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 The palatial Hotel Royal Monceau is the image of pre-French Revolution decadence. Enter Korn and we're propelled back to the future. Yup, this is definitely the year 2218. At least that's what their music has always sounded like – avant-garde metal taking the guitar down to where it has not descended before. While opening acts TrustCompany and Puddle of Mudd are getting ready to warm up 17,000 wild "Children of the Korn," the members of Korn are having dinner. "Is there a Pizza Hut around here?" It's the last European date of the Pop Sux! tour and the band is excited about getting back home and eating some real food like pizza. In the meanwhile, they have to content themselves with the French cuisine offered at the posh hotel, all laid out in the band's "foodroom." Not only is the room filled with food, it is also where I get into bed with bass player Fieldy. "You know they don't wash these?" he says as he removes the bedspread and his shoes before jumping into bed. I join him (shoes on), and there is nothing between us but... my tape recorder. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Take a moment and imagine the rock scene if Korn didn't exist. Describe what you see. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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FIELDY: | It would be like all the '80s bands out there, like Winger, Poison, Motley Crue, but younger kids doing it. That's what I think. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
And if you didn't do music, what would you be doing? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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FIELDY: | I'd be a producer. I produced a band – Videodrone – on Elementree Records. And I've been doing remixes. I did a remix for Trik Turner. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
On your new album, the rhythm section is emphasized. Did you choose producer Michael Bienhorn, known for his funk background, for that reason? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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FIELDY: | Some producers write songs for bands, but we write our own music, so the producer has nothing to do with that. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
As a bass player, do you try to find ways to break through the heavy guitar sound, simply because it's so down-tuned? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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FIELDY: | I never had a problem with that 'cause of the way my bass sounds – it cuts through. You can hear it really well, so I never had a problem fighting with the guitars, trying to get my bass to be heard. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
According to some critics, The Untouchables is Korn as you guys were in your glory days. Do you feel you've reinvented yourselves? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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FIELDY: | I don't think we reinvented ourselves, but I do think it's the best-sounding record that we put out to date. It's heavier than anything we put out in quality, in everything. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
What's your favorite track off this album? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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FIELDY: | I'm going to say "Here to Stay" is my favorite track. It kind of represents everything Korn's about. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
How important are videos for you? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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FIELDY: |
(Enter Korn frontman, Jonathan Davis, via side door.) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Jonathan, have you opened your serial-killer museum yet? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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JONATHAN: | (grabbing some food) Not yet. I just found a place. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
When do you think we can visit? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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JONATHAN: | Probably middle of next year. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
What's it going to be called? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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JONATHAN: | It's called MoJo. I have Ted Bundy's car in my collection, which he used to pick up 50 women and then kill them. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Why are you so fascinated with all this? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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JONATHAN: | Because I like weird, fucked-up shit (laughs). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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FIELDY: | Ever since he was 16 years old... or younger. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Have you brought your studio along on the European tour? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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JONATHAN: | I always carry my home studio with me. But I have a smaller one for when I tour Europe. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
What are you going to do during your break before the U.S. tour? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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JONATHAN: | I'm working on a project with Clive Barker. There's also a live DVD. My group will always be Korn, but I have other side projects. (Exit Jonathan via main door.) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
What kind of questions don't you like? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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FIELDY: | What questions don't I like? The ones everybody wants to hear: "What's the new album sound like?" Everybody asks the same question. I don't know. Just regular typical questions. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Tell me then, what were you eating right before I came? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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FIELDY: | They call it California sandwich, but it wasn't a sandwich. It was chopped-up bread and some lettuce and some chicken and tasted like hair. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: | You mean it had no flavor? |
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FIELDY: | Yeah, it tasted like nothing. | ||
NYROCK: |
How did the European tour go? | ||
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FIELDY: |
The crowds are great. They're the best anywhere in the world. But my only complaint is that I didn't sleep for a month. If I would've slept like I slept today, the last day of the damn tour... We've been here for a month. I slept, so that was pretty cool. |
| NYROCK: | Too much partying kept you awake? | |
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FIELDY: | I just couldn't get on schedule. I couldn't get on that... I don't know... | |
NYROCK: |
Euro time zone? | |
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FIELDY: | Yup. Other than that, everything was great. The crowds have been incredible. The food has been pretty decent. Everything's been pretty good. | |
NYROCK: |
You're starting your U.S. tour in October. You offered a 10 percent discount on the ticket price to teen fans. That was cool of you. You're one of those bands that teens seem to relate to most. Do you feel as close to them? | |
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FIELDY: | Yeah, younger kids are just more excited about music than older kids. | |
NYROCK: |
What's in your CD player right now? | |
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FIELDY: | Fieldy's Dreams, my solo record, Outkast, Method Man and Redman, Hed PE, Xzibit, Snoop Dogg. | |
NYROCK: |
What are you planning to do when you get back to L.A. tomorrow? | |
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FIELDY: | Go to Del Taco. | |
NYROCK: |
What are you going to order? | |
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FIELDY: | One of everything off the menu, 'cause it's only 25 bucks anyways, so it's also cheap. I'm going to order everything! Then I'm gonna go jump in my pool. We're home for 20 days. I'll pretty much be back in my pool 'cause it's hot there right now... laying out in my pool for 20 days, everyday... hangin' out with my daughters. | |
NYROCK: |
How many? | |
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FIELDY: | Two. | |
NYROCK: |
Do they listen to Korn yet? | |
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FIELDY: | No, they're too young. They're only three and four. They listen to Sesame Street, Tom & Jerry. But I like all that shit, so I get to watch it with them! | |
NYROCK: |
Your tattoos look like storybooks... | |
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FIELDY: | There's no story behind any of my tattoos, except for the two on my neck – the names of both my daughters. The rest... I got all the album titles on me from Korn, which probably means something too. Everything you see on my arms, besides maybe in the license plates [are] my daughter's initials... That's my other daughter's initials (points to another license plate). But all of this is just a bunch of bullshit. It doesn't mean nothing. I just like the art. | |
NYROCK: |
Do you do any art yourself? | |
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FIELDY: | Uh-uh (That's a no). | |
NYROCK: |
Korn's success has been somewhat of a phenomenon. Do you think it'll all end one day? | |
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FIELDY: | Yup. Everything [has] a dead end. It could be tomorrow; it could be ten years from now. | |
NYROCK: |
Would you like to achieve the longevity of the Stones or U2? | |
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FIELDY: | I don't know yet. It depends. Ask me that two years from now and I might say I'm ready to retire. | |
NYROCK: |
To become a producer? | |
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FIELDY: | I don't know yet. Right now, I just want to keep doing it 'cause it's fun. When it's not fun no more, I don't want to do it. | |
NYROCK: |
What's more fun, playing live or making an album? | |
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FIELDY: | Both. They're both different fun. Playing live, you get to show off and play the songs you created in the studio. But to be in the studio, you get to create. When you play live, you don't get to create. After being on tour for a while, it kind of sucks, because sometimes you don't want to go play because you're playing the same songs every night. But when you're in the studio, there's never a dull moment, because you're in there creating every day. October 2002
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