Head records : the interview

Head records is a label based in Montpellier (south of France) It  releases different kind of underground music, it can be hardcore, stoner, math rock, noise rock, or something else, but whatever the style it's interesting music of good quality (you might have heard about Verdun, Mudweiser, Morse, Pneu, Microfilm, or Cafe flesh for exemple which are among the bands associated with Head records) .
living also in Montpellier I had the occasion to interview Abel, Head records founder, about his label.

Check Head records website

and Bandcamp

and if french is not unknown to you, read the interview below :

-Abel, pour commencer est ce que tu peut revenir sur ce qui t'a motivé et décidé à lancer Head records?

 Abel : à la base j'étais chanteur dans un groupe hardcore / noise qui s'appelait Spinning Heads, ce qui m'a amené à auto-produire des disques, d’où le nom du label Head records puisque sa vocation première était alors de sortir les disques du groupe. Avant la sortie du premier disque en 2006 (le premier 45 tours de Spinning Heads) Il y a eu en 2003 la création d'une association pour organiser des concerts. Au départ Head Records faisait plutôt du management de groupe, aider à trouver des labels, etc., puis a fait label directement. le déclic a été de sortir le disque du groupe Goodbye Diana, ce qui a montré que Head records pouvait fonctionner comme label. 

-Quelles sont tes activités en dehors de Head records? 

Je produits des disques pour des labels de jazz basés à Montpellier, et depuis juin 2013 je fais aussi la programmation du Black sheep. 

-quel était le projet artistique de Head Records au départ, est-ce que ça a évolué? 

Non pas de ligne artistique bien arrêtée au départ, je fais mes choix selon mes goûts personnels tout simplement, aujourd'hui c'est globalement noise, stoner, hardcore, math rock, mais ce qui compte pour me décider à le faire c'est que j'aime la musique du groupe, quel que soit son style. 

 -comment se passe le processus qui va jusqu'à la signature d'un groupe? 

Comme je disais, mon choix se fait selon l'affinité musicale. Parfois c'est le groupe qui m'a contacté au départ, parfois c'est moi. Je reçois plusieurs liens de groupe par jour, qui viennent de presque partout dans le monde, certains sont pour les concerts que j'organise. Pour donner un exemple, sortir le disque de Mudweiser m'a fait recevoir beaucoup de musique de groupes de stoner. 

 -Il a bien marché donc ce disque de Mudweiser? (vous trouverez ICI la chronique Blasting days du disque en question, avec l'interview que j'ai faite avec Jay le bassiste du groupe) 

Oui leur disque a pas mal marché, avec Pneu et Microfilm c'est le groupe du label qui marche le mieux. 

 -tu peux nous présenter maintenant les sorties les plus récentes du label? 

Alors les dernières sorties sont : 

 -Morse : (voir la chronique et l'interview dans Blasting Days). 

les autres gars du groupe m'ont forcé à sortir le disque (lol) ! 

 -Les yeux de la tête : Trio instrumental basse, batterie et saxophone. C’est le deuxième disque que je sorts pour eux, le premier étant co-produit avec un label jazz (Rude Awakening) pour lequel je bosse par ailleurs. 

 -Jean Jean : Duo instrumental math rock, Je les suis depuis leur début et leur ai proposé, il y a quelques mois, de sortir un disque, ce qui est désormais fait. 

En tout cette année 5 sorties donc (ces trois là plus Mudweiser et Town in a Mess, trio rock noise hardcore avec un ancien Spinning Heads). 

-et les prochaines sorties ça sera quoi? 

Le CD de Stuntman (métal core de Montpellier) en 2014 avec Solar flare records et Lost Pilgrims records sur d’autres formats : respectivement vinyle et K7. Mais aussi un split entre Les Yeux De La Tête et un groupe batterie et saxophone de Rome : Mombu. Un autre split vinyle entre deux groupes stoner de Montpellier : ÖfÖ Am et Lahius (voir ici la chronique et l'interview concernant le dernier album d'ÖfÖ Am, The beast within). On travaille aussi sur un prochain album de Pneu, j’espère le sortir en 2014. 

-de façon plus générale, comment tu vois l'avenir du label? 

J’ai prévu d'acheter un camion pour aider les groupes à partir en tournée, d'abord ceux du label, puis d'autres groupes de la région éventuellement. Sinon poursuivre l'activité "normale" chercher à avoir des chroniques pour les disques, les faire connaître via les réseaux sociaux, organiser la distribution (disquaires et streaming / download) et développer la vente par correspondance des groupes et labels que je distribue. J’aimerais créer de l’emploi mais pour le moment ce n’est pas facile de générer suffisamment de rentrée d’argent régulière pour y penser sérieusement. 

-c'est quoi ton avis sur le téléchargement? 

Au début le téléchargement illégal m'embêtait, mais j'ai compris que maintenant les gens voulait être sur d'aimer avant d'acheter et pour ça il faut qu'ils aient l'opportunité d'écouter avant d'acheter…

Badgod music is a label founded in 2011 and dealing underground and uncompromising music. each of its thirteen band plays a variety of extreme and dark music in brutal or more subtle ways, ranging from death / black metal to indus / noise / ambient experimental music.

you can learn more about Badgod music and its bands on its website :
badgodmusic.com

or listen / download the records on its bandcamp page.

you can also read below what Dave, the man behind Badgod music, answered to my questions :

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-on your facebook page we learn that Badgod music was formed in 2011, what were your motivations then? what was the project at the start?

