Yeah, what Arto said.

"Listen to the Ambitious Lovers, the whole idea was Al Green and samba. That against this; this against that; a blend, a juxtaposition, loud/soft. There's no particular point in putting these things together. The point is what comes out in the end."
-Arto Lindsay, 2000 (full interview here)

Very well said. I like to think a lot of my music works in this way. He continues:

"To me, it doesn’t make it interesting just to do something for the sake of doing it—like a disco beat with a Muslim singer [not so pc today -RG] on top. Does it sound great? Does it make me feel different? Is it a shock like a cold shower? Does it clean my ears out? We’re coming out of a period now in which juxtaposition has been an end in itself."

Besides what I believe is an amazing diss of Sting's "Desert Rose" (which the interviewer either didn't catch or decided not to touch), he's so right on. It's not enough to slap disparate elements together. Rather, does interesting music result from this juxtaposition? Is there something that comes about because these elements have been set in relief? Or is it just a novelty, a sort of postmodern, collage cop out?

Anyway. Arto is great, and clearly a deep, comprehensive listener.