JOHN FOXX WEEK: Leftfield’s Paul Daley discusses new Foxx collaboration

How and when did you discover John Foxx?



It was 1977 - my best mate's older brother added Ultravox! to his already impressive record collection - it was certainly impressive to me as a 14 year old boy already addicted to passing around 7" punk 
records around under the school desk – Ultravox’s 'ROckWrok 7' picture sleeve being one of them.



Which record first got you into his music?


Umm... from the first album Ultravox! there was 

‘Dangerous Rhythm’ on 7”, then I had a 

‘ROckWrok' 7" and a 

‘Hiroshima Mon Amour’ 7".




Do you think early Ultravox were ahead of their time - recording  tracks such as 'My Sex' and 'I Want To Be A Machine'  back in 1976?

‘

It was to be a couple of years before Rusty Egan made ‘Hiroshima Mon Amour’ a Blitz classic and a few years before British synth pop was to dominate the charts. If you had been into Bowie / Roxy / Glam in the first half of the '70s, Ultravox were to arrive and forecast the direction of the second half and what was going to happen in the early 80's.


The first two albums still had a raw punk edge. The first track on the first album ‘Saturday Night in the City of the Dead’  has almost a ‘60's R&B feel. The use of drum machines and synths was to become more prevalent in Ultravox's and John's later albums and songs.


Signs and hints of what Ultravox and John were to become happen right 
at the end of the first album with the track ‘My Sex;’ 

"My sex, is invested in, suburban photographs, skyscraper shadows on  
a car crash overpass"

. It was records and lyrics like this that made me grease my hair back, don a grey trench coat, stop smiling and smoke more.



Ultravox brought new electronic toys to the playpen whilst nodding to Iggy / New York Dolls  / RoxyMusic / Bowie / Kraftwerk / Tangerine Dream / Neu! / and adding a bit of British sci-fi punk, energy and European electronic class.

When they adjusted the balance between electronics and rock to the precise level that they did with their Systems of Romance album in 1978, they were way ahead sonically of the British punk pack. But for me personally Metamatic was  definitely the most forward thinking record John Foxx ever made.



Did you ever see early Ultravox live?

I saw a lot of punk bands in Margate at the Queens Hotel and the Sunshine Rooms in the mid / late 70's. Ultravox never made it down and I never made it to any of their early gigs with John as front man. Saw them in the later Vienna period with Midge Ure - I liked some tracks 
from that album and enjoyed the show. I am a big fan of Warren Cann's robo / acoustic / man /  drum machine work and it sounded great on a big system.



Do you have a favourite John Foxx track, and why?


Difficult one for that me.... umm.... tracks. OK, here we go.
(1) ‘I Want to be a Machine’
(

2) ‘Wide Boys’


(3) ‘Dangerous Rhythm’


(4) ‘The Wild, the Beautiful and the Damned’ 


(5) ‘My Sex’


(6) ‘ROckWrok’


(7) ‘The Man Who Dies Everyday’
(

8) ‘Hiroshima Mon Amour’ 


(9) ‘Quiet Men’ 


(10) ‘Dislocation’


(11) ‘Just for a Moment’


(12) ‘He's a Liquid’
(13) ‘Metal Beat’


(14) ‘Blurred Girl’


(15) ’Touch and Go’


(16) ‘Burning Car’


(17) ‘Underpass’


(18) ‘Europe after the Rain’


(19) ‘Your Dress’





How has John Foxx influenced how your approach song-writing/recording?



By teaching me to appreciate greyness, space and minimalism while still embracing the white light and stark neon of noise, sound and pop.



Was there any Foxx influence on Leftfield's music - either conscious or not?

‘Yes. Definitely for my part.



Why did you get in touch with him about working on your solo material?

I had an idea to have John Foxx come in for vocals on the second album, but it never happened. I’ve always respected and liked his approach and attitude - the quiet man from another dimension bending sounds from the 23rd century underneath cinematic sci fi  future vocals while keeping his distance from the brashness of pop culture and celebrity. Afrika Bambaataa is a big fan and we talked Ultravox / Foxx while working together in the studio in the ‘90s.

What was it like working with him on your solo album?



Forward/ positive / extra dimensional. John materialized from the fog and came aboard my craft in 2006. He returned frequently over a period of 3 years from 2006 - 2009. We agreed early on in some of our influences and likes - King Tubby,  Hank Marvin and The Shadows (with and without Cliff Richard) being some of them.



How many tracks have you recorded together?



Six or seven - maybe only three or four will be on the album - still balancing up the tracks. Any tracks that don't make it, John may release on his Metamatic Records label, or could be released as bonus tracks at some point.



Do you know when we'll be able to hear some of the music you've done with him?

Just waiting for the green light from the control tower now the runway is nearly clear.



Has his influence been more than musical? In terms of design, artwork and so on?

Seeing the first Ultravox album cover for the first time with its neon Euro backstreet alley strip light lettering it came over quite subversive and fresh for the mid ‘70s. I stared at John on the back cover for ages whilst listening to that record. I’ve only realised recently that his jacket and shirt are scorched and burnt I think. Fucking cool and intense.


The Systems of Romance and Metamatic covers were the most influential  
to me from a visual point of view. It's difficult to get any emotion from the cold euro photo imagery  used on Systems of Romance. I think maybe that's what John wanted 
visually...




John has encouraged me through his music / lyrics and imagery to look 
more at the shapes / design and architecture that surrounds me in the 
city and take inspiration from this.


How wide do you think Foxx's influence has been on the current  
musical landscape?

360 degrees.



Why do you think that many people are only just discovering John Foxx's music now?


Because it's still cool, timeless, romantic, futuristic, and  
completely relevant.