I was and still am hosting a radio show on non-profit station near Vail CO. I accept promos from a number of labels and pr firms as well as independent artists. Many of the unsigned artists fascinated me because I thought their material rivaled or surpassed that of artists on labels – large or small, Doing the radio show I had the good fortune of meeting Never To Arise, Trillion Red and Black Crow King; in fact Gordon Denhart (Never To Arise) was my first “friend” on Myspace as I was setting up a page for my show. Being the paranoid introvert that I am, I immediately checked him out and that led me to his band. I was blown away! Connections with Trillion Red and Black Crow King subsequently followed. I started the label with the simple goal of helping artists I enjoy reach more people.
At the start, the label consisted of three bands and the desire to spread their musical manifesto.

-how did you get into music and metal?For as long as I can remember I have been interested in music. When I was very young I listened to the radio during much of my spare time. A relative bought Kiss ‘Alive’ for my brother. At first we were both horrified, but after multiple listens I was hooked. AC/DC followed and that quickly led to a slippery metallic slope starting with the standards : Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Metallica, etc..

Despite having limited to no musical aptitude, three friends and I did form a band in high school. It was a joke at first but we did build a rather large fan base quickly and we actually got on the radio and played a handful of gigs before disbanding when we started college. I played drums for a while but as I had no sense of timing or rhythm, I quickly moved to vocals, which fit as I wrote most of the lyrics.

It was for the better that we did breakup because we had strayed from our Misfits/Dead Kenndedys/Ministry roots to something of a Yes/ Metallica/Men Without Hats hybrid with a Yoko Ono thing going on.

-you already signed a few band and released quite a lot of record for a new label in two years, I suppose Badgod music takes a lot of your time?It definitely does take up a large amount of my time and I would hate to actually sit down and calculate my hourly wage, but I am passionate about it and I like the challenge of starting a label from scratch and bringing it and the bands a level of notoriety that will shock and awe.


-were the band you signed bands that you knew already or bands that you discovered after the birth of Badgod music?As mentioned, I knew Never To Arise, Trillion Red and Black Crow King before starting the label and they were the initial inspiration to take the first steps towards global musical domination. A recent signing, Denver thrash/doom trio The Casket Crew, I knew of before starting the label. It took a while to work up the moxie to sign them as they scared the shit out of me and these feelings proved to be well-founded as they proved to be hard-asses when it came to negotiations. Inferion approached me through the recommendation of Clawhammer PR. They were another band I had played on my show, so was well aware of them and absolutely rapturous when Nick Reyes approached me.

-how do you pick the bands you want to work with?There has to be an initial spark but I will also listen to the artists dozens of times before making a decision. I never have any preconceived notions of who or what genre I want to sign. Whatever turns my crank at the time but I want to make sure the crank keeps turning.
-although the majority of the Badgod music bands are playing death or black metal you're not limited to that with bands more noise / ambient as well, was this diversity something you wanted from the start for Badgod music?When I first started out, I did consider what kind of label I wanted it to be, and decided I did not want to pigeon-hole the label, aside from maintaining a feeling of darkness, malevolence and heaviness. As I enjoy a wide variety of heavy music, the thought of dealing with only death or black metal would have been hard for me.


-it seems that your released has most of the time an "evil" (overtly and brutal or more sneaky) global presentation, music, cover, lyrics, etc..I suppose from the name of the label that it not just coming from the bands but is also your idea of what should be a badgod music release?Yes, the idea is to maintain an overall feeling of evilness or brutality, even if these can be subversive at times. I believe the bands currently on the roster have no problem maintaining the label’s overall feel now or will in the future.

-what is your most successfull release yet?

That is a difficult question to answer as I feel they have all been successful in their own way, garnering overall very positive responses from critics and hoi polloi alike. Ever the diplomat!


-a few words about your most recent releases?

Summarizing the latest releases in a few words would be a difficult task. The year started off with an unrivaled storm of malevolent ugliness in the form of the industrial/power-electronics of Project:Void’s ‘The Anthropogenic Process’. It is limited to 100. Another limited release is the Trillion Red ‘Echo Road EP’. It possesses a darker, heavier sound than the recently released ‘Metaphere’. Unlike ‘Metaphere’, there are no subtleties: it mercilessly uses the doomscape as its stomping ground. Uvikra’s ‘Bi’ is one of the most interesting slabs of blackened death you will ever hear: production that gives no quarter to pretense and an almost sinuous chord progressions that immediately envelopes the listener in a stranglehold of dread and hopelessness. And the most recent release: ‘The Grace Of Pettiness’, a split between Back Crow King and Thoreous, is a wild sludgy queef of musical experimentation that may push the Grammys to inaugurate a new category. Coming soon is King Carnage’s ‘Ounce Of Mercy, Pound Of Flesh’: a violent and raging Black/Death concoction that will split heads.


-what can we expect from Badgod music in the coming months?

More wonderful weirdness, darkness, heaviness, brutality and overall exciting musical shenanigans that will take music and people’s lives to unparalleled heights of introspection and exploration.
 

