By Zack Wentz

The Fall. Not really so much a band, but the long-enduring artistic vehicle for the ideas of notorious Manchester soul brother #1, Mark E. Smith. Arguably one of the most influential, cult-inspiring bands of the so-called post-punk era, the Fall have never ceased producing mind-bending music, borrowing everything from aspects of early krautrock, dub, vintage rockabilly, proto-punk, punk rock, audio collage, early house and a plethora of other electronic dance styles (not to mention a score of non-musical influences, such as H.P. Lovecraft and William Blake) into something that always remains, unmistakably, “the Fall”.

The new album “The Real New Fall LP, Formerly Country on the Click” is not only the first Fall album to be released domestically in over 6 years (thanks to the ever-astonishing, ever-excellent young label Narnack) but probably the best thing the Fall have released PERIOD in close to a decade (in my opinion the best Fall record since the 1997 MES produced “Levitate”, and maybe even better). For those new to the Fall, this actually does work as an excellent introduction to their vast back catalog, and to the dedicated fan it will no doubt be seen as another triumph and key release for years to come.

Despite another cancelled tour (the Fall seem to cancel shows more than they play them) this interview was carried out via e-mail with somebody who might well be Mark E. Smith (but then, who the hell knows). Half the original questions were ignored (not included) and the ones answered . . . well, like everything else the Fall have anything to do with, the results are more baffling than revealing, but if that wasn’t the case then it just wouldn’t be the Fall.

You don’t have a lot of casual listeners. People who are into the Fall are generally obsessed with the Fall, or damn close. A handful of books have recently come out about you and the Fall seem to have more fans now than ever before. Have you seen some of the things people have made on Fallnet? The MES font? MESspeak? The interactive Fall gig?
I am not interested in Fallnet.

A fascinating aspect of your work is the blend of pulp fiction (vintage noir, sci-fi, weird) and literature in a musical context. Your solo albums go even further in the direction of making these kind of fragmented, audio-collage type novels. Do you have any interest in ever writing and publishing books of your own?Any interest in film?
I find the works of Larry Niven (Ringworld) interesting. In fact when I was thirteen I had a nutty professor who was the roommate of Tolkien, or maybe it was Nick Cave. No, I don’t want to write a book, I am working on a film called “The World Aged 4”.

Satire seems to be a kind of lost art, but your work is loosely belonging to a tradition of very extreme satire, from Swift, on through Kafka and Burroughs and more recent authors in your neck of the woods like Steve Aylett. It’s all darkly funny with a lot of bite, but always seems to point towards transcendent possibilities for mankind, rather than just condemning him wholeheartedly. Do you see yourself as a satirist at all and working in this tradition?
If you study the lyrics to “Rude All The Time” you will never be any further than terminal 12 at Gatwick. Q: Do you see yourself as a satirist or working in this tradition? A: All British comedy is DEAD! For instance Terry Christian, The Friends TV programme, Lenny Henry and Eddie so called English comedians. Their worthless comedy is superceded only by Will Smith of the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. All will be revealed in Brian Fanning’s new book, published in the autumn of 2004.

Your work seems to point in a sort of spiritual direction without ever being explicitly religious. It’s like you’ve formed your own idiosyncratic church complete with texts and hymns, but at the same time it’s set up in such a way that no one can really be a follower. There’s just the work and they can do whatever they want with it, but nobody’s going to show them what it means or what to do with it. A church of the Hip Priest?
Q: Is there a church of the Hip Priest? A: I am your true god. A mere vessel for the real god Xyrolathep. This question has been put over to Ed and Jim (who has been working with New Order.) Mark has zipped out for moment. We repeat I am true god, a mere vessel, we in the Fall do not recognize other groups. We in the Fall are not a BAND, we are a movement.

Have you ever known anyone’s grandmother to play bongos and, if so, would you be up for having her sit in on a few songs?*
Is..it..ed..or..is..it..Ben..??...is..it.Spen..or..is..it..Ed???...who..is playing.. bongoes... again?

*ed note - Longstanding Fall joke after a comment made by Mark E. Smith regarding the constantly changing Fall line-up to the effect of: “If it’s me and your granny on bongos, it’s the Fall”. On Fallnet w/the “interactive Fall gig” you’ll find this played out brilliantly.

www.visi.com/fall

The Fall have many, many releases.
Check the website for their extensive discography.