Paul Barker
interviewsofrecordingartists.com
In the world of international rock music, there is a formula for success that is utilized with an all too often frequency. Imitate what the most innovative recording artists in the genre are currently doing and the odds are in your favor. It is an formula that Paul Barker and Al Jourgensen of the American electronic-rock duo Ministry, have witnessed first hand. Because their music pioneered not only their own careers, but literally hundreds of others as well. With such Ministry "inspirational" albums as "The Land Of Rape And Honey", "Psalm 69" and "Filth Pig", the Barker, Jourgensen duo, has launched the careers of future electronic-rock bands around the world. They've usually been reluctant to tour and perform their music live in concert. Ministry does not even promote their work aggressively nor do they often grant interviews with the media. Yet, while the duo has somehow remained distant from their legions of fans throughout the globe, Ministry has continued to be important electronic-rock recording artists by simply staying focused on the concept of maintaining that their music is their art. For 2002, Ministry is releasing "Sphinctour"(Sanctuary Records), a live CD and concert performance DVD that was filmed during their 1996 tour in support of the "Filth Pig", album. Ministry will also be embarking on an international tour with plans to document their concert performances. In the following interview with Paul Barker, the forty-three year old recording artist talks about Ministry, their fans and why the duo continues to utilize what he refers to as, "the dark side", to express themselves with their music.
(Q)- Your name age and place of birth please.
Paul Barker- My name is Paul Barker, I was born in Palo Alto California (USA), my age is forty-three.
(Q)- How does Paul Barker feel watching metal genre with groups such as Nine Inch Nails, becoming millionaires by essentially imitating the music that Ministry had previously done?
Paul Barker- I don't know, perhaps the influence (on other more successful rock groups) was from a period of time in early 1988 into 1989. Actually the one thing that I'm happy about now is that these people are now finally mentioning Ministry as musical influences or whatever. I think that hopefully a lot of the bands who are using the sounds and inspiration of Ministry, will move onto something that is a little more unique.
(Q)- The new disc and DVD titled, "Sphinctour" (Sanctuary Records), was recorded in 1996 on an international concert tour. Ministry has not toured all that often. Why?
Paul Barker- I don't know. You get out there, you play your music for like three months on the road, and then you want to get back into the studio. The grass is always greener on the other side now isn't it? When we're in the studio, you want to get back out on the road. Then, when you're actually on the road, after two weeks, you want to get back in the (recording) studio. Certainly, if we had stayed out on the road for a year at a time, then the bands' popularity might have been greater. I guess that we're not concerned about that though.
(Q)- Are you along with Al, constantly working on innovations for the music as recording artists?
Paul Barker- Yes. As curious creative people, you're never satisfied. You always have new ideas that you need to express and hopefully you can express those ideas properly, then hopefully, you can express those ideas to your satisfaction. Then, if you're not satisfied, you have to express those ideas again. That need, to express your ideas musically is something that hasn't dissipated for us. The thing is, it is always easy to emulate something that is already known. That is a part of this. Then at some point you have to divorce yourself from that and take what you've learned and then make your own voice heard. Fortunately over the years, we've been able to continue that process of musical expression.
(Q)- Ministry has always been about expressing the dark side of life. Why?
Paul Barker- Although sonically the songs might seem bleak, I think that Ministry's "message" if you will, is one of creative exhalation.
(Q)- Lyrically. In some of the song lyrics, there is a victorious theme within the lyrical content, even though the music and song titles are rather dark.
Paul Barker- Yeah. I think one of the aspects that I like about Al's lyrics is that he is a humanitarian and thus, as such, he usually expresses hope. That's the underlying theme of his lyrics. And as such, we can have tales of, let's say exhalation and satisfaction and so forth, expressed within the lyrics of the songs. Aside from the fact that the lyrics interpretation is left up to those who listen to the music, which I think is fabulous, the appeal is within the fact that the people understand, or they get a sense of the lyrical message of each song.
(Q)- Why are the dark tones of music so often chosen to represent Ministry?
