tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84847179569067652322024-02-19T07:44:43.752+01:00time spent breakingjouissez sans entravesUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484717956906765232.post-48185419704807030062010-06-07T20:31:00.004+02:002010-06-07T21:09:11.252+02:00I Want You To Sit Next To Me”I’ve let myself go in so many ways”. I wonder if there’s anyone out there that couldn’t relate to this simple sentence atleast once in a while. End Of A Year is one of those rare bands that can talk about all those little big drama’s in your life with unrestrained honesty and without sounding too whiny. They’re also the only band I know today that can evoke the spirit of bands like Rites Of Spring and all that old Dischord stuff without sounding like a rip-off or some worn out cliché. I sent these questions to Patrick (the singer) one evening at about half past midnight and found all five pages of answers the next morning in my mailbox when I woke up.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/116/l_eaa9cd5e8a0d43b08954796b7553e2a7.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 350px; height: 250px;" src="http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/116/l_eaa9cd5e8a0d43b08954796b7553e2a7.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">This interview was actually done for Kino, the paper fanzine of my friend Silas, but while plans for the next issue seemed to get lost in the whirlwind of wild plans that make up his life for the moment, I decided to 'publish' it here already, before it gets too outdated for anyone to care. This interview was done in August 2009, and in the meantime the band has a new full-length record coming up on Deathwish, 'You Are Beneath Me'. I stole the pictures from their last.fm page and myspace, which is linked below.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">It’s been a while since I’ve heard something about End Of A Year, besides the last 7” on deathwish. Can you give me an update on what’s happening bandwise? </span> <br />Sure. We're doing anything that comes our way. We do tours and 7" whenever we can fit them in and are recording an LP in November. We've all taken steps in our personal and professional lives to free up some time to tour on that LP when it comes out, presumably early next year. As I type this, we're getting ready to leave for a couple weeks in the US with Have Heart and others. We recently did a short tour with Bane and that was some of the biggest crowds we've played to. I'm told this Have Heart tour should be bigger, which is an interesting thing for us. We've spent the past seven years playing to 40 people and now we're getting put in front of 400. Weird life. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/500/44393729/End+of+a+Year+ey08.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 351px;" src="http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/500/44393729/End+of+a+Year+ey08.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Europe (and especially Belgium) is being flooded with awful bands from the States, but I can only recall you guys playing around here once. How come you tour so little in Europe? And when you actually were here, how did you like it?</span> <br />We've been to Europe twice and have plans to return in 2010. I can't comment too much on awful bands invading Europe, because we were one of those bands a couple years ago. We had a few records out and we played well on that tour, but we probably should have waited because we're better now. But then again, I always feel that way so what's the point in waiting? Our first tour in Europe was really life-affirming and fun. We got to see things we wanted to see, and other things we didn't know existed. It was wonderful. Our second time in Europe was a bit more stressful. I blame myself because I insisted on playing destinations that are cost-prohibitive with long drives. Also, we didn't have a driver for a portion of the tour and that added to the stress. I didn't realize I can drive manual until midway through the tour and prior to that we relied on bassist Sean Doody, who is good at many things- but navigating narrow Madrid streets while a line of angry Spaniards honk their horns at him is not one of those things. I can't say too many negative things at the end of the day, though. Any time you are alive and seeing new things, you're doing alright. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">End of Year, named after an Embrace-song, is obviously heavily influenced by that particular 90ies emo-sound. Could you tell me something about your favorite music from that period and scene?</span> The word "emo" is like "hardcore" in the respect that it means 50 different things. So if we count all that screamy, angry stuff from Canada as emo, my bassist should be fielding this interview because he has an encyclopedic knowledge of that material. Personally, I've come to appreciate some of the 90's emo bands, but each on their own merits. I'm not devoted to that sound in general. I like Sense Field because they were really comfortable being lame as hell. They had songs about saving yourself for marriage, which everyone thought was uncool, but I love that sort of stuff. Things get so boring when everyone has the same values and I like when bands put their less-popular opinions out for people to digest. I also liked that they danced the line of alternative rock instead of crawling deeper into that emo genre. I never got into Texas Is The Reason. Never got into The Promise Ring. Never got into Mineral. Never got into Sunny Day Real Estate. Never got into Jimmy Eat World. Never got into all that irritating screaming stuff like p.99 and Saetia. Hm. The more I think about this, the more I feel I may be the last person to ask about this topic. My bassist, at least, could discuss the finer points of Universal Order of Armageddon and that sort of stuff. I guess looking back to that time period, the bands that stand out most to me are the ones who were unfairly lumped into that emo scene without having that sound or musical values. I like Hoover a lot and LOVE Kerosene 454. To kids starting bands right now looking to Quicksand and the like for inspiration, do yourselves the favor of getting At Zero by Kerosene 454. It's the best alt-rock of the 90's in my estimation and that's saying a lot because most people consider the 90's the heyday of that genre. I've gone off topic again. I'm sorry. I've got one. You know who I loved and still love? Piebald. True enough that they sucked by the end, but for a short while they had something unique about them. I love everything leading up to and including If It Weren't For Venetian Blinds... although this may be a case of me associating music with a certain time in my life. I was traveling to Boston a lot around that time and maybe it rubbed off on me. Still, if someone doesn't find that song "The Sea and a Lifesaver" and it's refrain of "Coooome, come crash on my shore!" to be awesome, I urge that person to consult a therapist because they are miserable. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">I honestly have no idea how old you are, so I’m sorry if this question is stupid, but if you were into that musicscene at that time, how did you experience it?</span> <br />In the 90's I was partial to the heavy stuff. The softer music I was into wasn't from the underground music scene. If I needed a break from 108 I would listen to Elvis Costello and other stuff I could get at the public library. My town, at the time, didn't have many emo bands coming through so I didn't get the level of exposure to it that some people got. I got into 90's emo mostly after the 90's. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">How do you think the ‘hardcore’-scene is now as far as mentality goes, compared to then?</span> <br />I think it's more similar than people realize. Some people bemoan the commercialism of it today, but if they went back they'd see that a lot of the bands in the 90's had similar attitudes to bands today. One way it seems to have changed is the APPARENT popularity of the genre versus it's ACTUAL popularity. What I mean is, many bands in hardcore have 10,000 listeners taking their material from the internet while only selling 900 records and having 30 people at their shows. I don't care about the whole filesharing thing on a sales level, but I am concerned that people are starting to see music in a less interactive way. There are many more people today, it seems, who don't enjoy hardcore as a live phenomenon and prefer to experience it on their speakers at home. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">I always found it a bit weird to see you guys as part of the Deathwish-family. You don’t seem to be like most bands on their roster, musicwise and mentality-wise I think. Do you (dis)agree?</span> <br />We don't feel comfortable doing things the prescribed way. Being successful is easy. You do the same thing everyone who was successful before you did, but add enough subtle differences to convince the listener/reader/client/consumer/etc that you (and they) are original. So if our goal was success in the respect that most people define it, we'd try to be on the labels with bands similar to us. But that shit is so boring. Don't get me wrong, I like any label that is helping some band realize their goals. And bands should appreciate anyone willing to help them. But if I have any choice in the matter, I'd prefer to put music out with a label people don't expect. That said, us being on Deathwish has more to do with them being cool to us from the start than any sort of master plan the band has. I wrote them explaining our situation at the time and we started talking. Tre and I got along on a personal level and our professional relationship came out of that. We're planning on doing the LP with them and hopefully more in the future. When people use the term "Deathwish band" it seems they are talking about a particular sound and if that's the case I agree we probably seem out of place. But I consider us very much a Deathwish band in the respect that the label is very good to us and we like them on a personal level. I haven't met every band on the roster, but I've met several of the touring acts and I think their attitudes and goals as bands are more varied than people give them credit. Some of the bands are incredibly artistic in their approach to their craft and I respect that, regardless of what musical differences we may have. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">I heard you have a tattoo that says “don’t be boring” in your neck. Would you care to share some thoughts on it?</span> <br />I don't see myself as wholly original or profoundly exciting, but I feel pain speaking to someone who is legitimately boring. You don't have to climb the Matterhorn to be an interesting conversationalist. I don't personally relate to people who have never had the urge to explore the planet, but that's their choice and that choice itself is interesting. What I find offensive is lack of personality. Be engaging and interesting, please. