ALEX JAMES

PART II

 

JL: I find it interesting how the hypersphere has been used in sacred geometry for a very long time -  Mandalas etc. Do you think some of these old cultures like Tibetan Buddhists and Taoists were and maybe still are advanced in terms of astronomy and other things etc.?

AJ: I love hyperspheres.

JL: You do?

AJ: Yeah. I'm intrigued by them. Not the mysterious kind of notion. It's basically if you had a four dimensional space; it's a kind of minimal surface to a sphere in 4 dimensions. But it's very very hard to visualize - I never managed to get my head around it, but I thought about it a lot. There was a guy called Charles Hinton who had a system for kind of visualizing one and it would drive you mad actually, (laughs) because he had programmed his brain to think a certain way, by staring at circles. And it sort of possessed him. He got a bit out of control. Do you know what a hypersphere looks like on paper.

Hypercube

 

JL: Yes kind of four dimensional.

AJ: Yeah. You're supposed to make the two circles inside the big circle and you're to imagine they're the same size as the big circle.  It's tricky, but I find geometry to be interesting. I do think it's the most likely shape to the universe. It's probably curved around some higher dimensions to some four dimensional bubble.

JL: The Buddhists use mandalas; think some of them are based a little on the hypersphere. 

AJ: Yeah and very much like the hypercube as well. The key to understanding it is supposed to be when you draw a cube on a piece of paper you can flip it inside out so that one side becomes the front side and then it becomes the back side. Mandalas do that a lot, don't they?

JL: Yes.

AL: They sort of flip in and and out. There is something transcendental about them.

It does intrigue me, that sort of eastern mysticism; but all forms of mysticism do really. I don't tend to one system over any other. I went to church Christmas eve and I found it really relaxing.

JL: What kind of church?

 

 

AJ: Church of England. Nice, I don't spend enough time thinking about what's there, God. You know, it's not easy to have conversations with people about those kinds of things, actually I think you have to know someone quite well before you start talking about God or they think you're insane.

JL: Is it because it's like taboo?

AJ: Yeah.

JL:  I know what you mean and remember growing up in London, people thinking you're mental if you talk about anything like that. I think in America, it's kind of different. Maybe it was the hippie thing over here.

AJ: People talk about everything in America. People just talk more in America. I think people are kind of embarrassed that they don't know what's going on. They don't know what their point of view is and they don't really want to explore those kinds of things with each other.  I think we are kind of expected to know everything in the 21st century and we've got absolutely fuck all idea what is going on there. (Laughs). So we tend to stick with what we know.

It's hard not to acknowledge that there must be some sort of benign hand, some kind of benign thing behind this beautiful universe, it started somewhere. For some reason and I'm looking forward to spending the rest of my life trying to figure it out. (Laughs).

\]'

 

JL: What about looking into patterns of chaos and creativity - like in mathematics. Do you know the mathematician George Canton?

AJ: Cantor?

JL: Cantor, yeah, the guy that ended up in an insane asylum in Germany trying to work out the mathematical theories of infinity.

AJ: And there was one guy that really bullied him and said that he was mad and sort of mocked him. Wasn't he kind of involved in fractal geometry.

JL: Yes, infinite numbers. Cantor Dust.

AJ: The Cantor set. The group of integer, their primes?

JL: Exactly, yes - that's it. Also, like the Fiboncchi series, that guy as well. The question I'm getting at is if you look at patterns in chemistry or chaos, or in nature, spirals, snowflakes, honeycombs, things like that, you begin to see things.

AJ: Sure.  It's absolutely fascinating and I love number theory and think it's a deliciously abstract, intellectual kind of activity; to think about prime numbers and number patterns. The way numbers are used to describe things if we think of numbers; fundamental things in a way.  Patterns, numbers are not the most fundamental. Numbers are used to describe patterns, maybe patterns are the more fundamental entity. I mean I read in one book the whole branch of mathematics is a small branch of set theory, kind of like where math comes from. Just like a sub heading. I mean I don't even know what set theory is. It takes Bertrand Russell until page 223 of Principia Mathematica to prove that beyond all doubt, that one and one equals two. (Laughter).

It doesn't start with numbers, it starts with sets and groups. It's all about art and science; it's just methods at approaching truth. I love the sort of modal of the renaissance scholar who would of had knowledge in all areas of expertise and I think we are all streamed at a very early age to be either artists or scientists. It's good life's gotten more complicated; like if you talk to any top scientist with a good understanding of everything actually.  And the best artists understand things to a very fundamental degree. I think we classify people as artist or scientist and artists are becoming involved in the whole gallery food chain circus and selling their work. We do become sort of pidgin holed.

