MAD PROFESSOR
Interviewed by Jesse I -- January 1999

This interview was conducted via phone prior to Fraser's tour of Australia in January 1999.

 

Jesse: This is a huge question, but for the uninitiated, how would you describe what you do?

Neil: <laughs> What I do is anything at any time. <laughs> What I do is a variety of things. I'm a mixer, I'm a producer, I run a label. I think up ideas to get the best out of the music. Y' know? Yeah, I guess... a kinda musical innovator.

Jesse: Okay. Going way back to you childhood, how did you get the name Mad Professor?

Neil: Well, I used to... When most kids would be playing wit football and cricket, I would be there wit wires building things. Different gadgets, y'know?

Jesse: I heard you built your own radio when you were quite young?

Neil: Yeah, I built my first radio when I was around 10.

Jesse: How does a kid just sit down and build a radio?

Neil: <laughs> Well, y'know, it first started with me being curious about how a radio work. The radio in our household was the most technical device; growing up in the sixties y'know. This was a real phenomenon... <laughs> and I couldn't believe such a thing existed as a radio... so I tried to open the back of the radio to see how it worked. And I saw a lot of bulbs, tubes, with lights on... and I started to program my own... y'know I got licks from it!

Jesse: You got in trouble?

Neil: Yeah I got in trouble for it... damaging the big centerpiece of the household, which was the radio! I know it's hard to believe in 1998. But then after that, my curiosity continued, and I thought “well let me find out how this thing works”, so I got some books and I just tried and tried until I got myself a radio that worked. A crystal radio with a one transistor amplification, and it was exciting man!

Jesse: Okay, and now you're at the point where you own the biggest black owned recording studio in England?

Neil: Yeah, yeah, yeah... even that radio thing is like a evolution, becuase it didn't start out to be that – it's just an idea I had to build a studio and at first it was a joke to most people. Then, it started to work. And it became a serious joke.

Jesse: <laughs> A serious joke! So it was in your house for the start?

Neil: Yes, I built it in my front room. I started it in 1979 and by 1988 the one where we are releasing records.

Jesse: Excellent. And now you've released over 200 records?

Neil: Yeah man, loads. Loads of singles and loads of albums as well y'know?

Jesse: Are there any albums which stand out as being particularly memorable for you? Or which you're most proud of?

Neil: Well, there's a series of albums I'm quite proud of. Um.. I mean, I'm proud of the first one, because I thought “well, let me put this together” and I gradually got it together how I wanted it. It was like a concept dub album, “Dub Me Crazy”.

Jesse: Right, the first one!

Neil: Yeah, the first one. Very very exciting. Other highlights and albums are things like the first Pato Banton album, “Mad Professor Captures Pato Banton”, a very exciting album. The Macka B album, “The Sign Of The Times” - a great album.

Um... the first U-Roy album as well, which is called “True Born African”. They're all real stunning, stunning moments.

Jesse: Definitely. And you've done a lot of work with Lee Perry as well.

Neil: Yeah man, yeah!

Jesse: I once heard a rumor that he was sleeping at your studio after his wife kicked him out of home. Is that story true?

Neil: Yeah, it's not a rumor, it's true! What happen - he came in to record - this is when we were recording “The Black Ark Experryments” album. That was maybe around 1994 I think. And then they had an argument and then they had a fight and she kinda disappeared out of the country. And he got stuck – he had no passport or nothing and nowhere to live. He had to be staying at my place. He stayed at my place for about 3 or 4 months until they reconciled. Yeah. The place bore the hallmarks of the visit!

Jesse: <laughs> I'm sure it did! The Upsetter and the Mad Professor together at once, that's a good combination! You just released the “Dub Fire” album and “Fire In Dub” with Lee Perry. How are those ones going?

Neil: Yeah, they're going fine y'know! We tried a different sound this time... we thought we'd go back to a kinda 70's style.

Jesse: It's more funky too I think.

Neil: Yeah, definitely! Soulful feel y'know.

Jesse: I guess your highest profile work, outside of the reggae world, would probably be your work with Massive Attack. How did that come about?

Neil: Well, they called me up and sent me a fax, and asked if I'm interested. And I thought “well, let's have a listen”. And then I had a listen, and I thought “yeah, why not”, lets try and make something out of it. Yeah, that's how it came about.

Jesse: That's great, it has certainly brought dub to a whole new audience... which is great.

Neil: Yeah, well, a lot of people in techno kinda was getting bits and pieces of dub but it didn't quite connect with the whole reggae thing y'know. So I guess that album kinda joined the links together.

Jesse: I noticed that with the new CD “Dubtronic” you've got a bit of dub-pop and drum and bass in there as well. Is that for the same reason?

Neil: Yeah, I guess you could say it's their influence rubbing off on me as well. <laughs>

Jesse: Well how much of a debt do you think the modern dance world and electronic world has to dub reggae?