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">It’s probably highly unoriginal, but my favourite End Of A Year song must be Darnel. Not just because it’s so accessible, I also really like the lyrics and especially the line “I spent years on quiet girls, committing the only sin I know: I wasted my life”. But anyways, who is Darnel, and what is the song about/did it mean to you the time you wrote it?</span> <br />You know, a lot of people seem to like that one. That's one we only play when we want to revisit that time in our lives, because the feelings that originally motivated it have cooled. I think there was probably more anger in that song than most of our catalog. I had been serious with a woman who I was hurt to find out had replaced me a couple months after our relationship ended. Now, with the benefit of hindsight and the distance from the situation to look at it objectively- that was a very childish feeling I harbored. Because what should I have expected? People want to be happy and if my ex wanted to get married to another man the day after we broke up, that is her right. But you know, when you are caught-up in your own feelings it's hard to acknowledge other people's perspectives. I think many people wrestle with that idea of "have I wasted my time?" regarding a romantic relationship. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">You tend to use names of people a lot for songtitles. Do you care to tell me about some, how they fit with the song</span>? <br />I know it's en vogue for every singer to be mysterious, but I'm usually open to explaining songs. Sometimes they are a little difficult to explain though. Often they are just feelings and feelings can get so muddy that it's difficult to pick a single idea from the mix. Humans are 99% similar on the genetic level so it stands to reason that our feelings are universal. Everyone, regardless of experience, has felt anger or happiness or hope or aggravation and a million other feelings on that spectrum. Sometimes I'll read or hear about someone whose story seems to put a magnifying glass on my own feelings. Then I write a song about them. But truth be told, sometimes the details of the song have nothing to do with the person they are named for. They just convey a feeling to me that reminds me of the song or the song reminds me of the person. Then, and I know this is weird, I feel like the songs are people who I can relate to or interact with. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/74/l_92573df0de7ed62097e25bf3fdd4df55.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 750px;" src="http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/74/l_92573df0de7ed62097e25bf3fdd4df55.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">What’s your own favorite End Of A Year song, and why?</span> <br />It changes pretty often, but I really like the ones with the least attractive subject matter. "Let's Grow Fat and Unhappy Together" is altogether negative, but makes me feel good because I was being fully honest about something I don't hear songs about. There's a new song we just recorded called "Ethan Hawke" that has the best chorus I've written. The song is about finding your partner unattractive as you get older and how that idea scares me. And the line in "Dan Cooper" where I borrow from him directly and sing "I want you to sit next to me." For whatever reason, that line resonates strongly with me. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Since I've never seen you guys live, can you tell me about experiences you've had at shows that have stuck with you?</span> <br />Tough question. I haven't really thought about this before and now that I am, I realize that I only remember the bad shows. I remember times I was not good or was preoccupied or was unhappy. Which might make me a negative person, but since I can only remember three situations like that, I guess it also means our band is good most of the time. So that's nice to think about. One time I played Star Control 2 (a computer game from the early 90's) for five hours before a show and felt like I was in space and couldn't relate to anyone. Which makes it sound like a scary drug, when it's really a game where you pilot a little spaceship. I'm usually pretty talkative and outgoing from the stage, but that night I hid behind an amp.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/endofayear"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484717956906765232.post-83894610219146248612010-01-18T09:20:00.003+01:002010-01-18T09:35:08.457+01:00August, really?So many things have happened since it seems:<br />* everybody died: michael jackson, vic chestnutt, jack rose, that guy from avenged sevenfold, and recently jay reatard.<br />* my friend Silas is kicking it in japan for 6 months, doing his graphic design-thing. will be back in april normally. this reminds me that i need to hang out with people more while they're here.<br />* i stopped pretending to be straightedge. so far, it's a bit of a letdown. if anyone knows an awesome lifestyle they think i could get into, let me know.<br />* these arms are snakes called it a day, so there really isn't any point in making a blog about music anymore.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHmUO9jZ-wb4jBEa-y3JmvxtLhNsawTfldU_acexl2QJCZqWytvqxYRiWKfzfGXtn8u4GbKg-GjeBv3x3n2RRD5IG5HHiHDyqtbFZ3ssxlgARuw2g2cDOjk2i8yotzieoq74Fhctwf4qI/s1600-h/nightcycle.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHmUO9jZ-wb4jBEa-y3JmvxtLhNsawTfldU_acexl2QJCZqWytvqxYRiWKfzfGXtn8u4GbKg-GjeBv3x3n2RRD5IG5HHiHDyqtbFZ3ssxlgARuw2g2cDOjk2i8yotzieoq74Fhctwf4qI/s200/nightcycle.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427994827103266194" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484717956906765232.post-17117455139964052162009-08-04T13:08:00.003+02:002009-08-04T13:16:11.780+02:00Temporary Revelation<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieaw-CtoPe3oEJstGT6QRhEVjFtqvBmj6ZYyGAXLNFVI18B0talAwhNaF-aoWIwHCDaRwjInRqHH6dhx3UsDa4Bnui_aMUNoO5J9ZdXg4zb4kjF8_z2Siz2VIzwrP9fR4L8gVVlnVQkFk/s1600-h/Afb022.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieaw-CtoPe3oEJstGT6QRhEVjFtqvBmj6ZYyGAXLNFVI18B0talAwhNaF-aoWIwHCDaRwjInRqHH6dhx3UsDa4Bnui_aMUNoO5J9ZdXg4zb4kjF8_z2Siz2VIzwrP9fR4L8gVVlnVQkFk/s200/Afb022.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366064226019946466" /></a>"And when we touch we are not really touching if our atoms did not repel one another we'd pass through each other like galaxies unscathed."Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484717956906765232.post-32178457599786181332009-08-03T00:11:00.001+02:002009-08-03T00:11:49.185+02:00Improve On An ExampleSometimes this place scares me beyond all rationalism, and even my brand new overpriced headphones cannot keep the world around me out of my head. Like some kind of sponge I suck up every impulse of my senses, then analyse and twist it around enough 'till I can only see its most monstruous face grinning at me. And yet never do I feel more distant from everything than at those moments.<br />I grew up with the love and caring only those flashy cartoons can give you at 5am on saturdaymorning. When I got older I started to look at my heroes and heroïnes one after the other, and I cannot explain in any way how deeply hurt I was and still am to witness their begging hands beneath their supermancostumes, as much victims of this unsatiable thirst as anyone. Meaninglessness doesn't cut as much as it sweeps away the solid ground you thought you were standing on.<br />But then there's always this little voice in the back of my head, and through the assaults of noise and whatnot on my senses it urges me to wait for what is real, however long it takes, whatever places it might bring us to. What else should we fucking do?<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" <br />value="http://www.youtube.com/v/n39wmJ1PgY8&hl=nl&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/n39wmJ1PgY8&hl=nl&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484717956906765232.post-15113699444109354822009-07-12T16:00:00.009+02:002009-07-13T01:07:33.041+02:00Pose Hard, Show Your Scars<span style="font-weight:bold;">Cold World - Essen 11/07/09</span><br />After a weird and lonely night alone in a big empty house, since my parents had left for the weekend, taking Charlotte with them, i woke up way too late and had to hurry to be at Marijn's place in time. I rushed through the chores my mom had set out for me, jumped into the car and first went to pick up Silas. On arriving at Marijn's place in Ruiselede, his mother had prepared some really delicious cucumbersoup, so we were provided with all the energy one needs to handle the 3 hour trip (which eventually became 2 hours, thanks to M's "I try to stay under the 130 km/h mark"-driving skills). Our friend Gertjan completed the bunch, and off we were. Let me just say about the roadtrip that 2 hours is absolutely nothing when you have the Lonely Island songs to sing along too.<br /><br />We arrived in Essen somewhere in the afternoon, so we had a couple of hours left to explore the city. Unfortunately, we quickly discovered that it might not be the most exciting place in Germany. Some of us got really siked over the big corporate <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizT8usYhaB0x080qLnqX8cvyNznVgRNIuCh-nhQlJ1MCDJaKKSEOPnN_SWknga8-rHUdjqiXoJYoZtSIbHG8n3B6xLhDOq-Mhyphenhyphene_xHRMFBwZa-Vd7PBkGCaqShgA_Lq7kla3Uo21gI9Bk/s1600-h/Afb008.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizT8usYhaB0x080qLnqX8cvyNznVgRNIuCh-nhQlJ1MCDJaKKSEOPnN_SWknga8-rHUdjqiXoJYoZtSIbHG8n3B6xLhDOq-Mhyphenhyphene_xHRMFBwZa-Vd7PBkGCaqShgA_Lq7kla3Uo21gI9Bk/s200/Afb008.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357709187151810082" /></a>American chains there, but the most entertaining part was probably the coverband, playing Nickelback and Tina Turner songs (did you ever notice how 'Simply the Best' is written to be repeated over and over again?) for an audience that looked like it was still recording those songs from national radio onto cassettes (i don't mean this in a cool retro-hipster kind of way). We also had a little mini-quest for a special kind of chocolate that Marijn needed, but we failed, which bummed him out way more than he'd like to admit. Even the disco-wall in the trainstation couldn't cheer him up.<br /><br />Elle came alone by train, 5 fucking hours to see a hardcore band. Try to explain to anyone not involved, they'll say your mad, but somehow for us those kind of things make sense, and don't even seem to be that much of a deal.<br />Arriving at the venue, there was some commotion, as some guy with a blood & honour tattoo and a toolkit was trying to provoke a fight. Pretty stupid if you ask me, since there were about 500 kids there, but no one ever said you had to be smart to be right-wing. In the end nothing bad happened, but apparantly the guy had drawn a knife somewhere, and it ended with 6 policemen entering his house to drink a cup of coffee.<br /><br />The show itself. I wasn't really in the mood, i have to admit, but the first band of the evening that i enjoyed was True Colors, although i'm not a huge fan of their type of music. I love how the singer spreads his energy on stage, going completely crazy while remaining in touch with the audience and having zero rock 'n roll attitude (which can't really be said of every band that evening). He also dedicated a song to his daughter, which isn't that uncommon maybe, but it struck me as really sweet.