Do drugs ultimately enhance or diminish creativity?
Creativity is still one of the last great mysteries we have left. Drugs can help penetrate those mysteries as can meditation and many other things that stimulate the imagination.
Which Summer Of Love had the most effect on today’s music: 1967 or 1988?
I would go for the 1967 Summer Of Love as I was a little kid, so can only imagine how amazing it all was. Those that were involved at that time were influenced by the Beats and, before them, 1920s Paris salons carried the torch of Dionysian discordian revelry. It is said the magical tantric rituals that [prominent British occultist] Dion Fortune was performing to a small group in Bloomsbury ushered in the the sixties counter-cultural revolution. Never underestimate the power of a good rite!
How has the psychedelic experience improved your mind?
Obviously, it’s not for everyone, but for myself it’s been incredible and illuminating. Beyond words, in fact. I certainly would not have made records like The Orb or Killing Joke without psychedelics. Psychedelics introduced whole other levels and range. The digital revolution bringing everything to everyone immediately parallels the psychoactive drug of choice today: ayahuasca. Unfortunately the legal-high culture and bad… urgh… drugs like ketamin are reflected in some of the more nauseating pop and dance culture of today too.
Legalisation: where do you draw the line?
Complete decriminalisation is the answer with all substances taxed and regulated like medicines.
