Autumn Questions for Robin [Archive] - cocteautwinsforums.com

mmmender

Oct-12-06, 6:17 AM

It's been a while since we've put Robin under the proverbial spotlight and asked him some direct questions. Hopefully he's lurking on a fairly regular basis so he can check this thread when he pops by.

Why not post some of the latest questions you'd like to ask Robin. For his sake please restrict it to a maximum of three questions per person. (We can't expect the guy to hang out here forever!)

I'll start with my three questions for Robin:

1) How long has it been since you've been back to Grangemouth?
2) What's the latest musical tech-toy you got your hands on?
3) Roughly how many guitars do you own?

Fritter

Oct-12-06, 7:30 AM

Baddy2shoos

Oct-12-06, 7:37 AM

Fancy a shag?

aeonaside

Oct-12-06, 9:47 AM

Oh, and have you ever been as nuts about a band as people here are about Cocteau Twins?
I like that question.

fancy a shag?
that one too.

Adam

Oct-12-06, 10:04 AM

Robin Guthrie / Harold Budd album - when will we hear it?
Robin Guthrie / John Foxx album - when will we hear it?
Robin Guthrie / Lucy Guthrie album - when will we hear it?
Robin Guthrie / Elizabeth Fraser album - when will we hear it? (okay, :toilet:)

love, adam

dan699

Oct-12-06, 4:49 PM

What's your Best Scottish single of all-time?
What's your worst?
Can I come visit you Brittany?

ludwig

Oct-12-06, 5:11 PM

What kind of music do you listen to last days?

JohnnyV

Oct-12-06, 5:37 PM

Is there anyone that you would wish to play with or write with that you did not yet get an opportunity? (could be living, dead, or somewhere in between)
When you get involved in a musical collaboration, do you seek someone you already feel completely comfortable or compatible with or do you ever seek someone who might cause you to "stretch yourself"?
I enjoy your reading your Blog despite the irregular updates. Do you ever fancy writing more seriously?

salve_sons

Oct-12-06, 8:02 PM

1. What's a good place to get indian food in London around the Kensington High Street area or would you suggest another tube stop?

2. Ever know anyone who had rickets?

3. How much do they pay you to have fobs lob all sorts of silly questions at you, or is it charity that you can deduct on your taxes?

robin guthrie

Oct-14-06, 5:00 PM

1) How long has it been since you've been back to Grangemouth?

Hum..Nice way to start really.... Went back recently when my mother died. Does that count?

robin guthrie

Oct-14-06, 5:07 PM

2) What's the latest musical tech-toy you got your hands on?

Let me see, well I had to buy strings recently and, hey, you can't just buy one, you have to buy six, otherwise the guitar sounds all weird like somethings missing...
OK, that wasn't fair.. So, well I bought a new pedal, a Boss RC50 a while back but it's been sitting in it's box waiting for me to RTFM.. I haven't really the income to justify buying many new toys, really what I need to do is concentrate on replacing so many of the things I use which have become somewhat unreliable, obsolete or just plain beat up from lugging them around everywhere. A nice new mic amp would be nice, I had to swap the last one I had for food.

robin guthrie

Oct-14-06, 5:15 PM

3) Roughly how many guitars do you own?
No the better question would be, which guitars that you own have strings on them? OK, I once had a considerable number of guitars, now that I think about it I think I was convinced if I bought more I'd eventually be able to play them better. For the same reason I invested in lots of books about learning french. Needless to say they all said the same thing, some stuff about verbs and other tricky things, so I had to rely on my ability to look utterly stupid and lost so that the unsuspecting french public would take pity on me and show me how to get home or which aisle the toilet paper was in and other such necessities. As for the guitar thing, well I take the same approach and when I stand on stage and seem to get away with it.....

robin guthrie

Oct-14-06, 5:20 PM

What's the best device/ software for live looping please? You seemed to have a nice set-up for the live shows earlier this year.

Oh, and have you ever been as nuts about a band as people here are about Cocteau Twins?