<br />Other bands i saw were Dirty Money and Justice, and Cold World ofcourse. I'm suddenly becoming aware of the fact that i hate to write reviews about hardcoreshows. It's just really hard to explain without sounding like a retard or using the same expressions over and over again. Let's just say that Dirty Money and Cold World were really hard, and a lot of people got hurt and put pieces of paper in their noses to stop the bleeding, which looked kind of ridiculous. Oh, and there were a lot of girls in the pit. 'Only in Germany'.<br /><br />The show in Essen also marked the starting point of the trip a friend of mine was going to make through Germany, hitchhiking and camping on his own for two weeks, endpoint being the Fluff Fest in the Czech Republic. As much as i admire his bravery, I really hope to meet him again there in good health and dying to share his stories with us, and i hope he finds at least a piece of whatever he's looking for in those two weeks on his own.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484717956906765232.post-14221908031731635082009-07-05T13:11:00.004+02:002009-07-05T13:52:56.522+02:00Travel light<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCVwcjYKSA6ialqoA4x6SIVk2w9SWouYyCBNsNG3OAlVi2ZwYxZQddX3prnSURZpOQTDjjPQeCPP8iKVQ9LQneMuJiqyIFrnbIM2vxULBpVZEGwZ_iziIGs2hUyqkyjs4Ov1rloC1zKhk/s1600-h/Afb026.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCVwcjYKSA6ialqoA4x6SIVk2w9SWouYyCBNsNG3OAlVi2ZwYxZQddX3prnSURZpOQTDjjPQeCPP8iKVQ9LQneMuJiqyIFrnbIM2vxULBpVZEGwZ_iziIGs2hUyqkyjs4Ov1rloC1zKhk/s200/Afb026.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354937541075987570" /></a><br />If you think about it, many of the things that make you feel miserable in your daily life are a direct result of some deeply rooted inertia, a lack of energy combined with fear of falling out of the blue open sky in midflight, while also being completely conscious about everything you're missing out on: the feeling of accomplishment after a reckless adventure, the mental or physical touch of a stranger that strikes you with such warmth that you feel it for weeks, months, lifetimes to come, the memory of a warmth that has abandonned you, and you're not sure if you'll be able to ever relive it. It's like hearing the rythm of your favourite poem in your head, but forgetting the words and the meaning in time. Everything fades into a blur, and you see yourself in the centre with a million eyes fixed on you, filled with expectations, their image of you nothing but that: an image, a shallow 2D representation reality, with no regard to how you move, how you sound, what goes on inside and brings you to your everyday expressions. How easy it is to forget oneself when turned into the object of their gaze.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzI4X-UBZs8HZQrAtsgN55vA7gj6vUFogfXgaa_WtKY1NiiIp52ATmmNZbIDWM37DGNiCIK3rBB919M66LD1-rjZu7k1F2UpdIyA4bk0RI6GOvQT3DO7h4mXzdRITJphAh2KjCLWGRZK8/s1600-h/Afb021.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzI4X-UBZs8HZQrAtsgN55vA7gj6vUFogfXgaa_WtKY1NiiIp52ATmmNZbIDWM37DGNiCIK3rBB919M66LD1-rjZu7k1F2UpdIyA4bk0RI6GOvQT3DO7h4mXzdRITJphAh2KjCLWGRZK8/s200/Afb021.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354937535690293730" /></a><br /><br />It's never easy to stop the train of thoughts, especially when it's derailed and seems to be going nowhere, an aimless projectile, bound to hit something really hard, really soon. Sometimes it just takes a beautiful day and a genuine smile, encounters with people that move you, inspire you and make the future seem worthwhile. Change is something that grows from the inside out, sinks into everything that surrounds you and makes sure that nothing ever looks the same. <br />It's summer and I want to live in this forever. <br /><br />I want to conclude this little rant with some words that I stole from the site of a French screamoband called <a href="http://www.myspace.com/aurevoirbaronnoir">Baron Noir</a>. It has everything and nothing to do with what's written above, but it somehow seemed appropriate. Either way, I never came across a better description of what this type of music and community means to me.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiybtkz2JB1cnMfdUT55rtCHD9o4OPeiXpVJtJdB1-H_n9qL71bkzPVJG0jNCllvGWSWssA6NkkG_QtG9ZPUcdmXlopSlXtOORX8r6m-9iOvMJXjHRdQhOXUGIWecc9b9drSSp9W4bJ_tQ/s1600-h/Afb025.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiybtkz2JB1cnMfdUT55rtCHD9o4OPeiXpVJtJdB1-H_n9qL71bkzPVJG0jNCllvGWSWssA6NkkG_QtG9ZPUcdmXlopSlXtOORX8r6m-9iOvMJXjHRdQhOXUGIWecc9b9drSSp9W4bJ_tQ/s200/Afb025.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354937546252628034" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Conscients que la musique ne pourra jamais suffire à changer quoi que ce soit, c'est pourtant elle qui nous permet quotidiennement de cracher ce qu'on est obliger de retenir, la rage intime qui nous constitue plus que ce que le monde nous impose. C'est à cette rage qu'on reconnaît les nôtres et c'est sur elle que se fondent nos rencontres. On la braille dans un micro pour toucher ceux et celles qui s'y reconnaissent et se renforcer mutuellement. Parce que les seuls espaces de liberté possibles sont ceux qu'on prend, vole ou crée. ça ne va pas plus loin que ça. baise les artistes. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484717956906765232.post-88465619010398120172009-06-13T12:37:00.007+02:002009-06-14T22:59:00.460+02:00Basically we're fighting for the same cause..<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/106/l_32fafd51043945deb467c9e16ef90f01.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 600px; height: 789px;" src="http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/106/l_32fafd51043945deb467c9e16ef90f01.gif" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />There's a new issue of Kino available. I have to admit that my part in this project seems to diminish with every issue, but for this one I mostly blame the fact that it kind of revolves around Silas' mild obsession with Japanese culture. The guy spent a month in Tokyo with a girl he barely knew, putting most of us couch-adventurers to shame by pure guts. Anyways, the result is nothing less than awesome I think, with a trip report, the usual socialy-aware columns, interviews (Heaven In Her Arms, Birth, Envy and the not so Japanese-like Zann) and a couple of reviews (some of which I actually wrote!). If you're interested, please pick one up: <a href="http://www.myspace.com/kinozine">Kinozine</a><br /><br />Also, pick up one of these if you have the chance. There's an awesome article about monsters in it. Plus some other elitist-hardcore (or not so) rambling. <a href="http://www.myspace.com/talesofshatou">Tales Of Shatou</a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/66/l_41ed0b09571e47c19b46c8abf211cd54.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 600px; height: 825px;" src="http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/66/l_41ed0b09571e47c19b46c8abf211cd54.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484717956906765232.post-73255212894852404782009-06-12T19:46:00.002+02:002009-06-12T19:57:05.806+02:00Anne<span style="font-style:italic;">"From the window in that room, facing out the backyard, you can see the rear windows of a house where Descartes once lived. There are children's swings in the yard now, toys scattered in the grass, pretty little flowers. As he looked out the window that day, he wondered if the children those toys belonged to had any idea of what happened fifty years earlier in the spot where he was standing. And if they did, what would it be like to grow up in the shadow of her room?<br />To repeat Pascal: "All the unhappiness of man stems from one thing only: that he is incapable of staying quietly in his room." At roughly the same time these words entered the Pensées, Descartes wrote to a friend in France from his room in that house in Amsterdam: "Is there any country," he asked with exuberance, "in which one can enjoy freedom as enormously as one does here?" Everything, in some sense, can be read as a gloss on everything else. To imagine her, for example, had she lived on after the war, reading Descartes' Meditations as a university student in Amsterdam. To imagine a solitude so crushing, so unconsolable, that one stops breathing for hundreds of years.<br /></span><br />Paul Auster: <span style="font-style:italic;">Collected Prose</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.gemzies.com/img_photos/anne_frank_amp_039_s_attic_window_anne_frank_3_3bf2ced3b0db33f48d1a16130a552087_490x350.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 490px; height: 350px;" src="http://www.gemzies.com/img_photos/anne_frank_amp_039_s_attic_window_anne_frank_3_3bf2ced3b0db33f48d1a16130a552087_490x350.png" border="0" alt="" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484717956906765232.post-49388469096062500502009-05-18T13:25:00.007+02:002009-05-18T15:37:59.964+02:00This Is Real<span style="font-weight:bold;">Fundamental - Demo 2009</span><br />If you would've asked me six months ago what I thought about this band of youngster from my local area, I probably would've given you some cocky answer about how 'some kids just try too hard', and how they would probably end up playing the local youthclub for the rest of their carreer. In spite of what I aim for, I can be awefully prejudiced at times. Let's say that I did not really like the idea of another Black Haven/Rise And Fall-ish band emerging in the scene, plus some personal stuff that kind of got in the way of a good understanding. I'm mentioning this because I want to make clear on which foot I started to follow Fundamental, which was obviously the wrong one.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibKcpk_8GcNX1He9qCpoA49RRrzrAz0KuaCuPu3bR2Srq_A5Y27LgZi2Lexcz1BzVjKBk-XrIpgGbbjvz1W3hQtwDOYiwj24kpGMs8o4PiHmr6qS-5SY6P2eCRaIFWNDZti9u4W5VsE7M/s1600-h/l_82d53f7030f94f458831daf11ad3246f.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibKcpk_8GcNX1He9qCpoA49RRrzrAz0KuaCuPu3bR2Srq_A5Y27LgZi2Lexcz1BzVjKBk-XrIpgGbbjvz1W3hQtwDOYiwj24kpGMs8o4PiHmr6qS-5SY6P2eCRaIFWNDZti9u4W5VsE7M/s200/l_82d53f7030f94f458831daf11ad3246f.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337152154165958146" /></a>Only a couple of weeks before their first show (and a rather bad rehearsalsong they put on their myspace page), Levy (the singer) asked me if I was interested in playing bass for them. I was completely taken by surprise, and because of my reservedness towards the band and something concerning former lovers, it never happened, but the result was that by talking to this guy I was forced to acknowledge that he wasn't half as clueless as I thought he would be. Anyway, my curiosity was triggered and I decided to attend one of their shows in a local club. Plagued by the growing pains of starting band, they nevertheless managed to leave a lasting impression on me through their unrestrained enthousiasm and the apparent seriousness with which they were approaching the whole thing. You could tell that they meant it.