INTERVIEW - Fink
- Posted on November 4, 2007 9:26 PM
- 0 comments
- Interview By Zarina Raja
Mr Bongo Recordings have fused forces with Bottletop, a UK charity, in order to bring us Sound Affects: Brazil. Bottletop is a charity that dedicates all the money that it makes to sexual-health awareness in countries that are at a disadvantage to the West.
After the success of Sound Affects: Africa, Sound Affects: Brazil , Bottletop's second album will be released on November 5th. The music, primarily from Brazil but dating back to the 60s, features artists such as Tenorio Jr, Os Novos Crioulos and contemporaries Bazeado and Mr Hermano. A flurry of well known DJs and produces such as the mighty Fatboy Slim, Bonobo, Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly, Adam Freeland, Jazzanova and Fink have worked on the second CD of re-mixes and covers. Justin Timberlake, Dido and political figure heads Kofi Annan and Bill Clinton are among many of Bottletop’s supporters.
Music and fashion are the main sources of promotion for Bottletop. It is a fresh and brilliant way to draw in support from those who may have not heard of the charity. By buying the Bottletop CD, you get to listen to a fantastic array of tunes and at the same time, you will have contributed to a project that needs your help.
We chatted to Fink about his contribution to Bottletop and about the new Bottletop release Sound Affects: Brazil.
Before we talk about Bottletop tell me a bit about Fink’s music.
I write, sing songs and play guitar; so everybody calls me a singer/song-writer. I have got a really cool band …we try to be aggressive and a bit dark. They are not very happy songs; but they are insightful and brooding.
How did you and the band get together?
I already had a record deal so everything was in place apart from the band. I had seen the bass player and the drummer years before in a pub and I thought that they were the best rhythm section I had seen in years. I knew the bass player and so I called him and asked him if he was in between bands at that moment, he said that he and Timmy were just chilling, so I said that I had a band for him.
You are based in Brighton. Do you get to play much down there?
I don’t want to play too much here because when I do a real gig no one will come. I have played at the Dome and the Komedia though. I don’t want to over saturate my home town though.
What is the most memorable gig that you have been to as a fan?
The best gig that I have ever been to was Radiohead in Oxfordshire. It was the OK Computer tour. OK Computer was one of the best albums ever made. They were supported by Beck who was exceptionally good. It was raining super hard when Beck was on and when he finished, it just stopped. Everyone was soaking wet when Radiohead came on. It was just the best hour and a half of music that I have ever seen.
Tell me a bit about Bottletop – what are their main objectives?
Bottletop was set up by a guy who went to Uganda after college instead of hanging out in bars and getting wasted with his mates. He wanted to help those who are less fortunate. He wanted to teach them about sexual health awareness. It is based around the vibe that two healthy children are better than ten unhealthy children. He loved it and so as soon as he got back, he decided he wanted to dedicate a significant amount of time to it. He has a few contacts and is really into music and so it made sense for him to get a few of the musicians that he used to produce to create a CD where all the proceeds would go to Uganda. Every single project that he does looks at a different part of the world that could do with some help. The latest one is Brazil. It has a lot of local musicians and a lot of Western trendy musicians who have re-mixed each other and written songs for each other.
How did you get involved with Bottletop?
I met Cameron, a Bottletop trustee, pretty much the day after he got back from Uganda. I have been kind of involved since the beginning. For me to spend a couple of days in the studio to help someone else is a rare opportunity. Normally, as in all of our lives, we spend most of our time looking after number one. We have just done another track for Bottletop Brazil. It is a pleasure to be able to help these people that I will never meet in the poor places all over the world.
What have you done in the past for Bottletop?
I did a track for Bottletop Africa and have just finished the track for Bottletop Brazil. I generally help out wherever I can.
Do you think that fashion and music is working well in promoting Bottletop?
Yes. They are both areas that the people who run the charity know a lot about. People that are in to fashion and music have money – we all have money in the West – but we are not just asking them to give us a tenner, we are saying buy this CD and you are giving money to something good.
Tell me about Sound Affects: Brazil.
It is the second album that Botttletop have done. The first was Sound Affects: Africa. Sound Affects: Brazil is basically taking classic South American tracks and tracks from modern Brazilian musicians. On one CD you have all the classic songs and on the other CD you have the re-mixes. Fink did a cover of a classic Jorge Ben track. We got the singer that we used from the first album to come and sing on the cover for us as she speaks Portuguese. So, we didn’t actually do a re-mix; we did a completely new version with band. It was brilliant – we loved it.
Why did you choose that particular track to cover?
Well, it is an absolute classic. It is such a famous track; it is seminal. It is probably as famous in Brazil as New York, New York is by Frank Sinatra is over here. We didn’t want to do a trendy dance re-mix – we wanted to do a classic,
Are all the proceeds going to Bottletop?
Yes, there are no fancy offices or expense accounts in the company. It is all people giving themselves for nothing to help others.
How will the money spent?
It will be spent on sexual health education. The money in Africa, for example, was spent on keeping the Bottletop bags project going. That is where the name came from.
What is in store for Bottletop in the future?
Bangladesh has been mentioned and so has India. Wherever they point their game, I will definitely be a part of it.
Sound Affects: Brazil is out on November 5th.
On 21st November, Bottletop presents Sound Affects: Brazil at Guanabara. There will be DJ sets from Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly, Yam Who? Cliffy & Mr Bongo. Bazeado will be playing live.
Click here for more info on Bottletop.
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