I use an Electrix repeater. It works...it's unstable and the MIDI implementation was written by a sped. I think it's Canadian but that may be a coincidence. I've been through all sorts, the original jam man was great but clicked on the loop if you didn't get it just right, something I am familiar with. As I said in another answer I have an RC50 but haven't fired it up yet. On paper it looks great.

Oh, and for the other question I would have to say a polite no.

cerebunny

Oct-14-06, 5:52 PM

Thank you for taking the trouble to reply!

Just one question from me - would you be happy for a live Cocteau Twins album to get an official release, either through the usual suspects or something like the Rhino Handmade label? There are some beautiful recordings that circulate hand to hand, like the Black Sessions, that I would love to see made available in format that would a) have a better sound quality and b) get you some royalties!

by the sea

Oct-17-06, 4:43 AM

My question is for Liz. Maybe Robin could ask her.

When do you finally think you'll get your shit together?

Baddy2shoos

Oct-17-06, 4:45 AM

*tumbleweeds*

by the sea

Oct-17-06, 4:59 AM

Liz doesn't owe MA jackshit now. It's the perfect time.

Baddy2shoos

Oct-17-06, 5:00 AM

We'll never get an answer, accept it my friend.

by the sea

Oct-17-06, 5:05 AM

Like hell I will. Robin???

Baddy2shoos

Oct-17-06, 5:06 AM

He never answered my question.

by the sea

Oct-17-06, 5:20 AM

You think he'd be any good in bed?

Baddy2shoos

Oct-17-06, 5:22 AM

yup

by the sea

Oct-17-06, 5:24 AM

Why's that?

Baddy2shoos

Oct-17-06, 5:31 AM

dunno, thought you wanted to anyway

by the sea

Oct-17-06, 5:38 AM

I do. I think he wants me too.

by the sea

Oct-17-06, 5:50 AM

Sorry about your Mother, Robin. I'm such an ass.

Fritter

Oct-17-06, 6:49 AM

As I said in another answer I have an RC50 but haven't fired it up yet. On paper it looks great.

Huh, good luck, I just bought an RC-20, which is why I was asking - let's hope the 50 is better. Thanks for the answering.

dprid

Oct-17-06, 9:16 AM

He never answered my question.
I assumed his 'polite no' covered that one ;)

ArnoldZiffel

Oct-17-06, 9:18 AM

Hum..Nice way to start really.... Went back recently when my mother died. Does that count?

You have my sympathy, Mr. G. Losing your mom really hurts.

Baddy2shoos

Oct-17-06, 9:22 AM

Oh sorry Robin, just re-read it. No worries, I'm used to it.

ArnoldZiffel

Oct-17-06, 9:25 AM

Oh sorry Robin, just re-read it. No worries, I'm used to it.

I know a guy in California that looks just like RG. Will he do?

dprid

Oct-17-06, 9:27 AM

I know a guy in California that looks just like RG. Will he do?
Accept no substitute!

Baddy2shoos

Oct-17-06, 9:28 AM

Think Simon's available?

by the sea

Oct-19-06, 5:03 PM

I believe the "polite no" was actually in reference to Fritter's second question. There's still hope.

elysium

Oct-19-06, 11:59 PM

Sorry for your loss Robin.

djproject

Oct-21-06, 4:58 PM

this may be a bold question and i apologise if it is (i.e. you can tell me to fuck off if it's none of my business =] ).

i'm curious about the songwriting collaboration process in violet indiana in contrast with cocteau twins. is it the same setup or something completely different?

Outofspace

Oct-21-06, 6:40 PM

Oh, and for the other question I would have to say a polite no.If only you could become one of us and look upon what you did from outside...but then again it's subjectivity....imagine CT is not a band, but a place you would like to live but can't...or the girl you had fallen in love with when you were 19, but could never have...it might also be something like a precious stone for others...

Outofspace

Oct-21-06, 6:45 PM

have you ever fallen in love?...me 7 times...I can't forget any of these...can't escape the memories...it's similar the feeling about you and CT...

