I recently got a chance to work with my friend Richard Nossar's band, Peruvian Psych/Doom merchants DON JUAN MATUS. A split 7" was just released with legendary 80's Lima Metal/Hard Rock band OXIDO. There's not too much info in english regarding OXIDO, so I decided to write up a brief history along with some questions answered by guitarist & founding member Javier Mosquera.
Pick up the split 7" here, only 300 copies pressed. http://wardancerecords.bigcartel.com/product/oxido-don-juan-matus-split-7
OXIDO started in 1982, founded by 4 teenagers growing up in Lima, Peru. Taking their name, meaning Rust in english, from Judas Priest's cover of Joan Baezs' "Diamonds & Rust". They are heavily influenced by the hard rock sounds of AC/DC, Van Halen/Kiss. The idea is to make a band that combines the dark vibe of Black Sabbath, the potency of Deep Purple/Led Zeppelin & the romanticism of Uriah Heep. First rehearsals consist of acoustic guitars, plastic drums held together with cellophane & rotating musical chairs. By 1983 the line-up has solidified into Fernando De La Flor on vocals, Javier Mosquera on guitar, Jorge (CoCo) Cortes on bass & German Vegas on drums. Their live debut later that year, at a 20-bands festival, lasts approximately 20 seconds due to time constraints. The band continues playing alongside a wide variety of bands, like the Punks in LEUZEMIA, Commercial Rockers FRAGIL, Jazz fusioners MADERO JAZZ & the reformed 70's hard rockers PAX. They go into LOS SHAINS/PAX guitar hero Pico Aguirre's studio to record demos that end up being broadcast over a local Lima Rock station. Towards the end of '84, their vocalist leaves & is replaced by Reynaldo "Culebra" Linares. His magnetic stage presence & potent vocal style is soon overshadowed by increasing dictatorial demands like only singing songs he wrote & insisting the band wear matching outfits onstage, something the other members vehemently oppose.
In 1985, the band parts ways due to divergent views on musical direction, some opt for a heavier sound & others want a more progressive rock style. They soon dissolve & form new bands according to their chosen musical path, but not without first influencing a whole new generation of loud/heavy sonic purveyors, like the Tuesta brothers, who would go on to form MASACRE & kickstart the Heavy Metal scene in Peru.
Flash forward to now, OXIDO are back in 2012 with new recordings/concerts, but I'll let guitarist Javier Mosquera fill you in on the details:
When did the band dissolve & why was nothing released until now?
The band parted ways in late '85. Nothing came out on vinyl in those days because it was very difficult & expensive for us too record anything. We had all just finished school, no one had a job & live appearances were minimal. A lot different than today's readily available recording technology. We did do some (poorly) recorded demos & when we started doing better ones, through experience gained in the studio, we were already breaking up.
The song on the split 7"(Angel De La Muerte) is an old song, when was it re-recorded?
The song is from '84. I think Coco Cortes should remember the exact date, since he composed it. We re-recorded it in march/april of 2012 & finished the mixing when Coco came back to Peru for a concert of his band, MAZO.
You guys are considered the pioneers of Heavy Metal in Peru, what do you think of that term?
I think that the pioneers of Heavy Metal were MASACRE. We played a heavy basic rock style with some Metal elements thrown in on the later songs we wrote. I think we were more in line with being one of the first bands that picked up the legacy of such Peruvian greats like PAX & TARKUS, both heavy rock bands from the 70's. There were few bands playing that style in those years ('83-'84) & we were lucky to play with some heavyweights from the rock scene. Credit goes to people like Hector Cobos, who booked concerts for us with such diverse bands as LEUZEMIA, TV COLOR, PAX etc..
Oxido in 1984
What other groups did you & the other members start after Oxido's breakup?
When we broke up, Coco Cortes started POLVAZO & GRAEL. He later played in TORTURA & KRANIUM & lastly formed MAZO. Myself & the drummer started the progressive Rock band ERA. I then joined DHARMA & ORGUS for brief periods. I formed ALMAS IMMORTALES next & then joined progressive outfit APULUZ in '89-90. Me & the singer launched Oxido in the mid 90's with Giovani Viale on drums & later 2 members of MAZO (Julio 'Naka' Almeida & Billy Astete) replacing German & Coco, but for various reasons, discontinued in '98. I then formed an experimental project called PROTOZOARIO & then lastly started EL VIEJO in 2002, that band lasted until 2011. Oxido played again in 2000 with the bassist of EL VIEJO, Jose Mejia. We've been recording & playing out as of late with all original members except for Coco Cortes, who's been replaced by Orlando Del Carpio from the band RULA.
