What are the five albums that have most influenced you?
Vespertine by Björk, Ariel Boundaries by Michael Hedges, Both Sides Now by Joni Mitchell, Beyond Skin by Nitin Sawhney, Tabula Rasa by Arvo Pärt.

What's the best concert you have ever been to?
5000 people singing and dancing in Liberation Square, North Korea on the birthday of Kim Il Sung. Why? Never seen a mass of people so huge, in complete unison, beautiful costumes, beautiful voices. A complete lack of individualism. Very refreshing…

If you could have been a musician in any era when would it be?
Now. It’s a small world, easy to travel and discover music and cultures from bizarre places and distant lands.

What is the best gig you have ever performed?
Playing to a bunch of camel herders in the desert in Bahrain. Sitting by a fire roasting lamb, purple sunset, silence, music, and Bedouins. Majestic....

Is there any particular venue you would like to play?
No particular venue but I want to play in Burma and Mongolia. I want to meet Aung San Suu Kyi, pro-democracy leader in Burma, and I want to feel the Gobi desert in Mongolia.

What’s the most outrageous thing you’ve done or seen on tour?
Bowing to statues of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jung Il in North Korea.

What books have you read and films have you seen recently?
Books: The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho), The Holy Koran.
Films: Babel, Cinema Paradiso, Wings of Desire, Finding Nemo.

CD, vinyl or MP3?
Vinyl.

John or Paul?
John.

Sex or drugs?
Rock ‘n’ Roll.

Dylan or Elvis?
Dylan.

Seated or standing?
Laying down.

Intimate club or massive arena?
Intimate club.