Q & A with Charlie Casey Anyone who has seen Neneh Cherry perform during her 1997 tour will no doubt remember Charlie James Casey, who nearly threatened to steal the show with his stirring guitar-work. Yes, he is the same Charlie who dueted with Neneh on "Seven Seconds" singing Youssou N'Dour's part in  Senegalese and French. Most definitely a far cry from Charlie's punk days in Portsmouth. Since the tour, Charlie has focused his energies on Akasha, the eclectic musical partnership he formed in early 1994 with Damian John Hand. The Brixton duo sent their first demo to the then newly-launched Wall of Sound label, and in February 1995 the label released Akasha's genre-defying debut EP, Jazadelica. 1998 saw the release of Akasha's first full-length album Cinematique, a psychedelically-laced journey into sound critics hailed as "music noir." The album featured Neneh performing Guns & Roses "Sweet Child of Mine" with a seductive, ambiguous spin. Genius. Akasha recently released their long-awaited follow-up, Love Philtre Magick, earlier this year. 1. Let's set it off with the usual musical background question - was music a calling, describe the transition from your punk days in Portsmouth to your foray into dance music and programming after you moved to London (thanx in heavy doses to Soul II Soul and the addictive Caron Wheeler). CC - Basically this happened when I moved to London and greatly broadened my musical abilities by meeting and playing with other people, and the scenes evolving in London at the time. You would never get that opportunity in Portsmouth. 2. We hardcore Neneh Cherry fans love her because of her charismatic voice, her dynamic live performances, and her wonderfully diverse taste in music. You described the tour as being a nerve-wrenching countdown to possible intense humiliation from performing "Seven Seconds". How did you get the gig touring with her? Did you know singing background vocals and performing the Youssour N'Dour part in "Seven Seconds" in both Senegalese and French was a requirement for the job? Did you feel inspired and up to the challenge once you accepted the job? CC - I got the gig because my own band at the time featured Sly and Tonks and they were seen playing with Tricky by Neneh. Tonks was MD and asked me to play guitar. 3. What made the '97 tour stand out as among her best shows is the amount of musical diversity presented in only a dozen or so songs. The songs are presented in their familiar context before entering into adventurous sonic zones. For example: "Hornbeam" spirals into a stunning speed metal-like riff. "Somedays" gets off into a funky freestyle jam session. "Woman" chills out with a jazzy, Buddha-Blessed groove. How were the songs chosen and arranged for this tour? What were the rehearsals like? CC - Three weeks of intense progamming. All the jams were invented on the tour itself. 4. Your guitar playing is brilliant and brought out the best in jams like "Under My Skin", "Beastiality", "Together Now", "Somedays", and my favorite in the show "Hornbeam". Your hybrid, finger-picking style of playing electric guitar I've only really noticed from one other musician - Lindsey Buckingham. Joni Mitchell said she plays her guitar that way because the guitar then becomes an entire orchestra of sounds. Can you tell us about your evolution as a guitarist, from your punk days to your present gigs with Akasha, Lemon Jelly, and if you prefer the stage or the studio? CC - I think I just used to lose my picks down the back of the sofa! After punk I heard Jimi Hendrix and then everything opened up, Dub was a big influence, Frank Zappa, Jazz in the eighties then dance music. And it goes on. I am basically self taught hence the weirdo style. 5. Neneh was featured on Akasha's first full-length album Cinematique. Of all the songs that were possibly considered for the album, how was a remake of Guns & Roses "Sweet Child of Mine" chosen, and was a collaboration with Neneh always part of the Cinematique's original blueprint? CC - No, I did the original vocal but then it seemed appropriate to ask Neneh to give the track an extra twist which I didn't think she would be into at the time but the rest is history. 6. Your latest Akasha release "Love Philtre Magick" on Ra Recordings is out and you've no doubt been on the road supporting it. What's else do you have lined up that we can anticipate in the future? And would you tour again with Neneh after she releases her eagerly-awaited (and seriously overdue) fourth album? CC - Maybe some gigs with Akasha in Germany come next, Bassment Jaxx and Gerry Dammers have just remixed some of our tunes which come out later this year. And we go to Greece to DJ this Friday. I would be surprised if we were asked to go on the road again but you never know. Thanx to Charlie for taking the time to indulge us. For more on Akasha, check out their official website - www.akasha.co.uk As for the rest of the band from that tour - Simon "Sly" Wilkinson (keyboards), John Fortis (bass), and John Tonks (drums) - we'll try to get a few words from them in the near future. Q&A by Benjamin for 'Neneh Cherry Online' September 2003