Lost pilgrims records is a new record label from Montpellier (France), that will deal mostly with crust - doom - black - hardcore - grind - drone.

Lost pilgrims records is run by Dadoo and Geraud that both plays in the doom band Verdun.

they release records but also are a distro and organise concerts (in Montpellier until now at least).

they start really well with the three following releases :

-the vinyl version of “The Cosmic Escape of Admiral Masuka”EP by Verdun.
(read the review I did last year with an interview with the band HERE).

listen / download it  
 

-the second album "Phoebus" by the swiss band Cortez which plays a good post-hardcore.

listen / download it  

-the new album "Vilagvege" by the swiss band Rorcal which plays a radical mix of doom and black metal. really intense, heavy and dark. 

Listen / download








an interview is coming with Dadoo and maybe Geraud of Lost pilgrims records so you'll have many more details about the label but for the moment just listen to these three releases and check LOST PILGRIMS WEBSITE.

Art of burning water-This disgrace (2012)

Art of burning water is a UK band and This disgrace is their third record. what they play is somewhere between tortured sludge and noisy hardcore with a nightmarish atmosphere. faster than traditionnal sludge, slower than traditionnal hardcore, but above all a raw and noisy brew of guitars, screams and heavy drums beating. If you want a comparison I would say their sound isn't far from bands like Unsane or early Godflesh. not exactly a party band but if youre looking for some dark and noisy stuff Art of burning water will do.

you can listen / download it on BC

and you can read this email interview I did with Geith  (guitars) that answered the questions about the band and Kunal that answered the questions about Superfi records that he is running and which is one of the label that releases This disgrace. I sent my questions when they released their former record Love you dead, but the answers are recent so it's fresh news from the band and Superfi.

-I read that Art of burning water was formed 10 years ago, can you present the band and relate the evolution of the band until now? Have your music changed a lot since the beginning of the band?

Gayf :  Mike and myself formed the band in 2001. We have had many bass players, had many laughs, typical band downers, life joy, life sadness and the noise has always been a way of embracing good times and being a cathartic release of all the harsh and shit things in and about life. The music has had many twists and turns because our lives twist and turn. I think it always sounds like the way we sound but it's important to feel like you can go anywhere with the stuff you do. It's good to mix and blend. Try different sauces, different cuts of the animal, try it fried, grilled... experimenting, even if you fuck it up and it ends up sounding like Throbbing gristle when you were thinking more in the Motorhead vibe is cool as long as you mean it and it's visceral (big words blud). Intense is always good and it's always been a bit like that sound wise. Life is horrible so we have to be in order to fight back innit?


-with your style mixing metallic hardcore and sludge I guess you play with bands coming from different scenes, hardcore, metal, etc…aren’t you?

Yeah, lots of different types of bands from hardcore, crust, grind, sludge, shoe- gaze, post-rock, doom/drone, metal, thrash, arty bands and everything else in between. Played with loads of different bands from the U.K, US, Europe and Japan. We are part of no scene as such. Never really felt like we fit in but then fitting is a bit over rated....ha! Lots of great bands, many much better than us.

 -what can you tell about your last record Love you dead [This disgrace is now their latest album]?

We recorded it with Wayne Pennel at the bunker. Mike and I wrote 85% of it before Steve joined and we had written stuff that we wanted to smile to because the last album was a massive spirit crusher and a cunt of an album to do. Why is not important and also, life wasn't too great for the both of us and so we wanted to just play and try and inject the joy back into it. It's still a bit dark in some places but the main joy of recording was that it was with Wayne coz Wayne is open minded and is always up for trying things. That was a total joy. Record with he. He is good at what he do.

-how do you write your songs, do you start from an idea like doing a long heavy sludy song and it’s ends with Nicaragua, or a fast pissed off song and it ends being Husker du happiness? Or do you jam and then see what happens?

We don't really jam. A jam can last five minutes (or less) and from that there would be about three or four ideas and we start working them into a tune as quickly as possible. I write riffs and structure tunes and some end up being how they were and some change lots. We go through ideas very fast. We don't spend months on stuff. If it feels cool it stays and if it doesn't we change it up quick. Mix all sorts of stuff in. From Mid period Neurosis, Buzzoven, Killing joke, Swans to Spazz, Whitehouse, His hero is gone, Joy division, Melvins to Bad brains through to old motown, crust bands to classic rock...it's all there and there is good to be had from loads more stuff. It can be 50 seconds to 10 minutes. Keep an open mind and anything can be twisted up and re-shaped. No rules. That's what punk rock taught us. Anger is an energy like John Lydon said.

 -how would you describe your live shows?

Erm...Ha! Crossed arms usually...empty looks on faces. Most London shows are not very good for us. When we play outside of London then it almost always is much, much better. We formed the band in the wrong place. I think if we would have formed it in Leeds, Nottingham, Birmingham and so on then things might have been a little better...maybe. See, we mix stuff up a bit like I said before and it seems that people have to have stuff put into categories. If it doesn't fit into a specific box then you end up with a mix of fans but never really belonging anywhere. We are very influenced by what has historically come out of the north sides of England or North of London. That's where a lot (not all mind) better bands came and come from in the UK imo. London bands can be really good too it's just not really the place if you are trying to be honest...HA! We like shows that are on the floor, no stupid stage and a little bit of good anger and violence for all the family.