Paul Barker- Because that's what we want to do. We like French pop songs and (American) country music. Whatever. But that isn't what we're really interested in and that's not how we want to express our music. We don't reference old songs and say to ourselves, "You know what? We really like that song so let's reference that song and make a song like that one."
(Q)- What is your relationship like with the fans?
Paul Barker- We know that we have fans but we don't attempt to placate them or in many ways even acknowledge them. While in touring, of course, we have to some extent, conduct media interviews and whatever, but we are not really interested in having a relationship with our fans aside from what their interpretation of our music might be.
(Q)- Why?
Paul Barker- (Laughs.) Because we're artists, we're not fucking "PR Machines". We're not going to go around jerking each other of in front of people. We just think that, yes of course we do appreciate our fans. Ministry would not be our livelihood without them. I'm saying that we're not going to glad-hand our fans and act like we care for them more then we actually do. We don't feel that we need to explain everything that we do.
(Q)- Do your fans perhaps have an imaginary idea of whom Al Jourgensen and
Paul Barker are as individuals outside of Ministry? Can the fans get to know whom you are as individuals through the collective body of music that is out there for the public to experience?
Paul Barker- Well, through the music, the fans would understand that we are meticulous in what we do. We are unrelenting in that pursuit. In spite of whatever other passions we have outside of music, the music is not going to be compromised at all. A far as the live show, I think that the new "Sphinctour" DVD will certainly enlighten people who haven't seen Ministry in concert, to the fact that when the band performs we embody the music. I think that is all we really want our fans to know about us. We don't want them to know everything.
(Q)- The music is a statement within itself.
Paul Barker- Certainly the music is a statement within itself. I mean, at one time, we had some hit records and that we don't make records like that anymore.
(Q)- Why not?
Paul Barker- Because that's our fucking statement. I mean come on.
(Q)- You're touring Britain and Europe as well as the USA and Canada in 2002. What is your personal take on Ministry as an international touring act?
Paul Barker- I rarely talk to fans. Sometimes I do and I do interviews sometimes. And, that's how I glean whatever the perception of fans in various regions of the world actually have of Ministry. I don't actually follow that. Aside from when I'm out on the road, which is quite rare, I don't have any idea of how people around the world think of me and how our band is taken into consideration.
(Q)- What is our opinion of how Ministry is viewed in Great Britain as opposed to Europe?
Paul Barker- In Great Britain, that country goes through pop bands at an incredible rate. I mean in Great Britain, pop music is an incredibly huge industry. I recently heard about a pop band called Steps in Great Britain. Now Steps have had like thirteen Top Ten singles in a row or something like that and nobody in America (USA) has heard of this band, you know? Yet they're huge in Britain. I mean what's up with that? I'm certain in two years time, nobody in Britain is going to know who they (Steps) are. Nobody will act like they have ever even heard of them. Regardless, in Britain, because of their rich pop history and the amount of money that the pop music industry brings in, the pop music industry is huge in Britain, they (pop and rock fans) are much more cynical then in Europe. So the British fans there for us, tend to be less fanatical then in Europe. While we do have great fans there in Britain, I think that in Germany, France, Spain and Scandinavia, those fans are a little more myopic in their view or their perception of what Ministry is based on their interpretation of our music. They're a bit more fanatical about Ministry also.
(Q)- And how does that make a difference?
Paul Barker- When you meet these people in Europe, they expect you to act like this way and only this way. One thing I will say is that when I'm traveling in Europe and doing a rare media interview, the interviewer will often say, "You're not anything like we thought you'd be." (He laughs.) They'll say, "You're X and you make music like Y, how can that be?" And this is so lame. Why do they think I need to be a child-eating blood drinker? That is a common myth about us over in Europe.
(Q)- What about Ministry and Japan?
Paul Barker- We spent about two weeks there one time. I don't have a lot of experience with the Japanese. Yes we did meet some fans, but I do not have a real opinion about the fans there. We did have a great time there in Japan.
(Q)- Ministry is working on a new studio album. Correct?
Paul Barker- Yes. The next album will come out later this year (2002). It's all fast, aggressive, relentless and in your face music. There will not be one slow song on it. It will be sheer aggression.
End.