<br /><br />Several months later, Fundamental finally released their first demo recording, which finally brings me to the point of this 'review'. Where Rise And Fall needed an entire song to condemn all the liars and fakers to oblivion, these kids manage to do it in a one and a halfminute intro. A simple, but horribly effective stroke of the bass builds the tension, until the rest of the band comes in, leaving just enough breathingspace for the singer to scream "this is real!" from the top of his lungs. Three words and nothing remains to be said. 'Valor' is the first real song. Simplicity and effectiveness, spiced up with some really cool ideas, remain the keywords throughout. For kids as young and unexperienced as they are, they manage to avoid a lot of pitfalls that are fatal to most starting bands by sticking to the magic formula of putting only a couple of good ideas in one song and not stacking up one mediocre and too far-fetched riff upon another. 'Whole' is more melodic and straightforward in its approach, almost catchy. The song never manages to achieve its goal (whatever that should be) but it gets really damn close. Final track 'Ill-Fated' starts of with a bassriff that makes me want to punch myself because I didn't come up with it. Only thing I don't really like here is the 'dun dun'-stuff in the verse, but that's just me. The ending is as epic as you would expect it to be (nice, slow burning riff, topped off with passionate and almost heartfellt screaming, you know how it rolls).<br /><br />You can tell these guys have not just been worshipping their influences imagining how cool they would look like on stage playing this kind of music, but they have obviously been listening carefully and that is giving them a headstart towards competition. En plus, they are the prototype of a real hardcoreband: not pretending to be groundbreaking, but taking what they know and doing what they can to give that anger and frustration inside a voice and a let-out. And most importantly, despite some minor flaws, pulling it off. One can only hope they won't be the next band in line to call it quits before ever having the chance to come into its own, because if this recording figures as a herald for things to come, chances are they still have a lot more in store.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/fundamentalhc"><span style="font-style:italic;">Myspace</span></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">thanks to whoever took the picture</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484717956906765232.post-53954991146105142062009-03-24T14:00:00.004+01:002009-03-24T14:22:06.711+01:00Today Is Green And Tomorrow Is BlueLast night I went to the Glasses show in Ghent. I had arranged to do a short interview with them for the ultimate hipstermagazine in the Western world, so we met in some kind of souplounge no too far from the venue a couple of hours before the show. Since the band arrived way to early there was plenty of time for some silly pictures and sillier questions.<br />It's always a gamble when you really like a band and then you have to interview them. You really don't want them to turn out to be assholes, since it would get all that good music tainted. On the other hand, it's always nice to meet the people behind music that touched you in any way. Luckily, these guys and girl were among the nicest people out of Germany I ever met. The interview went smooth and afterwards we went together to the best place in Belgium to eat French fries, De Frietketel. They played a memorable floorshow (you have to love the spirit behind that) at the Frontline too that night. Check out the next issue of vice-magazine for the interview.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/47/l_fef1f7ee97dc4a99a6ea0c8f054afcd6.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 333px; height: 500px;" src="http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/47/l_fef1f7ee97dc4a99a6ea0c8f054afcd6.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/glasseshc">Glasses myspace</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484717956906765232.post-21491793632347646272009-03-11T14:44:00.009+01:002009-05-18T15:39:14.523+02:00The Body Writhes and Twists<span style="font-weight:bold;">A TAAS appreesh-post</span><br />I don't really get how they do it. I hate all the ingrediënts - an overload on keyboardtunes, anachronical 70ies vibes, spastic nonsense and stupid long songtitels about trains, drugs, chickens and whatnot - yet the final recipe manages to send shivers down my spine over and over again. Take for example the part in 'Mescaline Eyes', where the music comes to a sudden halt and Snere yells '..and in all there's nothing left' over the unexpected opening abyss below. Or the machinegun-bass that kickstarts 'The Shit Sisters'. That's only what I can recall from the top of my head right now.<br />The first time i saw them live was two summers ago at the Flufffest in the Czech Republic. It was the evening of the last day. Almost three days of good and bad hardcore, dirt, filth and laughter had gone by, the sun was setting and there was this orange hue all over the place. Some member of the band had stepped into some dogshit, and by the time the second song started, the stage was covered with it, with the singer rolling in it shirtless. How's that for intensity and punk-spirit, you designercrusts?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/19/l_379c5fba16d4435b92efe43dc0db12ad.jpg"><img style="float:center; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/19/l_379c5fba16d4435b92efe43dc0db12ad.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />These Arms Are Snakes is one of those rare bands that makes me want to dance and singalong when I'm listening to them on any kind of public transportation, or that makes me want to halt strangers and say 'listen to that part right here! Isn't that just fucking genius?'. Luckily, shyness is my saviour.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/thesearmsaresnakes"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484717956906765232.post-14497927814077577792008-11-07T18:42:00.001+01:002008-11-13T15:01:30.500+01:00Come Down In This World<span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" >Oathbreaker - s/t MCD (2008, Holy Shit Records)</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: times new roman;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/32/l_b5f09098ebc84b44b24b5635bfe6f580.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 251px; height: 165px;" src="http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/32/l_b5f09098ebc84b44b24b5635bfe6f580.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;">About a year ago, a friend of mine asked me out of the blue if I wanted to go on a roadtrip to Germany with his new</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> band. The plan was to drive for 12 hours, play one 30</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">-minute show in an obscure punk club downtown and return early next morning, another 12 hours back.</span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">I have to admit that I didn’t really care that much about the band, that was then called No Recess, since I wasn’t at all in a hardcore ‘mood’ at the time. Also, these kids seemed to be the very epicentre of the local hardcorescene then, and when confronted with such vast amounts of ‘coolness’ I almost automatically cringe. Throw in the fact that their frontman was in fact a girl – not a dirty and smelly crust-girl, but a ‘real’ girly-girl – and maybe you could understand why my point about this band was already made before I heard a single note. Yes, I can be that narrow minded at times.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">But in the end, I did end up in their van, because sometimes I can see past the horizon of my own little world and understand that my prejudgements are not necessarily true ALL the time. In fact, I probably wouldn’t have started this review with this stupid little story if they were, because it just wouldn’t have been worth the effort. Fact is that from the moment our absurd little trip started, I had to adjust my view radically. In short, these kids were living the hardcore dream all other 17 year olds vicari</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">ously lived through worshipping bad local metalcore bands. And it wasn’t as if they had to force it or something, it just came naturally. Also, their singer wasn’t at all the arrogant little ‘look-at-me-i-sing-in-a-hardcore-band’-scenegirl I took her for, but really nice, and kind of putting my own inner arrogance to shame. Plus, she baked ridiculously delicious vegan cookies for the trip.</span><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0ACZLnXpZuI&hl=nl&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0ACZLnXpZuI&hl=nl&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Not too long after that, No Recess ‘disbanded’, throwing a memorable last show in the smallest venue in Flanders, on the beach, in front of a sweaty and crazy crowd, only to rise from its ruins a couple of months later as Oathbreaker, sporting a new drummer and a seemingly more ‘professional’ approach. Another couple of months later, their first self-titled 7” and MCD is a fact.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">I’m pretty sure they won’t like to be compared to No Recess, but really, it’s kind of inevitable. Although better on all fronts, there’s little denying that Oathbreaker has No Recess at its very core. I</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> don’t see why that should necessarily be a bad thing. It only means the youthfulness and recklessness hasn’t yet gone to waste while upgrading to ‘smarter’ riffs and overall better songwriting.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/29/l_a45790beaedc4706b5a88616a38accc0.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 282px; height: 180px;" src="http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/29/l_a45790beaedc4706b5a88616a38accc0.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;">The album starts of with long layers of feedback that recall euhm, almost every hardcore record that came out in Belgium for the last two years. Soon though, the guitar starts do</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">ing thi</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">s c</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">ool tapping, building up tension towards a nice mid-tempo riff. The lead on top of it is nice and well executed, but I would have loved to see how it could have developed into a full song, instead of a short intro.</span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Next song is ‘Shelter’, which can also be heard on their myspace. No doubt the best song on the record, musicwise and lyricwise. The intensity and anger is all over the place, finding anything but consolation in the cathartic breakdown at the end.</span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">‘Ashes’ is an interlude that starts of with some clean picking. Something strange</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> ha</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">ppens here t</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">hough. All of a sudden there are 50 seconds of silence before the next song. I don’t really see the </span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">point there.