-it seems that you likes funny names for your songs and for the band, but what about the lyrics?

Funny titles to mask downer/depressing song themes. The lyrics and we really should print them by now, are a lot to do with cancer, England, mental struggles, hopelessness, lonliness, living in this England and never wanting to die in England, lyrics deal with those I've loved and lost whilst living in England, grief, POLITICS, England, your dreams being crushed, no hope, waking up in England, being in what feels like a constant state of sadness, being on the breadline, personal problems, your problems, our problems. Aobw, for me was always about trying to deal with a world I can not understand. I never read the secret book of life. The lyrics are never as "funny" as the titles. There you go. I've said it....HAHAHAHA!

 -what’s coming ahead for Art of burning water?

 Well, we keep breaking parts of our bodies so we always hope to tour until life has other plans. We recorded the fourth album in Jan and we have just finished mixing it with Sir Wayne who has done a great job on it as always. We are about to put the LOVE YOU DEAD record out finally. Thanks to the heorics of El Kunal of the world famous Superfi records. We hope to have the new album ''THIS DISGRACE' out by the end of the year provided people buy the vinyl version of LYD. Also, once Mike's knee gets better we hope to record three of the five tracks we have written with Kunal for a split with a sick band. That will be a 7" so that takes us into early next year so lookout. NO MORE FUCKING BROKEN BONES. We really,really want to tour so get in touch if you'd like to see us play your living room ANYWHERE.

-why was Love you dead released on Swarm of nails and not Superfi like your first records?

Well, Kev at Swarm of Nails was very kind and offered and believe me no-one offers to put out Aobw records so we said yes. Kunal never even wanted to ever put out an Aobw record. We just threatened to break his legs if he didn't and Kunal likes walking so we came to an agreement.

 -speaking of Superfi, can you tell us about the birth and growth ofSuperfi?

Kunal  : SuperFi started in about 2000 when I found myself with spare time and cash, probably for the one and only time in my life. I didn't know what I was doing and I still don't really. I placed an ad in a magazine asking for demos and got some crap and one I quite enjoyed by Red Ghetto Sun who were this San Fransisco band that sounded a bit like Helmet or 16. Rich who runs Speedowax Records worked in a record shop in Birmingham where I grew up and told me about this plant in the Czech Republic which made records. I got a bunch of 7"'s made and slowly tried to sell and trade them away, which I guess worked out because I only have one left (which belongs to me). Most insane of all was that John Peel played it on his radio show, which I only know because this guy emailed me asking to buy a copy, so that was one sale. SuperFi carried on in a pretty random, unplanned manner, doing stuff I wanted to put out when I liked. Things have definitely slowed down for the label in the past few years, but that's because I want to get a life and rein it in and do fewer, smaller scale, but still awesome projects. Also, there are lots more people starting labels and even in the (relatively) short time SuperFi has existed there's all this digital download and t-shirt bundle preorder stuff happening which makes me feel like an old man that doesn't know what the hell is going on. After all is said and done, it has been a massive drain on my time, space and money, but I have met so many good people in the process that I don't mind.

 -how do you choose the bands you sign with Superfi? What are your criterions?

This is a boring answer, but the bands just have to be good man! There was never really an identifiable sound or look with SuperFi releases - I just wanted to put good stuff out and make the bands the main point of attraction. Since one release might be a grind thing and the next one a doom band, I sometimes have to find different ways of getting the records out to people, so that is something to think about. Also it's obviously easier to put a small run of 7"'s versus a gatefold double LP so that can be a factor too. I think more recently the focus for the label has been on UK bands that are earlier on in their "career" but that's not a hard and fast rule. I'd hope that having SuperFi's name on a record assures people that it's a sign of quality while still being something out of the ordinary. The label doesn't really fit in any pigeonhole, but I think it covers weirder, noisier stuff, especially for a label from the UK. Same with the distro - I try and get in stuff that no one else has, though that usually also translates into stuff that no one wants to buy.

-among the bands that have been associated with Superfi I especially like Cellgraft, what can you say about the release of their split with Drainland?

I have been friends with Jamie Grimes from Drainland for years, ever since he was in Debt and then Serpents. In fact, there was going to be a Serpents / Moss split 7", but the former broke up. Anyway, Jamie mentioned Cellgraft to me and I was blown away by them straight away which usually doesn't happen. Super harsh and fast DIY grind stuff -what's not to like? It was a split label thing so was a bit easier on the wallet. Turned out great I think, even if the cover art is totally gross.

-what can we expect from Superfi in the coming times?

 I just helped put out not one but two Art Of Burning Water LPs ("Love You Dead" and "This Disgrace"), and a 7" for Good Throb which is a bit of a departure for SuperFi as they are more in a garage-y punk style. Maybe I should do more stuff like that because that has done really well. Coming up is a split 7" with Pine Barrens and Wode who are both from the Manchester area in the UK. They are both excellent new(ish) bands that have a black metal influence in their punk. There will also be a Pine Barrens LP called "Kingmaker". I will be doing a tape for an absolutely killer grind supergroup called Beg which has Geith from Art of Burning Water, Smith from Afternoon Gentlemen and a guy called Ed on vocals. Much later in the year will be something with Lupins who are a great noise-rock trio, and a split with Skylark and Meadows. And then... who knows?

