Thursday 29 April 2010

LAST LEGION ALIVE interview

okay.. THIS IS L.L.A. NOT L.A. ;) so.. here is interview with Last Legion Alive, new band from Belgium (they started to play somewhere about a year ago), but at their gig in Zagreb I convince myself that they play like they had years and years of experience playing together behind them.. you can expect here some real powerful blackened stench core crust influenced by Amebix, Discharge, Axegrinder and with their original touch in all that + female vocalist from hell!..
thanx goes to Jos who had answered this my questions..
so take few minutes, play this video, grab a bottle of RAKIJA in your hand and read this interview!!..




c.f.: hey!..how are you? Please introduce yourself to the readers..
Jos: Heya , we are Last Legion Alive from Belgium. We have Jamez on drums, Katrientje GPS on vocals , Bennekes and Arne Killbo on guitars and Jos on bass guitar. Jamez is also playing in the dark and epic crust band Link . Bennekes is also playing in a new band but I think they don't have a name so far . And Jos is also playing bass guitar in Silence Means Death...

c.f.: members of LLA are active also in some other bands.. is LLA your primal band or side project? Or maybe all of your bands are same important to you?
Jos: I don't know how the other people are thinking about their bands but for me LLA and Silence Means Death are equal...both bands are very important for me...I think it's the same with the other members .....

c.f.: what about your releases? Do you have any, where they can be bought, etc..?
Jos: Well we haven't released anything so far (except a little demo-cd we made to take with us on the tour) we are gonna record some songs for a split LP with Hellstorm from Greece and we also will be on a 6 way split tape with some very cool bands like Defy (Brasil) , Contagium (Canada) and more..

c.f.: how is situation in Belgium? You have so many great bands there.. tell us something in short about the scene and something about everyday life?
Jos: Yeah there are some cool bands in Belgium. About the scene , well there are some cool concerts and festivals. There are some cool venues and squats left but not that much to be honest...

c.f.: what do you do besides the band, you know, what do you do for the living, etc?
Jos: Most people of the band have a job these days, I don't have a job at this moment so I have plenty of time left :) Besides the band I am also active in Cara punx collective , we have a small distro and we organize concerts for diy bands . We don't organize concerts at this time but in a few months we should be back on track. Most members of the band are also active in Freedom In Fire (a collective that organizes concerts for diy bands on tour)

c.f.: in your opinion, is it important for a band that the members of it are good friends before forming a band?
Jos: Well I know most members for years now and they always have been really good friends so yes , for me it's quite important to be good friends.

c.f.: tell us something about your lyrics.. what is more important to you – music or lyrics? What do you think about pretty much the same themes that crust bands talking about in their songs, you know, nuclear war, apocalypse, etc? and from where you got inspiration for writing your lyrics?
Jos: Heheh good question , Katrientje writes pretty dark lyrics hehee we have some lyrics against the meat industrie , or about the stupidity of war , and about mankind fucking up our mother earth ,.... for me the lyrics and the music are important...

c.f.: your opinion about fanzines? Is there any sense to do a paper fanzine nowadays with all those wonders of technology that we have? Is the Internet good or bad for the scene?
Jos: Hehe from time to time I still buy some paper zines because I still think it's cool that people are putting energy in these things ! But then again fanzines on the internet have a bigger radius , you can reach more people so I think that is good as well.... the internet can be useful to arrange many things (organizing a tour for example)

c.f.: do you have live shows often? Is there many places in Belgium where bands can play their shows?
Jos: We played quite some concerts this year, we started out about a year ago and we played some very cool concerts and festivals in our 1st year as a band..in Belgium there are some places where you can organize concerts but it used to be better in the past...in the city I live there are only 2 venues and they kinda suck (that's why Cara punx took a brake actually)

c.f.: how was on your east euro tour? Is there been enough of shlivo,hehe..? how were you feel on a gig in Zagreb?
Jos: Fucking hell , we had a blast , really !! we met so many cool new people, we have been in fucking cool places ! It was really cool to be on tour !! There was some good slivo and rakija aswell !! :) Zagreb was really cool ! Cool venue, nice people and rakija , that's all we needed hehehe

c.f.: is it hard for a band to go on tour? Did you cover your travel costs, is that actually possible?
Jos: It wasn't that hard to go on tour , a lot of people helped us out with contacts and stuff like that...we didn't really covered the travel costs because we had to rent a van..if we had a van of our own we would have covered the costs..so yes it is possible to cover the costs I think.....