Neil: I think quite a lot because guys like King Tubby's, they were the first ones to use what was termed in the 70's as “excessive use of effects” and ancillary equipment. Before, people just had these things sitting in the studio just looking pretty, and not really working to their extremes, y'know. Tubby's was like using every aspect of a reverb you could y'know.

Jesse: Right. Playing the mixing board like an instrument.

Neil: Yeah man, that's it! It's like you have a house, and it's got 10 rooms and you only use one room in it – that's how it was in general y'know – before Tubb's started.

Jesse: So would you say King Tubby is one of your biggest influences?

Neil: Yeah. One of them.

Jesse: He'd have to be. Who else?

Neil: Errol Thompson. And I guess outside reggae... things like Tamla Motown... the sounds of Philidelphia.

Jesse: With the “Dub Me Crazy” stuff, you seem to like using bizarre effects in there and kinda shocking the listener. Where does that come from?

Neil: Well... I guess it's part of that concept to push effects to their extremities y'know? Have them belting out, have them talking.

Jesse: Right, okay. What about the “Black Liberation Dub”? What's the concept behind that series?

Neil: The concept behind that is just to make a powerful album that's not so crazy with effects. More like taking a listener into a kinda militant mood. Yeah man. But it's dub all the same y'know?

Jesse: Some heavy roots in there, I love that stuff.

Neil: Yeah man, very heavy roots.

Jesse: One thing I noticed on a lot of the latest releases – you've got the “warbler” effect – where you describe it as “the bass sounds like it's walking out of the speakers”. I love that, how did you find that effect?

Neil: <laughs> Well, I thought one day, I'd go back to my electronic things, and I came up with this thing y'know? I thought, okay, let's work it and see how it goes. See how people like it. And so far, it's getting a good response.

Jesse: I reckon. It's pretty exciting.

Neil: Yeah, and it's kinda unique – from you hear dat on the record you know it, y'know?

Jesse: I've heard no other reggae that sounds like that, that's for sure.

Neil: <laughs>

Jesse: It especially stands out really well on the Chukki Star album – I love that.

Neil: Yeah, I must admit, that was the first album that had it y'know. And it certainly went with it. It had even people in the reggae market who aren't even so adventurous normally, saying “yeah, yeah, that's interesting”.

Jesse: Chukki Star – he's a real great young sing-jay. Sounds a bit like Capleton I think.

Neil: Yeah man, he is really popular in London. He's like the most popular DJ around, or sing-jay. And you know, he is like... he's doing great things. People like him a lot y'know. And he's a fast writer as well, for a young chap you know.

Jesse: “Pure righteousness”, that's good... But you're bringing out Earl 16 when you come out here to Melbourne. A classic roots singer!

Neil: Yeah. Yeah man. I've done one album with him before, and several singles.

Jesse: Right, that's “Babylon Walls”?

Neil: “Babylon Walls”, Back in 1992 I think.

Jesse: Okay. So will he be singing a lot of that stuff when he comes out?

Neil: Yeah, and he'll also be doing some of his crossover stuff. Some of his Dreadzone kinda Left-Field kinda stuff. So we going to try and mix it up you know.

Jesse: Right. So when you come, what sort of stuff will you be doing on the boards?

Neil: What kinda stuff? Ariwa stuff! Something old, something new, nothing borrowed, and nothing too blue.

Jesse: Should be very good!

Neil: Yeah man, should be interesting. You just have to listen.

Jesse: How much equipment will you bring out?

Neil: How much? You mean how much worth in pounds or how much in weight? <laughs>

Jesse: Yeah, well how many people will it take to carry all the stuff?

Neil: Well, normally you know, just me and Nolan [Nolan Irie] usually manage to carry everything. But seeing we've got Earl as well... he'll have to lift some things y'know? <laughs> What we bring is like a mixing desk, a couple of tape machines, a rack of effects, y'know. And a load of tapes, y'know.

Jesse: So for the people that expect to see a DJ or something, how much different will you be than you're average DJ?

Neil: Well, we don't play records. That's the first thing. Never ever play records. Everything you hear, is live from the studio and is live remixed right there in front of their ears y'know. So, we don't play records and we don't play songs that you could buy in the shops y'know. It's not a disco show, y'know.

Jesse: Fantastic. So, you've accomplished so much already, what is in store for you? Is there anything else you feel like you've got to do in the future?

Neil: <laughs> Loads! If I don't I might as well stop! <laughs> Yeah man, you just have to do what you have to do, y'know. You get inspiration everyday y'know. Everyday you get ideas and inspiration, y'know. You just have to keep at it, y'know.

Jesse: So you're constantly busy cranking ‘em out.

Neil: Yeah man, loads of ideas y'know! Never quite enough hours in a day to execute all the ideas. But y'know, I'm working at it.

Jesse: Excellent.

Neil: Yeah man.

Jesse: Well, fantastic Mad Professor, thank you for taking the time out to have a chat with me.

Neil: Nice one Jesse .