Do you feel that Oxido is part of a Rock n Roll tradition in Peru, starting with bands like LOS SAICOS in the 60's, TARKUS/PAX in the 70's & you guys in the 80's?
I think that, without planning it, there came to be a dry spell of hard rock in Lima. We were part of the beginning of a movement that got stronger as the years went by with bands like ORGUS, MASACRE, JERUSALEN, MAZO, KRANIUM, SACRA, DHARMA & many more.
Oxido/Don Juan Matus Split 7" 2012 (Wardance/Basilica)
There's a CD coming out with all your old songs right? Are you playing out & planning more recordings?
Yes, that's were we're at. We have 7 songs finished, 3 more to go plus record 2 in a better fashion & re-arrange a couple of more. We are playing out & plan to organize a concert in a couple of months.
How did you get in contact with DON JUAN MATUS? Familiar with their material?
Yes, I know their stuff: heavy psychedelic vein. I played on a couple of songs with them. I got in touch with Richard Nossar/Manolo/Joaquin from DJM, who played together in those days.
Javier Mosquera: "(Metal/Hard Rock) is an alternate universe that allows a vibrational metamorphosis".
What are you up to these days in Peru?
I travel throughout the country doing topographical ground surveys, getting a chance to see a bit of the eco-biology. Also, trying to organize concerts with people related to the bands. I thank you & the guys from DON JUAN MATUS for promoting our material & also Hector Paez, who's supported us with recordings/rehearsals & facilitates in all aspects our work with Oxido.
What does Metal/Hard Rock mean to you now?
It's an alternate universe that allows a Vibrational Metamorphosis.
Thank you for the interview Javier. Rust never dies!
I caught Raw Power at my 1st ever HC show in 1985 @CBGB's & I've been a rabid fan of Punk/HC from that boot-shaped nation ever since. There's something about the way the Italian language, or its english pronunciation, that fits raw HC/Metal & Oi! like a glove: larynx-straining vocals over music threatening to derail at any given moment, were the most extreme sounds to me, long before the advent of Grindcore/Black Metal & what have you. This is a list of stuff that I consider the cream of the crop from that era, people that follow these sounds will know the records like the back of their hands (& then some).
This list is aimed at someone that has, at best, a passing familiarity with these incredible gems that have stood the test of time. Apart from a couple of personal comments for each record, the music will do all the talking, anyway you can find info about each particular band on the web. Speaking of which, most of these 7"s are available for download on the best music blog around http://www.goodbadmusic.com/
There is also a wonderful site, filled with tons of info on bands/labels/zines. Done by people that were there during those halcyon days, check it at: http://www.lovehate80.it/
Another great resource, not in english, but has downloads to just about every Italian band: http://www.accaci.org
So pop open a nice bottle of Chianti, lay out some al dente pasta w/Marinara sauce, blast the tunes & manga to your hearts content.
SHOTGUN SOLUTION- "Shotgun" Ep 1983.
I've sold a lot my records over the years, but there's no way I could let this puppy go: killer vocals, squealing guitar leads, insane subject matter (the song IKYCIMF is about a serial killer: I Keep Your Cunt In My Freezer) an over the top delivery make for a crushing ep. The back cover's great: 4 leather-clad punk/metal looking guys standing on a doorway (The Colosseum?)
CHAIN REACTION- "Gabbie" Ep 1985.
A furious 6-song gem that makes the best out of its zero production values, like most Italian HC ep's from that era. Proof positive that all you needed to come up with a scorcher was laser-like intensity of purpose, an incredibly angry singer & top-notch song-writing. Modern HC bands would do well to look to this as a blueprint/inspiration, but then again, you can't recreate such spontaneous brilliance.
NABAT- "Scenderemo Nelle Strade" Ep 1982
OI!, the bastard child of punk, was (& is) looked on unkindly in some quarters, the undeniable power of the tunes shines on this ep. These Skinheads from Bologna formed in 1979 & after various line-up changes managed to put out 2 7"s, an Lp & tracks on the classic TNT: Skins & Punks comp lp. I always loved their hard, classic sound comparable to the best British Oi! bands like Criminal Class, 4-Skins & The Oppressed.