</span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">‘Downfall’ and ‘Mirror’ are two very good and enjoyable tracks, with some standout guitarwork, though they never reach the same level as 'Shelter'.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Overall, Oathbreaker doesn’t seem to hold any pretension of breaking new ground here, just delivering 3 pieces of above par quality hardcore in the vein of Rise And Fall and Disfear, but delivering it with a conviction that makes them stand out of the heaps of similar sounding bands coming out nowadays. I’m really stoked to see what the future will bring for them.</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: times new roman;" href="http://www.myspace.com/theoathbreakerreigns">Oathbreaker Myspace</a><br /><a style="font-family: times new roman;" href="http://www.holyshitindsutries.com/">Holy Shit Records</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484717956906765232.post-55488366520052842912008-09-24T22:11:00.000+02:002008-09-25T23:09:44.518+02:00All I Know: living on borrowed time<div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://a415.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/95/l_a8f5f373f486ca7f9f265246330fbe56.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://a415.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/95/l_a8f5f373f486ca7f9f265246330fbe56.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><div><br /></div>Hardcorekids seem to end up in the most diverse musical genres. If it's not hiphop (the Beastie Boys), it could be melancholic singer-songwriter-stuff (Elliott Smith), or nerdy electronic music (Moby). But 80's classic rock? That might be stretching it a bit. Not for the guys and girl in All I Know though. Starting out as a regular poppunk band and releasing two more than decent demo's over the course of the last two years, they now show themselves ready for the big world with the release of their debutalbum 'Vanity Kills'.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div><div>Released by themselves out of impatience, the album is a treat to anyone with an ear for catchy hooks and poppy melodies, in short, for anyone who likes his music 'big' and instant-stadiumtour-ready. The band at this point consists of Amely Mondy (bass), Michaël Neyt (guitar and vocals), Ward Dufraimont (guitar and vocals) and latest member Dries Van Dyck (drum). Michaël, Ward and Dries are all ex-member of more or less famous Belgian hardcorebands, such as Liar, Firestone, Convict and Bloodshed. </div><div>During the recording of the album, while the band was locked up in a notorious studio in the centre of Brussels for several months, they managed to ensnare the cream of the crop of Belgian popmusicians to play along on some songs, thus showing a band more confident than ever of its own work. The time was right to ask main songwriter and founding member Ward Dufraimont (26) some questions about Bon Jovi, pissing people off and veganism.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">First off, what inspired you to start All I Know at the time, when you were still playing with Liar?</span></div><div>Dufraimont: "I had been playing in metalcore bands for yeas. I needed a way to get some other musical influences off my chest. It kinda started as a thing on the side, we probably rehearsed for close to two years without ever thinking about playing shows or whatnot. It was just something I enjoyed doing with friens, it didn't get 'serious' until the Liar thing had run its course."</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">AIK used to be more of a poppunkband a couple of years ago, but with 'Vanity Kills' you seem to have changed styles pretty drastically. Is this the kind of music you wanted to make with the band all along, or is it something that just came naturally?</span></div><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmm27znnBisXMmaq4VXIhw5G38ku9hSf55M61Byh4BhoR2C55WnAXr38fFFkiki1isBvA7-F5Wnkeg4HPvGszL_ssYtBvSzkMJZ3cyych9fT8pPuKLtKAONHj-MuCxI85bc0VUjShXAFU/s320/1858.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249973517779140578" /><div>"None of us follow the whole poppunk thing anymore. We wanted our first full length album to be something that represented what we ourselves would enjoy listening to. Everyone in AIK is very much into classic melodic rock, with big choruses, big hooks, big everything. The first few songs we wrote for the album were pretty much in the vein of our previous work. Early on though, we noticed we weren't enjoying it as much as we used to. The only solution was to just go with what came naturally, instead of desperately trying to write what people expected from us. It's not like we look down on the poppunk thing now though. It's just that there's so many bands out there doing that, and some of them are doing a way better job than we ever did. AIK as a band decided that we were going to do whatever we wanted, which in itself is a very 'punk' thing to do." <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">(smiles)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">You used to play in Liar and Firestone, both bands are rather uncomparable to AIK. Back then, did you enjoy the music you were playing? How was it different from how you're experiencing things now?</span></div><div>"The biggest difference is that Firestone and Liar were two bands that had been going on for years before I joined them. I had the privilige to twice join a band that I had been looking up to and drooling over for years. The other side of the coin was that I was playing someone else's music. At first you're happy playing in an established band. After a while though I started losing interest in that type of music, and I was also craving for more control over music and the decision-making. I wanted my own thing I guess.</div><div>Another difference is that with AIK i had to start from scratch, and I had to do everything myself, which meant a rough start and a lot of hard work, but I've learned it's more gratifying in the end."</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Tell me about your vegan-straightedge lifestyle.</span></div><div>"First off, I'd like to make it clear that AIK is not a band with a 'message'. It's not an issue for us, we are 4 individuals with different opinions on just about anything. I obviously have a lot of respect for bands that stand for something, and convey that message in their lyrics. In AIK we just focus on the music though, we'd like to think that people can have a good time with our music. An escape from the pressures of everyday-life.</div><div>For me personally, it doesn't really matter how you label your, or my, personaly lifestyle. We all have our opinions and ideals, and we try our best to live up to them day in day out. I believe that every living being has a right to live its life without any other stepping on its rights. That's why I choose not to consume any animal products, and I stay away from everything that's even remotely connected to animal testing or suffering. I also stay away from any intoxicants that may cloud my mind or my judgement, be it alcohol, nicotine, drugs,.. Aside from the above, I also try to live as healthy as possible, so in my diet I stay away from sugar, artificial colorings, cafeine, ... I could go on all day. It's about doing what you can, I might not always succeed. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">I don't claim to be perfect, but at least I try."</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Back to the music then. AIK's sound is obviously influenced by artists such as Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams and Roxette, to name a few. What's up with your passion for them? How did they influence you?</span></div><div>"I grew up on classic late 80's melodic rock bands like GNR, Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams, ... It's still my favourite kind of music. My record collection is very broad, I can enjoy any good song regardless of the genre. There's rock records, there's also metal, punk, hiphop, pop, ... One thing sticks out though: I'm a sucker for melody and hooks. 'Vanity Kills' is obviously influenced by classic 80's rock. It can go from production ideas, to song-structure, vocal arrangements, anything. Music that sonically sounds great, that you can rock out to, that makes you feel good. Basically, escapism from real life."</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Isn't there any danger that people will regard the music as an anachronism, as being outdated?</span></div><div>"I know what you're getting at. We're toying with a style of music that has been largely extinct or out of the public eye for the past 20 years. People make fun of the 'hair-metal' bands I grew up on all the time. The 'poodle' haircuts and the style of clothing don't work in this day and age. You don't hear these bands on the radio anymore, they don't have hitsingles, even though most of them have continued to make albums. Face it though, good music will speak for itself. Bands like Def Leppard and Bon Jovi still sell out arenas all over the world. If you remain true to what you believe in, and you do it well, you have a shot at getting somewhere. And even if you don't, at least you had the guts to go out there and go against the trend of the day. In my opinion, that alone deserves respect."</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">How does the band exist as a song-producing entity?</span></div><div>"From the very start I've been writing most of our music and lyrics. At the time the other people in the band had little to no experience being in a band. Over time though, Michaël <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">(Neyt) </span>has been writing more and more. He has 4 out of 12 songs on the new album. It's a challenge to try and top eachother's work. It keeps me on my toes."</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">What's your main goal with the band at this point?</span></div><div>"AIK basically has a policy of 'the sky is the limit', whatever that means. One thing that always bugged me about the hardcore scene is that you're basically playing for the same people over and over again. With AIK, we can pretty much play to every possible crowd. It's radio-friendly music that even your mother might enjoy, yet it's not contrived like a lot of popbands these days. It still has an edge to it. We have big plans for this new record, we're going to do everything in our power to get it out there to as much people as possible. If we fail, at least we tried!"</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Shows have always been some sort of hit or miss, at least back in the days where I would attend a lot of them. I remember people shouting things at the stage and even throwing stuff. Did it ever get really out of hand?</span></div><div>"If you're in a band, there's always gonna be people that don't like what you're doing. My advice is: if you can't take it, don't do it. It'll drive you crazy. I've learned to deal with it. I laugh about it now. The way I look at it now is 'what have YOU done?'.