ONE SMALL SEED MAGAZINE Issue #29 Digital 04 THE BEST OF | Page 40

WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT WE OWN THE NIGHT an interview with James Lavelle UNKLE was formed in the mid-nineties by two British school friends, Tim Goldsworthy and James Lavelle. They were joined by DJ Shadow, Money Mark (the Beastie Boys’), the Scratch Perverts and Japanese hip-hop crew Major Force. Goldsworthy left after a year because of artistic differences with Lavelle, and UNKLE has since seen many changes in personnel. more prominent contributors like Ian Brown and Gary Mounfield (Stone Roses), Robert Del Naja (Massive Attack), Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age), Gavin Clark (Clayhill) and Ian Astbury (The Cult). UNKLE’s 1998 debut album Psyence Fiction drew critical acclaim and featured the talents of musician like Thom Yorke (Radiohead), Mike D (Beastie Boys), Richard Ashcroft (The Verve), Badly Drawn Boy and Jason Newsted (Metallica). File left in 2008 and UNKLE took to the road... taking along Badly Drawn Boy, Liela Moss (The Duke Spirit), Gavin Clark and Joel Cadbury (South) for the ride. The rigours of touring were soon replaced by the demands of the studio as UNKLE produced material with the likes of Chris Goss, Black Mountain, James Griffith (Lake Trout), Sleepy Sun, The Black Angels, Katrina Ford and Elle J. DJ Shadow was replaced by Richard File as the last century died and many tracks acquired an ambient style. Then came All these names and faces... but one constant remains: James Lavelle. Ernst Lass spoke to the maestro.