NEGAZIONE- "Tutti Pazzi" Ep 1985
The title of this post: Tutti Pazzi, meaning "everybody crazy", can be found in this electrifying ep by a band that many in Europe credit with kick-starting the Hardcore explosion due to their relentless touring across the continent, spreading the loud & fast gospel. I was lucky to catch them in NY in 1990, even though by that time they were going in a more melodic rock direction, they still played the older stuff with conviction. The first 2 7''s & their side of the split tape w/Declino were compiled in the 90's as the "Wild Bunch" lp, but all their stuff is incredible: a singer that invokes Void/Die Kruezens vocals at their prime plus a band that can actually play their instruments, all the while not letting that get in the way of conjuring up raw & primal HC.
BULLDOZER- "Fallen Angel" Ep 1984
Italy also had a great metal scene during the 80's, with bands like Fingernails, Schizo, Ghost Rider, Necrodeath & these guys, with a mid-tempo killer blend of Motorhead/Venom metal-punk, years before that (marginal) sub-genre was coined. The artwork & lyrics scream classic dark metal subject matter, but I always loved the flipside to this 7", a song called "Another beer (is what I need)". Proving that killer riffage & inebriation go hand & hand the world over. Bulldozer are still around & have put out tons of records throughout the years.
RAW POWER- "Wop Hour" Ep 1985
My original inspiration for getting into HC a lo Italiano. I rushed to the record store after seeing them play & picked this bad boy up. In hindsight, this ep is a great midway point between the raw insanity of their '83 demo & the in your face brutality of the classic"Screams from the gutter" lp. The image of seeing them in '85 is indelibly etched in my memory; they came out looking more like a Van Halen cover band, with silk scarves, guitarist wearing spandex pants/huge hair & then they proceeded to destroy the place. Not giving a rat's ass about what a HC band is supposed to look like, letting the sonic fury speak volumes. I got the chance to revisit that experience in '98, before their guitarist & founding member Giuseppe, sadly passed away. Wop hour forever.
BASTA- "Non posso soportare questa sporca situazione" Ep 1983
This Oi! 7" always reminded me of the classic split lp by Combat 84/Last Resort. The menacing air of barely contained aggro fits the simple yet brutal tunes to a T, the singer's profile even looks like Last Resort's Roi Pearce on said lp. Other great Oi! bands from that era are Rough, Dioxina, Hope & Glory, Youth, Cani, the aforementioned Nabat & during the later part of the 80's, bands like Asociale & Klasse Kriminale took up the Boots & Braces banner with gusto. Check out the great Bootprints Across Italy comps.
CHEETAH CHROME MOTHERFUCKERS- "Furious Party" Ep 1985
I consider CCM, along with Raw Power & Negazione, the holy trinity of Italian HC. I love everything they did, from the raw recorded underwater feel of the "400 Fascists" 7", the split lp w/I Refuse It & their masterpiece, the out of this world "Into The Void" Lp. I just missed them when they played NY in '86, years later I became good friends with this guy from West Virginia, Java Dave, who drove them across the USA during that tour. He had nothing but good stuff to say about them: down to earth guys that lived & breathed the HC ethos, but became possessed once they got up on stage, with a manic singer who's antics earned them the tag "The Italian Germs".
UPSET NOISE- "Disperazione Nevrotica" Ep 1983
I picked this up in purely based on the label's Rome address printed on the back. It's a smoking 7" with the guitarist playing some cool harmony leads parts interspersed among the galloping trash. One can hear the crossover yet melodic direction that bands like Negazione would go on to during the later part of the 80s, their split 7" with Warfare is amazing as their '88 lp on TVOR.
WRETCHED/INDIGESTI- Split Ep 1982
This list would not be complete without the inclusion of Wretched, if Raw Power, Negazione & CCM are the holy trinity, then Wretched are like the primal, original Godhead source & shit. The energy of the out of control maelstrom contained on their 7"s & 12", could power a large metropolis. For added measure, I included the killer split with Indigesti who, on this recording, sound like the ideal adolescent HC band trashing around on their instruments, with a sound that could have easily fit on the classic US "Flex Your Head"comp.
