I interviewed Paul Barker of Ministry ten years ago for Networking In the Music Industry. Some things have changed a lot - some things not at all. Check it out:
EO - Who have you produced?
PB - All of the stuff that we've worked on ourselves, and with other musicians: Ministry, Revolting Cocks, Pailhead, Lard, Lead Into Gold, PTP, Acid Horse. We did a remix of a Chili Peppers track last year; which was very difficult because we were in the midst of tryng to complete Psalm 69. A remix isn't a production job, but we approached it that way because we had to decide what we were going to keep and what we were going to throw out, and how we were going to rearrange it. I did what was more-or-less a production job on a couple of KMFDM songs.
EO - It sounds like when you do decide to work with someone, it usually becomes a collaboration.
PB - Well, hopefully it becomes that way. We certainly don't feel that we are know-it-alls. That's one of the things that irks me about the idea of producing someone else: the authoritarian aspect of taking someone else's music and telling them what to do with it. It's almost sacreligious. I don't know what bonafide producers do. Do they sit there and say things like, [in a German accent] "Ve are now going to arrange the horn-charts like zo"?
EO - How do you guys work?
PB - It depends how demented, how far out we are at that point. We get together and use one of three methods as a springboard to find something that we feel is good enough to warrant our completing.
The first way is with a guitar: you know, just riffing about and coming up with a chord progression and a particular way of playing that chord progression. Another way is coming up with a rythmic idea or a rhythm track on the bass and drums, and taking it from there.
The third way is to find a sample which we then loop or sequence somehow, and that dictates the overall key and the syncopation of the idea. We use those things as building blocks.
Let's say that we started off with the guitar idea. If our drummer, who lives in Seattle, was in Seattle at the time, then we would sit down and come up with some rythmic part with the sequencer, and some samples and stuff. At the initial conception of the piece, you have an overall feel for the song, and we would then go through our library of sounds to come up with something that would be appropriate for that musical idea. We would use the rythm tracks to modify the guitar parts to make it more cohesive.
Article comments
1 - Tom Johnson
That was fascinating. I love hearing stuff like this from these guys just outside of the mainstream, especially when they do actually wind up with a small success in it. Unlike many pop stars, they seem to have very level heads about what the whole music industry is really about. And dammit, I love Ministry.
2 - Craig Lyndall
I was fascinated by this interview. I don't know why we don't hear this perspective more often. Are most bands not this aware of their situation, or is it just a rule that most people don't talk about it? Regardless, this is really enlightening for those of us who like to follow the business side of things.
3 - Eric Olsen
thanks guys, he was a lot of fun to speak with
4 - Craig Lyndall
My parents were a little apprehensive when I wanted to buy an album called "The Land of Rape and Honey" but they knew better than to try and stop me from listening to an album that I wanted to hear.
5 - Johno
Eric, you are my hero!!!
Holy crap... just think... here I am in a dorm room in 1992-93, listening to "Hellfudge" and "Jesus Built My Hot Rod" over and over again, and-- lucky you-- there you are talking on the record to Paul! Freaking! Barker! Lard! Ministry! Pailhead!
What an insightful interview, too. Some of the credit of course goes to PB for being on the ball, but a good interviewer makes everything come together.
I found it interesting that they took John Zazula on as their manager. That kind of helps explain their disappearance to me. By reputation, Johnny Z talks a great game, and genuinely loves the artists he works with, but his touch has been career poison since the early 90's.
Like Tom I was impressed by the Paul's levelheadedness about both business and the creative process. How right was he about grunge, jeez?
6 - Eric Olsen
thanks Johno - I was a huge fan too, so it was a lot of fun
7 - jerry
I was fascinated by this interview. I don't know why we don't hear this perspective more often. Are most bands not this aware of their situation, or is it just a rule that most people don't talk about it? Regardless, this is really enlightening for those of us who like to follow the business side of things. Yes, Craig, that's true.
8 - Eric Olsen
Thanks Jerry, glad you found it interesting!
9 - EX NAVY
THERE HAS BEEN FIGHTING IN THE MIDDLE EAST FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS AND I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE FIGHTING WILL EVER STOP,SO LETS MAKE THE MIDDLE EAST FREE OF ALL FUTURE FIGHTING AND NUKE THE ENTIRE REGION OFF THE FACE OF THE PLANET.
10 - Bob A. Booey
I'm about to pass out after a long night, but I definitely will read this later. I'm impressed that you got this interview, Olsen. Keep talking to some of those 90s alternative stars -- I'm sure they have a lot to say about today's industry.
No man with a good car needs to be justified. (And Jesus built my hotrod).
That is all.
11 - Gary H
Paul Barker has a posse.