Wow, not a headline you see every day. But it is accurate – somehow – Interpol frontman Paul Banks is teaming up with Wu-Tang chieftain RZA for a collaborative new album.
Then again, both Banks and RZA have shown a willingness to blur the lines. Banks may be known for Interpol’s moody, dense rock, but beneath that angsty exterior lurks DJ Fancypants, Banks’ hip-hop obsessed alter ego. Believe it or not, the same man who sang “PDA” was responsible for the 2013, largely instrumental rap album Everbody On My Dick Like They Supposed To Be. Yes, that’s the real title. No, we’re not going to repeat it.
RZA has also shown a willingness to work with just about everyone. The Wu-Tang alum has worked with artists ranging from James Blake to Yoko Ono. With any luck, he’ll be enough to rein in Fancypants. Early signs are encouraging though, and RZA had this to say in a recent Rolling Stone interview:
Me and Paul Banks from Interpol, we’re doing an album together. I love Paul. We’re been working on it for six months now. He just left my house. He came and spent two weeks at my house – I have a guesthouse in my studio. Warner Bros, they gave us a deal. Musically that’s what I’m doing. What I did tonight, that’s a taste of it, me with a band.
My manager came to me and said, “Who do you want to do an album with?” I said, “Well, Paul just has an energy about him. I think if we put our sandwich together it will be great.” Me and Paul, we play chess together and just hang out. We went to the studio and we started writing songs and they sound very, very different than what I do, but very unique and very peculiar. But it won’t be out for a while. It may take us a year to finish this album. That’s where my heart is at musically.
Okay, so we’re actually sort of looking forward to this now.