Rascuache

Oct-22-06, 4:24 AM

I just recently got all of your solo albums, I love them. sucks about your mom. My question is this, Are you really that underfinanced? What happened that has you in such disarray financially? I find it hard to believe that someone as persistant as you in the music scene to be broke.

frarn

Oct-23-06, 3:06 AM

Rascuache, don't believe all you read about record labels, huge advances to record albums and generous royalties ..... alternatively DO read Robins reference to royalties in his own weblog ...

mmmender

Oct-23-06, 11:53 PM

"To those people who accuse us, the band, of being cynical, it should be pointed out that these albums [remasters] are being sold at a discount, thereby greatly reducing or even curtailing the royalties that we receive.. Yes, the winners here folks are 4ad and the retailers.."
-Robin Guthrie, June 2/03 [SOURCE: CocteauTwinsForums.com Post (http://www.cocteautwinsforums.com/showthread.php?p=35388#post35388)]

"I'm back from a well deserved holiday, after all, spending all day at the Swiss bank paying in all my royalties can be very tiring...So I decided to chip into this very obscure thread just for starters, that is before the pizza’s I have to deliver are ready..."
-Robin Guthrie, July 28/04 [SOURCE: CocteauTwinsForums.com Post (http://cocteautwinsforums.com/showthread.php?p=107106#post107106)]

frarn

Oct-24-06, 5:17 AM

good post, lee!

Rascuache

Oct-26-06, 3:49 AM

He is also part owner of a record label and has umpteen side projects. I know what you are saying though leesa. I know what Robin is saying as well. Thanks for the post.

mtedora

Nov-4-06, 11:01 AM

Have you ever contemplated colloborative efforts - instrumental of course - with any other outrageously inventive guitar folks, like Robert Fripp, or Kim Gordon?
:omg: a new guy

Fritter

Nov-5-06, 2:02 PM

Guthrie + Fripp would probably have a similar effect to crossing the streams (in Ghostbusters)

E-Lo

Nov-5-06, 2:04 PM

crying

Fripp's alright but methinks he's too spastic and fast for Robin's luxurious style

mtedora

Nov-6-06, 9:21 AM

crying

Fripp's alright but methinks he's too spastic and fast for Robin's luxurious style
well, ROBERT can certainly do the speed thing, for sure, but his solo work consists in total exploitation of ONE note. one singular note on those lps can last literally 45 minutes.

sfjim1

Nov-7-06, 3:21 PM

Scottish Christians are big on forgiveness, aren't they???:lmao::spear: :bye: crying :crazy: :bum:

mtedora

Nov-8-06, 9:46 AM

Guthrie + Fripp would probably have a similar effect to crossing the streams (in Ghostbusters)
How about a Robin Guthrie/Tom Verlaine instrumental project?

ossian

Nov-8-06, 11:14 AM

Hey!! - - that's a good one!

mtedora

Nov-14-06, 5:46 PM

Siobahn of VIOLET INDIANA totally makes me think of NICO, and the name of the band, Vio/let Ind/iana... hmmm, any "connection" to the name, Vel/vet Und/erground?

Fritter

Nov-14-06, 5:49 PM

How's it going with the RC-50?

Clayton39

Nov-14-06, 6:06 PM

The RC-50 is nice but the pre-amp clips. Has a ton more use than the RC-20 though, that I also have. It's not so bad, you just have to be careful about your input/output volume.

Robin, you really need to get on Maneco about making that custom looper he was gonna give you for free. They are fabulous... but start to get shoddy because he doesnt have access to very many quality components in his part of the world. You should try to contact him though... with the maneco and the RC-50 you will be king.

I use an RC-50 and a Maneco for my shows.

starhopper

Dec-1-06, 3:32 AM

So Robin, you like snow?

Siamsam

Dec-8-06, 12:48 AM

Hello Mr R,

My question is quite pedestrian. On "Mysterious skin", "Continental" & the two EP's ; do you record through a guitar pre amp or do you play via a mic'd guitar amp? If you use preamps I would love to know which ones............

Enjoy your halloween chesse!!!!!!!!!!!