How would you describe the picture of the musicians of the Piano Magic recording music, sharing ideas, talking about the past, with Brendan Perry and Peter Ulrich? A bunch of like-minded people, teachers and students, music idols and fans?... What were your thoughts and feelings when stepped back for the first time and realized that you're going to make a record with these guys?

Glen Johnson: Well, for start, you have to know that I was a 4AD nut in the 80's.  I was literally standing outside my local record shop every Monday morning waiting for it to open so that I could buy whatever 4AD had released that day.  I was obsessed with the music, the artwork and this whole romantic, ethereal label aesthetic that Ivo Watts-Russell and Vaughan Oliver had carefully concocted.  I even wrote a 4AD-obsessed fanzine in the late 80's and got to interview Ivo for a couple of hours.  At the same time, I was taking the bus to London to see as many 4AD bands as possible - particularly Dead Can Dance who, for me, existed somewhere outside the realm of popular music.  People called them "goth" or indie or alternative, etc but for me, they had nothing to do with anything else that was happening at the time (or even now).  They existed on some other, more spiritual plain. 

When I first met Peter Ulrich last year, my 4AD-obsession, which has lain fairly dormant for many years, suddenly burst back into life.  He told me all these fabulous stories about those golden days of 4AD and during those conversations, convinced me that it wasn't such a fantasy to ask Brendan to sing on a Piano Magic record - something which, frankly, until that point wasn't even the thing of daydreams.  Hence, to have them both play on a Piano Magic record was something rather unbelievable.  I had to keep pinching myself.  But they just got on with it.  They liked our music, they liked the songs.  They didn't have that reverence that I had. 

Some wishful thinking. Which musicians from an old 4ad band would you like to collaborate with in the future? Hmm, should I bet on Robin Guthrie or Peter Murphy?

Glen Johnson: I was never a great fan of Bauhaus but Jerome and Franck from Piano Magic are.  I was never "goth" per se, though I liked the music.  I never dressed the part.  Franck certainly did...and does. 

Well, we've worked with Simon Raymonde, of course.  I've thought about doing something with Robin producing many times.  I've also thought about asking Gordon Sharp to sing.  I've asked Dominic Appleton to sing but he didn't reply.  We've talked to John Fryer about producing us.  I once asked Elizabeth Frazer to sing, I'm sure.  But yes, Gordon would be great. 

Angèle's voice is unique and delicate. She sometimes sings on the borderline between a mature and a rather girlish way, something that fits perfectly the irony or the contraries of some lyrics. By the way, the Klima album was an astonishing release. How do you decide which Piano Magic songs are to be performed by Angele?

Glen Johnson: I can generally write for her quite easily because I know her so well.  We've known each other for 10 years now.  But yes, her voice has something undefinable that epitomises Piano Magic : "the undefinable band."  There's a new Klima album out soon and I have plans for her to sing a lot more on Piano Magic records - more than me, in future in fact. 

Institutionalized made a few people put some batteries to an old dusted walkman. Honor to an old faithful format? "Cassette" is the French word for "little box" and that's exactly what I love to imagine when I think of  the way the music of Piano Magic is delivered to fans and friends.

Glen Johnson: We tend to think of our fans as friends.  There's no great dividing line between the group and the listeners as there is with most bands.  You'll know that when we've finished a concert, we take 5 minutes to get our collective breath back before going out to talk to everyone.  For us, this is one of the major highlights of being in a group - discovering firsthand what impact your music has on people.

I don't think much of bands who play then get straight on the tour bus to their luxury hotel.  It's like they think of themselves as deities beyond human contact.  Of course, when they're no longer famous, they'll be desperate to find anyone to talk to them about the good old days when they were.  

Who's the sweet old woman who talks in the beginning of "Not Fair"? I can't help not thinking that there's an interesting story in that small, touching participation.

Glen Johnson: It's the author, Jean Rhys.  She wrote Wide Sargasso Sea and many other remarkable books.  I just heard that snippet on the radio one day and thought how fantastic it was what she was saying, "I think you can be peaceful for quite a long time but to be happy, that's a bit rarer...."  Wise words.  

What's the most astonishing thing you remember from the Dead Can Dance concerts you attended?

Glen Johsnon: Well, I attended one in 2005 so it's not hard to recall.  The voices were just colossal.  That's the thing that really sweeps you away.  All these contemporary bands singing their little ditties through autotune and then suddenly you hear Brendan and Lisa and it really puts them to shame.  The percussion, too, is really mesmerising, particularly for a band like Piano Magic who have such an interest in percussion and rhythms and traditional instrumentation.   And Brendan's a master with percussion.  He doesn't do 4/4. 

Do you ever imagine how it's all going to end? I remember reading the press releases a few years ago, about Harold Budd and his dramatic announcements about his final music retirement. He just seemed to be scared and completely disappointed. Well, he carried on...

Glen Johnson: And I'm glad he did!  I'm a big, big fan.  I've absolutely shared his frustration.  Far more than I'd like in fact.  You feel like you're really doing something special but no-one's listening.  Or at least, not enough people are listening.  It's not about money and it's not about fame.  It's about touching people.  I constantly think, "Is this moving anyone?"  And as I mentioned before, that's why it's so important to meet those people after the show, etc and hear what they truly feel.  Even if they hate you. 

"Details not Recorded" has a slow, nightmarish pace. From the album cover to the short eclectic electronic effects, it's a piece of art of minimalism and sadness. How much is the distance between this and a regular (is there something like that?) Piano Magic release? Can you imagine what kind of changes would have taken place in the music, if it finally was a Piano Magic album?

