something lacking in depth. There’s some great guys out of NZ and Argentina doing really well at the moment.
Junior: You played the baddie in East Enders, James Bond and Snatch – are you worried about being typecast as the ‘goon’ at all?
Goldie: I was typecast when I lived in the ghetto, being told I’d never have a job or amount to anything! You can typecast me as much as you like, I don’t give a fuck.
mr shay: Obviously you’re not just a recognised name in the music scene now, your celebrity has stretched to other areas with your acting work. Do you find you’re recognised more now than when you were focusing just on music?
Goldie: It’s quite funny. Sometimes I walk around and the strangest people notice me. I’ll meet people who come out of nowhere, and I don’t know what Goldie they want to say hello to. It’s good though, that’s what getting older is about, I never thought I’d reach 40.
mr shay: You’ve said before that you were destined to achieve great things partly because you’re a Virgo and when you were born your planets were all aligned. Do you have a strong belief in astrology?
Goldie: Yeah very strong! I’m always checking the numbers. This tour has been quite strong in that vibe. It’s quite weird, not disturbing… just weird. I’ve experienced some mad shit.
awallis: What place do you think independent labels, like Metalheadz, have in the electronic music scene?
Goldie: It provides a platform for artists who want to underground music and don’t want to compromise. Metalheadz retains my balance – commercially Goldie is a name and brand, but with Metalheadz I don’t have to sell anything short.
X-oOHTIK: Hi Goldie, what is your favourite piece of equipment in your studio?
Goldie: It’s gotta be the HF3000!
Kittins Sister: What do you say to people who think drum & bass has had its day?
Goldie: I think it’s all well and good that there’s a resurgence, and if that wakes up people then it’s all good. The masses have to understand that it’s never going to go away, dnb is only 10 years old as a genre – jazz and blues has been around 50 years, hip-hop 25 years. The balance is still there. Give it another 10 years and ask me again – it’s still a baby.
X-oOHTIK: What do famous Hollywood actors think about your music?
Goldie: Ahaa, is that a subliminal question? I’ve met a few that are into it, they’re closet fans. Some crazy people that you wouldn’t think.
awallis: In your career you’ve made a few cameos in films. Do you anticipate staring in any other films? Is there anything on the books?
Goldie: In October I’m doing my first screenplay myself that I’m directing, it will take me the best part of 6 months.
Junior: There are so many different strains and sub-genres of drum & bass, from light and jazzy stuff all the way through to the really hard styles. In your own opinion, where do you see yourself fitting in to the spectrum?
Goldie: The older side, more mature! The rest of it is the kiddie side. We all make music for the kids, but I make music for adults. There’s a difference. I guess it’s good, you have to start with youth culture to get to anything. With dnb in England when it exploded it was like punk. It was rebellious.
awallis: I read that you used to actually make gold teeth? Is that where your nickname came from?
Goldie: I still do, when I get around to it and when my kiln works. In the next couple of years I’ll be doing it more, it’s great.
Junior: Did you cop any flack from purists in the drum & bass scene when you started to get into acting?
Goldie: I’m a purist aren’t I?! Who is there that can judge me? They are all people that have come on board, I’ve lived this music and shit it for years. If they want to criticise me, fuck em.
X-oOHTIK: Where do you see yourself in 20 years time?
Goldie: This is the question that EVERY media guy in the world asks! I haven’t got a fucking clue, hopefully still alive.
mr shay: I guess the term to describe your LPs would be ‘concept albums’ – do you think that’s accurate? Were you ever nervous about releasing them, worried about how they would be accept commercially or critically?
Goldie: They’re definitely concept albums, I don’t what the concept is though! Someone has to do it. I don’t care how they’re accepted, it doesn’t bother me. I don’t care about what people think. It’s easy to love something, it’s hard work to hate it.
Kittins Sister: ‘Ring of Saturn’, ‘Saturn Returnz’, ‘Timeless’ and ‘Mother’ are all pretty seminal albums in the drum & bass scene. Are you working on any new material for an album at the moment?
Goldie: I have just finished my new album, it’s in a safe at my house! I’ve put it in lockdown and kept it internal. Bailey and a few others are playing it. It’s a deep album, conceptual. It’s a soundtrack for a movie. It has taken me 7 years – it’s all about timing. Everything works in cycles!
mr shay: You made a pretty big name for yourself as a graffiti artist, do you still get a chance to pick up the spray can much nowadays?
Goldie: I’ve actually been painting since Christmas and have got a new collection together. I never stopped painting or drawing, it’s something I’ve always been interested in.
Goldie: I want to thank everyone, I’d love to know more about this website the questions were great. Thanks for the support, ‘love him or hate him he’s still here!’ haha. Sobriety has kicked in this time and I’m remembering things. Everyone in Sydney, that gig is my birthday!