c.f.: tell us something about your future plans, gigs, releases etc..?
Jos: right now we are gonna try to record our noise for the split LP and the 6 way split tape. At this moment there are no more concerts confirmed for us but maybe that is a good thing so we can work on our recordings hehehe..next year we will go on tour as well , we would love to go to Brasil but we have to start organizing things so we will wait and see what happens...

c.f.: something for the end..if I didn't ask something and you want to say.. maybe you want to salute someone or whatever..?
Jos: well thank you for this inti and for the interest in our band! Thanx a lot as well to everybody who helped us out in the past and also everybody who helped us on our soaked in stench and slivo tour !!! the list is too long to post here!! Thanx and cheers !! LLA

band myspace: http://www.myspace.com/lastlegionalive

Tuesday 27 April 2010

DISFORIA interview


"DISFORIA started the grinding crust-core punk devastation in the nuclear winter of 2000... Now, we are still here, grinding your hears and destroying your towns."

here it is!.. interview with Disforia, crust core band from L'Aquila, Italy.. line up is: Luca (vocal), Mauro (guitar), Tata (bass) and Edoardo (drums).. Mauro has answered my questions so thanks goes to him!..
interview is quite informative so everything else about them you will find out by reading it..
P.S. - Zlatko this is for you ;).. enjoy!..



c.f.: For the beginning tell us something about the band, line up etc… Everything you think is important for the first question, eheh..
Mauro: Disforia were born in the winter of 2000, the brainchild of Edoardo (drummer) and myself. Since then there have been several lineup changes that have affected especially the bass and vocals, although the band's music has remained constant and unchanged over time. We made a demo, three albums, two split-second video clips and participated in 18 compilations on various formats.

c.f.: When you was starting with the band, what was your intentions with and expectations of the band? And today 10 years later did you accomplish any of them?
Mauro: When we started we only wanted to vent with Disforia playing D-beat crust to Discharge, Doom and Extreme Noise Terror stuff. Our music is angry, direct and without any frills! We have high expectations and goals we set ourselves... In ten years time if we are still around, you'll see what we are capable of.

c.f.: What are your lyrics about? Which is more important to you, lyrics or music, or both of them? Do you pay much attention to the covers of your releases?
Mauro: Our lyrics are inspired from the crap that surrounds us and describe the bleak reality that we have daily before our eyes. That 's what drives us to making music, it is at once a form of ..of our disagreement) and an outlet. Like our music even the lyrics are very raw. Much attention is paid to the arrangements as much as to the graphics, which I do personally look after and which necessarily express the essence of the tracks in the albums.

c.f.: you have six (I think!?) releases and many songs on various compilations behind you… What is your opinion about compilation editions?
Mauro: The compilations provide a way to get known more and to contribute for some good cause. In fact, over the years, we participated in several benefit-compilations.

c.f.: Any label which you like to work most with on your releases or that's not big deal to you?
Mauro: Each release of Disforia, with some exceptions, passes through my label, Meat-grinder records, all the other labels are restricted to duce. This allows us not being subject to any and manage our music independently: these are Disforia, this is the new CD, if you like to participate in co-production, co-producing otherwise not! Simple, right? I find good parthners in Shaman Records (U.S.A.), Teriak records (Indonesia), Nktn records (Italy), Bcc records (Italy), etc.

c.f.: Is it important that the members of a band are good friends even before they start to be a part of a band? How is situation in Disforia with that?
Mauro: Yes, I believe that friendship is important, there must be a feeling among the members of the band, at least in music, otherwise it is impossible to compose. Except when there is a total incompatibility, however you learn to live with someone else's "peculiarity" (hehe)

c.f.: Your opinion about fanzines? Is there any sense to do a paper fanzine nowadays when we have all that wonders of technology? Do you consider that the whole underground scene has changed drastically because of accessibility of internet, for example?
Mauro: Personally I love paper fanzines! Maybe because I'm getting older (hahaha). Seriously I think that in 2010 print fanzines on paper it still makes sense as it play punk stuff! Recent years have seen several fanzines paper "relocate" on the internet and many have run over the paper version is also computerized. I think however the publication of fanzines on the Internet has the advantage of increasing the dissemination and facilitate access. Same goes for music and the cds.

c.f.: I ask this every band, so… What you think about downloading music from the net? Is it good or bad thing?
Mauro: Basically I agree, I downloaded many movies and a lot of music.
Although I realize that it's quite different to download a CD produced by a major store that costs in the store 20-30 euros from a self-produced cd that costs only 5 euros, doing so you are not supporting either the band nor the underground circuit which you are part of...

