Faithless are coming back again!

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Faithless are coming back again!

Read their interview about new album, new tracks, new shows and try to understand their deep lyric!

After more than 15 years, six albums, a rollercoaster of international success, critical acclaim and, sometimes, apathy Maxi Jazz, Sister Bliss and Rollo could be forgiven, like many artists, for having lost their drive—losing their faith. But that couldn't be further from the truth. After parting with their major label Sony BMG in 2008, the success of 2010’s number two album “The Dance”, and their return to a full-throttle Faithless sound from days gone by, the biggest band in dance music are back where they started—raw, determined, and with a message to deliver. As a triumphant summer of festivals and club shows approaches, Maxi Jazz and Sister Bliss talk to us about the human energy that’s keeping them alive.

What are you up to at the moment?

Maxi Jazz: We're shooting a video today for new single “Tweak Your Nipple”. It’s very tedious. I can't bare it I hate having cameras pointed at me.

Sister Bliss: It’s going to be animated again, so I will be eternally young. We've decided we're going to try and make a series so there's a narrative to follow from the last one. We've got the same artist from the album artwork.

What’s “Tweak Your Nipple” about?

MJ: What I'm saying in that song, in that lyric, is what I've been trying to say for the last six albums, but it’s more direct. Everybody has genius within them and therefore if you believe that you have it then it’ll make a difference to your life.

SB: It’s a slightly provocative title, apparently the BBC won't let us use "nipple" even though we've all got them. Which is slightly ridiculous. So it’s now “Tweak your [bleep]”, they've put in a bleep where the nipple is, which actually sounds quite good.

Would you say after 15 years, the lyrics on “The Dance” are wiser?

SB: Yeah, that’s true, but hopefully not in a way that’s patronising or preachy. It’s Maxi sharing his experience from his own frustrations. It’s genuine, he's not wagging a finger.

MJ: I've been saying pretty much the same thing in various different tunes really from day one - that there isn't really an obstacle that can defeat you if you set your mind to it. Once you do that you stop worrying about tomorrow, and start enjoying today.

Is this the most complete record you've released?

MJ: Absolutely, yes. This is one of the most satisfying records that I've done for a while.

SB: We wouldn't have put it out until we were ready. I've had those records for over a year in various incarnations until they felt right. We didn't even want to give Maxi instrumental until we were happy that they were the best version we had. The only problem is, when do you ever finish a fucking track? When we used Cubase and an Atari it was done when it was done. Now the possibilities are endless.

You're headlining doing some big gigs this summer, have you got anything special planned for your festival shows?

SB: I wouldn't saying anything special other than that it’s different and exciting in itself. I'm very excited by the visuals we've got going on and the band are just cooking at the moment.

MJ: Festivals are wildly different [to our own gigs]. When you're playing to 5-6,000 of your own fans it’s not surprising when the place goes mad, they've come because they love you. At a festival they've come because they love Coldplay, so if you've got this crowd rocking, front to back, side to side, Christ almighty it feels good. Sometimes I feel like if I jump up in the air, I won't stop going.

What tracks do you enjoy most?

SB: I think “Mass Destruction”, because it’s so fucking intense, and I love that it’s political and we broke with tradition and didn't just do a straight club track. And "We Come One” is just so intense...

MJ: That always gets the biggest reaction - the one I appreciate the most. Also “Insomnia”, because it’s unfailingly delightful to see so many people enjoying themselves.

You've got a lot of younger fans: why do Faithless still appeal?

SB: The lyrical content - there's something about Maxi's lyrics that touches people deeply.