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Liam Howlett's exclusive interview for TheProdigy.ru

1. Please tell us some interesting details about the work on the new album "No Tourists". What sources of inspiration did you use. Going back to our interview on the train 2 years ago, did you listen to something from Russian classics and did you get anything from there for the new record?

NO I DIDNT BUT ONCE I LISTEN TO SOMETHING , THAT SOUND IS IN ME SO IT MAY EMERGE IN A DIFFERENT WAY IN THE MUSIC THAT ISNT OBVIOUS

2. How much material did not make it to the final version of the album? Please tell us about the track “Essex”, which was rumoured to be released on the “No Tourists”, what is it like and why it didn’t get on the album?

ESSEX ? NEVER HEARD OF IT ,,,,, WASNT ME ,,, THERES A COUPLE OF TUNES LEFT OVER WHICH NEED TO BE FINISHED THAT COULD TURN INTO SOMETHING DOPE

3. Whose idea was it to make the double-decker bus the symbol of the new album and what does it mean? By the way, wasn’t it your idea to organize a bus tour around London for the loyal fans of the band with the sneak-preview of the album, and what do ya think about this event?

IT WAS MY IDEA , I LIKE THE DARKNESS AND MOOD OF IT ,, IT REMINDED ME OF CHRISTINE . THE BUS ITSELF IS A SYMBOL OF ESCAPISM , A TRANSPORTATION DEVICE TO REMOVE U OFF THE ‘TOURIST PATH’
THE PLAYBACK EVENT WAS MY IDEA WITH THE BUS PICKING PEOPLE UP AND TAKING THEM TO A SECRET LOCATION ,,, PUT THE IN A DARK ROOM , PLAY IT LOUD , THEN ASKED TO LEAVE WHEN IT FINISHED ,,, IT WAS GREAT ASSAULT ON THE SENSE .,, PEOPLE DIDNT KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON …..

4. Could you describe how do you select musicians, who you trust to create remixes for The Prodigy tracks? What remix do ya like the most atm.

SIMPLE ,, I LISTEN TO THEIR TUNES , IF I LIKE THEIR SOUND AND THEIR PRODUCTION AND FEEL LIKE THEY ARE SOUNDING A BIT DIFFERENT THAT ENOUGH TO GIVE THEM A GO

5. In a recent interview for Dazed, you said that you are planning to release The Dirtchamber Sessions Volume Two in the future. What motivates you now to create this release? Because we all remember that the release of the first part in 1999 seemed to symbolize the beginning of your solo DJ career. Is there already an approximate period when you plan to release this work?

IT WAS JUST A COMMENT , I MIGHT PUT IT OUT LATE NEXT YEAR ,, NOT REALLY BOTHERED AT THE MOMENT ABOUT PUTTING A MIX OUT OF OTHER PEOPLES MUSIC ,,.
, THERES SOMETHING ELSE WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT THAT WILL COME OUT NEXT YEAR FIRST

6. Not so long ago, Shahin Badar (female vocals in “Smack My Bitch Up”) mentioned in her Facebook post some new collaboration with The Prodigy. Could you elaborate more on where exactly did she participate?

NO IDEA WHAT SHE MENT , NO WE ARNT DOING ANYTHING ,,, SHE IS GREAT THOUGH AND DOING HER OWN STUFF

7. A big question about the tracks of the period “The Day Is My Enemy” with the undisclosed information:
– Which remix of “Invisible Sun” played in the background in the video, which you posted on Instagram while working on it?

DONT KNOW I WOULD NEED TO SEE THAT CLIP IF U CAN SEND IT TO ME

– Did you plan to release the track “Destroy” as a single? What is the fate of the remix on this track, which you also revealed in the posted video on Instagram? And also of the remix of Glen Nicholls (Future Funk Squad)?

NO NEVER

– Why wasn't the vocal version with Wiley officially released?

WE TRYED TO DO SOMETHING ON IT BUT I DECIDED I WANTED IT AS AN INSTRUMENTAL

– That demo version of the track “The Day Is My Enemy”, which you performed once at a gig in Brixton in 2012, and which eventually was provided to your friend Sean Nammock (Same Old Sean) - was it originally recorded with Wiley and was it the very first version of the track, which you once mentioned in an interview?

NO IDEA WHAT U ARE TALKING ABOUT HERE ,,, APART FROM I LET SEAN DO A RHYME ON AN INSTRUMENTAL VERION OF THAT OL TUNE .

– Tell something about the track “Jukebox Fury”. Was it the initial version of the Rebel Radio?

NO THIS WAS AN EARLY INVADERS DEMO , I THREW THAT IN THE BIN

– The track called “Beat Drone” - what is it? Is it the same track that you are playing at the gigs right after “Poison” in the recent years?

NO ITS NOT , I DONT KNOW WHAT THIS UNLESS I HEAR A CLIP OF IT ,,, ALOT OF THESE BITS ARE JUST LIVE JAMS MADE ON THE SPOT ON STAGE SO THEY DONT HAVE NAMES

8. How do you like the idea of providing some unreleased tracks of The Prodigy for free download? By the way, in an interview with Andrea Schnepf (Neko) in 2006 and with Gordy in 2017 you said that you are going to do this, because, as you said, people wanted to hear them. Lots of Russian (and all others) fans still can’t wait to hear these unreleased ideas.

I THINK THIS IS STILL A COOL IDEA , IF I CAN FIND THEM ,, THEY ARE IN STORAGE SOMEWHERE

9. Who is the author of the ant symbol (whose picture is this)? Why did the ant become the symbol of The Prodigy? What role does it play for the band?

I DONT UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION , THE AUTHOR ? THE ANT IS USED BECAUSE THEY ARE SMALL AND POWERFULL , THATS HOW WE THINK OF OURSELVES , U MIGHT NOT HEAR FROM US FOR A BIT AND THEN BLAMM!!! BUT IF U LOOK CLOSELY WE ARE ALWAYS THERE

10. Besides the material from “No Tourists”, would you like to add any tracks from the first two albums to the track list for the upcoming gigs? By the way, it was one of the main wishes of the Russian fans of the band when collecting questions for this interview. And also – can we expect to see you in Russia next year? Pray for this.

YES OF COURSE WE WILL BE IN RUSSIA WILL THIS NEW RECORD .. AND YES WE ARE PLAYIN THE OL TUNES MIXED WITH BRAND NEW ….. FIRE!!!!!!!!!!!!

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