c.f.: What does the members of Disforia do in their free time, do you have any jobs, etc…? How is to live in Italy?
Mauro: Our situation is a bit changed after the tragic earthquake that hit our town (L'Aquila) on 06.04.2009.
I went back to be a stage backliner, Edoardo is currently living in a squat here in L'Aquila, Tatà (bass) and Luca (voice) are finishing college and working at the same time.
From what I see, Italy is pretty true to the guide lines of other European countries with the difference that we are significantly affected by economic crisis. Also our Prime Minister is allegedly connected with Mafia and there is a very strong interference of the Vatican ... to cut a long story short, it sucks!

c.f.: Do you know any people, bands or whatever from Croatia?
Mauro: Not many really, although I remember a few years ago we were invited to play in a festival of 3 days on your side, but could not come due to the problems of our former singer... We hope to come over there soon.

c.f.: Tell us something about your gigs... Do you like them, do you have many of them, any tour..? How are people in Italy acting on gigs? Are they cold, standing still, or they are always ready for great crust punk party?
Mauro: Due to various personal commitments and constant changes, with regards to gigs, we have always focused on the quality rather than quantity (see with Driller Killer, Warcollapse etc..) selecting and choosing where to play. The most beautiful places in which we played are definitely in Rome: the people are friendly, hospitable and moshing pits are insane!

c.f.: Any future plans with the band?
Mauro: By the summer, we'll release a split cd between Disforia and Bloodraised, my side project to Terrorizer in which I play bass. We are currently working on new tracks, willing to produce, as soon as possible, a full-length.
The only tip I can give you is that the tracks on the new album will be even faster and more brutal than ever!

c.f.: Something for the end? Maybe I didn't ask you something and you wanted to say?
Mauro: Nothing to add, thanks for your interest and for the interview. Thanks to you and those like you, support the punk scene. See you soon, Mauro & Disforia. (A) IN GRIND WE CRUST (E)
www.myspace.com/disforiacrust
www.disforia.it
disforia@libero.it

Monday 26 April 2010

NO EXIT #2 fanzine

No Exit fanzine hails from Greece.. 1st number was called No Future, I don't know why that name change..
this 2nd number is published in February 2009.. on 48 pages, black/white cut'n'paste style, you can read some author's columns, NY scene report, and interviews with Insect Warfare, Los Rezios, Antimaster, Fall Of Efrafa and Rajahtaa..
one part is written on English, and other on Greek..
this number can be downloaded for free because it is out of print.. and the 3th number is aviable also, but only in printed/paper form.. to order and buy this 'zine contact here: nofuturezine@gmail.com and here is the download link for 2nd number:
                                            
                         DOWNLOAD

also you can check blog page of No Exit HERE

Sunday 25 April 2010

ON'T ROAD #11 fanzine

here is first number of this 'zine (regardless this #11 mark on the cover page) from Leeds, U.K.
you can read extensive and well written author's travel reports (Europe), tour reports with the band Hero Dishonest (USA, UK) ,some football stories and those about getting in trouble with the police, records reviews and some gig reviews..
so,this is traveling and punk, what more do you need?!!
anyway, a little different style of a 'zine as it's usual, with strong personal touch.. that's how I like it the most..
when I read it I had feel like I read some book, you know, when you start to read some good book and you can't stop reading.. remind me a little on some good old 'zines like what was done before some ten or more years ago..recommending to everyone who has enough of music 'zines..
download link is stolen from punk is hippies - the blog!
'zine contact: ska1ska@yahoo.com
                                        
                                      DOWNLOAD

Wednesday 21 April 2010

DISKELMÄ interview


shortly before their Euro-tour on which they will visit Croatia,among others, here is interview with Finnish d-beat warriors (Manowar of d-beat, as they call them)..check them out if you already didn't and support them on the gigs at their upcoming tour..besides Croatia they will play also in Italy, Greece, Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia..
big thanks goes to the guys who answered the questions in just few days as I've send it to them .. that's the spirit!..
okay,enjoy the reading..cheers! 


c.f.: hi! for the beginning introduce yourself to the readers..
Taste: Hi! there. I'm Maku a.k.a Taste and I'm 26years old and I sing. I have a dog but not a job.
TimTim: Hello! I'm Timo, 27 and I play bass.
Murmi: I'm 26 and I play Kerry King solos. Kenkä is our other guitarist. Jaani plays the drums and works at the post office.  
Jaani: yes and I have also dog and cat.  

