Pitchfork

When Pitchfork got the jolly headbanger on the phone recently, all I intended to discuss was his new DVD, Who Knows?: Live in Concert 2000-2004, due in stores today, February 7, and the state of his upcoming album. But Andrew had a lot more on his mind.

It started with a few simple questions about his forthcoming third LP. "We'll have it complete by the end of March, and we're going to release the album first in Japan, and the rest of the world after that," W.K. said. "I'm taking about 20 songs in, and we'll see what comes out. I would hope that all 20 songs are going to be heard at some point or another."

Right now, two of those 20 songs, "Kicks and Bricks" and "You Will Remember Tonight", can be heard on the Andrew W.K. website. The former cut sounds a bit hip-hop-influenced to me, so I asked Andrew about it. "I think that it depends on what kind of context you approach certain types of rhythms with in mind," he said. "I was really looking to syncopate more with that song and allow the beat to have more holes in it. In rap, in funk, in soul, the performers and the songwriters will leave room for movement, and I was trying to leave more room in that song to move around to the beat."

OK, fair enough. But then I asked if Andrew was planning to do anything different with the album, or if we should expect more of the same exuberant jock jams we have come to know and love from the man.

"I have been trying to approach this album one song at a time," he said. "I'd be very curious to learn about how other people approach albums as an album, because it can be very different than a collection of songs. So I just feel like I can't say for certain what to expect with this, because I'm still waiting to see for myself exactly how it turns out. I just try to make it as good as I can, and then if that ends up being different, that's how it will be."

Then he got all philosophical on my ass.

"You know, all of these things I find to be hard to get it, because it's all up to each person who listens to it, you know? And what one person might think sounds very different to them might sound similar to someone else, so again, it's in the perspective of the person approaching it, and I would like to try and leave it as open as possible, not in terms of me detaching my perspective or my opinion on it, but at this point since it's not even out, I would just hope that people could approach it without any expectation, without any sense of what it will be or what it should be, or what they even hope it will be. And that can be very hard, I think. I think that could ultimately be the most rewarding way to listen to this album or perhaps any music, to be aware of our own context when approaching it...When I'm making this album, I'm trying not to stand in the way personally of the album being as good as it can. I don't want my own ideas of what it should or shouldn't be to hold it back."

Um, OK. Then he started talking about rotating crops, working at a gas station, and watching birds, all as metaphors, and my head started spinning. He stayed on the phone for a good forty-five minutes. If you're interested in the full interview transcript, which is about ten pages long, email news@pitchforkmedia.com

However, in between metaphysical meanderings, I did manage to get some more concrete information out of Andrew W.K. Sticking to his roots in the experimental punk scene, he produced and played on the forthcoming album from To Live and Shave in L.A., Noon and Eternity, which is due out soon on Menlo Park Recordings. "I'm really happy with how it turned out," W.K. said. He also produced a forthcoming album from noize-core stalwarts Sightings.

Oh, and that DVD? Well, it's a collection of mostly unreleased live and backstage footage of Andrew and his friends and bandmates, filmed over the years. He premiered it at the Pioneer Theater in New York City over the weekend, at screenings that also included three-minute keyboard solos by the man. By all accounts, it was awesome.

Why don't you love this man?

Here's the tracklist of songs featured on Who Knows?, followed by the DVD's chapter list.

It's time to party!!!

Tracklist:
01 Violent Life
02 Victory Strikes Again
03 Long Live The Party
04 We Want Fun
05 Ready To Die
06 It's Time To Party
07 Take It Off
08 Make Sex
09 Totally Stupid
10 Girls Own Love
11 She Is Beautiful
12 Tear It Up
13 I Love NYC
14 I Get Wet
15 Never Let Down
16 Party Hard

DVD menu:
01 "Opening"
02 "What Does The W.K. Stand For?"
03 "Introduction"
04 "Main Titles"
05 "Violent Life"
06 "Victory Strikes Again"
07 "Long Live The Party"
08 "We Want Fun"
09 "First Narration"
10 "Ready To Die"
11 "Andrew W.K. Interview"
12 "Second Narration"
13 "It's Time To Party"
14 "Third Narration"
15 "Andrew's Moves"
16 "Take It Off"
17 "Make Sex"
18 "Climb to the Roof"
19 "Totally Stupid"
20 "Fourth Narration"
21 "Girls Own Love"
22 "She Is Beautiful"
23 "Walk to the Stage"
24 "Fifth Narration"
25 "Andrew W.K. Singing"
26 "Tear It Up"
27 "Big Daddy's Race Car Rolls"
28 "I Love NYC"
29 "Andrew's Bedroom"
30 "You Can See Andrew"
31 "I Get Wet"
32 "Andrew's Door"
33 "Andrew Can See You"
34 "Never Let Down"
35 "The Last Bed Shot"
36 "Andrew's Candle"
38 "Andrew's Road"
39 "We Love You, Goodbye"
40 "End Credits"