Through the usual guile and stealth journalism tactics associated with Boards, we have managed to secure a brief interview with Norman Cook (aka Fatboy Slim) with regards to his music videos. The latest in rotation is "Weapon of Choice," the Spike Jonze-directed dance spectacular starring one of Hollywood's favorite off-kilter protagonists, Christopher Walken.

Boards: Tell us about how the video for "Weapon of Choice" came about?

Fatboy Slim: I've always talked to Spike about, "do you want to do another one?" [after "Praise You"]. He's been doing pre-pro on his new film and he didn't have time. Then he just phoned up out of the blue and said, "I've just met Christopher Walken and he was telling me he used to be a professional dancer and he said he'd really like to get his dancing on film before he's too old to do it anymore.

Spike said: "Let's make a video. Imagine Christopher Walken doing this really '40s kind of tap-dancing to your tune." "Weapon of Choice" was not even going to be a single in England but Spike said, "I've finished pre-production, I've got a week off, do you want me to do it?" I said yeah, of course! I wanted to meet Christopher Walken and we had thought of a cameo of me walking by at the end as a bellhop hovering about, but it was filmed the week my baby was born so I couldn't be there.

Boards: We've heard Swedish directing team Traktor shot another video for "Yo Mama," their first music video ever. What about that one?

Fatboy Slim: Basically the scenario is that every time you hear the track you start doing uncontrollable dancing with your arms, and whatever you are doing, you start knocking everything over and it just keeps getting more violent and bizarre, It was shot in the Caribbean because it has this weird sort of voodoo quality. [We're hoping it will spark] a new dance routine [that] will sweep the nation, imagining if we put it on in clubs and everyone started smashing everything.

Boards: As an artist [and key player in Skint Records], how much final say do you have on your videos?

Fatboy Slim: I have final say, but if it's a video that I'm not sure about and we've spent 125,000 pounds on it, I can't really justify going, "you know what, we can't use it, let's make another one" in the two days we have before the air date. So I get the scripts and pick the ones I like, but when it's done, if you don't like it, you kind of have to live with it.

Boards: So are you generally happy with your promos?

Fatboy Slim: I think we are back on form. The "Bird of Prey" one wasn't as weird and trippy as I wanted it to be, though. It was the first video Blue Source had ever done and they made a demo out of bits of "The Right Stuff" and 2001: A Space Odyssey. It looked really good, old and gnarly. But then, of course, we had to hire a jet plane, which isn't fucking cheap. I saw it and it wasn't half as trippy. I said, "why can't we just use footage from 'The Right Stuff," but obviously you can't. But with the next two videos, "Yo Mama" and "Weapon of Choice," we're back on track.

Webfiles>

www.blastro.com/musicvideos/artists/Fatboy+Slim.html

www.astralwerks.com/fbs/

www.gutterandstars.com/

www.skint.net/