 Next for AOBW is a 7" for which five songs are ready to go. We are also writing new stuff and have some cool riffs going. We live far apart from each other now and can't get together every week like we used to, but we are still going forward whether people want us to or not.

-something to add?

Thanks a lot for the interest and interview!

Some links:
>> www.artofburningwater.bandcamp.com
>> http://www.facebook.com/pages/Art-of-burning-water/199317980081118
>> www.superfirecords.co.uk

The Monomaniac interview vol.1

Three days ago I posted a review of the first volume of the Monomanic compilations series by Blastbeat Mailmurder. Here is this review.


And here is the Monomaniac page on the Blastbeat mailmurder website : MONOMANIAC

I asked Panos Agoros, the man behind Blastbeat Mailmuder a few questions about BBMM, the Monomanic series and its first volume (I also recently posted his answers about the recent record of Dephosphorus for which he sings, you can read my review of the excellent Dephosphorus record, Nightsky transform, and the interview with Panos about it at this location).

read below the Monomaniac interview :

-how did you get this idea of the Monomaniac compilations?

Panos: That was while I was hearing a new song by a local brutal death/grind band, Atavism. They are friends of mine, and have been really slow at releasing new music these last years. So, this new track was a surprise because I didn’t expect anything new from them, as well as because it had a better sound than their previous releases.

I started to brainstorm as per how I could include the song to a future release. I first thought to use it as a side to a split-7”. Then I realized it was just one minute long! It would be  a waste for a 2-way split and even for a 4-way split - since you can fit at least 10 minutes of music at good sound quality to a 7 incher… That’s how the idea occurred to me of compiling several one-minute songs to a 7”!

In order to get all the background, I must mention that ever since I started collecting vinyl I particularly loved 7”EP’s that featured more than 2 songs. I have always felt some sort of weird satisfaction when a 7” featured 3, 4 or more songs. I don’t know why.

-how did you choose the bands?

P.: I started asking to friendly acts and bands that I have been in touch with. In the meantime, Andrew Childers from the excellent blog Grind & Punishment really liked the idea, and volunteered to help me out and ask to a few good grind bands that he was in touch with. That’s how Cloud Rat, Detroit, Thedowngoing and Body Hammer signed in.

-how the bands reacted to the idea of writing songs around one minute long? Most bands on the compilation are used to write short songs, but others usually write longer songs, did they took it as a cool challenge?

P.: The first most interesting thing about the Monomaniac series is exactly that, getting non-grind bands to follow the grind methodology and write a really short song! Some musicians really like the challenge of concentrating their band’s music and style in 60-90 seconds.

The second most interesting is getting together those short songs written by bands of different style and background, but all sharing a common passion for intense, unmitigated underground music and the associated culture/aesthetics.

I hope that if the series go well, the whole concept will get so infectious that eventually I will be receiving spontaneous submissions even from bigger bands (like say, Napalm Death, Immolation or Dark Throne) who will write saying “hey, we think that the Monomaniac series are cool, take this new song that we wrote exclusively for you!”.

-something to say about the order of the tracks on the compilation?

P.: The running order is always extremely important but in the case of a compilation it is crucial in order to maintain the listener’s interest and an overall cohesion.

To start with, I decided to group the grind-ish bands on one side and the black/death ones on the other. This helped assure a stylistic cohesion but on the other hand I hope that most of the people who will buy it will listen to both sides, and not just to side A if they are grind freaks or  to side B if they’re black/death fiends…

In the future this might change, but it will depend of the tracks at my disposal. A blackened grindcore song can be squeezed between a death metal and a black metal song, and vice versa…

Now I will detail a little bit the choice of this volume’s running order.

Side I:

• I thought that Cloud Rat were perfect in order to kick off side A and this whole volume 1. Their song has a thick, metallic sound, some really powerful screams and a seamless flow. I thought that both the grind and black/death audience would like it.
• Style-wise, Thedowngoing were the obvious choice to carry the torch after Cloud Rat. They also have some ear-piercing screaming vocals and  offering in their minute 3 tracks, they are relentlessly hammering the listener making him realize what he got himself into. We’re not kidding here. This is extreme deathnoise for the most vicious of audiophiles!
• Detroit’s powerviolence/hardcore with its raw and gritty production was chosen next in order to give a break from the grind onslaught of the first two bands. It’s still brutal of corpse, but in a different way. Like if we got from nuclear bombing down to street fighting level!
• Sete Star Sept are next and their avantgrinding noise violently erupts making the listener wonder if his equipment just broke! Both the mastering engineer and the pressing factory personnel have inquired whether so much distortion was normal! Anyway, I wanted the overall flow to have some powerful dynamics and a track like “Why Not Intersect” serves exactly that purpose. Body Hammer’s cybergrind tune is also in these veins with some effective dynamics, so it was cool to have it next, letting Head Cleaner close the first side with a more straight-forward and catchy style.

