Mika in HUMO (belgian magazine)

[celien]

Yeah, but I'm a bit afraid of their review of TBWKTM... Mostly they are really direct (if you understand what I mean)..

 

that's true But we'll see...

[lollipop_monkey]

"Okay, so Mika you didn't do drugs, you were just getting horrifically drunk and having tons of crazy sex. Good boy. *pat pat*"

 

 

 

No, it sounds like he was daydreaming about all the crazy sex he'd like to have, and instead having a few not so good encounters every now and then.

 

Remember his quote in OMM about not being a "crazy promiscuous f*ck-up"...

[Sephira]

Someone could translate in english (or in french) all this article please:wub2: Thanks for posting it.

[CazGirl]

 

No, it sounds like he was daydreaming about all the crazy sex he'd like to have, and instead having a few not so good encounters every now and then.

 

Remember his quote in OMM about not being a "crazy promiscuous f*ck-up"...

 

ofcourse, how can I forget that quote?

 

Him humping the carpet in the uncensored WAG video now makes a lot of sense.

 

 

 

[Fmbm]

 

"Love love love is a dangerous drug

You have to receive it

and you still can't get enough of the stuff"

 

Love that song!

He's such a whore

 

You're starting to sound like me

[Moonlightchild]

Originally Posted by Inezzz

just started with reading the Humo and when i almost finished it I saw an interview with MIKA. There are some interesting things in that I didn't know yet (he did some experiments with drugs etc).

SORRY?!

 

 

I've always expected that.

Because of some things he has said in the past.

I can't remember where he said it and I don't remember them all but one thing was something he said about Amsterdam.

And when he said that he saw people in the crowd dancing on his music and xtc,he was a little too enthusiastic about that:naughty:

[CazGirl]

You're starting to sound like me

 

We're obviously like minded

[FOUCHONNERET]

thanks to share it here!

waiting for the translation,if someone could do it thanks

[Moonlightchild]

Oh and because of the interest in this article,I for got to thank you Inezzz

 

 

wouldn't want to miss this for the world.

Going to the store first thing tomorrow to buy it.

thank you for posting

[Moonlightchild]

Is there some one translating at the moment?

otherwise I would give it a try but only a piece of it because it's already late here and I'm a bit tired

[FOUCHONNERET]

Is there some one translating at the moment?

otherwise I would give it a try but only a piece of it because it's already late here and I'm a bit tired

 

ok,see it tomorow soo..yes,it's late now here

[chickadee]

"Okay, so Mika you didn't do drugs, you were just getting horrifically drunk and having tons of crazy sex. Good boy. *pat pat*"

 

 

I had the same thoughts.

 

Puberty

 

It's such a nasty word. It's like the word nipple, you can't help but giggle at it.

 

I wonder what Mika's voice was like before he hit the Big P when it actually broke

 

And again, I had similar thoughts. I was wondering when it happened for him and then I was thinking "That's really none of my business!"

 

ofcourse, how can I forget that quote?

 

Him humping the carpet in the uncensored WAG video now makes a lot of sense.

 

I remember when I was about 12, I had a male friend who was 11 who did that and I had no idea what he was doing:teehee: I was so innocent! By the time I was the age Mika is pretending to be in the video, I was still innocent, but not as uninformed:naughty:

[Moonlightchild]

ok,see it tomorow soo..yes,it's late now here

Ok so nobody needs the translation at the moment.

Good,that means I can go to bed.

good night

[Droopsy]

Translated it...

 

“A showcase for my new album?” Mika yells. “But it’s an acoustic gig! And I can’t play some of those songs acoustically!” The journalist before me told mika that she’s really looking forward to the showcase he’ll be doing tonight for his new album TBWKTM (to be seen on JIM at September 28th). Only after Mika’s told that ‘showcase’ is Belgian slang for an exclusive gig that’s organized due to a new album and that he can play whatever he wants, he can breath out again and waves me over to begin.

 

Your debut album LICM was inspired by your childhood, your new album by your adolescence. What kind of person was 16 year old Mika?

