Le Tigre Issue #11

Get off the Internet?

By Amy Schroeder
Published: June 18th, 2002 | 10:20am

A 6,000-word interview with Le Tigre is Venus no. 11's cover story. In the interview, Kathleen Hanna, Johanna Fateman, and JD Samson talk about where they were in New York City when the World Trade Center was attacked, their new album, Feminist Sweepstakes, and, well, a lot more. The following is an excerpt from the interview that didn't get published in the print version.

On Feminist Sweepstakes, the song "Tres Bien" goes something like this: "When you're walking down the street, no one sees a V.I.P., i.e. genius artist of our time. Well, I'll be the first on line to say I get it ... I've been waiting so long to see your face. All the critics tend to blast you. ... Dumb ideas will out last you. Money's gone; you got no grants. I'll push your work with my own bare hands." Was the song inspired by a certain artist?

JD: I think each one of us had a different artist in mind when we were writing it.

Do you want to say who those artists are?

Johanna: There's so many and it's almost like "Hot Topic." It's about under-recognized, under-rewarded artists who nevertheless make really groundbreaking works that spawn a whole generation of derivative work. I don't necessarily mean that in a negative way, but all this work that is influenced by it.

Kathleen: Also, we know a lot of artists who don't play the art game. They're just not willing to deal with assholes and schmooze and say the right words at the right time. So they never get the shows or the screenings.

Where'd you get the idea for the song "Get off the Internet" on the Le Tigre EP From the Desk of Mr. Lady?

Johanna: It's about how demoralizing "cyber-activism" can be. This past week or so (shortly after September 11), I've gotten so much information about actions and teach-ins from e-mail. But I think it's really important that people remember not to become isolated in their apartments or in their offices with their e-mail and understand that there is a real place for activism that isn't so language-based. People get so involved in online discourse that it sort of becomes meaningless -- it's kind of like being in a hall of mirrors or something. That's what that song is about to me -- it's about actually remembering what your priorities are.

Kathleen: We definitely don't want to come off saying that the Internet can't be used as a totally amazing tool as well. But like any tool, it can also be used destructively or to the exclusion of other tools. Like I think it's really important to go out on the street and be surrounded by your neighbors sometimes. I went to a vigil for Matthew Shephard a while back because I was feeling really isolated in my apartment and I really needed to be around other people who were sad and angry and to see their faces, so I didn't feel so alone with all the feelings it brought up. I just think that sense of human connection in the flesh is really crucial right now. Also discussions on the Internet -- because they're so anonymous -- can get really mean and unproductive really quickly.

I read somewhere that Le Tigre is considering doing a project called "Riot Grrl, the Remixes." What's this about?

Kathleen: That's kind of a lie. (laughs) It's kind of good to get the idea out in an interview, though, so maybe other women who may be interested will contact us to say, "Hey, I think that idea is really great I'd love it if you'd remix my song." We were just thinking about how we see those ads on TV for The Greatest Hits of the '70s or something like that and how cool it would be to have a Riot Grrrl one with cheesy synthesized beats in them. I think Matt from the Outpunk did a project that was similar. The idea is to remix stuff like maybe a Heaven's To Betsy track or something and try to make them dance hits. I mean, how fun would it be to have a party with that playing?

Jo, can you tell me about your project, Swim With the Dolphins, and the soundtrack you did for Cecilia Dougherty's videotape, Gone?

Johanna: The music of Swim With the Dolphins is a little more abstract than Le Tigre. It's sample-based, electronic music. It's feminist techno. One of my songs, "Yr Guitar," is on a compilation on Tigerbeat6 Records called Tigerbeat6 INC. ... I did the sound design for Gone, and up on her Web site there are two songs I made that you can download.