(continued)

HOOPS, DREAMS The trailer for Gunnin'

What did you think of Sharon Stone's comment at Cannes about the earthquake in China being karmic retribution for the Chinese government's policies in Tibet?
The earthquakes affected Tibet pretty radically also because they happened right on the border. I guess everybody can put their foot in their mouth. When there are things of that severity that happen, it's hard to think of it in terms of karma. From a Buddhist perspective, everything is karma, everything is positive and negative. But it's much more complicated and interwoven than equating an earthquake with political oppression. Karma is based on things that unfold over hundreds of thousands of lifetimes and reincarnations.

Do you believe in reincarnation?
I do believe in reincarnation. I mean, I don't know how my life has unfolded karmically, but every minor frustration and happiness is all based on things I've done going back over infinite time. And anything you do that's selfish will ultimately create some kind of sadness, whereas something altruistic could wind up creating happiness, but it's a long-term belief.

What do you think about the Olympics being held in China?
I don't know. I feel like China should be held somewhat accountable. I feel that they were given the Olympics on the basis that they were going to improve their human rights record, and the fact that they pushed all the press out of Tibet, they have to have more transparency. They have to let the world see what's going on. I think the Olympic Committee should insist that China allow the media to see and report on what's going on in Tibet. I think that would've been the strongest move, but it's too late for that now. I also think it was really scary that the Chinese government isolated a few incidents of Tibetan violence and played those images over and over again on Chinese television, like they're brainwashing the Chinese people to hate Tibetans. It then becomes a lot of racial tension and animosity.

You seem to have mellowed over the years in a way that most musicians don't, as if you've actually grown up.
I think it's part of a learning process, but it's also just the way one's mind changes when you get older. Like a puppy bounces off the walls, but an older dog just sits by the fire, and maybe people are the same. But I don't have a simple answer. We're recording right now. I think directing and working in films is something I'd like to continue doing. I love going out and shooting things and coming back and editing.

What was it like to watch the finished product with an audience?
I can feel where it works and where it doesn't work. I could tell when the room just lights up and people were into it, but there were moments when it was dragging and I could see people checking their pagers.

What do you miss about recording in the '80s?
The days of tape, like multitrack, 24-track, 16-track machines, and samplers were just starting to be invented; you couldn't really sync things up in the same way. It's definitely very interesting because that kind of work flow—using tape—forces you to work in certain ways, especially for certain types of music. Even now, if I was gonna record a rock band that was good and could play all the way through, I'd much rather just use the tape.

What do you listen to?
I listen to NPR. I get up at 8:00 and take my daughter to school. Music,
lately, I haven't been doing a lot of sitting around and listening to records.

The soundtrack for this movie is incredible.
Some of it I definitely wouldn't have been able to get without my connections to the band. A lot of people have been really supportive, because they may have to come back to us to clear a sample. I mean, it's really difficult dealing with all the music clearances and stuff and dealing with lawyers and managers and record labels and publishers.

I can't believe you can't just snap your fingers and get clearances.
We only have a few grains of sand left in the hourglass. I mean we need to get the clearances before the movie's release. I just don't want to give up some of the pieces of music that work really well.

You've met the Dalai Lama. He always has this aura of childlike happiness, like he's always on the verge of giggling. Is he really like that?
The Dalai Lama definitely has different personas. If you saw him talking to a group of Tibetan people, he is one of the most incredibly practical and intelligent people on the planet. He is jovial in a lot of situations, but it's not for lack of knowing what's going on. I think he has fun with Westerners.

Do you have a lot of groupies?
Ha. No. I think they're all chasing Justin Timberlake.

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