The Conspiracy need no further introduction, as they've been written about in the last issue of Aquamarine, and elsewhere in this one. Here is an interview with The Conspiracy's singer and lyricist, Duncan Pope.

When and why were The Conspiracy started?
TC began when I met Craig Swain, all-round musician and songwriter, in 1988. We started recording songs on 4 track portastudios as a duo and this continued until late 1992 when we got a band together for gigs and studio work. The most notable "conspirators" to date are Craig and myself, Mark Baker (bass and everything else), Dave Bell (guitars and music) and Colin Leslie (drums). We are now established as one of the top underground bands on the world-wide music network and have tape albums released in many countries. We are also on four compilation CDs (see question 6) and are seeking a recording/publishing deal. We don't get together enough at present due to geographical distances, families, jobs etc, but we're getting better all the time. Mark writes his own music and collaborates with me sometimes. Dave and I do a lot of songwriting and Craig renovates his barn in Cornwall! From time to time we all get together and record our ideas in various studios such as TMR/Braindead in London. We are now attracting some record company interest and it's about bloody time too! No-one suitable yet, so we're open to offers.

Why the name "The Conspiracy"?
This links to one reason why we started the band. "The Conspiracy" is a mysterious name... it could mean anything, from conspiracy theories to hidden meanings to an individual's paranoia... It just sounded good at the time (as they say) and reflects our unwillingness to play one genre of music... We do whatever we like. Our tape album title on Bliss - Eclectophrenia - sums it up! We must have covered most musical styles over the years, but many people think we are pop/rock... The original "post-60s Britpop band", before Oasis and the awful Northern Uproar emerged... Northern Uproar make me sick, actually. I saw them in Plymouth and my better half was shouting rude things at them! Record deals, albums, hype, hype and more hype... and no content! Just image. We've recorded many songs on 4 track machines that are miles better, but we haven't got contacts, management, etc. The same old story, huh? Maybe we should all get Beatles haircuts and talk in a Northern dialect! If we had the chance we'd record an album that would put Northern Uproar and the others to shame, so let's hope someone gives us that chance before we collect our pensions, eh?

Although you've been on compilation CDs, you've not had any vinyl or CD releases all to yourself. Is this a conscious decision - do you prefer the cassette format?
No! We'd love to have our own albums released on vinyl/CD but it's a question of money, as ever. I paid for the compilation CDs out of my own pocket and have had a lot of good feedback as a result. What we really need is a nice company (who appreciate good original songs) to give us enough studio time to produce great versions of some of our best songs... We have over 100 of them now, just waiting to be re-recorded professionally and released! It's real fun releasing tapes all over the world, and we've done that since 1992, making a lot of friends along the way and getting great reviews and plays on various radio stations, but now I'd like to hear our songs as they should sound, on a vinyl or CD album. We reckon we have enough good songs for two or three releases, at least. It's about time someone signed us, but we won't take any old contract. Too many friends of ours have been stitched up!

Your influences are very varied. Name some of them.
Where do I start? Between us we like masses of bands, we are as eclectic in our listening tastes as the songs we produce. Speaking for myself, some of my favourite artists over the years are The Beatles, Nirvana, The Fall, Nick Cave, Tom Waits, Lee Perry, Trespassers W (amazing underground Holland band), John Lee Hooker, Neil Young, Velvet Underground, Wire and Dylan. One of my favourite albums is the White Album (Beatles, 1968), which sort of sums up The Conspiracy's ethos... Anything goes, as long as it's enjoyable.

How would you describe your music?
Eclectic! Totally varied music with original lyrics and ideas, influenced by everything we've ever heard, but not an obvious copy, like a lot of modern bands. A real mixture of styles... We could be a rock, pop or even experimental band... Maybe we should go for one (commercial) "direction", but we don't have to, do we, unless someone will finance us to record our songs as well as they should be.

You've had many cassette albums out - name them all. And which compilation CDs have you been on?
I cannot even name all the tape albums we've released since '92... So many... Too many? I will list the best ones, which cover the different phases of our existence since 1988:-

1) RETRO 1. and 2) RETRO 2. Available from The Conspiracy. These two tapes cover our early pre-band years, 1987-92. Shows our "roots".
3) HUNDREDS OF BREASTS. On Audiofile Tapes (9 Van Wagenen Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07306, USA). More early music. The weird stuff! 1987-92.
4) SOUNDS OF PLEASURE. On Music & Elsewhere (6 Farm Court, Frimley, Camberley, Surrey GU16 5TJ, UK). The early band recordings, 1993.
5) UNDERGROUND CLASSICS. On Maljugin Musik (Auf Der Burg 1, 37197 Hattorf, Germany). A mixture of tracks up to 1994.
6) SO FINE (Lord Litter/The Conspiracy). On Audiofile Tapes and M&E. Split tape with the German godfather of the underground!
7) HYENA (Steve Andrews/The Conspiracy). Available from Steve Andrews, 22 Parker Place, Ely, Cardiff CF5 4NS, Wales. The first split tape with the Welsh wizard!
9) OUT OF THE BLACK. On M&E (M&E 319). The "rest of"! Not bad, really!
10) LOVE TO BURN. Tribute to Neil Young charity tape. Released 1996. Available from the Neil Young Appreciation Society, 2A Llynfi Street, Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan CF31 1SY, Wales.
11) PROZAK! Released 1996 on Audiofile Tapes. One for our USA fans.
12) ECLECTOPHRENIA and 13) KING ARTHUR'S COMING - the 2nd split tape with Steve Andrews. Both released 1996. Get these from Kim NOW!! All good songs!
14) THE GRAND ILLUSION. Out May 1996 on M&E. The follow-up tape to Out Of The Blue, on M&E. Will this one be their top selling tape in 1996?!

The four CDs are as follows:-
1) NETT-WERK-EINS. Released 1994 on Cat Killer (Krayerstr. 31, 4300 Essen 14, Germany).
2) NEUE-GEN-ERRATION. Released 1995 on NBU Records (Bert-Brecht Str. 46, 55128 Mainz, Germany).
3) FORKED. Released 1995 on Purge Records (38 Chancery Lane, Nuneaton CV10 0PD, UK).
4) LITTLE WHITE KNICKERS. Released 1996 on 25 Records

The Conspiracy would like to thank: Mick Magic (M&E), Marc Bell (TMR/Braindead Studios), Keith & Mark (25 Records), Carl Howard (Audiofile Tapes), Lord Litter, Steve Andrews, Cor Gout (Trespassers W), Don Campau (KKUP Radio, USA), Kevyn Sibley (Does This Work?), Stefan Barke (Maljugin Musik), Kim Harten (Bliss), and everyone else in the underground scene who has helped The Conspiracy since 1992.

I know for sure Duncan has moved from the address originally printed with this interview, but have mislaid his current contact info. Anyone know it?

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