Side II:

• Diocletian were meant from the beginning to open the black/death side of Monomaniac vol.1… “Traitors Gallow” was one of the first tracks to be submitted, and it was also the first excerpt that was offered from very early on to the audience. Its inhumane, take-no-prisoners chaos perfectly represents what I like best about underground metal. Diocletian were the flag bearers of Monomaniac vol.1, a band which has trusted me and signed in instantly eventhough they did not know me very well. Being one of my favorite bands of these last years and with such a monstrous track, they just had to go first…
• The Howling Wind have initially surprised me submitting an instrumental song. It’s an awesomely majestic number with a lot of eerie stuff going on, so it was perfect after Diocletian…
• Sempiternal Dusk is a new death metal band from Portland-Oregon with an extremely dark and menacing sound. Side B featuring two regular songs and two instrumentals, the righteous thing to do in order to maintain dynamics was to alternate them. That’s how This Is Past got the opportunity to close Side II and Monomaniac vol.1 with some ritualistic bombast.

 

-two tracks by Thedowngoing are also on their latest record, it’s an exception isn’t it? The other tracks are exclusively featured on Monomaniac?

P.: Good question! All tracks submitted to Monomaniac must be unreleased and somehow exclusive. Demo/live versions or remixes might fit if they are relevant and of good quality.

In the case of Thedowngoing there is one song on Monomaniac that they have re-recorded for their “Athousandyearsofdarkness” EP, “Floorboards”. I realized this a few weeks before the release of Monomaniac vol.1. I could have asked them to pull it down, but I didn’t because I guess that they’ve somehow missed the exclusivity part of Monomaniac’s concept. Plus it’s a different version than the EP’s and only 1/3 (20 seconds) of their contribution, so I really don’t mind!

The other TDG song that you’re referring to is “Hikabusha (reprise)”. Like the title clearly suggests it’s a reprise which means (quoting Wikipedia’s article): “(…) repetition or reiteration of the opening material later in a composition (…)”. The full “Hikabusha” song that is featured in the EP is 34 seconds, while the reprise is 15 songs long, so it’s definitely not the same song!

There is another similar case, DETROIT’s “Birthday Party”. It’s still unreleased/exclusive to this moment but they have re-recorded it for a future split-LP with Dysplasia (that is going to be an excellent release, by the way). I heard the new version and it’s quite different, having a different sound and more/different vocals/lyrics. I must say thay I prefer the original version though!

Anyway and in order to recap, the vast majority of the songs featured on Monomaniac are new/exclusive material. There might be a couple of exceptions over time, but I am 100% committed in maintaining high quality standards and not including any fillers.

-do you know already which bands will be featured on the next one?

P.: I know some of them and have already a few tracks ready!

The bands that have already submitted material are:

• Mutant Supremacy: excellent death metal from Brooklyn, NY. You are already familiar with them since you’ve reviewed their “Rotting Season” 7”EP, as well as having done an interview with them.
• Burial Hordes: brutal black metal from Greece with Dead Congregation, Enshadowed members. Shiteater, the drummer playing on this track is the last drummer we’ve played with Thanos (Dephosphorus) back at the Straighthate days (2007-8), he’s also playing with Embrace Of Thorns, Necrovorous, Resurgency.
• Gods Of Chaos: chaotic hardcore/grind from Croatia. Excellent band, still relatively unknown which is something that hopefully will change…

I’m expecting in the next few weeks tracks from:

• Ravencult: awesome thrashing black metal from Greece.
• Skullshitter: old-school grindcore from N.Y. featuring Robert Nelson, Mutant Suppremacy’s drummer.
• Progress Of Inhumanity: grindcore from Greece featuring another ex-Straighthate drummer, Nikos Prapas.
• Priapus: grindcore from the states.
• Haapoja: blackened metal/hardcore from Finland.

-do you already know how many monomaniac compilations there will be? Maybe it depends on the success of the first ones?

P.: I will keep releasing new Monomaniac volumes as long as there is enough interest for the series, and as long as I have the time/money to do it… But I like to take one step at a time. I hope vol.1 is going to do fine and in the meanwhile I am preparing vol.2. Support Blastbeat Mailmurder and we will carry on!

 

-what can we expect from Blastbeat Mailmurder in the next few months

P.: Next release in line is “The Mignola Split”, the ever-delayed split-cassette between Kommpound, my personal field recordings/noise/drone/ambient project, and Hellboy 106, a local comrade doing noise. It is a tribute to Mike Mignola and his legendary Hellboy series. It will be Blastbeat Mailmurder’s first cassette release, limited to 60 red tapes.

 

I guess that if things go well, Monomaniac vol.2 should be out early next year (after the end of the world, that is). I will also release at some point two 12”LP’s, and this is a scoop!

The first one, is the self-titled MLP of Injekting Khaos, which is the black metal band where Nikos played prior to Dephosphorus. It is their final recording, and you can stream two out of its five tracks from their bandcamp page. The format will be one-sided 12”MLP with an etching/engraving on the other side, and it is going to be a co-release between Blastbeat Mailmurder, the band, Temple Of Flesh, and Order Of Theta.