</div><div>We've had our share of shit thrown our way, believe me. AIK has done some downright silly things in the past, and we got ridiculed a lot. We've never been comfortable with the stuck-up over-serious atmosphere at a lot of shows, and I guess it was our way of dealing with that. A common thread among the criticism on AIK is the 'you are gay' and 'you sing like a girl' stuff. Then we'd play a Britney song or a Clouseau song to piss people off. We've had stuff thrown our way and people have threatened to kick our skinny asses, but so far we're still alive.</div><div>At the end of the day, it all comes down to whether you can deliver the goods musically or not, and I think a lot of the nay-sayers would have to eat their words if they took the time to check out the new album."</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Lets end this with a personal question: what kind of person would you consider yourself to be, and how does your music reflect that?</span></div><div>"I don't think my personality shines through much in my music. Maybe if someone would be crazy enough to study my lyrics, you might get a slight idea. I'd like to think that to my friends I'm a fun guy to be around. I can be a pain in the ass though. I'm very opinionated, I don't make friends easily and I treasure my time alone. On the other hand I'm always in for a laugh. Life's too short anyway."</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Visit All I Know at their <a href="http://www.myspace.com/alliknow">myspace</a>.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Bandpicture by Stijn Willekens. B/w picture Ward by Dieter De Volder @ De Kreun, Kortrijk.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484717956906765232.post-27984288389720595652008-09-18T22:59:00.000+02:002008-09-23T11:49:00.039+02:00there's always tomorrow...until you wake up and you don't feel your limbs anymore.<div><br /></div><div>Anyway, i've been slacking on this thing for far too long now and it's somehow sad to see this become another one of my many great plans that never come into being because of me.. euhm.. being me, and pretty much lacking the energy or missing the point to take matters into my own hands and stop thinking about things and just start doing them. But they say it's never too late to turn the tide (do they? say that? meh), so i decided to start updating this blog more frequently, starting ...nnnnow, with some general ideas in the back of my head, ready to work out and plans for some very interesting interviews in the very near future. So stay tuned for that.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484717956906765232.post-9207238938764600922008-06-21T14:49:00.000+02:002008-06-21T15:41:19.314+02:00Low fireslovers lost between the sheets. how i long for time to stop and jump against the concrete of my heart. in these rooms the world resounds. i am not there. am i still mine? this longing got the best of me. every move i never made. every door i never closed. taking me further from the man i was once aspiring to be.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484717956906765232.post-90798154380032855892008-06-08T11:19:00.000+02:002008-06-08T11:30:02.933+02:00We were not the cool kidsit's that thing when something that's supposed to give you wings becomes a drag and you cannot bring up the energy to stand up for it anymore i guess<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIk9kKHz_gNXrzbF0vdde-mOuBeC6HRwz1noBI8up3in7VwewIjfGuFYQf-mpMriqhWoStYKhSgRq2jCFk0OCDZbmLDjUhdi3kC-VNd_mlOCLihTycTkGekUrNydjWM8L19U-H5HekO2I/s1600-h/IMG_2277.JPG+tat.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIk9kKHz_gNXrzbF0vdde-mOuBeC6HRwz1noBI8up3in7VwewIjfGuFYQf-mpMriqhWoStYKhSgRq2jCFk0OCDZbmLDjUhdi3kC-VNd_mlOCLihTycTkGekUrNydjWM8L19U-H5HekO2I/s320/IMG_2277.JPG+tat.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209440186721579330" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484717956906765232.post-28922361678006301472008-06-01T20:15:00.000+02:002008-06-01T20:16:19.775+02:00Back and to the left<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/11Fl9ZVJ7B8&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/11Fl9ZVJ7B8&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484717956906765232.post-21578252200619399062008-05-30T23:38:00.000+02:002008-05-30T23:55:04.718+02:00As the seasons shiftapparently, it has been over a month since my last post, so i decided to post some sort of random update, just to keep this thing going, and make sure i don't forget my password. i've been kind of busy finishing my paper lately. but not too busy. actually i'm just too lazy for this kind of stuff.<br /><br />as for the update:<br />* the second issue of Kino is out, go check at www.myspace.com/kinozine. let us know if you want one, but it has to be said that we're having difficulties distributing them for some kind of reason and we're still figuring out cheap ways to do so. also, ask silas and leave me alone.<br />* the new amen ra album is out, it's called mass IIII. go google.<br />* ruins called it quits, which is a damn shame. really.<br />* the last no recess show was cool. good vibes. i'd write a full review, but no one would read it, so i won't.<br /><br />this is even more lame than i thought it would be. i'll make it up someday. i guess.<br />also: jow dries!<br /><br />that's it for now.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484717956906765232.post-73360148495985786642008-04-13T11:35:00.000+02:002008-04-15T13:38:09.310+02:00So really.. how far down is down?<p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="" lang="EN-US">This is part two of the interview with Bjorn Rise And Fall. See the previous post for part one. This one is about his band and some more random stuff. </span></b><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://a212.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/51/l_f6835d5bf85e133a8ea740bfe4a3a3fb.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 186px; height: 139px;" src="http://a212.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/51/l_f6835d5bf85e133a8ea740bfe4a3a3fb.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="" lang="EN-US">Do you have a job outside of Rise And Fall?</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">"I’m currently unemployed. I haven’t worked in a year actually. But I’m looking for a job." <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="" lang="EN-US">Did you stop working because of the band?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">"Yes. I stopped working a year ago, because everyone in the band wanted to grab the opportunity<span style=""> </span>to tour as much as possible and do things with the band we all wanted to do for some time. If you get so many opportunities to tour, you know that it will be impossible to be out there for four months without your boss kicking you out. So everyone decided to stop working at a certain stag</span><span style="" lang="EN-US">e and tour relentlessly for 6 or 7 months. After summer we weren't very active though. The other members have picked up their jobs again. I haven’t, but now I will." <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://a649.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/99/l_1a17b286fc7d5f46434fe26b0e4d2870.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 202px; height: 134px;" src="http://a649.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/99/l_1a17b286fc7d5f46434fe26b0e4d2870.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><b style=""><span style="" lang="EN-US">How was it like to stop working and spend so much time with the band? <o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">"It felt pretty good. The band has been around for 5 years now. After a co</span><span style="" lang="EN-US">uple of years, you notice things are becoming better and better. You like what you do and so you put huge amounts of energy and time in it. It’s your big passion in life, you know. And you know you can get more out of it, but you have to put so much of time in your job, instead of doing what you really want to do, which is quite frustrating. If you get the chance to say “fuck it, let’s do this”, then all of a sudden you have all this freedom to do with your time what you want to do." <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="" lang="EN-US">But sure there’s certain obligations attached to that?</span></b><b style=""><span style="" lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">"Yes. We never turn down a show. If the band is your priority, and your not contrived by a job, it’s also easier to accept all the offers you get. If someone wants to tour with you, you don’t have to stress about it. That’s cool. If it was up to me we would have never stopped doing that. After the summer we could have written new material fulltime, but due to circumstances we weren’t able to do so. </span><span style="" lang="EN-US">The fact that we spent six months doing nothing but the band-thing and being on the road constantly for three or four months also took it’s toll. We had to become familiar with being around each other so much and sometimes we got on each others’ nerves. No big deal though. I just think everyone was kind of tired of it after the summer. We also </span><span style="" lang="EN-US">had to look for a new rehearsal room and I spent some time in the hospital. Those things have held us back on writing new material, but now everything is coming back together again. We have a new rehearsalplace, so we can start writing new songs. And after that we can start the usual schedule again: recording and touring." <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="" lang="EN-US">Is there a certain feeling of responsibility towards the kids that's part of playing in a bigger hardcoreband? </span></b><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">"I try not to be too self-conscious about that. I know how I looked at the people that were on stage when I was younger. It was with a certain respect, and not of adoration. Well, most of the time at least. I never thought I would once be the guy on stage, so I’m having a hard time imagining that I can be for the kids now what those people were to me." <o:p></o:p></span></p> <span style="" lang="EN-US">"I wouldn’t do or not do, say or not say certain things because of what people might think of it. Also because I want to be seen as someone that is completely himself, and no-one else. I don’t want to say things that I don’t fully believe myself. I don’t want to say things to appear funnier or tougher. I try not to put on a mask. But eventually, when you’re on stage, there is some sort of responsibility that makes you think twice about what you do."</span><p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="" lang="EN-US">What kind of message do you try to put in your own lyrics?