c.f.: tell us something, in short about beginnings of Diskelma..  
Jaani: we started around 2005, I think, as a 4 of us (Timtim, Maku, Häsper and me) moved to living in Hellsinki about same time. we started to play kings of d-beat and some months later Murmi came as a second guitarist (first demo is made with out Murmi) but we noticed that 2 guitars sounds awesome in this kinda shit so there was no turning back!  
Timtim: Yeah, we started spring 2005 and idea was to play Motörhead influenced d-beat. Well, now it’s 2010 and we are still going on strong and play this crap.

c.f.: what about your releases, what had you released so far?  
Jaani: demo split tape w/ Ristisaatto, first 7", split 7" w/ Distress (from Russia) , Fun is Over lp, Burning Dreams 7" and there is also tape where is our first 7" + bonus songs from that session. and coming up split 7" with POLTTOITSEMURHA from Lapland, Finland, awesome people and awesome band female/male vocals, it will be a killer!

c.f.: Finnish underground scene have many worshipers all around the world..there are/were so many legendary bands..how is today situation, is there many new bands, places for gigs, etc..?  
Taste: haa, i know that you love Finnish hardcore! yap, there's old-bands like Rattus and Terveet Kädet and (ofcourse) Riistetyt still going on, but we have gigs with those guys and I think its quite good, `cause they are "legends",and they are still punx!.and our guitarist (Häsper) is playing also in Kohu-63, who made their first record before I was born. and there's SOOOOO many good bands in Finland nowadays, and really brutal bands like Kylmäsota, SOTATILA, Ydinperhe, Kieltolaki, Tzek dis out! and of course ARMLESS CHILDREN, they play brutalNOISEjapcore like they play in japan!
maybe Timtim tell you more ´about gig places.... there’s Vastavirta (Tampere -owned by punx! really good) and usually gigs in Helsinki are in Lepakkomies (batman in english) quite good bar or squat Satama or "quite squat" Oranssi or some really bad bar, but there's not anymore place like Vuoritalo(squat, really good gig place, FUCK the Hellsinki!)
Timtim: Yeah, Maku already told something about gigplaces. Vastavirta-klubi in Tampere is best place nowadays in Finland. Here in Helsinki was before Vuoritalo, great gig place and there was also rehearsal places for bands and other happenings. It has been evicted some years ago and now there is one squat(Satama), where is sometimes punk gigs. There is also some bars in Helsinki where we can organize gigs...but young people(under 18) can’t come there, you have to buy expensive beer etc. There’s also good gig places in some smaller towns(Jyväskylä, Turku, Pori, Lahti, Oulu, Rovaniemi etc.).

c.f.: how is situation with squatting, are there any squats in helsinki or anywhere in Finland?
Taste: yap, there's squats in Finland, but only in Helsinki and Tampere. I used to live in squat Lauttasaari (or white house in Hellsinki) butbut...things are going bad nowadays...actually I read today (21.4) that 2 squats in Tampere are evicted.

c.f.: what is more important to you, as a band, lyrics or music? And what are your lyrics about?
Jaaani: for me its first music, I don't fucking listen shitty rap music only because good lyrics! but in hardcore punk its almost always good lyrics, straight to your face and naiive but that works!
Murmi: Music for sure, but lyrics can be very important too. I like to read them if I get the impression that they have something meaningful to say.
Taste: yeah, let the guitars say, hah.

c.f.: on some of your releases artwork is done by Doomsday Graphics.. how it comes to colobration with Nesha and you and are you satisfied with his artwork (heheh..what a dumb question – who wouldn't be satisfied with it?!??)
Taste: yeah, stupid question, hah! I know Nesha from Ristisaatto tour (06or07) we were hanging around with Andrea and Nesha...totally fuckn best time in my life, we drink,talk and listen hardcore...hah.and then Sotatila was playing there and Jukkeli (Kämäset Levyt) is also friend of Nesha (he do the artwork also w/Riistetyt/Sotatila and blaablaablaa).. but yap, its doomsday graphics (in Sweden årre tattooed Neshas diskelmä d-beat warrior in his leg) NO FUCKN BULLSHIT!
Jaani: I love the graphics!

c.f.: for a few days you are moving to an euro tour.. what are your expectations from it? Among others you will play in Croatia, as well.. do you know anything about Croatia, do you ever meet any people from here..?

