When John Wardle AKA Jah Wobble got the call to join John Lydon and Keith Levene in Public Image Ltd in early 1978, he admits he was more into dub reggae and Tangerine Dream than punk. His heavy, exploratory bass-work helped take post-punk in a new direction – and when his PiL tenure turned sour, he transitioned naturally into working with Can’s Holger Czukay and Jaki Leibezeit.
After a period spent working for the London Underground, Wobble re-emerged in the late-’80s with his eclectic collective Invaders Of The Heart, whose guest vocalists have included Baaba Maal, Sinead O’Connor and Natacha Atlas.
These days he’s as busy as ever, touring his Metal Box: Rebuilt In Dub project, making ambient music inspired by walks or bus rides around south London, and playing in his sons’ band, Tian Qiyi. He’s also updated his autobiography, Dark Luminosity: Memoirs Of A Geezer, for reissue by Faber on March 7.
And now he’s agreed to face off against you, the Uncut readers. So what would you like to ask a legendary deep bass voyager? Send your questions to audiencewith@uncut.co.uk and Wobble will answer the best ones in a future issue of Uncut.