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">"I think other people are more likely to find some sort of message in my lyrics. I write about what occupies my mind every day. It’s some sort of therapy actually. If you don’t feel well, you can write it off. The lyrics also aren’t really about me alone, but about me in the context of this world, society and certain issues. But I don’t think the meaning of my lyrics is very clear most of the time. There are certain things in which I believe, and those are reflected in them, but it’s not too obvious. My own experience and ideals are in it, but mostly under the </span><span style="" lang="EN-US">surface. So anyone can get out of them what they want." <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="" lang="EN-US"><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="" lang="EN-US">Not so long ago, there was a small argument on a messageboard about Vogue (the band, not the magazine). I wasn't at the show they were talking about, but I heard they were kind of violent and there was some damage, which in turn pissed some people off. What do you think about bands that act extremely wild and violent on stage?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">"I think that’s a hard question. The danger and the energy of hardcoreshows are important. They're a part of it’s attraction too. But it has to come spontaneous. I’m not pro the “hardcore should be dangerous, so let’s break some glasses on each other’s heads”-concept. The recklessness, the spontaneous and the unpredictable make hardcore what it is."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">"In the case of Vogue, I know the singer quite well, for as far as such thing is possible, and the guy is just crazy. These guys also don’t give a damn about what is expected to happen on stage. If he wants to lay down on the floor, he does. I think it’s a good thing that there’s a band out there that confronts people with the fact that hardcore is also something like that. It’s not always controllable. But of course you have to draw a line somewhere." <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="" lang="EN-US">Isn’t there some danger involved that the band will make it ‘their thing’, their gimmick?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">"I think it’s mostly the audience that makes it ‘their thing’: “Vogue is playing, let’s see if something happens,” something like that. It will probably become a part of what draws people towards the band, but I don’t think they themselves really care about that. But you cannot look into someone’s head and analyse his motivation of course."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">"In the case of Bounce (singer of Vogue), I’m pretty convinced that he’s crazy. What happens on stage with him is a chemical reaction you and I cannot understand." <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="" lang="EN-US">Back to the scene in general, and your thoughts about it. Do you think hardcore some kind of relief for people from their monotonous daily lives?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://a681.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/123/l_478c09db62b3d6a038240528a71f7758.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 196px; height: 130px;" src="http://a681.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/123/l_478c09db62b3d6a038240528a71f7758.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="" lang="EN-US">"I don’t think hardcore is unique in that aspect. Many people do things outside of what’s considered ‘normal’, like listening to unconventional music, cultmovies, theatre, mountainclimbing.. All those things are means to escape daily life and having to get up for work and coming home to tired to do anything in the evening. That’s something that draws people to hardcore, but it could be lot's of things. It’s not exclusive to hardcore." <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="" lang="EN-US">You've been involved for quite some time now. Did the scene change a lot over the years?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">"If I look at which band were active back in the days, I do think there’s more diversity now. Many bands are busy with their own thing and try to be creative in pushing the boundaries of what’s possible or not in the genre. The downside is that the whole concept got somewhat blurry. If you talked about the hardcorescene back in tha days, they knew exactly what you were talking about. Over the years it has grown so exponentially it became very fragmented. You have all these different subscenes and subgenres that have less and less in comon with eachother, I don’t like that."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="" lang="EN-US">Don’t you think this diversity could be a plus as well?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">"It would be an enrichement.. if it still was part of this greater whole. The problem is that the meaning of hardcore/punk got somewhat lost along the way. Many people involved now have no clue about where it came from, its history, the bands that paved the roads.. The less contact with the source, the more difficult it is to recognize certain things as hardcore. It’s still important to have a direct link between what you’re doing now en what happened early ‘80ies. You have to be aware of that history. Someone who doesn’t have clue, but considers himself involved with hardcore could be compared to a Christian that never read the bible, so to speak." <o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484717956906765232.post-37728780909256824962008-04-03T20:57:00.000+02:002008-04-09T21:11:58.043+02:00"If it lacks feeling, it's worthless to me"<p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="" lang="EN-US">Although you’ll rarely find me in the pit, punching random people or crowdsurfing, I too feel like a real hardcorekid. So when asked to pick a topic for my paper, I decided to try and write something about this music-centered community I –despite all cynism – hold close to my heart. Having all these vague ideas in my head, but not really knowing where to start, I decided to interview some people I thought were/are important to the scene and ask them for their personal experiences, hoping to be able to give this undecipherable feeling that accompanies the whole thing a name.<br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-style: italic;" lang="EN-US">One of those people is <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bjorn Dossch</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;" lang="EN-US"><span style="font-weight: bold;">e</span> (27), whom most of you probably know as the singer for <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Belgium</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s underground pride Rise And Fall. I hadn’t ever talked to him before and thus didn’t quite know what to expect when meeting him at De Vooruit in Ghent, but luckily, he turned out to be this really nice and easy-going guy, making this interview one of the most personal and casual ones in the heap. </span><span style="font-style: italic;" lang="EN-US">This is the first part of a rather long interview. Other parts will follow as soon as I find some time to transcribe and translate them.</span><b style=""><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">Bjorn: “Back when I was twelve, I was into this whole metal-thing. With the small amount of money I had, I bought cassettes and CDs. CDs were just coming up back then. I also bought music magazines, and once I read this review for a Sick Of It All album. I completely dug what was written, the album got a good score and I bought it <span style=""> </span>blindly. It had a huge impact. For me, that was the starting point to get to know other bands that were linked to SIOA and other big names from that time, like Biohazard and Life Of Agony."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://a852.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/119/l_d951551d321d8ed8f182d849c6b348b3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 199px; height: 267px;" src="http://a852.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/119/l_d951551d321d8ed8f182d849c6b348b3.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="" lang="EN-US">"After a while, you start discovering all these smaller undergroundbands. W</span><span style="" lang="EN-US">hen I was 14-15 years old I started going to </span><span style="" lang="EN-US">shows. Once you discover those a new world reveals itself in front of you. Congress was my first show. Listening to an American band on CD is one thing, but discovering that there’s a network of people that share a more or less common view and that are working on the same thing in your own neighborhood is just ‘wow’.” <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="" lang="EN-US">What impression did that first show leave? <o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">“It was pretty mind-blowing. You read about these things, but you never imagine that they actually happen in small basements, with 150 attendees, of which 50 are going completely crazy. There’s loads of energy, positive vibes. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">Also, these people actually had something to say on stage, they were representing something. You got the feeling you found something that was yours. To me, the connection between the audience and the band is impor</span><span style="" lang="EN-US">tant too. It’s a whole.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="" lang="EN-US">What does the scene mean to you? <o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">“I look at the hardcorescene as a forum for creativity. Everyone can pick up an instrument and start making music, and if you can’t play by the rules, it doesn’t matter. The most important thing is that you can write a song that touches and that you take a stand as a band.<span style=""> </span>In hardcore it has never been necessary to be supertalented or have the finest equipment. You just had to make the best of it. It's an attitude I can relate to very much.” <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="" lang="EN-US">Is it really still that way nowadays? People seem to expect more and more.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">“Time never stops, and so recording technology and such constantly improves, but I think the basic principles have remained intact. Hardcore has been around for 25 years, so I think it’s normal for people </span><span style="" lang="EN-US">to expect something more nowadays. The basic idea should remain untouched, though. I still think it’s cool that everyone can take the stage and just give himself entirely. That’s also the charming thing about it. If I see a band with young kids, and they’re not really good, but they just go for it all the way, that’s so much cooler than a band of professional musicians with towers of equipment, who are much older but still haven’t understood jack shit of it all, and who stand there with an attitude like “hey, you’ve got to respect us because we’re older.”<br />If it lacks feeling, it’s worthless to me.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="" lang="EN-US">How would you explain to someone that has no clue at all what this whole 'scene' thing is?<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">“A bunch of lunatics.” <i style="">(laughs)</i><br />No, I don’t know. I just wouldn’t I guess. It’s something you have to experience. To explain the whole concept to someone is impossible I guess. But a quick, ten-minute description will not get you any further either. You’d just have bring that person to a show. Experiencing it is the most important thing. And talking with people involved. That way, I think he’ll get a better image of those people. You can talk about it for hours, but eventually it’s the participation that makes the scene what it is. It’s not science or something.