George Cantor

 

JL: Right, all the various labels come into play.

AJ: Yeah, you become an artist and your gallery encourages you to make more work that they can sell. I think artists and scientists have so much to learn from each other and I don't think they could collaborate enough really.

JL : Yes, I don't always see that distinction. It's definitely there, but I kind of look at it all as one thing.

AJ: Yeah, I'm with you there.

JL: I know; I remember when someone called me a sculptor and I thought, what's all that about. Like what Alan Watts says about labels. Like what you said earlier when someone who had called you an artist and started giving you all the art shows. (Laughs)

AJ: Yeah. (Laughs). Music, particularly in America is very categorized; you can only really describe music in terms of other music, what other music it sounds like. It's not so bad here, but I think it's a really bad thing that radio stations only play one specific kind of music. I like all kinds of music. I like good music. I like a good rap record as much as I like a good symphony. That doesn't tend to be the way that we are fed music. You know, you have to tune into a rap station if you want to hear rap, or classical station if you want to hear a symphony.

JL: Right.

AJ: I think it's because there is so much fucking bewildering amount of choice in the world. I know the only kind of thing you've really got to do is make the right choices. We all have our options and we all have choices. And you don't really have to be any more clever than making the right decisions; that's not to say that making decisions is probably the most difficult thing you have to do. That's why people that make decisions get paid so much money.

JL: In terms of your decision making, do you tend to be more empirical in your thinking processes, or do you tend to rely more on your intuition?

AJ: When it's sort of decisions about my life, I go with what I enjoy most. When I was younger and deciding what I was going to do at college, French wasn't my best subject, but it was my favorite subject, so I kind of - that's what I follow.  I think you've got to follow your heart and do what most fascinates you.

 

AJ: But God, I make a lot of decisions; some of them are sort of purely rational, kind of logical, sort of (laughs).  I've got 3 children and one of them needs to be here and one of them needs to be there and the other one's got a sore bottom (laughs).  Those kinds of decisions you make without thinking about them.

JL: If you were going to purchase something, would you start researching it, comparing prices, doing surveys, looking up stuff on the internet or would you see an advert and say, wow - I really like this and go out and buy it?

AJ: I think marketing is a lot of the cleverest people working on the planet. They are very good at making things, things have to be brilliant, especially sort of popular things . There are so many things that you just want in the modern world that just sort of say grab me, take me, buy me.  When you are buying a washing machine or something, meaning to subscribe to which, I mean, you do need help making your decisions.  It's not just that you need a new washing machine, it's that you need a new washing machine and you need to know you are getting the right new washing machine. It's fucking complicated (Laughs) buying a new washing machine. You've got to know whether you are going to be washing white things or red things or how fast you want it to whiz around . It's bewildering and I suppose I would sort of like look at what my friends have got, look at what the cheapest thing is. I always want the cheapest thing; my wife always wants the most expensive thing. You want it to do everything. It's a fucking nightmare. Who would want to buy a washing machine (Laughter). I would rather fucking wash it by hand.

JL: (Laughs). That's a lot easier. Ok.

AJ: I think you have to just call on all the resources you can. It's not easy buying anything.

JL: Would you say you rely a lot on intuition? I mean a lot of scientists and artists talk about using their intuition when making a creative leap of some sort?

AJ: Yeah, a leap of faith sort of thing. There's a brilliant story, you know the people who discovered DNA, James Crick and Francis Watson. Two scientists working at Cambridge that discovered this spiral structure of DNA. At their laboratory at Cambridge, it's on the first floor and there's a spiral staircase that leads up to the door. Just seeing it - you just wonder, fucking hell, they were looking for a spiral and every time they were going up to their laboratory they were going up a spiral staircase. There must have been a moment when they went fuck!  Going up the stairs, a sudden moment of realization of like, oh my god, it's a fucking spiral. I'm sure it must have happened on the staircase. Often the big clues are staring you right in the face . 

JL: What about people, do you use intuition or analyze people that you meet. to figure out where they are at?

AJ: I don't really analyze how I weigh up people. I suppose it's a very selfish business really, isn't it. The social economy is a ruthless system. Has this person got anything I need - do I like the look of this person. Sort of when you get down to brass tacks. (Laughs).

JL: Right. (Laughs). So that's more like the analytical thinking process behind it all.