These are my essential 10 platters, but tons of other 7"s could have been on here like the ones by Kobra, Stigmathe, Rough, Declino, Putrid Fever, Peggio Punx, I Deny, Nerorgasmo, Shocking TV, Fall Out, Reig, I Refuse It, Bed Boys, Underage, Rappresaglia, Cani, Disperazione, Upside... not to mention classic split ep's by Impact/Eu's Arse, Warfare/Upset Noise, Irah/Stalag 17...
Ok, what the hell, I have to include 1 more to my list, the granddaddy of Italian punk: the Hitler SS/Tampax split 7". This record has reached cult status due to its inclusion in the Killed By Death series. It's sloppy, raw, offensive '77 punk that laid the groundwork for the insanity to come. Thank you for reading & I say this with no political connotations whatsoever: FORZA ITALIA!!
Me & my friend Eric Wielander, who did the classic Village Noize fanzine back in the day, recently assembled a Demo Tapes exhibit in NYC. It showcases some classic HC/Punk/Metal demos from '82-'92. Here's an excerpt from the essay for the exhibition, along with some pictures.
The demos will be up for the display through the month of July @L'asso EV on 107 1st. Avenue, open to the public from 11am to 11pm every day.
"In the mid-1980's. Freddy Alva and Eric Wielander were growing up in the New York independent music scene, producing compilations, publishing fanzines, watching scores of Punk and Hardcore bands perform, and reviewing releases. At the same time, bands were self-releasing their recordings (from approximately 4 songs up through album-length material) on cassettes a/k/a "demos". With these releases, with a run of anywhere from 30 to several hundreds if not thousands, teh sleeve art was put in the hands of whichever band member was graphically gifted, or turned over to a friend."
"DEMO-LITION explores the artwork of demo tape/cassette releases from the Hardcore/Punk/Metal scenes circa 1982-1992. Like any release before or after its time, we judge a record by its cover, and we thought it was long overdue to assemble as many covers as we could find to showcase the art that came out of these small-run releases. Some put tremendous detail into the art, most with hand illustrations. For others, the art was an afterthought, it was all about that 4-track demo that was being cut at Don Fury's which would wind up getting duped on a Maxwell LN 60 and put in the hands of some kids at Some Records."
Here's the link for individual photos of the Demos:
This exhibit would not have been possible without the following people who loaned their personal collections: Chris Wynne, Charles Maggio, Chris Bade, Ryan Sikorski, Lewis Dimmick, and Loizos Gatzaris.
Special Thanks to John Woods and Michael Scondotto for Djing the party
Todd Wolenski from Baldy Longhair Records for tapedeck and schwag.
Greg Barris and Robert Benevenga @L'asso EV for the walls.
Eons ago, I did a NYC-based HC record label. Actually between the years of 1990-1994. Those were pivotal times for me & the records I got to put were not only, to use an oft-overused phrase, seminal & widely influential i.e. Citizens Arrest "Light in the Distance" ep, Rorschach's "Needlepack"ep/"Protestant" Lp etc.. They were also released by good friends of mine, so the end result was doubly rewarding; I got to document inspiring sounds by people that I cared about.
I took a "sabbatical" from the HC scene for a good 10-12 years until 2009, when I decided to put up online, an old compilation of mine that never got a proper release. This was the "Fuck Rock- @Abc No Rio '91" comp. An old penpal contacted me about doing a vinyl release of it & before you could say Deja Vu all over again; I was back in business.
I've jumped back feet first into the fray, a 7" was just released on Wardance, by a band called My Rifle. It's made up of guys that I met back in the '80's NYHC scene & it will be a curious experiment to see how they (& myself) react to the reality of being involved in a music genre that by definition is youth-oriented. Things were not supposed to turn out this way, at best, a pit-stop on the way to adulthood. I along with my peers, got into HC in our teens, as a conduit to channel adolescent aggression, differentiate oneself from the crowd & define your views along an alternative sub-culture that embraced non-conformism. How do you reconcile these beliefs in the face of (looming) middle-age? When a career/family/mortgage & well, all the trappings of becoming an adult are upon us, what is it about this loud/fast music that's still appealing?
The best answer I can come up with is that this music, when is made from the heart, is still a visceral punch to your gut. When it becomes embedded in you, it's far-reaching influence can take decades to decipher, but it becomes a part of you. My old friend, Gavin from Absolution, put it best: "Influencing someone (via the music) is our best shot at immortality". If some kid, or kid at heart, can hear these records & go to the sounds that influenced the making of them & repeat ad nausem; all the way to those original pioneers that defined & codified the HC/Punk ethos. Then, it will all be worth it. The added bonus for me is that I get to (once again) put out music by friends that are still making relevant sounds.
