Left To Their Own Devices

ne of the must-see performers at Electric Picnic are Leftfield, whose awesome performance at Tripod in May is the best gig I’ve seen this year. Having delivered two masterful albums in Leftism and Rhythm And Stealth, the group went on a decade-long hiatus, only for Neil Barnes to re-emerge with a new live band in 2010 (the other co-founder, Paul Daley, opted to sit out the reunion).

So: why did Barnes decide that now was the optimum time for the group to reform?
“There was always interest in the band,” he responds. “Every year, we’d get asked, ‘Are you going to get back together and do some gigs?’ We were both doing different things. Then last year it came around again, and I talked to a lot of people, and listened back to the albums. I thought I could make it relevant and fun, and that was the important thing.”
Why did Leftfield put a stop to their activities in the first place?
“It seems like I can’t even remember,” admits Neil. “We worked together for 15 years to get it to that stage. In retrospect it seems like a silly thing to do, but we always did things in a way which didn’t really fit in. So I suppose it was bound to end in a strange fashion.”
What has Neil been up to in the interim?
“I’ve done loads of things,” he replies. “I’ve done a lot of music, although not obviously under the name Leftfield. I worked on a lot of music for films and adverts, things like that. I also spent time on my own music, which was intended for release, but I haven’t really done anything with it. I haven’t felt the pressure to do anything - I’ve just been enjoying life, and doing other things.”
Have you released any music since Leftfield was put on the backburner?
“No, and Paul’s the same,” explains Neil. “We’ve both done things, but never felt it was right. There was nothing that we felt was as good as what we’d done before. We’ve been a bit hard on ourselves, we don’t chuck music out. It’s difficult to follow up something like Leftfield as well, you see, because people want that. They’re not happy unless it’s up to that standard, so it’s a strange position to be in.”
Seeing the Leftfield live show, and observing the way the band bring on a variety of guest vocalists (the highlight perhaps being Earl 16’s and Cheshire Cat’s tag-team effort on the phenomenal ‘Release The Pressure’), one is put in mind of the live extravaganzas delivered by Gorillaz.
“Absolutely,” nods Neil. “The whole thing is to mix it up and turn it into a soundsystem vibe, with people coming on and off. Without a doubt, I think that Gorillaz are really influenced by what we did – I don’t think you could have a Gorillaz album without Leftism. The link is there. They’re actually on the same bill as us at a couple of festivals this year. I saw them play in Manchester about four years ago and it was amazing.”
Leftfield were also notable for their painstaking attention to detail – not only was the music great, but so were the artwork and videos. The promo clip for the brilliant ’Dusted’ (which featured a then unknown Roots Manuva on vocals) was a sublime collage of imagery inspired by the Russian Revolution, while the Chris Cunningham-directed ’Africa Shox’ was an urban nightmare about a homeless man who is gradually dismembered – to the utter indifference of passers-by.
“I can’t remember who directed ’Dusted’,” says Neil (it was W.I.Z. – PN). “It wasn’t our idea, but when we read the script, we felt the idea was relevant. That Russian workers’ collective vibe was a brilliant idea. It was a great video actually, one of my favourites we ever did. For ‘Africa Shox’, we sought out Chris, because he was the best, and he still is a brilliant filmmaker. We knew that he’d do something really fresh, and indeed he did something completely different; that’s just a mental video. Of course, there’s that bit where the guy’s arm falls off, and someone asks him, ‘Do you need a hand?’ Chris thought it was funny!”
Leftism featured a guest vocal performance from John Lydon, who is also Electric Picnic-bound. How did the group hook up with the iconic star?
“I’ve known him forever,” says Neil. “I met him in his house when I was 19; I used to go clubbing and we moved in the same circles. It would have been nice if we could have done ‘Open Up’, which was the track from Leftism, but obviously John has his own schedule this summer. Actually, have you seen PiL since they got back playing together? They’re really great.”
Neil also has kind words for another act on the Electric Picnic bill, LCD Soundsystem.
“I like the first album particularly, especially ‘Losing My Edge’,” he enthuses. “I haven’t heard the new album, but I think he’s awesome. What I like about what they’re doing, is that they’re always moving. I do think they’re one of the most exciting electronic acts out there.”