 

Creative but a coward. When I was alone, I made songs and lived in a fantasy world, but in regular life and especially in school, I was a scaredy cat. I hate that about myself. I still have it: on a busy party or in a crowded restaurant I mostly search for a spot in the shadows. I know it’s rude but I can’t help it. I’d much rather not be there at that moment. So I drink 6 glasses and stumble home feeling miserable. (laughs)

What I’m saying: music offered me protection as a child and it still does.

 

In the new song I see you, you sing: “conversation’s not me at all”

I was better at expressing myself through songs than with a conversation. Music was my only safety net. I had no idea how I could ever come close to telling someone: “I think you’re attractive, can I sleep with you?” But I also know: if I write songs and get on stage with them, to sum up, if I could do what I really wanted to do, then it would work eventually. And yup it did. (laughs)

That’s the irony as well: Someone who never talks about his private life yet now releases an entire album full of psychosexual melodramatic events. Wow!

I’ve gotta say tho: when you’re a teenager you’re supposed to blossom sexually. I was afraid of that and so I got in my shell. My life is a concatenation of extremes. A pity because it’s way more comfy in the middle.

 

But also less stimulating.

Yeah, but you get hurt less (laughs)

When I pissed off my mother one time, don’t remember how anymore, she told me: “or you’ll end up in jail, die young or you’ll be world famous!” And she added: “you decide which one!” After that she left the room. Awful to hear something like that at the age of 14…

 

A difficult woman, me thinks.

She was tough, but she was mainly concerned: she knew I didn’t feel right about myself and she was terrified that I’d do drugs. And she should be. I really was the kind of guy that searched for salvation in all kinds of ‘narcotics’ (the literal translated term, but we use this specific word as well for all things that you go nuts too…). And I’ve experimented with lots of things.

 

Such as?

(happily ignores the question)

But I don’t like drugs and I don’t use any either.

 

But you did try everything before?

I tried just everything in many different ways. Sorry but I don’t want to discuss it further, the point is, what I learned from experimenting was that I was in serious need of a useful way to enhance my self worth.

 

Is it a coincidence that in 4 songs of the album a mother image appears?

(thinking) Coincidence, yes, but probably very significant as well.

 

Does she have anything in common with the mother from toy boy?

No (laughs) But maybe I was afraid she’d turn into someone like that.

 

Did you play with dolls?

(excusing laugh)

 

That’s an answer as well.

(after thinking a long time) I didn’t have dolls. I was obsessed however with the Barbie dolls of my sisters: I wanted to decapitate them. Barbie sickens me. Ken does too by the way.

 

Growing up found a need to compromise, you sing in touches you. Did you have to compromise a lot?

 

Yeah, but not too much. Last couple of years I’ve found a good balance: I still make the music I love myself, even though there’s external pressure, and I succeeded to keep my private life out of the media. Only when it deals about my songs I’m an open book.

 

Rumour has it that you got some good advice from Pete Townshend. True?

Yup, he told me: “don’t wait until the inspiration overcomes you. Create circumstances where you only have to think about writing songs, and then the rest will follow.” I couldn’t say more than a shocked: “really?” But I listened to his advice: I traded my flat in for a recording studio and I surrounded myself with stuff that inspire me like illustrations from 50’s children’s books. And I worked and worked and worked and worked even more, every day from 11 am till 9 pm. And every day I lunched in the same restaurant. Discipline! At the end of every day I had to feel I accomplished something. I used to always think it’s fake to make music that way and it sounds anything but cool, it’s like you have a job. But believe me, it’s the perfect way to prevent yourself from being happy quickly.

 

I know you’re a fan of lots of Belgian things, like our comic books and our beer. If I’m not mistaken you love Blond Leffe…

(interrupts) I prefer Westmalle Tripel these days.

 

Noted, but I think I know at least one thing you don’t love in Belgium…

(interrupts again) The weather and some of the modern architecture here: totally depressing.

 

I was thinking about that other Mika (remember the story about Belgian Mika suing our Mika because of the name?)

Annoying case that was. I never asked her to pick a different name, so why should I change mine? We handled the case outside of the court: from now on we may both call ourselves Mika. It cost me a lot though….

 

You’ve let people dressed up as animals dance on stage before. Sounds very innocent and childlike, but actually it had a sexual connotation to it, no?