Whether those particular tunes these days are of the classic Punk or NYHC variety, Hip-Hop tracks, Country-ish Gothic acoustic ditties; the result & energy are the same. The angst is still there, not as one-dimensional as before. It's more subtle & nuanced, but peel back the layers & you'll still find it there.
Growing younger never seemed so appealing.
Abraham was the singer & guitarist for URGENT FURY, a band that blew me away when I was a teenager & getting into Punk/HC. Their poignant political lyrics coupled with raw aggression & melodic leanings made then an atypical sound that stood out in the mid-80's NY scene. Since UF's ultimate dissolution in '92, Abraham has become a celebrated author, winning tons of writing accolades. He's also been writing new music, since relocating to Berlin. I got a chance to reconnect with him during one of his semi-annual pilgrimages to NYC. There's talk of a UF reunion to coincide with the reissue of their discography in late 2011. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Urgent-FURY/190107927711149
At CBGB's in 1985.
Ok! The big start, a south bronx tale. Tell me a little bit about your background, where you grew up etc..
I was born in the south bronx, where I grew up. Pretty tough turf. Back then in the 70s, it was like somebody had bombed the town: burned-out buildings in rows, empty lots, whole blocks decimated. Not the best place to grow up positive...
Your parents originally from the island?
Yeah, my mom's from Fajardo and my dad's from San Juan. I was 'first generation' born in NY, 'Nuyorquino', part of that first generation born in the USA. Did I bother to mention I'm Puerto Rican?
Ha! So, how did a Nuyorican kid like you get into Punk Rock?
Good question, I was a freak kid. That is, I had a name like 'Abraham', so everyone thought I was Jewish.
I know lots of Puerto Rican guys named Israel & Moses!
My father got me into Rock. When I was a kid he bought me Beatles albums, that changed my life completely. I was obsessed with rock music & soon found other bands I couldn't get enough of: T. Rex, David Bowie (this was 1972 man), Badfinger, The Stones/Kinks... I was looking for anything LOUD & energetic. My father also got me into books & typewriters very young so I was a book nerd. I used to hide the books from the other kids so they wouldn't see them. If they saw you with a book and ask you why you're reading it, don't say it's because you like it! Say it's for a class.
Sounds familiar, I had the same issue growing up, such a shame we had to be undercover with stuff like that.
I know! And dude, I would've killed to know anyone that was into Rock music, everyone around me hated it. Back then rock was 'honky' music. Forget that its roots are as black as John Lee Hooker. Everyone around me was into black stuff: Soul, Funk, stuff that would shortly become Disco.
I take it Disco & early Hip-Hop ruled the streets?
Yeah. mostly black music in the beginning. Remember the Chi-Lites? the Chakachas? How about Dennis Coffey & his funky instrumentals. Stuff like 'Scorpio' and 'Taurus'? Isaac Hayes!!
Jimmy Castor Bunch!
Wow! Yeah, I even have a single from at home from Joe Tex! And the Jackson Five were everywhere. 'The love you save', what a killer song.
So, did you hear The Sex Pistols/Clash first?
Yeah, Punk crawled over to me slowly. I was a big CREEM reader and was already hearing about this stuff from England. The first time I saw the Ramones was on Don Kirschner's rock concert series, I was like, what is this shit? My Ritchie Blackmore sensibilities clashed with it somehow, but I couldn't get them out of my mind. I was a 12-year old with a crush--I was in love. The Sex Pistols I caught on TV too, some special report they did on England & I was flabbergasted by the energy and power.
They inspired you to take up the guitar? What were your first Punk shows?
The Ramones influenced me first, followed by the Sex Pistols. Then I discovered those first shops where I could find import singles... then I met The Jam, The Clash, The Adverts, Slaughter & The Dogs, Wire. YEAH! I had a dream of being in a band already for many years and was even writing songs and putting together 'albums' of them, but it was punk that made me go get a guitar. My first show was actually 999. they came over in 1979. I had just turned 18. My father did not allow me to go out to clubs until I was officially an adult! It was a big fight. I saw all 3 of their shows of theirs. I also caught The Damned, the Reds, Sham 69. AND the biggest thrill was catching The Clash when they first came over in early '79 to play The Palladium. I had to run out & get scalped seats..