AJ: Right. Well I don't think that, but if you analyze it, you haven't got time to talk to everybody in the world. Sometimes you're in situations where you have to talk to people or you could easily be in a room full of people and why do you talk to one person and not another.  It's not just because you're standing next to someone.  You want to pick out the people you want to talk to. It's all fairly random isn't it. Some people you connect with. I guess the kind of people who have had key roles in my life I've had fairly immediate connections with. Not always, but I think there is something about people that you like that you just sense there is something that you like about them. Goes beyond anything rational or logical - it's just sort of, you just like people. You can disagree with everything they say but still kind of like them. Suppose your friends are people you can disagree with. Happily, that's what a friend is.

 

JL: On the subject of science; I know you mentioned that when you go to Oxford, you want to play with magnets.

AJ:  I fucking love magnets, what have you done with magnets?

JL:  I've been able to levitate things.

AJ: You've said you've been working with them.

JL: I've been working with them since I was about 5 years old. (Laughs). I mean playing with them, but I've been able to levitate things now.

AJ: Really?

JL: Yeah.

AJ: You got it to work.

JL: Yeah.

AJ: Do they have to spin?

JL: If you gently blow on the sculpture, you can make them spin.

Magnets

Radio telescope

JL: But in terms of energy, were you talking about electromagnetic energy or some other kind of energy?

AJ: Well, I'm sure that physicists at Oxford would like to tell us that there is only one kind of energy, at the bottom of everything. That's the holy grail of physics at the moment. Grand unification. Just one kind of energy that we are working towards.

I love the idea of maybe the balance of the sun and the earth; maybe a sort of solar energy - using solar energy to drive some kind of sculpture. Maybe some sort of levitating sculpture, so that something gets higher. Or just something that brings in a bit of physics which would be like solar radiation with something very visual. Like that gets bigger or higher or brighter than it is. Just playing with, not really sure what it's going to be - whether I have to make art or teach the kids or what. But it's a brilliant resource to have that kind of academic facility.

I really don't know what's gonna happen but it could be really good. God knows what we will get up to. The last guy that was there made a radio telescope. Always wanted to make one of those. Radio telescopes are probably the most sophisticated form of communication that we've got, that we know about. It's because radio waves are very penetrating if you are looking out at the night sky - you can see light - star light, but it gets absorbed over large distances by dust and particles floating around in space. So, you can't see things in visible light that are very far away, because the visible light just gets absorbed. With radio waves you see practically to the beginning of time.  With a radio telescope you can see a long way away. I think a radio wave can penetrate a wall of lead. A light year thick, incredibly penetrating things.

It's like if anyone was trying to communicate to us we think it would be with radio waves.

If we were going to communicate with anybody, radio waves would be the way to do it. Radio telescopes are a worthwhile thing to think about.

JL; Are you interested in any kind of experimental space weapons?

AJ: I do kind of find all those things interesting. I would be far more intrigued by concrete actual things that exist, but it's a pretty fucking spooky thought that we are not alone in the universe and it's a pretty fucking spooky thought that we are alone in the universe. It's a sort of dazzling mystery and that sort of thing appeals to me more than lofty mystic notions. Do you know what I mean?

JL: Yes, its factual.

AJ: Yes, I fucking adore facts. Like, I'm more of an astronomer than an astrologer. Like I like men in white coats.

JL: What about Nikola Tesla. I mean he got ripped off by Thomas Edison?

AJ: Yes, Nikola Tesla found out some incredible things. He made some amazing discoveries and that must been rewarding in a way - than having the best 6 new washing machines. I'm sure he had the moral highroad and sure he was the one everyone wanted to have dinner with. (Laughs). More than the bloke who made light bulbs.

Nikola Tesla

JL; How did you get interested in rocket science and how did the beagle project come about?

AJ: It was like you and your magnets.  It started when I was five and it never went away. An astronaut once said all children are interested in rockets, in dinosaurs, ghosts and space. I'm still interested in space. It never left me - it's part of being a man, trying to work out the ultimate bases of reality - what it is, who we are, where are we going and all the rest of it. It's just a preoccupation isn't it; like what the fuck is this place. (Laughs).  What's it all mean, it's very natural.

I find it very calming. In a way there's something very soothing about astronomy, the way that it all works like clockwork and it's all understandable. There's a sort of order there that's very reassuring in a life of chaos, particularly the one I was leading as a rock and roll hero. (Laughs).

Life was just full of clutter and madness, and didn't make any sense at all and to gaze out at the very beautiful perfect and unknowable universe was a source of great solace to me. And I know it's a kind of escapism where everything makes sense.

