Twitter: "Oscar Wilde would have loved it"

Ben Watt is a musician, songwriter, producer and DJ. In 1982 he formed alt-pop duo Everything But The Girl with singer-writer-partner Tracey Thorn. They recorded nine studio albums (1984-1999) over a 15-year period, winning one UK Platinum and six UK Gold disc awards which yielded several UK Top 40 hits.

High points of their career include the multi-platinum global Number 1, Missing and their best-selling interpretations of electronica in the late '90s. Ben is now an acclaimed DJ appearing regularly in the capital as well as all over Europe, Australia and North America with regular sell-out shows.

Through the magic of Twitter I connected with Ben recently and he was kind enough to share with me his views on the role of social media in his life as an artist. Here's what he had to say:

HT: What prompted you to sign up to Twitter in the first place?

BW: I liked the named 'Twitter'. I was intrigued. It sounded better than Google Wave and Bebo. I'd heard from American friends it was the next leap forward after Facebook for linking friends and like-minded souls. I logged on fairly early and liked the interface.

How and when do you use it?

BW: I tend to use it for two things. One is cheap online marketing for the independent labels I run - I use it to try and draw attention to a few things we are up to, breaking news, highlighting new URLs to visit.

The other use belongs to my belief that we all need to be able to say, 'I feel this, do you?' and find corroboration and support in the things that take up the hours of everyday life.

What do you think of it - and do you think it will endure?

BW: I like its apparent impermanence. It is like opening the pub door, hearing a conversation, joining in for a bit, then leaving. It is very fast-moving. I think that will be its one saving grace. Little is written in stone. Shooting from the hip is commonplace. It can be witty, instant, topical, but people also cherish the well-turned tweet. And when you least expect it something truthful and pithy gets said that can then stay with you for days. It can be both nimble and weighty. That will keep it going for a while yet I think.

A lot of people are put off by the pressure of polishing up their daily minutiae into something approaching interesting prose. As a born songwriter, does it feel like a natural medium - and do you ever find that you hold on to lines once you've composed them - ie, "that one feels too good to waste on a tweet"

BW: I do like the restricted palette of characters. 140. That's it. Keeps you focused, and yes, it must appeal to the same restrictions that are in force when I am trying to cram an idea into a couple of lines of verse. It has also revived the art of the aphorism. Oscar Wilde would have loved it. So many message boards are dominated by windbags. Twitter is the opposite. You need to be quick and sharp. Also, if you are hoping for a re-tweet you have to subtract the letters that make up your twitter name so people are able to retweet your comments intact, which makes you have to be even more concise!

The constraints of the format are a great leveller. Everyone has an equal say, and yet some people who are well known tend to view it as a broadcast medium. What's your view on that?

BW: I think it can be used both ways. Sometimes it is good to simply shout: 'guess what, my album is out tomorrow.' some people will appreciate the reminder, while some will subject you to a barrage of gentle sarcasm or simply ignore you. Other times, twitter is best used in a more subtle way - joining the flow of other conversations, being less dominant, more uncertain, making unexpected new friends.

Someone described Twitter as a prime example of the growth of "ambient intimacy". As someone with a fan base following your posts, are you wary of what you say?

BW: I think an element of transparency and intimacy is the name of the game these days, and what we have discovered is that it's not something to get too uptight about. Before social networking, the character traits of public performers were either unknown or mediated and shaped by record companies and publicists. It made artists seem distant and exotic. For some artists this exoticism was to their benefit. But for others, for whom expressing intimacy was actually a part of their art (and I count myself in this) the previous era was a hindrance. The songs seemed confessional but the public persona could seem a little cold.

Social networking has counteracted this. You can talk direct to fans. A lot of what I also do now is DJing where the communal experience is the centre of the event. The DJ is on a level with the audience. Talking to fans through Facebook and Twitter keeps this relationship going. Also, when we decided to release my partner Tracey Thorn's album on my indie label, instead of on a major label, one of the first things I said to her was 'Join Twitter and Facebook and be yourself.' I knew there was a side to Tracey that had not really been seen by the public... and I felt that Twitter would be a perfect vehicle. She has become a minor Twitter celebrity just by being herself. Yes, it is important to hold some things back - I don't believe in internet exhibitionism - but revealing enough to prove you are as much as human being as the next person links people in and is fresh and liberating.

Any "pressed send too swiftly" moments?

BW: Yes, I was at the centre of a Twitter firestorm for inadvertently breaking the news that London nightclub Fabric had gone into administration. I thought it was common knowledge but I suddenly realised I was the messenger and no one else knew. I was vilified on a couple of dance forums, some people were extraordinarily vicious, I was actually quite shocked. Some people thought I was stirring. Four days later the truth came out and I was quietly exonerated. There were a few people who stood up for me, but it was a miserable four days.

Twitter kills the idea of six degrees of separation. Good or bad in your view?

BW: I think the effect of the internet on subcultures in general is open to a lot of debate. Yes, it helps throw light on obscure underground scenes but it can also kill with sudden overexposure. Plants thrive best with patient nurturing but suddenly shining a light on them or over-watering can kill them.