Artist To Artist -Bizarre Inc.

Vinyl Solution, celebrates its 25^th anniversary this year by making its entire back catalogue available digitally for the first time. The anniversary is spearheaded by the re-release of Bizarre Incs rather anthemic – to say the least – Playing With Knives. 
Ahead of all that song and dance we asked Dean Meredith and Andy Meecham from ‘the Inc’ and more recently as Chickenlips to talk to each other about stuff ‘back then’ including fashion faux pas’ of the era… read on Mcduff.

Dean: Best gig you ever played and why?

Andy: There was many one of the naughty outdoor party’s probably there was a whiff of anticipation about it all. That doesn’t happen a lot today..

D: Favourite club from the time and why?

A: For me the Hacienda park & pickering ‘Nude night’ was incredible nothing has come close since..

D: Favourite Bizarre inc track and why

A: Any of those Todd terry mixes of ‘I’m gonna get you’ I remember us sitting in a studio and listening to them back on dat and being blown away…

D: What elements would you miss most from then NOWand why?

A: Probably the hunt for gold everything is out there for the taking now with a little click..so i think the buzz of finding that special track isn’t such a rush but there is a place for it in other areas i.e promotion and getting your shit heard..

D: Describe your time in Biz Inc at its height in 5 words

A: Exciting,funny,scary,mad,sweaty!

Andy: What would you do differently if you had your time again?

Dean: Wear more shirts.  

I would not have sold my Roland Jupiter 8 to satisfy the VAT man.  
I would have not employed a manager whose catch phrase was “Fuck em”.  Word of advice – you can’t fuck with the Tax and VAT man.
Not signed to a Major Label.
I would have started with Emperor Machine (the project that I always wanted to do) a lot sooner.
Thats it – to be honest my life is far from perfect but everything that has happened has put me where I am musically today – and I am pretty happy right here.  

A: Worst Fashion Faux Pas?

D: Wearing an inside out suit on the front cover of a Bizarre Inc Album. It seems pointless to try to explain that it wasn’t my idea but it wasn’t. We had employed a stylist – who seemed to know what they were doing and I went along with it. 

A: Whats different these days in the music industry?

D: There are not enough record shops around any more. I hate Spotify. I think it has killed the hunt for music, its killed the thrill of the chase for records. You went out and you came home with the product. You admired the sleeve, you read the credits, your cradled it like a baby in your arms whilst you listened to it. As a teenager you saved up for it. Whereas these days an artist can spend time making an album and spend ages getting the running order perfect and then people come along and pick the songs they want and never listen to the whole product as it was meant to be.   

A: If you were in any MASSIVE dance act NOW who would it be and why?

D: There isn’t a dance act that I want to be in because I am too happy making my own music and I have learned enough and I am clever enough to get the sounds that I want to get. Any sound I hear I can make (almost). Although I do admire Todd Terje (I could grow a beard and pretend to be him for a day and then I’d get to play with his Roland SH5) I’d like to be him for a day not so much join with him if thats allowed and not to weird and creepy. So to change the question slightly there is a producer that I have always wanted to work with and that is Flood. The thought of Flood producing Emperor Machine would be a dream come true. I love all of his productions.

A: Favourite dance track of the 90s?

D: Massive Attack – Unfinished Sympathy. It makes me melt now even after hearing it zillions of times.  

Bizarre Inc Playing With Knives with remixes by Utah Saints, Drumsound &  Bassline Smith is available now to buy on iTunes