A man with a fixation for drugs and sausage wields a pool cue like Xena in hopes of taking off the head of his brother. Not one to take such menacing behavior lightly, the brother swears to seek revenge at a later date. Nearby is a woman whose voice can make grown men cry at will. It sounds like a scene right out of Sid and Nancy, but it's not. It's Morcheeba.

To this fertile (some might say volatile) mix, the brothers, Paul and Ross Godfrey, add a tasteful measure of beats, live guitar and bass. The woman, Skye Edwards, then butters the tracks with her prose. Together, the three have transformed British trip-hop. Morcheeba's second record, Big Calm, is a distinct calling card indeed, one that sounds a bit like Portishead on Prozac.

How painful was it recording an album while you were pregnant?

Skye Edwards: It was quite easy. They would just call me when they needed me to come in and do my thing.

Was that a burp?

S.E.: Umm ... I didn't think you could hear that. I do it all the time though. Better out than in.

Paul, how much dope do you smoke?

Paul Godfrey: I smoke a couple of ounces a week.

That's mass consumption. Anything else besides scratching records and smoking?

P.G.: I'm learning photography and how to cook. I like good quality sausages and a red wine gravy.

Does Skye keep you guys in check?

P.G.: Umm. I don't know. We seem to get on okay, you know. Our lives are so dramatically different that, I don't think there's any real kind of clash. Skye has a family, and Ross and I just go out and get drunk every night.

Skye, do you ever have problems with the brothers?

S.E.: We haven't ever had any argument at all. If I had to kick any ass it would be Ross, because he wouldn't kick mine back. Plus he's smaller and only 21-years-old.

When was the last time you had to give your brother a good ass-kickin'?

P.G.: We got quite heated the other night. I was going to hit him with a pool cue, but he assured me that he would kill me afterward, so we kind of cooled it out and thought it was best not to hurt each other before a video shoot.

When Morcheeba put out Who Can You Trust?, everyone lumped you guys with the likes of Tricky and Portishead. Do you think it's going to hurt you this time around since it's the Chemical Brothers' and the Prodigy's show, and you guys don't fit that mold?

P.G.: Well, no. It's quite flattering really that people would compare us to acts that make a lot of money. I don't think it hurts us at all. It gave us a great in, and now we're proving that we're the best of the bunch.

You said your music carries on from where music went terribly bad in the seventies ...

P.G.:I think when you had disco everything just went a bit formulaic-like and then rock just went terribly cringey and embarrassing. Then you had punk, and that pretty much destroyed anything with any kind of talent. We were just trying to pick up the pieces and show people we don't have to mindlessly rebel to prove a point.

What about music now?

P.G.: Yeah, chicken and potatoes.

What?

P.G.: I'm just ordering lunch.

How much pressure do you feel being the point man in the band?

P.G.: I don't really feel too pressured because I have a heroin addiction, and because I really don't give a s--- about things that are not important.

How long have you been addicted?

P.G.: About a year and a half.

No chance of kicking it?

P.G.: No, not really. It's been working out quite smooth. It's sure to become more of a problem on tour because gettin' good stuff is hard.

Skye, how are you feeling these days?

S.E.: I'm feeling tired these days.

Has anyone ever told you that your voice can make a grown man cry -- and not in that Celine Dion kind of way?

S.E.: No. (Laughs) No. Wow. It must be really sad, though. Not sad as in stupid that a grown man cries, but that they're unhappy.

Let's talk about the new album. Did you guys do anything different this time around?

S.E.: We made songs that move, and my vocals were a lot stronger. I got a singing teacher to strengthen my voice. Before, people were shouting at us to turn it up, and they were drowning me out. I went to a teacher and said I still want to sound like me but louder, help me. It's a confidence thing as well.

What's the running concern behind "Part of the Process"?

P.G.: It's just about the kind of people who get it stuck in their mind that they can't continue and they can't succeed and, you know, self-destruct. Because it's easier to stick to what they know, the fear of trying to be successful and happy is just too much for a lot of people.

Like you?

P.G.: I think including us, in some ways. It's very much the kind of British Culture, you know. It's based on kind of knocking successful people. In America, it's very different, because people are so happy to show you success.

What's the main thing you're hoping to get out of this record?

P.G.: Five million in sales.

TONY ROMANDO

Note: Don't miss our live Morcheeba webcast on April 24th!