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="" lang="EN-US">Which bands have been of great influence to you?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0MHbMWrKKWvPHy8oRAMW-W_5Pks7dv65wI4_DNwY9wqaX23npQQR83eS26WlH5PHOtDrPSdsoXxIh5_blBYIy0V-DOSebNir1PhY4CQm3kY4kJmSY_KhJRihWBxZ0Ph90BvTTk7qIhCUu/s320/Strife+-+In+This+Defiance.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 144px; height: 144px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0MHbMWrKKWvPHy8oRAMW-W_5Pks7dv65wI4_DNwY9wqaX23npQQR83eS26WlH5PHOtDrPSdsoXxIh5_blBYIy0V-DOSebNir1PhY4CQm3kY4kJmSY_KhJRihWBxZ0Ph90BvTTk7qIhCUu/s320/Strife+-+In+This+Defiance.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="" lang="EN-US">“In the beginning I would say SOIA, and Life Of Agony. When I got to know the smaller bands, also Strife. It was the first band I knew that was talking so openly about straightedge. I digged it a lot. Also Undertow and Unbroken.” <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="" lang="EN-US">And nowadays? <o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">“I always keep the bands with which I grew up in high regard. But from the ‘newer’ bands, I would say Blacklisted is one of my favorites. Justice, Rhythm To The Madness, Cold World, World Collapse.. lot’s of different things.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="" lang="EN-US">How did those early bands influence you on a personal level?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="" lang="EN-US">"Once I started going more to shows and started to understand how everything worked, I began to realize that hardcore was some kind of free and open forum for certain ideas and ideals. Some people were more direct and confronting about that, like Earth Crisis. But it left an impression. There were lots of bands that al stood for something else and that weren’t afraid to be extreme or militant about that. I liked that. In the end, when you’re 15-16 years old and you’re still searching for yourself, a good idea for someone else is almost automatically a good idea for you. When you get older, you start seeing things in a more subtle way. But take Strife and their straightedge message for example: I could completely relate to what they had to say about it. “This is also my life,” I thought.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484717956906765232.post-23022048438749771972008-03-11T09:49:00.000+01:002008-03-11T10:12:33.101+01:00recurring nightmarei took the train yesterday, for the first time in months. i was going to rehearsal.<br />trains and stations have this peculiar thing about them. when i looked at my fellow passengers, there was nothing. everyone has the same facial expression, nobody shows anything, nobody talks. as we rode through flanders and the landscape was passing by, i became aware of the fear inside me for which i'm still figuring out a name. i became aware to the point where i almost fellt like i was in control of it, like it became a part of me. and i knew for a moment, among those lost housewives, businessmen and homeless hearts. i knew that i was dying. and the fear fell of me, like the rain that hit the window. i looked god straight in the eye and all i saw was another you.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484717956906765232.post-76855560432747643542008-03-10T14:59:00.000+01:002008-03-10T16:33:58.960+01:00philosophy of bootsyou know the thing when you read all these anarchist books, about protests getting out of hand and people getting beaten up by riot police. in my case, there's always this little voice in my head telling me that it can't be true. police are here to maintain order. sure they have to show their teeth from time to time, but only if it's really necessary, right? my dad used to be an officer once. they just have to prevent things from getting out of hand, sometimes this requires violence to show those punks you're serious about it. and this thought had sunk deeper in my being than all the anarchist lectures ever did i guess. 'they are here to protect us from the bad guys'.<div><br /><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px;" src="http://www.indymedia.be/files/IMG_2264.jpg" border="0" alt="" /><div>but last thursday was the day i witnessed police-brutality first hand, in my own country, in the city that i love, involving the people i like to call my friends, and i don't think i'll ever be able to look at these things in the way that i did. sure, we all like to say 'fuck the police' from time to time and think we are cool. but it just got a new and more profound meaning that evening.</div><div><br /></div><div>what happened was that we were participating in this demonstration against fascism in the city of ghent, belgium. some 1000-1200 people gathered to show their discontent of an extreme-right gathering in the same city at the same time. </div><div>at the very start of the demonstration, a group of anarchists (i can't really tell how many, but i guess there were 100-200 of them) dressed in black, many wearing masks decided not to follow the official demonstration and instead went their own way, presumably trying to reach the righties on the other side of town. my friends and i decided to just follow the regular demonstration, as we weren't really in for rioting at the time (any other time, just aks, but thursday night, nah).</div><div><br /></div><div>after the official demonstration was finished (about which i'm not going to say too much, since it was a boring and uninspiring event, once more illustrating that left-wing politics need to rethink theirselves seriously) we were heading for a drink in a local club. on our way though, we bumped into a group of anarchists that were trying to get through a police barrier. there was some verbal aggression, but all in all, no violence. the police forces were shouting incomprehensible orders through their megaphone, when suddenly they decided that it had been enough and opened fire with their water canon/gun (i don't know what the accurate term is for these things). as we tried to flee the scene, we suddenly found ourselves (along with some 200 other people) trapped by police forces, coming from all sides and not letting anyone through. which was quite ironic, since they ordered us to leave the place.</div><div><br /></div><div>from then one, everything happened in a whirlwind. people were trying to take cover from the water gun, while officers were pushing them back. Anarchists were throwing things (they weren't throwing or destroying anything at first), giving the police a good excuse to storm the demonstration. people that didn't have anything to do with the whole thing and that just happened to be on the wrong place at the wrong time got beaten and kicked by these robocops. i never saw anything like it.</div><div><br /></div><div>anyway, they forced everyone to sit down, threatening to use the water gun again if we didn't. one girl was trying to take a picture of the whole thing. some stressed-out police-dude noticed, tried to pull her out of the group and hit her in the face. seriously, this is the sort of thing you only read about. after that we had to sit down for an hour, picking out random people to arrest before letting us go. </div><div><br /></div><div>being there and bearing witness to this sort psychological and physical violence, in this country, in that city, at that place and time just changes something inside you. the way in which you perceive society changes. it was completely unnecessary to storm the crowd, to hit people, to use the water gun, and especially to hit that girl. i hope she is ok.</div><div><br /></div><div>the day after i saw the news on television. how they pictured the whole thing made me even sadder.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">(the picture displayed is taken from the indymedia-site ovl.indymedia.org and presumably belongs to one named Vik. Check their site for more info and pictures of the events.)</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div> </div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484717956906765232.post-66743363345771439112008-03-10T14:12:00.001+01:002008-03-10T14:58:37.495+01:00the future is unwrittenlast saturday i went to the alternative bookfair in ghent. last year i spent way too much money there, and i haven't even read all the books i bought back then. mainly because they tend to get boring after a while. or maybe because i need more reading-discipline. nevertheless, here's this years damage:<div><br /><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Rolling Thunder #4 (CrimethInc.)</span></div><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 100px;" src="http://www.crimethinc.com/rt/pics/rt4.jpg" border="0" alt="" /><div>this was the one i was going for in the first place. i haven't yet finished reading the other three issues though. to be honest, i don't really think i'll ever read them profoundly. i just fell for the lay-out and the poem on the cover.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Society Of The Spectacle (Guy Debord)</span></div><div>vally introduced me to this one. i started reading the printed text he had in his apartment. i'd love to understand the full meaning of this book, but i already know it'll be hard pill to swallow. Debord writes small paragraphs that function almost as puzzles and it's hard to decipher its meaning sometimes. i hope i will manage someday. come </div><div>to think of it, maybe it wasn't meant to be deciphered or have any meaning at all. damn confusing situationists.</div><div> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; ">Expect Resistance (CrimethInc.)</span><br /></div><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 100px;" src="http://www.crimethinc.com/books/er/ercoversmall.jpg" border="0" alt="" /><div>yet another crimethinc. publication. i just bought this blindly, hoping it will inspire me as much as Days Of War, Nights Of Love did. it has to be said that this collective features some of the best writers in the 'genre'. Never sounding to academic or elitists, but always thought-provoking and inspiring. come to think of it, maybe i should translate their text's to dutch someday and do my part in spreading these ideas.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Anarchy In The Age Of Dinosaurs</span></div><div>i don't know what this is about. it was cheap. it had a nice title. it consist mainly of stories i think.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">The Philosophy Of Punk (Craig O'Hara)</span></div><div>i bought this one to get some inspiration for my paper (which should be almost finished, but is far from..). i'm already halfway, it's a rather easy read. but i don't know if it will be of much assistance. i haven't found too much in-depth philosophy yet in this one. the guy just discusses some currents in punk and distances others from them.</div><div><br /></div><div>(but i wonder if anything will ever happen if i just keep reading this stuff?)</div><br /><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0