Wow, did you catch The Clash at their Bond's residency of 5 shows in a row?
NAH! I did not see them during the Bonds time. I was obsessed with The Clash. To me they were set to change all of rock'n'roll with their fire and passion! Seeing them was my church! I was in the 3rd row, bro!! And Joe Strummer flicked his earnie ball pick right at me! I still have it, but when 'London Calling' came out, I was disgusted and bummed. I saw them again in the fall of '79 and it was a lousy concert. I refused to see them again. The thought that they came along to bring dance music & hip-hop awareness to the world totally infuriated me. I'm from the bronx! I don't need them to do that!!
You never liked 'Rocking the Casbah?'
NOOOO Rock the casbah NOOOO, ugh- 'train in vain'- ugh. Yet I loved them so much, but I guess like many ultra-fans, you put all your hopes on the artist when the artist...gotta go his own way. I blame Mick Jones for all of it. And I still love Joe Strummer. Ok, I forgive Mick too.
Save that souvenir from Joe, Strummer forever! How did Urgent Fury come about? Did you play in any other bands prior?
Yeah, I played in a band I formed in 1980 called White Riot. It lasted for about 6 months and there's a tape of me doing songs, some of which would pop up with Fury. There were other lesser bands I played with, including a pop band & a reggae group of big rastafarians. I was the token 'rock' guy. I was in college when I started Fury. After White Riot fizzled, I 'left' the punk scene. I was playing with Rastafarians uptown, when a friend of mine dragged me to my very first Hardcore show. Hardcore?? I thought that was about porno. The impression the 18 or so bands that played that CBGB's matinee left an indelible mark. Most of them sucked, but the energy, the power, and a few pulled it off enough... My friend connected me with a guy named Zev, who played bass & went to city college like me! So I met him, and he suggested bringing in a friend named Harry Viderci (drums) and there's your Fury right there. I gave them demos I had of some songs & when we went into the studio, we just went for it.
Harry Verduci, I was just gonna ask you about him, played in the legendary Sic* Fuc*s! (Original class of '77 CBGB's band)
Yeah, he played with the Sic* Fuc*s and almost ended up in The Ramones. He's full of stories & he's met virtually everyone. the moment we played, it just clicked, this must have been around 1982.
Were you doing your State Of Fury fanzine by then too?
Nah, took a while, the first issue of State Of Fury came out in Jan, 1986. It was a few pages of rant where I bitched mostly about the Hardcore scene.
I remember picking up State Of Fury because it had a great caption: US out of the South Bronx!
YEAH! That's one of my favorites!
So, did Urgent Fury play with a lot of the early NYHC bands like Agnostic Front? What did you think of the whole Skinhead thing back then?
Well, we never played with AF. We just didn't see eye to eye with many of the dominant bands at the time in NY, the thuggish stupidities that were going on associated with skins, I tended to blame these ignorant trash bands & goons for that. In the beginning we'd play with anyone, but after a show with a band called US Chaos, we decided to be more selective.
I remember seeing you guys in '85/'86 at the Tin Pan Alley club on 47th. street & it was a totally different universe from the CBGB's HC matinees. Did you feel more an affinity for bands like The False Prophets?
Yeah, there were bands that I saw as more 'punk'. Then there were bands that were more 'hardcore'. We ended getting shunted into what was referred to as the 'peace-punk' scene, which I hated too! We played a lot with A.P.P.L.E., False Prophets, Stisism and Marginal Man, and....The HC bands I loved were Heart Attack, Virus, Reagan Youth... There were good ones, don't get me wrong! It was great for us to play Tin Pan alley, because it was directly OUTSIDE of the 'scene'. It was a different place and different people and these 3 gigs we eventually did there were all terrific. There was no place Downtown in the 'scene' you could play that would feel like that.
The first demo came in a bag with a pin right? I wish I still had that pin!
Yeah, we put out a demo cassette. I packed it in a packet with a State Of Fury & a button! I liked the pin, some silhouette of German soldiers jumping off. I'll see if I can find one for you, there were a few out there!
I feel you guys were really undocumented, record-wise, in that period. Were there ever plans for a record back then?