I will also (co-)release at some point the final recording of another now defunct band, Kvazar. They were one of Greece’s finest grindcore offerings, as well as friends of mine. I have committed not only to release it, but also to lay down the vocals! It has the length of an EP and most likely will be released as a split-LP with a foreign band that has yet to be determined…

That’s all for now. Thanks so much for your support Dennis, it is appreciated and good luck with Blasting Days!!!

Stream/download Monomaniac vol.1 now from Blastbeat Mailmurder’s bandcamp page! If you don’t have a turntable please consider buying the digital version for the amount of your choice. That will help us finance the next volumes!

You can purchase the 7”EP either from the BC page, or from our paypal store.

Last but not least, we don’t yet have a fancy web store featuring all the titles that we distribute but we’re working on it! Until then, please check out our online catalog. It’s full of killer items. Make your choice then drop us an email. We’ll get back to you asap with the postage cost to your location. If you support us, we’ll keep bringing you inspiring underground releases!

www.blastbeatmailmurder.com

bodybag666@gmail.com

 

Dephosphorus

Axiom, the first release by the greek band Dephosphorus was among the best discoveries from the underground in 2011.The music they play is an interesting combination of elements coming from different syles, mostly extreme music but not only, and the result is a unique balance beetween blackened grind/punk agression and eerie melodies and atmospherses. But Dephosphorus music escapes any labelling so if you want to figure out how it sounds just listen to it! highly recommended listening!

for exemple on their website or bandcamp page (you'll also find there two songs from their coming LP!).

I asked Panos Agoros, singer of Dephosphorus, some questions to learn more about the band, about Axiom, their future releases, etc., as you'll see, not only the music is unique, but also the lyrics, artworks, etc, the whole concept of the band is unique for an extreme band like Dephosphorus. Panos kindly and thoughtfully explained to me (and you!) what the band is all about (among other interesting things). read it below!

-can you present the band for those not knowing you yet?

Panos: We are Dephosphorus, hailing from Athens-Greece. We’ve been formed in summer 2008 by me (vocals/lyrics) and Thanos (guitars/bass/songwriting) after the dissolution of our previous band, Straighthate. After spending a year demoing material and forging our style, we’ve been joined by longtime comrade and Injekting Khaos member Nikos on drums. We’ve released our debut mini-album “Axiom” as a gorgeous gatefold vinyl last summer via german vinyl-only grind label 7 Degrees Records. “Axiom” is also available as a free download from our website.

-I think you manage to keep a balance between dark strange melodies/atmospheres and rawness and agressivity, is it something you try to achieve intentionally?

Panos: Of corpse! This is what Dephosphorus is all about. Delivering blackened, aggressive, spiritual and eerie music. Our ambition is to transport you to a realm beyond our earthly realities, yet not completely disconnected from them.

-if I describe your music as an original mix of different extreme music styles with mainly elements of grind/crustpunk and black metal would you agree?

Panos: Sure. Yet there’s more to it. Thanos’ songwriting is also influenced by noise rock, post-hardcore, thrash/death metal, folk music, noise/experimental, just to name a few music genres.

-how are Dephosphorus song’s written?

Panos: Until now the way we proceeded was the following. Thanos had submitted a pool of demos to the rest of us, and each time we wanted to write a new song, Nikos chose whatever track he fancied more. Then they would start working on it at the rehearsal room, and while this was happening I would be browsing my notepads trying to figure which lyrics would fit. When the music of the song would be more or less ready, I would join trying out different vocal lines, and usually at the end of a couple of hours of rehearsal we would have a first version ready that we would commit onto tape using our own equipment.

-it seems to me that the lyrics focus on about metaphysical subjects, can you tell us more about that ? I guess the artwork of Axiom is link to the lyrics isn’t it? And what does the name of the band means?

Panos: The name of the band designates a cosmic entity which is the central point of our concept. The initial idea about the name came from the working title of a Leviathan song, “Phosphoros”. We liked it very much because of how  it sounded, and because of its meaning (“bringer of a light”). It is also the name of a chemical compound, and since our concept has scientific afinities, it made sense to chose it. When we realized it was already taken we did a bit of research and came across “Diphosphorus” which is an allotrope of “Phosphoros”, aka a diatomic version in which it also exists. Voilà!

Our lyrics and concept are allegoric and metaphorical. They deal with the search for the meaning of life and of creation. Dephosphorus is scanning the cosmos for allies in order to pierce its mysteries. When some civilizations enter in contact with Dephosphorus, chaos and turmoil are ensuing. As a Calvin & Hobbes comic strip put it perfectly: “-If people sat outside and looked at the stars each, I’ll bet they’d live a lot differently. –How so? –Well, when you look into infinity, you realize that there are more important things than what people do all day.”

The artwork has been crafted by our friends Viral Graphics (www.facebook.com/viral.graphics) who are 100% into our concept and have similar perception and worldviews than we do. Our music, lyrics/concept and artwork are intertwined and are not to be considered separately.

-your previous grind band Straighthate was more like “classical” grind with lyrics about social concerns. How do you explain your move from Straighthate to Dephosphorus?