Taste: yap, I have been there with Ristisaatto, its quite brutal country, hah! travel more know more.
Jaani: I know very little about Croatia, it has been part of Yugoslavia. and in war only 2 decades ago, crazy shit! no, I don't know any punk bands from Croatia, but hopely after the tour!
Timtim: I don’t know much about Croatia. I have never been there or any other Balkan countries, so I’m quite excited to see what’s going on there and of course drink some beer with you and other Croatian people .

c.f.: did you had any tours in the past and how are your experiences with them? Is it possible to cover all your expences?

Jaani: we have had 4 tours before this tour, 3 in central europe and one in england. lots of drinking and having fun, awesome gigs and venues, people and food, and of course lots of troubles with car..
Murmi: I don't think we ever cover all expences, something always happens, like cars breaking down or some other unexpected shit. But its not that big deal because you tend to spend less money on living while on tour - free drinks and meals, and almost every country is cheaper than Finland. And if you get to travel around, play gigs and not spend much more than you would at home by doing it, that's enough for me.
Taste: yeah, its better to be poor in tour than poor in home. hah!

c.f.: what does the members of a band do beside Diskelma? Do they play in some other bands? And what do you do for the living, I think, do you have any jobs, etc?

Taste: yap, I was telling you before that i also "play or sing" in Ristisaatto, its somekind of noisecore? and I sing also in Autuus? I don't have anymore job, soo I'm quite poor , but money isn't my thing, if I have something to eat and drink I'm fine.
Jaani: I play also with Taste in Autuus, its 82 style scandinavian hardcore! and me and two fiends started a label called worst-case scenario, we have released only one record yet KANSALAISTOTTELEMATTOMUUS - SOTA POLIISIA VASTAAN 7" but we have lots of plans, when the time and money is not that big problem! check out the distro also we have some killer records there for example diskelmä! www.worstcasescenario.fi
Murmi: Guitar in FORESEEN, which plays late 80's metallic NY hardcore style. We have a 7" coming in late summer. Besides bands I study and try to keep myself in shape at least a bit.
Timtim: I don’t have job either, but I’m doing fine. Government pays my rent and and they give me some money for food and booze. Anyway, I’m trying to get study next autumn…which would be nice.

c.f.: your opinion about free downloading music from the net? Do you have anything against people which are posting your releases on their mp3 blogs for downloading?
Taste: hmm...I like vinyls and caset but who cares? I'm glad that if somebody want to listen our stuff they can download it. I don't know, i don't do dis for money. you're free to download our lp here, if you want or if you want buy it buy
http://www.myspace.com/mptrecords
we´re aint no fuckn metallica, our music is free to download or buy. I´m really bad with computers, so don't ask me.
Murmi: I don't mind people downloading. That way more people can hear your music, and who really expects to make money with this kind of music anyway? On the other hand I try not to download much stuff that I really like myself. Not because of moral reasons, but because I like vinyls and I like to have the artwork and lyrics too, if they're good. Also that way I think you pay more attention to the music than if you were just listening to it from your computer.

c.f.: besides already mentioned euro tour, do you have any future plans?
Taste: no hope, no future. system kills.
Jaani: same.
Murmi: Do another album early next year, then another tour. And so on until it gets boring.

c.f.: something for the end, maybe I didn't ask something and you would like to add..?
Taste: THANK YOU!
Jaani: thanks mate and see you in crouaitia!
Murmi: Thanks, lets just hope Iceland stops spewing ash into our airspace so we can get there.
Timtim: Thanks man!

-web page
-myspace

Tuesday 20 April 2010

some upcoming gigs and festivals..

if anybody have some extra money, let me know..all donations are welcome, so I can visit them all,heheheh, just kidin'!..

ROVINA HARDCORE FESTIVAL 2010


DISKELMA / THROAT TWISTER / DECOMPOSING ENTITY


OBSCENE EXTREME FESTIVAL 2010


PLAY FAST OR DON'T 7

Monday 19 April 2010

OCCUPIED LONDON #4




Occupied London is an anarchist publication which is published in printed and in online form..this is the latest number published in February 2009 (a little older but still interesting to read).. you can read interview with social science scholar Manuel Castells, a lot of columns, writings from the people gathered around this publication, story about The Pula Group (Pulska Grupa) - informal group of architects from Pula, Croatia, and you can find here some nice and interesting artwork..


"This is an anarchist publication aspiring to offer space to all people from the wider spectrum of the antagonist social movement.
Contributions in the form of comments, feedback and articles for future issues are always gracefully received at occupiedlondon@riseup.net."

read other numbers of Occucupied London or download them as PDF file HERE