Ian Parton could very well get a job as a professional juggler. Afterall, the founder and mastermind behind the U.K.'s party-starting sample-happy The Go! Team somehow finds a way to weave dozens of samples, tons of live instruments, and a genuine sense of fun all together on TG!T's albums, all without seemingly breaking a sweat. Already his band has produced a rising indie star (female rapper Ninja, who can be heard on the excellent Simian Mobile Disco single "It's the Beat"), a near-classic debut album (2004's Thunder, Lightning, Strike), and an equally-ecstatic crowd-pleasing follow-up (2007's Proof of Youth), all while leaving a trail of dropped jaws in the wake of the band's outrageous and exciting live shows. Amidst all this Technicolor insanity, however, Ian found time to sit down and become part of the sixth Globecat Aleatory, revealing dark family secrets (game shows!), incredible childhood boardgames (Assassin!), and how the dirtiest joke he knows is about two decades past its relevance (but is still fantastically funny).+++
2. Favorite board game?I'm not really a board game fan but when I was a kid, me and my brother designed our own board game called "Assassin" where you had to kill the president.
7. Favorite composer?
Phillip Glass.
9. Favorite song to start (or end) a mixtape with?
"Groovin' with Mr. Bloe" by Mr. Bloe.
12. Favorite band when you were in high school?
13. Favorite Shakespearean play?
Gawd knows -- maybe Othello.
19. Favorite foreign film?
À bout de souffle.
20. Favorite new band?
Ult Cult.
28. What instrument would you most like to learn to play?
33. What's something you could teach anyone in an hour or less?
Harmonica.
34. What's the best joke you heard recently?
The only joke I know is the one about Michael Jackson's favourite song being "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles" -- it must date from the 80's cos that's when he had the chimp.
43. What's the road ahead look like?
The only joke I know is the one about Michael Jackson's favourite song being "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles" -- it must date from the 80's cos that's when he had the chimp.
43. What's the road ahead look like?
As long as there is the occassional little chef I'll be happy.
44. Something you've heard, know is false, but wish were true with all your heart?
Music can change the world.
51. What are you currently obsessed with?
Melody and the US office.
61. What's the best advice you could give to a young, upstart band?
Don't think about getting signed just think about create/making music that noone else is making.
73. Are there any songs that you're working on right now?
I work on little ideas rather than whole songs and kinda hoarde them away and whittle them down to the greatest hits. So I have the usual stash of ideas squrrelled away at the mo.
75. Very first song that you ever wrote?
First song I recorded in a proper studio I called "Assembly" 'cos it sounded like it was performed by kids in a school assembly -- it had recorders and glockenspeils in it so not much has changed.
92. Which venue are you dying to play but have not yet had the chance to?
I'd like to play Brixton Academy but I think we've missed our chance now.
96. The one thing that no one knows about you (yet)?
My family auditioned for Family Fortunes.
+++Photo taken by Jamie Beeden.
