LONDON (AP) 鈥� Mike Skinner is doing it all himself 鈥� even if it takes years.
He wrote, directed, edited and starred in a feature-length movie, 鈥淭he Darker the Shadow, the Brighter the Light.鈥� It is accompanied by an album of the same name released last Friday 鈥� the first album from The Streets in 12 years. Formed in London in the early 1990s, The Streets' debut record 鈥淥riginal Pirate Material鈥� was released in 2002 and became an instant classic. Their lyrics reference club culture, hangovers in cafes and dating celebrities, but also topics like male fragility in 鈥淒ry Your Eyes鈥� and battles with grief in 鈥淣ever Went to Church.鈥�
Skinner's movie 鈥淭he Darker the Shadow, the Brighter the Light鈥� is described as a 鈥渘eo-noir detective film鈥� but instead of a private eye solving the case, it's a DJ. Though obviously nonfiction, it references Skinner's life as a DJ in his mid-40s 鈥� taking place in backstage rooms, on dance floors and behind decks and in the backseats of cars as the sun comes up.
Skinner jokes that it didn鈥檛 really feel like he had 鈥渕uch choice鈥� in taking on all of the roles in the filmmaking process, because 鈥渘o one was going to give me any money to do it.鈥� It took seven years.
Because the record was made at the same time, it too is more than seven years old now. Skinner says this is a good thing because it鈥檚 had 鈥渢ime to breathe,鈥� as his focus was on the film.
The movie has been screened in several venues round the U.K. and Europe, with Skinner taking part in question-and-answer sessions afterward. He likens the film tour to 鈥淒Jing, but not in the middle of the night, which is great.鈥�
鈥淎 film is almost designed as the perfect amount of time to have dinner. And then when you come back, everyone鈥檚 finished the film. I think I鈥檇 like to take that idea and put that back in to DJing, and just be like, introduce the DJ set, but then just sort of press play, go off and have dinner,鈥� he says.
And after the album's release, The Streets are hitting the road. Skinner says he鈥檚 looking forward to the tour 鈥� especially after the 鈥渘ightmare鈥� of finishing his movie.
鈥淲hen you鈥檙e on tour, despite what everyone says, you鈥檝e only got an hour鈥檚 work to do a day, like you鈥檙e sleeping behind the venue in the tour bus, it鈥檚 really easy," he says. "Don鈥檛 tell anyone I said that, but I鈥檓 looking forward to an easy life, put it that way.鈥�
It maybe easier, but Skinner describes the experience as being 鈥渮ero glamor.鈥�
鈥淥h, yeah, no you鈥檙e parked in a car park the whole time. Don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 all, you know, limousines and after-show parties. It鈥檚 not, but it鈥檚 definitely relaxing,鈥� he says.
Sian Watson, The Associated Press