 

JL: Does it give you a sense of balance and security?

AJ: Very much so, yeah.

JL; When you know actually where things are at?

AJ In a strange way, it's very grounding, yeah. Looking as far away as you possibly can - it's a kind of counter intuitive. But actually it did help me, or give me a tenuous grip on some kind of something real.

JL: Like with your life being a rock star with all these fans, applause, praise - all that stuff. Is this also a way of kind of not letting your ego get out of control in a way, because when you look at something so massive and so vast?

AJ: Yeah, its humbling. Nature is very beautiful and very humbling. There is nothing ugly in nature from Africa to the arctic ice caps; it's all mind numbingly gobsmakingly humblingly beautiful. There's a few bad smells (Laughs), but nothing's that ugly. Iceland smells very eggy, but it's extra beautiful.

JL: The sulfa from all the natural hot springs?

AJ: Yeah, you been there,

JL: No my sister just came back from there and told me about it. Would like to go there.

AJ: I want to go everywhere and do everything. (Laughter).

JL; Not a lot left you can do or see. (Laughs).

AJ: You sound like you are very similar; a wide range of interests just a curious mind basically. Its quite unnatural to be sort of like only interested in one thing.  I think if you are a curious person, you are interested in almost everything. And opportunities come along to do things and you say oh great I can use this bit of here, and I'm very lucky to be in a position and very grateful to be able to do these art projects and people take an interest.

JL; You told me last year about this show you had at the White Chapel Gallery. Was that music or a visual thing?

AJ: Actually there was a rocket going to land on a distant comet; it's about as far away as anything there has ever been. A comet named Churyumov -Gerasimenko. It's named after the two people who discovered it. Comets are named after their discoverers. They just happened to have un-sexy names, but, this spacecraft - the Rosetta, I think it arrives in 2013, and its going to land on this comet and have a good poke around. Basically, the Rosetta goes past everywhere. NASA and ESA have good pictures of it in the solar system. It takes off and goes around the sun to get a sort of gravity lift.

 

Then it goes back around Mars and then it goes around the sun again - sort of sling shooting itself,  winding itself up. It flies off through the asteroid belt past Jupiter and all these places. NASA has brilliant footage of it in Mars and the sun as it goes past all these places. So I sort of compiled a film of its journey taking in these sights and sound of the solar system, until it arrives on this comet and set it all to music. That was what the piece was. So they liked it. It was fine.

JL: Your own music?

AJ: Yeah. It's probably the furthest voyage; about a billion miles or something crazy; that's why it's taking so long to get there.

JL: The project that you did with Wigwam, was that strictly music?

WigWam: Alex James and Betty Boo

AJ: Yes, that was with a pop writer Betty Boo and we were just collaborating together. I think my next record's going to be a sort of pastoral record. I moved to the country and now live with my family on a farm and moved out of the city. My circumstances have really changed greatly. I'm living this very different kind of life and loving it; loving being in the country. I can make a kind of gentle, calm, melodic sort of emotional record about sort of the country. That's where I'm at.

I'm out in the green stuff and loving it. It's very absorbing - you become very self-absorbed living in the country. There aren't any distractions that there are living in the city. Cities are the easiest places in the world to become distracted. They are erotic and exciting, but I think when you've found the woman you want to be with and started having a family in the country, it makes all kind of sense. I'm on a new journey, so my music will start to reflect that.

 

JL; You described yourself earlier as being gregarious but would you call yourself an introverted or an extroverted person?

AJ: Depends on what kind of mood I'm in. I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve and not hide my feelings. I'm pretty sort of a straight foreword, uncomplicated person, but mind you everybody thinks that and everybody's completely fucking insane.  (Laughs) . So introverted or extroverted, overall I would say, probably extroverted. But only about the things I want you to know about. (Laughs). I don't really hide anything from anyone actually. What I think - just the nature of living in the country life does give you a chance to go right into yourself. You become very absorbed and you just have time to think about all these fucking things, without being distracted.  So when I do venture out, I find I'm talking about myself all the time.  (Laughs).

I suppose because I've been writing a book.

JL: How's that going?

AJ: It's getting there. It should be finished at the end of next week. It's an autobiography as well.

JL: Do you have a title for it?

AJ: A Bit of a Blur.

JL: That's great. (Laughs).

AJ: I'll send you a copy when I get some proofed copies.

 

Alex James

For more info visit www.blur.co.uk