Soulwax
Trivial Pursuit

Time for another round of idiocy with the intelligentsia in the shape of rock sound's Trivial Pursuit. Give 'em a random word and see where it leads and who better to sprout surrealisms than Belgium's finest Soulwax brothers, Stephen and David Dewaele

Interview: Rosanna Slater

WAR

Stephen: War? 70s band with Eric Burdon and they had a cool version of 'Low Rider'.
David: War is something I've never experienced, so when I hear things about it, it all seems so very distant.

DRUGS

David: They're very helpful when you're ill. My favourite drug is paracetamol.
Stephen: They're very helpful when you're ill. My favourite drug is an injection of cortisone. That's not the answer you want, it it?
David: I have a hard time understanding why people do it.

TELEVISION

David: We just covered that one with drugs because it also ruins. It's the drug of the nation. For some reason, I have the impression that there's not much on television anymore because when I was 15 or 16 it was my whole life - I'd come home from school and just sit there.
Stephen: There's a lot to be cynical about. There's too many channels, with too many people that have nothing to say.

BOOKS

Stephen: Salvation. Reading a good book is almost like doing a good deed. When you've finished a book, you actually feel like you've accomplished something. It makes you feel really good about yourself. Unlike drugs...
David: ...or television. Or pornography - because in our experience, it's good when you're doing it - but afterwards, when you see the photographs or the home-made movies you've just made, you think 'What was I thinking? And with that guy?'
Stephen: Me and my brother in the same movie...

DEATH

David: Very underrated.
Stephen: Death...
David: She just said that...
Stephen: It comes to us all. What can I say?

ALCOHOL

David: It's good for disinfecting wounds and if you have really bad toothache, just drink some bourbon and it will soothe the pain. Alcohol is very amusing. I haven't done it in about six months. Why? Because I haven't really felt the urge.
rock sound: Such wholesome boys...
David: Wait 'til you ask us more about pornography.

MTV

Stephen: MTV makes me wanna smoke crack...
David: I love MTV - it's so absurd. They only play three or four videos. I watch it, but it's crap.
rock sound: Your videos are on quite heavy rotation on MTV...
David: As I said - it's crap. You know what I'm talking about - Donell Jones and then there's tons of Euro dance and bad R & B - but I suppose it's still good to look at, with all those expensive videos. I like seeing pretty, half-naked black girls dancing...
Stephen: (totally at a loss how to respond). Yeah. Yeah. Incredible.

VIAGRA

Stephen: It's really good after cocaine because you can't get it back up again without it. (David looks at him inquisitively) Er, our tour manager told me.
David: I don't know much about it - but if you take it, do you really get a hard on?
Stephen: After about half an hour, you get turned on by everything. Apparently...
David: If it makes you love then maybe they should use it in the army...
Stephen: In the army?! That would be really convenient! Why not give it to our bus driver when we're asleep at night.
David: OK then! Paracetamol is no longer my favourite drug. Free drugs for everyone - free Viagra!
Stephen: Any drug that makes you wanna fuck has gotta be good.
David: We're such lustless information geeks - a bit of Viagra might come in handy when we're surrounded by all these groupies.

GROUPIES

David: I've never actually seen one before. I guess it must be a language problem because we speak Flemish.
Stephen: They disguise themselves. When they say 'Hi Soulwax - I really like your music' you know what they really mean.
David: I don't know if professional groupies exist anymore - but not so long ago I got the chance to meet Kiss backstage and they were surrounded by some incredibly ugly women who were dressed like prostitutes. So that's where my idea of groupies come from.
Stephen: Prostitutes?
David: It was their hair and long boots, man. To me that's appalling (conversation diverts to a missed opportunity of spending New Year's Eve with Europe's Joey 'Final Countdown' Tempest). Oh my god! I'd turn gay for that.
Stephen: (rolling eyes) Coming from the man who wanted to spend the millennium with Jean Michel Jarre at the Egyptian pyramids, I don't find that surprising.
David: Prince asked me in 1999 - but I was busy.

SEX

David: Very overrated. I haven't had it for six months.
Stephen: Very important (blushing). What do you want me to say? It's a natural thing.
David: People are so uptight about it... especially in Britain.
rock sound: That's a myth.
Stephen: No it's not. No offence but looking at the porn industry in this country - you can't see any genitals.
rock sound: You have proper nudity on British TV you don't in America.
David: That makes a change because you're usually America-lite.
Stephen: Ouch!
rock sound: I beg your pardon?
David: Oh I'm sorry - (motherese voice) 'wanna spend the millennium with me?!'

PORNOGRAPHY

Stephen: It's actually the other way we make money.
David: It's funny because they used to make pornographic movies with a storyline, but now it's just (makes some rather primitive noises). I recently bought a classic porn film on DVD and although you don't really see anything - the story is good.
Stephen: Does it turn you on?
David: No - but the story was good.
Stephen: Do you buy lots of porn, brother?
David: I don't buy it - but I have one of those digital satellite channels but I usually fall asleep and wake up to hear 'Oooohhhhhh Aaaaaaaahhhhh!' but then I turn it off. Sometimes my girlfriend and I try and watch it together.
Stephen: Does it turn her on?
David: No.

GOD

David: It's a four letter word.
Stephen: (pausing, to count) No it's not - it's a three letter word.
David: OK. (pointing at brother) He's Jesus.

ALIENS

David: Jesus is an alien God of punk.
Stephen: I believe in aliens and I believe in God so maybe God is the alien I believe in.
rock sound: Ghosts?
David: I haven't figured that one out - but I've figured the aliens one out.
Stephen: How?
David: Cos I know they exist.
Stephen: What if they don't? What if we're the only ones?
David: Then I've just spent my whole life thinking something that's wrong. Much against everyone's advice....

The single 'Much Against Everyone's Advice' is out now on PIAS Recordings.