Glen Johnson: It's, as you say, like a little box.  Piano Magic is much more widescreen, I think.  Details Not Recorded was recorded (mostly) right here in my flat with the window open.  You can hear the birds in the garden and the creaks on the landing and the kettle boiling in the kitchen.  You hear the intricate details of my mundane life!  But with Piano Magic, things are more sterilised by the studio process.  And that's only because we can't record these huge pounding drums at home.  My neighbours would take great exception to the cathedral of guitars. 

"Ovations" surprised me in many ways, before I fall in love with it. The listener comes across eastern pictures that lent their dignity, the sound is dark and majestic,  it's even a bit religiously flavored. In my opinion, influences from the old 4ad sound of your previous albums, are much more outlined now. Did you always have in mind to make such songs, or it was the participation of Brendan Perry and Peter Ulrich that led to this direction?

Glen Johnson: Honestly, we started in this slightly DCD direction before even contemplating asking Peter and Brendan to get involved.  I sang 'You Never Loved This City' and 'The Nightmare Goes On' originally and they were intended to go on the album like that, with me singing.  But then we started to imagine hammered dulcimer on 'March Of The Atheists' and the only people we knew who played that particular instrument were in Dead Can Dance.  So one thing led to another. 

We are becoming more and more interested in Eastern percussion and flamenco rhythms but it's something you can trace right back to 'Artists Rifles' in 2000.  It's just been gathering momentum as we've been gathering the instruments. 

In the last interview we did, 4 years before, you said «I absolutely wish for a wider audience.  As I said, the "cult" tag is, well, "nice" for a while but it doesn't pay the rent.  I know why we have never reached the dizzy height of, say, Radiohead or Sigur Ros or Godspeed, for example - we were never actually particularly good!» Do you still believe that?  Also, what is the big difference between Piano Magic's present sound and..let's say the Editors for example, that makes them so popular?

Glen Johnson: Well, clearly The Editors have a huge machine financial machine behind them that allows them luxuries such as big recording studios and "name" producers.  They're also young, fashionable, good-looking, have lots of marketing money behind them, a big record label paying for their clothes, flash MTV videos, etc.  I'm not attacking them - they're obviously doing something right to be so popular.  But Piano Magic isn't remotely in the same league, financially or sonically.  We do something very different, further left, rawer, less "pop," lower budget.  If you're asking why we aren't as big as bands like White Lies and The Editors then I'd reply that we aren't part of a huge machine.  We aren't part of the conventional music industry.  Vast amounts of money isn't pumped into our development.  We have no great desire to make "pop music," to plane away all the rough edges.  And thus, we will never be in that "super league."

According to our readers annual music poll, the White Lies debut was the best album of 2009, with Ovations ending up at the 22nd place, which isn't bad at all... what was your favorite 2009 record?

Glen Johnson: It's either Fever Ray or Bill Callahan or We Fell To Earth or PJ Harvey/John Parish.

Which is your favorite Piano Magic - Textile Ranch - Future Conditional - Klima - G. Johnson album (lp or ep of course) cover?  

Glen Johnson: No-one's ever asked me that and I find it difficult to answer.  I like too many of them.  Of course, I would....

Which do you consider the ultimate Piano Magic song?

Glen Johnson: "I Have Moved Into The Shadow' or 'Comets.'  Both do something to me.  I know it's probably not professional to even say that your own songs are good but those two send shivers down my spine even though I co-wrote them. 

I've seen you some times playing live in Greece and all of you, always, seem very chilled and confident. Don't you ever get nervous on stage? What would make you feel that way?

Glen Johnson: I used to get terribly nervous but now I'm so high on adrenalin, I just get frustrated.  As any band will tell you, the period between soundcheck and playing is often a nightmare. It's a no man's land of boredom and frustration and panic and consumption.  You're just bursting to play and yet you have hours to hang around in a crappy little room. 

Are we chilled and confident on stage?  We are when the concert is going well.  And the concert goes well if the audience are enthusiastic.  I get nervous when the audience go quiet!  Unless I'm asking them to be quiet....

You played with the Legendary Pink Dots the first time in Athens. Did you met or talk with Edward Ka-Spel back then? If so, what do you think of him? Is he as weird and genius as his music is? Do you own any Legendary Pink dots album?

Glen Johnson: I didn't talk to him long enough to form an impression, I'm afraid.  He seemed very nice to me.  I don't own any of their records, no.  They have saxophone.  I don't get on well with saxophone. 

What happened with the last keyboardist (Cedric Pin) of Piano Magic? I remembered you joked about that in the last concert here. Is there a keyboard-player in the current line-up?

Glen Johnson: Angele plays keyboards in the current line-up.  It's actually her first instrument.  Sadly, Cedric had to move back to France but I am making another Future Conditional album with him.  We are already swapping files and once these dates in Greece are done, I'll be putting some serious time into Future Con. 

Which instruments would you like to "steal  from Peter Ulrich's collection and use them in your future albums?

Glen Johnson: All of them! 

Who REALLY is a perfectionist? You, Brendan or Peter? 

Glen Johnson: Neither of us, in fact.  Peter and Brendan were superbly chilled out when it came to the recordings. They did their parts without much attention to detail at all.  And I'm far too impatient to be a perfectionist.  I want results with the first take - something that doesn't go down well with the rest of Piano Magic.  They would happily spend years on their individual parts. 

4th time in Greece. What's the most memorable concert you played here?

Glen Johnson: The ones this month will be the most memorable.  We've never played this well before.  It's just upto the audience to supply the electricity now. 

The cover of Dead Can Dance's advent you played last time in Athens was really superb! Will there be any cover this time in your playlist?

Greek version 

Piano Magic -  on edge