Still directingmay their own path

Richard Fearless and Death In Vegas enjoying exploring new avenues

Acollaboration with techno darling Daniel Avery is one of many new projects in the pipeline for Richard Fearless.

A new Death In Vegas LP – their third in a decade, is set to get a release next year, and work on the record will run alongside ambitious solo projects straddling art and music worlds.

Fearless belongs in the director’s chair. Juggling various projects is has been his way since discovering the genius of Andy Warhol.

“When I was 13 I did an art scholarship that changed a lot of things for me,” Fearless told The Beat. “You had to pick an artist to study and present a project on – I did Warhol.”

“Through my research I discovered The Velvet Underground (below) among many other things that impacted me hugely.

“The main thing that struck me though was how Warhol was working on all his projects simultaneously.

“You know he could drive a project while staying involved in so many different things at once – I found that really inspiring.

“Since then I’ve tried to bring a director’s mindset into the way I work.

“Instead of whittling the spoon I’m ordering them in – it’s a terrible analogy but you get the picture.”

After being catapulted into the mainstream early on in his career under his Death In Vegas moniker, Fearless shunned a career in the spotlight – swapping big name collaborations with the likes of Liam Gallagher Iggy Pop and Bobby Gillespie for bunker techno beats and guest vocals from an ex-porn star.

Death In Vegas’ latest release ‘Honey’, is the outfit’s second collaboration with

Sasha Grey.

It’s a slow, seductive serenade, with an organic, psychedelic tone: dreamy and dripping with intensity.

Richard Fearless has spent his life walking a tightrope of artist integrity vs commercial necessity, and has managed to build a career creating music on his terms.

His wife Elaine runs the Drone label on which upcoming work with Daniel Avery will be released and is now largely a one man band in terms of what he produces and creates from his studio in London.

“So much of music at the moment is the Emperor’s New Clothes you know, it’s the same music and the same artists on every festival bill,” He said.

“Along my career I’ve made a lot of decisions that have been quite non commercial, you know I’ve steered away from financially lucrative projects and have been more attracted to others that don’t necessarily have the same monetary rewards or exposure attached to them.”

lirish Fearless fans (real name Maguire) can catch Death in Vegas live at District 8 @ The Tivoli in Dublin on Friday 20th July.

Doors are 10pm till late and tickets (EU27.50 + bk fee) are available from www. eventbrite. ie