(laughs) I found out about something strange on the internet: people who slept together dressed up like animals. Plushing, it’s called. Fun, but what they actually do is, recycle elements from their childhood in an adult context. In a way pop music does the same thing. I think it’s essential that the audience never really knows what’s childlike and what’s adult, what’s frivolous and what’s serious, what’s happy and what’s very painful. That constant confusion gives me as an artist the freedom to do stuff that would seem inappropriate in a different context.

 

That contrast can be found in your songs as well: sad lyrics wrapped in happy music.

That’s my Libanese blood. It makes sure I experience my emotions in an extreme way. When I’m sad, life’s black as it can be, when I’m happy I’m ecstatic and start to levitate spontaneously. That balance between light and darkness keeps me going.

 

That’s also the function of pop music: keeping life bearable. And that’s not escapism, because that causes a hangover and a feeling of guilt. You see that in a lot of R&B videos: spilling champagne, driving around in shiny cars, messing around with bimbo’s and the message is: “you can be like me, if you buy my record”. Good pop music doesn’t do that. Good pop music builds up your confidence: “if you feel like a freak, turn yourself into a beautiful freak” and I know by now that I’m not the only one.

 

You’ve released an acoustic EP earlier this year, you did an acoustic tour but there’s hardly a trace to be found of that on the new album.

Last year I had to play Salt Lake City, but the truck with all the equipment was caught in a snow blizzard. I thought: I’ll do an acoustic set. The organizer thought I was nuts, it was in a dance club, but I pulled through. We had to fetch instruments in music schools because all the rental stuff was reserved for the jonas brothers. Well, it was the best gig I ever did. Because there was nothing between me, my songs and the audience. I know this much already: I’ll vary between big shows and stripped down acoustic gigs during my entire career.

 

And a fully acoustic album, any chance that’ll happen?

(sighs deeply and thinks) Dunno, maybe.

 

Is it a coincidence that the new album starts with the wildest song: WAG?

No, that’s just the perfect way to grab everyone by the shoulders and give them a good wake up call. To come back without any apologies. (knocks hand on the table) “Here I am again!” It’s the most untamed song of the album but not the most commercial one.

 

But it is the single. Do you ever think whilst writing: time to do a commercial song?

No, it doesn’t work like that. That doesn’t turn out any good anyway. You gotta ask yourself: does this song make me happy? Does it make me dance? Does it make me want to act like a seven year old little girl that’s jumping up and down? Then it’s a good song.

[Droopsy]

And a little something I want to add about the intro: Yes, it was idd stated as if the showcase was going to be 'presenting' the new album. In every add and stuff it said he was going to present his new album exclusively for jim mobile Fake promises!

[Kodes100]

And a little something I want to add about the intro: Yes, it was idd stated as if the showcase was going to be 'presenting' the new album. In every add and stuff it said he was going to present his new album exclusively for jim mobile Fake promises!

 

Droopsy - Thank you again!

I find myself running all through MikaFanClub reading the articles you find & post.

In this case the translation - Thank you.

 

Thanks Inezzz for the article.

 

Another great interview with Mika.

I love the little bits we keep learning about him.

I think some fans here went "nuts" about the drug references - especially before the actual translation.

That surprises me.

As vulnerable & socially awkward as Mika is, I can't imagine drugs being a thing Mika would use, enjoy or abuse.

 

[natmika]

Thank you Droopsy!:thumb_yello:Very nice interview.

[Fmbm]

Thanks so much Droopsy!

[chickadee]

Awwww, great read! Thanks for the translation Droopsy and thanks for the initial post Inezz.

 

 

The more I find out, the more interesting it all is. Like putting together a jigsaw puzzle where I don't have all the pieces yet.

[Lucrezia]

Thanks very much Droopsy!!

 

I'll read later all interview

 

*to me it's 8am*

[Louiza]

Thank you so much Droopsy. Your translation is really appreciated!!

[mari62]

Thank you Inez and Droopsy!!

Nice and interesting interview!

[suzie]

Thanl you for the translation.

 

I really like this interview:thumb_yello:

[AnnaMariaPetra]

Thanks for translating it, Droopsy. (I intended to do it, but then I reached page 6 and saw you did a wonderful job!)

 

What do you think of the title of the interview? Kan allebei nog > Could still be both?

[Sephira]

Thanks for translating:thumb_yello: