Authentic Oral Communication

I'm pretty sure the latest effort by Hiroshima's People, the "autentic oral communication" cd that was released recently by Feminist Records, will at first disappoint a lot of people. Well, at least that's what happened to me! All I was expecting was nothing but another dose of their perfectly performed mid paced early Swankys workship. Exactly, just another "Fairy Tale". So you can easily image my reaction when I first put this into my cd player to discover that they've revolutioned their sound a lot. This album indeed show a big step forward for the band, from the noise-punk of their earlier material to a more "sophisticated" garage-punk, I'd dare to say. Well, not that different from the path followed by Swankys in their later days. So if you're expecting just a fuzz fest, forget about it. But after the initial letdown, the more you'll play this cd, the more you're gonna love it. The noise punk roots are still here, but they've added a lot of new influences and the final result is something unique that stand on its own. I'm a dumb cunt so I still think that "fairy tale" was way better but saying that this is not a solid release would be simply retarded. On of the best album of 2012?  
Their lyrics/artwork are still sex oriented, so if you've ever wondered how does a cock shaped bong look like, well here's your answer:

DETONATE RECORDS interview 2011

Kyushu, Denmark? Yep, you got it right. It might not be around for a long time and it doesn't have a lot of releases under its bullet belt, but the chainsaw logo is already synonimous of high quality hyper-distorted punk-hc mayhem in my book. Definitely a label that will get a cult status in a not so near future. Interview conducted with label's head honcho Lasse during August '11 and originally featured into PM#7.

Perro: Hi Lasse. Let's start from the beginning: how, when and why did you decide to start Detonate Records?
Lasse: Detonate Records was started in early 2007. I got the inspiration for my label after being into japanese hardcore punk alot, but not many labels in my area was focusing on these bands. Rather than just releasing bands from Scandinavia, I got in touch with Disdomestic Violence and asked if I could release a record with them. This happened after their first debut 7inch, which I personally thought was an amazing record. As it was my first release, there was alot of stuff I did'nt have a clue about. I did'nt know how to prepare the artwork for print and so on. I learned alot from that release.

Perro: It's 2011, people barely buys records anymore and there are way too many labels out there. But Detonate seems to do pretty well for a relatively young label, with a good portion of your releases that went sold out pretty quickly. What's the secret for running it "successfully"? Why do you think Detonate is doing better than other bedroom based hc/punk labels?
Lasse: For me it is important to release something you really like. All my releases means alot to me, both the music but also the people behind the bands. I believe most labels release records with bands they like. Atleast I hope they do. For a longtime I only wanted to release one record at a time and make sure to break even, before releasing a new record. I know it's different now, as I have more projects going on, but I have become better to work on more projects too.

Another important thing is the distros and stores that carries my releases. I have worked with many of them almost since I started. It seems japanese people will support their own bands alot, which is good.
I do agree that it's become harder to release vinyl. It just means pressings of records will become smaller. I will keep releasing records as long as I feel like it and as long as I work with bands that supports what I do. There is no heart in digital music. The process of making a record has alot heart I think. Both the process of making the record, but also the cover and so on. Something that you won't find on an mp3 downloaded from a blog.

Perro: Is there any record label that you admire or consider a font of inspiration for the way your run Detonate? If there's any, how do you think they have influenced you?
Lasse: Well I got the inspiration for releasing records from Kick N' Punch Records, but also Overthrow and New/Bad Smell Records. Personally I think Tommas and Jacob from now defunct Kick N' Punch, did an amazing job. They kinda put Denmark on the map again. Tommas was kind enough to help me out with info on how to press records and so on. Overthrow for releasing stuff I always thought was amazing bands, but not always easy to get. Especially here where I live. But most labels out there is doing an amazing job. Releasing music at least some people will appriciate. It's never easy to release a record that suits everyone and therefor it's great people will release records that means something to them personally.

Perro: What's your daily routine with Detonate? How many hours does it stole from the rest of your life? Did you ever feel tired/ disappoined and started thinking to stop doing it?
Lasse: It depends. I spend a great amount of time on each release by listening to the music, editing artwork and so on. I really have no clue on how much time I spend on each release I do. I love releasing records. I never really thought I would stop releasing records, but I sometimes feel I need a break from some of the stuff I do. Another reason I now release stuff through Dead Section.

Perro: Detonate catalogue is almost all japanese bands. Sometimes it's hard to communicate with them due to language barriers. Does it ever happened to have some difficults to get in touch with one particular band that you wanted to release on Detonate badly?
Lasse: Yes, I would lie if I told you, it sometimes was'nt a problem. In the end it still worked out great. I always thought it was pretty easy to work with japanese bands. Google Translate works alright, I guess :)
 

Perro: All the stuff you've released since now fall strictly in the Kyushu sound category and so what's coming out soon. Will Detonate always be devoted exclusively to this sub-sub-genre or will we see also burning spirits hc or something else released under the chainsaw label?

Lasse: The last release on Detonate was Nü-kl?-?r Blast Suntan - Arms Of Static 7". But to answer your question. No, I don't stricly release noise punk, I release whatever I really like and think deserves a slap-o-wax, so to say. Detonate will not be devoted to any specific sub-punk-genre, no. However, Detonate will be the primary label of mine to release hardcore punk. That being said, I really appriciate all the Kyushu bands and I think they were a huge inspiration to the japanese punk sound. Many bands are heavily inspired by Kyushu bands still now. Amazing. 

Perro: You've released three Noisecat eps and another one is planned. There's some sort of mistery that surrounds that band and you know I've even failed when I've tried to interview them. Can you enlight us a bit more about them?

Lasse: Noisecat have decided to be an anonomous band. I can't and won't change that. The fourth record will released later this year. It will probably be the last Noisecat record for now?

Perro: There's a bunch of Detonate releases planned for the future that are quite intriguing. Can you tell us something more about them? I'm particulary curious about VA - HAKKYO HAKAI COMPILATION 12": how long till it will see the light of the day?
Lasse: It's been almost two years, since I first agreed to release a record with Caravana Anarquista, a very noisy punk collective from Japan. It will finally happen very very soon. About Hakkyo Hakai comp it will feature bands from Nagoya and my good friend Jun from Attack SS, is the mastermind behind this project. It will feature D-Clone, System Fucker, Attack SS and Folkeiss. All bands I really love and admire. They all manage to add a very harsh noisy feel to their destructive music, that I just love. This 12" will be released later this year. As mentioned already, a Noisecat 7" will be released and a reissue of the Massgrave tape. The 7" will include 2 bonus tracks.

Perro: What's your opinion about all the reissues that are coming out these days? Is Detonate ever going to put out any reissues?
Lasse: I really like the reissues. It just means we can get our hands on records, that is very hard to come by. So no need to spend alot of cash on originals, even though, as a collector, I find it special to hold an original record in my hands. But for the music, a reissue is great idea. I'm a fan.

Perro: Recently you've also started another label, Dead Section Records (cool name, by the way). Why simply not releasing that stuff through Detonate? I mean, I know it's a bit different, but at the end it's all too noisy stuff that most people don't get...
Lasse: Alot of people asked me, why I formed another label. Simple because the stuff I release via Dead Section is not really suited via Detonate. I like black metal, noise, drone and so on and just don't want to mix these genres with Detonate. I wan't to keep Detonate "clean" and only do hardcore punk through it. I guess it's like having a 2nd baby. So far I have released two releases and two is at the plant. The genres is really very different from the stuff i've done in the past through Detonate. I like it to be separated. Logic or not, I like this way better.

Perro: It's record nerd time. Please gimme your top 10 japanese hc/ punk releases ever, both for full lenghts and singles...
GISM - Detestation LP
Zouo - The Final Agony 7"
Barigade - Dust Hero Flexi
The Sexual - Suicide Flexi
Death Side - Bet On The Possibility LP
Gauze - Kao O Aratte Denaoshite LP
Nightmare - Give Notice Of Nightmare LP
Bastard - Wind Of Pain LP
The Swankys - The Very Best Of Hero LP
Chicken Bowels - Keep Our Fire Burning 7"

Perro:   Thanx for you time, Lasse. Feel free to close this chat with whatever nonsense you feel to add...
Lasse: Thanks alot, Raffa! Kudos to the people that supports good music and supports their local record shop/distro.

 

Blodig Stad

As much as I do like scandinavian hc/punk, there's no way I'll ever start collecting originals from there. Australian, japanese and colombian records have already proved to be a money pit that my wallet can barely affort. So I'm glad that some years ago someone decided to boot the legendary one and only sweden's Absurd "s/t" 7" from 1982. Also known as "Blodig Stad", this is one of those swedish records that goes for buckets of money. I guess this and of course the fact that they sing is swedish is the only common point with bands like Skitlickers or Anti Cimex. If swedish trademark is the brutal and heavy sound, Absurd went in the opposite way. They indeed sound more like a way sloppier euro version of Minor Threat, expecially for the guitar sound. The singer left punk to become a bloody priest. Legend tells they did a reunion in early 90s' and he went on stage wearing his old spyked jacket over his priest suit, ahahah!! Anyhow, essential record! Matrix have been stratched so brutally that it looks like they did it with a pneumatic drill!!

Living In Chaos

While their name will always suggest they're only a copycat band, D-Clone debut full lenght "creation and destroy" proves exactly the opposite. Of course do not expect big innovations or a radical evolution. They're still raw as fuck, hyper-distorted, pissed off and of course there are plenty of d-beat parts to satisfy all the Discharge maniacs out there. Although, here they proved to have developed their own sound/style. First, I didn't remember them being that fast. No blast beats of course, but we're not that far from it on a couple of tracks. Plus they've thrown in an "experimental part" (for a lack of better words) at the end of side A that add a little of fresh air. It might sound like an oxymoron, but "creation and destroy" is a pure d-beat album where every track doesn't sound like an exact clone of the previous one. Sugi artwork. This is the european press on Agipunk. 100 on blue, 400 on black. This is going to sold out quickly so act fast or you'll regret it. One of the best album of 2012? I think so.   

I'm quite sure that sooner or later I will end up reading somewhere on the internet some morons arguing that this band is "hyped" and to "boycot them to preserve the purity of punk/hc" kind of bullshit...You know that kind of people. Now, I'm pretty conscious that life is easier for bands that come from US, Japan or Sweden. But to tag every bands that get a minimum of attention "hyped" is utterly ridicolous and childish. So please stop being a moron and understand a simple fact. Your crappy band sucks. D-Clone does not. That's why people prefer to spend their hard-earned cash for their records rather than on your useless unlistenable homemade totally DIY tape.

Stamp Out Disco

Like almost all the new HC bands that came outta Australia in the last couple of years, Last Chaos debut ep "kill dick control" turned out to be quite disappointing. Nothing terrible of course, but if you compare it to what the land downunder was producing between 2005 and 2010, you'll get the point. The music itself is not that bad, but the weak sound and the boring vocals are ruining it. Not to sound like a dick, but the demo was way more energic. When I listen to hardcore equally influenced by finnish and english classics, I want it to sound raw and distorted. And I want the singer to scream his lungs out for the rage. This ep is missing all this essential elements. Hardcore Victim. 500 made. 200 on clear, 300 on black.

"If Doc and Marty would ever offer me one only ride on their DeLorean, I'd go for Brisbane, 1977. In this period this tropical and isolated city, under the siege of Bjelke Petersen's iron first, was the perfectly boring and hopeless environment that forced young people to grab instruments and play the most angry, raw and pissed off music possible at that time. This was the inception of an extremely badly organized yet amazing small scene, where poorly attended gigs turned either in alcohol induced pathetic performances or police repression brutality. Of course it could have last only for a few years and most of these bands disbanded even before the new decade started. Band members moved away or OD'd in a dark corner. The few records that bands like Leftovers, Razar or Young Identities were able to put together, the only manifactures left for the posteries, were pressed in such small amounts that the few copies that have been able to make it through the last 30+ years are now highly revered collectors items that go for big bucks on todays eBay's frenziness. So I'm glad that 540 Records made these obscure classics available again for those that cannot affort to pay thousands of bucks for a record".

This is what I wrote in PM#7  about the Young Identities represses that came out last year. It seems like my prayers have been answered! Someone finally bootleged Razar's 1978 legendary debut ep "stamp out disco/task force". Two songs. One about hating disco, the other about hating cops. How could it be more punk than this? No lyrics and minimal infos, but I do really love that both songs have their own specific artwork.