Brian Poole

Musician: Renaldo and the Loaf

Brian Poole

Brian is one half of Renaldo and the Loaf, an eccentric English musical duo who were most active in the late 1970s and most of the 1980s. RATL consists of David Janssen (aka as “Ted the Loaf”) and Brain (aka “Renaldo Malpractice”, most often simply “Renaldo M”).

They were “discovered” by The Residents when Brian dropped off a tape at their Ralph Records headquarters in San Francisco during a visit to the U.S. After being signed to Ralph, they collaborated with The Residents on Title in Limbo.

Their entire back catalogue is currently being reissued by Austrian label KLANGGALERIE.

Brian appears on the several tracks in the 2006/7 Andrew Liles collection of 12 discs THE VORTEX VAULT.


1.) WHICH RECORD HAS HAD THE MOST PROFOUND INFLUENCE ON YOU?
In over 50 years of listening to and buying records I couldn’t chose one – those that have influenced me in my aspirations and music have changed as I have changed throughout that time. But here is a list of those I couldn’t do without:

Piper At The Gates Of Dawn – Pink Floyd
Any of the first four Tyrannosaurus Rex albums
Duck Stab – The Residents
Any Young Tradition album
Another Day On Earth – Brian Eno
The Fever Ray album
Altai Sayan Tandy Uula – Huun Huur Tu

2.) HOW MANY HOURS DO YOU SPEND A WEEK RECORDING/PLAYING/CREATING?
I work full-time as a partner in an architectural practice so I get precious little time to record/play. No idea of quantity, but when I do get to hide away in my studio many hours can pass without me even realising it.

3.) WHICH OF YOUR OWN CREATIONS IS YOUR FAVOURITE?
Invariably the thing I’m currently working on. I do still get a buzz from past efforts but the act of creating new music can hit a whole different level of excitement, usually finely balanced by frustration.

4.) WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST REGRET?
I don’t really have regrets. There are points in my life where I had to make certain crucial decisions, but in hindsight I don’t think ‘did I make the right choice’ it’s more like ‘if I’d taken a different path, that incredibly positive thing would never have happened’.

5.) WHAT DO YOU DO TO RELAX?
Creating music is my hobby, so that is what I do to relax. Other than that, a glass of good wine with my wife or a few…no, several pints down the pub with close friends.

6.) OTHER THAN FRIENDS AND FAMILY WHAT IS YOUR MOST CHERISHED POSSESSION?
My imagination.

7.) TELL ME THREE OF YOUR HEROES/HEROINES?
Rather than heroes, let’s say people whose works in particular I currently admire…so…
Brian Eno, Antoni Gaudi, Pieter Breugel the Elder…I have this Electronic – Art Nouveau – Medieval thing going on.

8.) WHERE IS YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE IN THE WORLD?
Very local context – my studio / retreat / man-cave. Global context: New York. Gastronomic context: any good seafood restaurant.

9.) IF YOU DIDN’T HAVE YOUR ART WHAT OCCUPATION DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD BE DOING?
I really need to turn that question around… if I didn’t have an occupation what art would I be doing?   I would like to extend my music into more visual media, film and possibly performance.

10.) IF THERE IS ONE THING THAT YOU WOULD WANT THE WORLD TO KNOW ABOUT YOU THAT YOU HAVE NEVER CONVEYED IN AN INTERVIEW BEFORE WHAT WOULD THAT BE?
How much I value my friendship with The Loaf.