RFI Musique: Bruno and Didier, having reformed NTM after a monumental ten-year absence, have you already decided on a definitive tracklist for your live shows?
KS: There'll be one, of course. But it depends on the musicians we choose to perform with. We haven't actually started rehearsing with them yet. Obviously, playing with a group things are going to have much more of a live vibe - that means basically the songs get to last a bit longer on stage!

And who are your backing musicians going to be? Is it going to be Enhancer, a group you've both worked with in the past on a solo basis?
JS: No. We don't want any more "air guitar" stuff!

KS: For the moment, we're thinking about the Ruffcut Band.

JS: Well, unlike a lot of other people we know, we're actually into the idea of putting on a real show. So we want guys who can play their instruments, but who've also got real on-stage energy and a powerful image.

Ruffcut, they're going to groove more on stage than a rock band…
JS: Yes, exactly! We don't want a rock band! We just want to put on a show and make it perfect. You know what I mean? It's not going to be like my solo gigs with Enhancer where the bassist takes a couple of steps on stage one night and then turns round and says, "Hey man, did you see me move tonight?"

KS: We don't just want good musicians!

So you must be thinking about doing a new NTM album at some point…
JS: What new NTM album?

The one everyone's been waiting for for the past ten years…
JS: Really?

KS: We haven't thought about one at all.

JS: Hang on a minute. I've just got to put my socks on. I'll answer that in a minute.

KS: Well, personally, I've got my own album to finish first.

So does the next Kool Shen album have a title already?
KS: No, not yet.

JS: Hey, you should call it Post Scriptum!

When interviewers told you they couldn't believe Dernier round would be the last Kool Shen album, you said "Well, you better believe it. You've got to know when to stop…"
Kool Shen: Yeah, I know exactly what I said. But between now and then I happened to sell my label IV My People …

Can we expect any special guest appearances on the solo album you're working on now?
KS: Yes, but I don't really want to go into that right now. There'll be Joey and a few others… But like I said, I'm not giving anything away right now. The album's scheduled for release in January 2009. It should have come out in September 2008, but with Bercy and all the rest of it, you know…

Is your new album going to feel any different from Dernier round?
KS: Yes, definitely, as far as the production side of things goes. I worked the same way I always do, trying to rap a bit better than I did last time round. I don't know whether that works or not, but that's what I try and do anyway. I corrected a few things, got rid of a few tics and stuff. But the big change this time round is that my new album's not going to be produced by Madizm and Sec.Undo. They really had their own signature stamp. This time round, it's Ko & Pédro, and it's going to be more… I won't say "musical" - because the others could really take that the wrong way! But one of Ko & Pédro is actually a musician, he plays guitar and bass… There's still a sequenced feel to the beats, but things have moved on a bit, too. Don't get me wrong, the new album's not exactly "open to anything." It's still pretty rap. But it revolves around different sounds than Dernier round. There are a lot less sad old nostalgic samples, for instance!

You performed a memorable concert at the Olympia, on 23 June 2008, which proved that NTM have lost none of their live talent. But can we expect anything unexpected on your upcoming tour?
KS: Yeah, D Day itself! The audience's reactions could lead to a few unscheduled changes. But on the whole, we like to run a pretty tight ship just as we've done with our concerts in the past. Everything is always meticulously prepared in advance!

You even seem to have a bit of a telepathic connection with your DJs, James and Naughty J, these days…
KS: That's all honed down to the finest detail! But Didier and me are free to do what we want when we want within a certain framework. As far as moving about on stage goes, nothing is choreographed in advance. There's never a moment when we sit down and map it all out, like "You've got to be here when I'm over there and it would be great if the light could hit just that spot!" We don't want to have too many constrictions you know. Obviously between songs, if you let the audience go on shouting too long, it can mess things up, but we can always turn round and get the DJ to put something on again. Or we can make an impromptu speech. That's our thing, but make no mistake about it, things are very carefully prepared beforehand. People are always criticising rap for things being all over the place. But although things may look totally improvised at times, it's never pure improvisation! We're always aware that there are people out there who've paid for their tickets and we know we have to put on a real show!