William Bennett and Kevin Tomkins interview by Jo Smitty - 25th April 1983

When did you first start and why?
William Bennett: 3 and a half years ago...to fill a void

Were you in any bands before?
Kevin: I was in SJ...Sutcliffe Jugend

Where do you record at?
WB: Commercial Studios

Where do you get your sleeves, records pressed?
WB: Just anywhere

How many shows have you done(ever)?
WB: 17

Do you listen to the radio or watch TV?
WB: Watch TV
K: Yea, watch TV

What demands should music make on the listener?
WB: Shouldn't be anything in particular, I mean why should it?

How many records has the label sold?
WB: About 17,000 records

How did you feel when you first started doing your music and you found out that someone liked it?
WB: Well, I knew that people would like it. There wasn't a time when I suddenly realised that people liked it.

Do you think it is possible to make something so offensive that no one will like it?
WB: NO

Well, then what is the purpose behind your band?
WB: Just sheer pleasure

For you AND for the listeners?
WB: Yes

Do you have any message you're trying to get accross?
WB: No

It's just fun?
WB: Pleasure. Fun constitutes flippancy and it's not flippant...it's serious

What instruments do you use live?
WB: Two synthesizers and a microphone

Is there any central philosophy in your work?
WB: Pleasure--no matter what the cost

Isn't that taken from DeSade?
WB: Yes

Did you read some of his books?
WB: Yes, I read all of them

(Talk goes on to Come Org. bands, M Bianchi, Ilse Koch, Peter Kurten, Peter Sutcliffe, the film M.)

Why do you have such a worshipful attitude towards these 'despicable', 'awful' people- what is so intriguing about them?
WB: They're great people!

Great in what respect?
WB: They are everything that a person should aspire to be. They expressed their pleasure to the fullest. They extracted the most from their situation.

But by doing that they took away from others, isn't that wrong?
WB: No

So its like whatever you can get away with is right?
WB: What's right? (Goes on about how ideas of morality are the 'chains' of mankind...)

Do you believe in God?
WB: No

Where did the universe come from?
WB: It just happened, it doesn't really matter.

Tell me about your ULTRA video tapes?
WB: They all got stolen along with the equipment and the master tapes.

(The tape was near to impossible to hear, but talk went on about SJ, Kata-their magazine, NUPA-their sort of 'fan club'-"set up to establish contacts", TG, SPK-neither of whom they think much of, Crass-they hate them, JS Bach-they like him (very much!), Beethoven, Come Org, travel across America (they played in NY, Wash DC, Kansas, SF, LA, and Seattle. Album sleeve censorship, John Murphy (an ex-member could not get a visa for the US due to his criminal record), a lot of stuff about DeSade-his books, Juliette, Justine, 120 days of Sodom (and the Pasolini film made from it), their hatred of rock,"it's all the same", punk rock-they don't think [much?] of it, the label-they plan to be more selective with releases in the future.)

Full scale nuclear annihilation of the human race, would it bother you and if so, why?
WB: Not in the very least
K: Very pleasant

What direction do you plan to take in the future?
WB: More extreme.

Do you think you are the most extreme band in existance?
WB: I don't thnk there's much question

(Talk goes on about Mice ? Magnetic, IPF, SJ, Beethoven, and Joe Piocuch comes in and says it's "show time".)

 

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