dirtbox biog

an introduction...

" Takin' inspiration from: dirty metal (I Iove the old days) * long dark nights with strange fumblings * melodic * expanding-electronica * sunday sunshine sellin boots to japanese girls on Greenwich market, drinkin' 3 horses larger * Tim & Dave @ Gia live - ragga to sugar R'n'B.* Slow films with no story & foreign exotic girls * Living at 10 Museum St - the noise from THE END, roof top parties, mice in my room * being force fed ALL good vibes free-lancing on Gilles Peterson Worldwide radio Show * Making music for cable porno for the past 2 years (those Fantasy Channel girls - oooh) * The thought of going to Brazil at new years eve with a brand new pair of red pants and a white suit!

Dirt box came from Spunk box, the name of a nasty tune from the wierd welsh 70s cock rockers 'Mann'. Spunk box was my name for a 4 track EP 2 years ago. 'Drains & Radiators' came from sittin in a pub in Soho with Martin (Loose Cannon) trying to think of a name and coming up with nothin' until the end of the night. There was a table full of loud (annoying) media boys & girls on the table next us having a heated discussion about something pointless, when one of them said;

"Well you can pin everybody down to one thing in life, Drains & Radiators - some people either warm you up or cool you down!"

We found this funny (in a 'what a twat' kinda way).... but as we'd had quite a few drinks we decided to use it as the album title.

My first band was 'Extractor' (pronounced EXTRACTooooooooorRRRRR) a thrash metal cover band that i joined when i was 14. The rest of the band were 26 to 30 with leather trousers and shit mullets. I loved it for 4 years and then realised that thrash metal is shit. I've been in several bands since then, 'Shy Wah Wah', 'Fridge' (but not the same fridge as Kierens Hebden band, his Fridge are truly inspiring, our Fridge wore good costumes.) I've stopped doing live stuff with bands for a while to concentrate on making music for T.V and Film (which i still do) but i'll be getting some kind of live Dirtbox act together soon.

On the album i collaborated with Tom T from Greenwich Films. I was producing music for his film 'Fresh out of Tears' and really liked some of the dialogue, so i stole it for dirt box, (apparently Lake Bell, the girl doing most of the dialogue is now living in LA and is acting in ER... Wooooo!). Beyonder is a really good authoratitive poet from Brixton. I did a sound-scape for a multimedia film that featured his voice, and i really liked the 'I am an idiot' phrase. I'm also working with him on a separate project using his and other poets for a compilation album.

The Giffle (Nik) is the creative brain behind all the art-work and cartoon design. I met him when recording the band he drums with (Head Shopp - check em!) he came round to Museum St where i had a bedroom studio set-up, and handed out his home made magazine. It had loads of really f*cked up drawings, which i had on my wall for about a year... so when i had the chance, i asked to DO MY DIRTBOX!!!!! "

Mike Lindsay - Dirtbox - May 2003

check the original switch on glenn ep here