The Times of India

The Prodigy is headed to India

25th September 2010
Anjali Muthanna

When they take the stage, it's electric. And come January, India will get to see the likes of Liam Howlett, Keith Flint and Maxim — aka The Prodigy, the group behind hits like Firestarter, Breathe and Smack my B*itch Up — perform as part of the Invasion festival.

The band, which will perform in Bangalore on January 13 and in Delhi on January 15, will be the first in a series of international acts that will be brought to India every year as part of the festival. In an exclusive interview with TOI, The Prodigy composer Liam talks about their plans for their performances in India, their fascination with the country, and more.

Why did you decide to perform in India? What sort of response are you expecting here?

We've known we've had fans in India from what we've heard over the years. We've played at most places around the world and this seemed like an exciting place to take our music to. We don't know what to expect because it's a new place. We'll just get the crowd going and the more people respond to us, the more we'll respond to them.

How much are you aware of the Indian music scene, in terms of our movies and rock and pop bands?

We don't know anything about the pop or rock side of stuff. But I'm aware of the big movie culture you have. I've used Indian influences for a long time. I have a friend called Shahin Badar who is a well-known singer and has sung on my songs a few times (most notably on Smack My B*tch Up). She tells us about stuff happening in India. We have an interest in the melodies you have. It seems different from what we have.

After the controversies surrounding the lyrics of Smack My B*tch Up and Flint's Baby's Got a Temper, is your song-writing process hampered by objections that people could potentially raise to your lyrics?

There was never any controversy, only in America. Americans like to make a big fuss about stuff. We're a band with an edge, we have to keep our rhythm, which is why people like us. If at any time people ask me about the lyrics, I'm open to talking about them and explaining what they are about.

Which musicians are you inspired by, and are there any artistes whom you would like to collaborate with?

I've liked a lot of different styles of music — the Sex Pistols, Public Enemy, John Barry, who does music for the James Bond movies. At the moment, there's a lot of good underground music in London. We keep our ears open and inspiration can come from anywhere. Hopefully, you guys will inspire us when we get there. But I'm not interested in collaborations. The best people I can work with are in my band.

Any plans for a sixth album?

Yes, we've just started actually. We don't know what we're doing yet, we're just experimenting.

How do you keep your music current, but manage to sound unique?

You have to keep ahead of the game, listen to what's going on, but not follow. You have to take a little bit of of it and be original. That's the way electronic music has always evolved. The trouble is there are crazes, then they go away and they're not cool anymore. We like hard, aggressive music. Our music has an edge, but it's not political.

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