Cornershop’s Ben Ayers :: Wessex Scene Online

Cornershop’s Ben Ayers

21st March 2002
Rich Heap

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Do you remember Cornershop? They’re the ‘one-hit wonders’ that made it big in ‘98 with Norman Cook’s remix of Brimful of Asha. Well they’re back with their latest genre-straddling offering, Handcream for a Generation.

It’s f**k all use on eczema but does signal Ben and Tjinder’s return to the visible music scene and, after Clinton (their project which failed to capture the public’s imagination in ‘99), Ben is relishing a return to the public ear...

“We were excited about picking our guitars again after Clinton,” he said, “and we were listening to a lot of reggae, and the X-ecutioners, when we were working on this album, so they’ve probably influenced us. But when we’re working we tend to shoot off in all kinds of directions. We try to stay open-minded and not rule anything out,” in similar style to The Avalanches and The Beta Band, both welcome additions to the music scene since ‘Brimful of Asha’, but whose innovative sound stifles widespread popularity and commercial success. Cornershop’s last album When I Was Born For The 7th Time, however, successfully combined creativity with stunning commerciality, so did they feel pressure to follow it up?
“No, not really. We successfully didn’t think about it and it’s come out better than we expected. The sound on it’s really moving forward.”

So was recording it any different?
“Well we began recording in Preston like last time, and finished in Eastcote. We had Rob Swift (of the X-ecutioners) working with us, and we did some 12-inch vinyl dubs of some of the early tracks. But apart from that it was very similar.”

One notable difference on Handcream... is the number of collaborations- US Soul star Otis Clay, for example, on the album’s opener Heavy Soup, and the original Oasis bassist Paul McGuigan on recent single Lessons Learned From Rocky I to Rocky III. And then, of course, there’s Noel Gallagher, so what was it like working with him?
“It was good. We toured with Oasis in ‘98 and got on really well. And we also worked with him on a track for the Clinton album but never got that finished.”

Finding Gallagher’s contribution to the album shouldn’t present much of an obstacle; it’s on the 14-minute epic Spectral Mornings, the track they recently remixed for 24 hours non-stop. But why?
“Well we looked at all the long tracks from the past and just wanted to do it. We tried it on an LP just to see how long we could get it, but the longest we could have done was an hour, so we looked for other ways and that’s where the idea of streaming it live on the Internet came from. It took a hell of a lot of stamina!”

Well you can’t say that they’ve been idle since disappearing, having also made a contribution (Returning From The Wreckage) to the ‘Village Voice’ charity LP for the New York attacks. That’s not the only reason to talk about New York, though. What about NME’s favourite five retro punks (The Strokes)?
“Yeah, they’re pretty good. They seem to have a bit of attitude, but I prefer The White Stripes, and I’d rather listen to The Stooges or Velvet Underground. And the new Streets album. I’ve been listening to that a lot.”

And what don’t you like?
“Well anything that’s been put together by companies. I mean, it’s all too money-driven, but it’s not just kid-processed stuff. In fact it’s probably not as bad for kids, but for everyone else... it’s insulting to their intelligence. Lots of people have forgotten how to be cool.”

Fred Durst?
“Yeah, I’m not a fan. It just seems like bad music involving fashion.”

So there you go. Cornershop is open for business once again, but if you still think they’re a one-hit wonder, here’s Ben’s special message:
“Go and check out our stuff and you’ll find out it’s not the case. Just do some research.” Perhaps the new album would be a good starting point...just a thought.