Panos: Straighthate was indeed less radical musically and conceptually, but I wouldn’t say it was classic grind either. It had some of the diverse influences that we also have in Dephosphorus albeit in more embryonic form: noise rock, post-hardcore, black/death…

When we decided to move on after Straighthate, we wanted to start a band more challenging and exciting, both musically and artistically. We figured out straight from the beginning that it would be a band based on a concept. Personally, at this point I needed an outlet where I could unleash my imagination and combine two parts of myself. The adult who’s thinking about the possibilities of life and about human existence, and the science fiction boy who grew up in the 80’s with Isaac Asimov and Battlestar Galactica…

-can you tell us more about the future split with Wake?

Panos: Our label, 7 Degrees Records, put us in touch with labelmates Wake from Canada (http://wakegrind.com/). They are an excellent grinding hardcore band, with devastating music and inspiring, caustic lyrics. They had 3 tracks to offer for a split-EP, so did we. It was a nobrainer that it would be a killer move to join forces for a split release, so with the support and encouragement of 7DR we made it happen. As we speak the wax is getting pressed at the factory. It will come with a poster insert sporting – once again – awe inspring artwork by Viral Graphics. Viral had to accomplish the challenging task of combining our stellar concept with Wake’s sociopolitical lyrics into a single coherent vision, and that’s what they did in a tour de force of epic, monumental artwork. Our tracks will also be available in a digital form. Brace yourselves!

-I also read on Grind and punishment that an LP called Night sky transform is coming, can you tell us more about it? Is it gonna be a move towards more grinding dark psychedelia?

Panos: You put it into words perfectly, indeed this is exactly what you’ll get! All three of us feel that all those years spent in the music scene came down to this. We consider “Night Sky Transform” to be our masterpiece. We hope that the underground audience will embrace it as they did with “Axiom”, as its valiant successor. Even if they don’t, it is a work extremely important to  us. A collective pilgrimage and a wonderful journey…

I don’t want to spill the beans too much. It is a different approach to our sound, yet there is still a sense of continuity. If you take a listen to the two tracks off “Night Sky Transform”, “Uncharted” and “Cold Omen”, streaming at our bandcamp page (http://dephosphorus.bandcamp.com) you’ll get a good idea where the album will be starting from. The rest of the trip will be for you to discover in a few months from now. It is going to be released as a special vinyl edition by 7 Degrees Records, and will also be available as a digital download. We’re also considering the cassette format - we’ve yet to receive a relevant offer for a CD release…

-other projects for the band? Touring planned?

Panos: There is also another split-7”EP that will follow shortly. It will be part of irish label’s Hell Comes Home (http://www.hellcomeshome.com/)subscription series. We will share it with Great Falls (http://www.myspace.com/greatfallsnoise), a great american band featuring ex-members of gods Playing Enemy…

Touring is unfortunately out of the question right now since Thanos is studying in Göteborg-Sweden, and our drummer Nikos is recovering from an arm injury. Dephosphorus gigs will definitely happen at some point. We just don’t know when - yet.

-what do you think of the situation in Greece? Has it an influence on your music? If so in which way?

Panos: We think that the situation in Greece is just a preamble to the storm that is coming, the global crisis of western capitalism. The Greek society is responsible for what is happening, and so are our foreign “friends” who encouraged and took advantage of corruption for the last 30 years. Fuck you Europe!

Most of our music and lyrics have been written before the crisis came down really hard on our country and people. There’s not any direct link, except the general sense of regret that our short lives on earth are consumed by trivial, mundane, materialistic worries and struggles, separating us from our true nature and from the greater, encompassing cosmic realities.

-how is the extreme metal/punk/grind scene in Greece at the moment?

Panos: It’s better than what it was 10 years ago. There’s a handful of exceptional acts (Dead Congregation, Ravencult, Injekting Khaos, Ruined Families, to name a few), some good ones and a whole lot of mediocrity. Just like everywhere else.

-can you tell us a few words about Blastbeat mailmurder/productions?

Panos: I’ve started Blastbeat Mailmurder/ Productions 10+ years ago, in order to distribute in Greece metal and hardcore music that wasn’t available in the stores at that time. I did a fair amount of field work introducing the local audience to bands like Antaeus, Kickback, Arkhon Infaustus, cult labels like Spikekult, Blackfish Records and Noevdia…

I’ve also released a handful of quality releases including both CD’s of Straighthate, 7”EP’s by swiss grind heroes Mumakil and local death metal legends Nuclear Winter (the band from the ashes of whom rose Dead Congregation)… I’ve just got out my latest release in over 4 years, the “Rotting Season” 7”EP by N.Y.C. death metal band Mutant Supremacy – I know you digged this one!

What I’m working right now is the Monomaniac series. That will be a stream of compilation 7”EP’s where each band will contribute with 1 minute of music! A lot of

excellent bands have been recruited to the cause until now (Diocletian, Necromantia, Robocop, The Howling Wind, etc)… I will also release at some point the self-titled mini-LP of our drummer’s excellent black/death band, Injekting Khaos (http://www.myspace.com/injektingkhaos, http://injektingkhaos.bandcamp.com/).

For more info, online music and a mailorder choke full of quality death/grind/black/hardcore items please check out my website: www.blastbeatmailmurder.com.

-something to add?

Panos: I would like to invite your readers to check out our website www.dephosphorus.com for more info. Subscribe to our mailing list and/or find us in facebook in order to be updated about the latest developments.

Thanks for supporting Dephosphorus and good luck with Blasting Days!