Nah, we never put out a record in the early days. I don't know, we argued too much about what to do. I wasn't so focused or smart. I wanted to play as much as possible but Harry didn't. Harry thought we could get discovered and get a contract. I wanted records but he didn't, so the cassettes were a compromise.
So, you guys disbanded around '87 & came back in the early 90's with a revamped version, how did that come about?
We disbanded a few times, first we lost Zev in '87? Something like that, he got married. then we played with a bassist named Mike but that didn't work out. Me & Harry fought too much so I split the band up again. Then Johnny Stiff (do you remember him?) heard we split up and he said that's no good for the world so he found us Adam Hoffman, a young, full-of-energy bassist who revved us up for a couple of years, up to '90 or '91. I insist that UF is the Spinal Tap of the HC scene, except with us, it's bassists that explode!
Besides booking you guys at Abc No Rio in '90, I was also planning on doing a 7" with you guys in '91. a thousand apologies for my PC Punk stance back then & not agreeing to the simple written agreement you guys drew up. I still kick myself!
Oh wow, you know, it's ME that kicks myself over that & when I think of the lousy split single we did with Youth Gone Mad through one of Harry's deals. We should still do that record though!
Let's do it! So, you broke up again '92, how did that 10" on Broken Records come about?
Well, after Adam left in '91, we found someone else, but we were on our last legs. Me & Harry were fighting too much 'cause I wanted to put out a record but he didn't want to put any money into it. So I split the band & put out the record on Broken, the 10". pretty much without him. It was to be the Urgent Fury farewell.
What's the agenda for the UF reissue you're working on now & can you talk a bit about your current project, Rope Burns?
The reissue is going to include all the tracks from the old 10" plus some extra tracks. It'll be available on vinyl/cd & download. Rope Burns! How nice of you to ask. Rope Burns is the music project I started when I got to Berlin. I play with some people, but it's mostly the place I go to write songs, any songs. see, when I was with Harry, it all had to be HARDCORE!. I'm forming a group here & hope to play out. I mostly make demos: me on guitar, bass, drum machine. I must've made 10 demo albums already. I send them out to people, oddly enough, never to record labels.
Personal request: Can you put out the 'Requiem for Miss America' acoustic tape from '88, I love that!
'Requiem..' Wow! I have the actual 1/4' tape here of that 'album'. I'm gonna walk it over with some other stuff to a studio & see if I can get it digitized. I did the tape in '88 during a hiatus from UF, frustrated that the band was NOT a good vehicle for my musical pursuits. Because I was always making demos, but Harry kept turning down my songs. Not fast enough...
Ok, let's switch gears a bit, how did you get started in your literary career? I started writing when I was little, like about 11 or 12, when my dad bought me my own portable typewriter. I always wrote, but it wasn't until the late 80's that some guy (who knew me because of Fury) published a story of mine in a magazine he put out. This was seen by an editor working on a book, one thing led to another...A woman named Lois Rosenthal approached me & asked if I had any stories for Story magazine. I gave her one she liked & she helped me find an agent
What was the genesis for the short-story collection, 'Boy without a Flag'? Were you surprised by the reaction?
I put a collection together for my agent, 'Boy without..', and he sold that to Milkweed editions. It caused a bit of a stir & I enjoyed it greatly. I got shit for my writing but I knew I was on the right track somehow. It felt right to write these things and maybe expose things some people didn't like exposed.
I remember reading about a possible film adaptation of your first novel, Spidertown?
Yeah, well right after the book came out, people were asking for a novel so I finished something I had been working on: Spidertown. The book was optioned by Columbia Pictures right off the bat. Got me a mention in Variety alongside Robert Rodriguez, we spent a summer together back then because he was eventually slated to write the script (he backed out later, which I think doomed the project). The director was to be Jonathan Demme's cousin, his only recommendation for the assignment: he's the guy that directed Yo! MTV Raps!
Maybe for the best he didn't direct it, bummer, I could totally see it coming out good in the right hands.
I thought so too. The project dragged out through the 90's. I eventually ended up writing a couple of scripts for them though because the one they showed me was so awful, I mean the hack they found rewrote the whole book! The project eventually fizzled out, the studio wanted a big movie, the production company wanted a small one. The trend for that kind of shit (inner-city kids, drug-trafficking) also faded a bit from the limelight... they paid well for those scripts though.
It'll probably come back, there's always an insatiable need for "Urban Grit". So, South by South Bronx is the last novel you wrote, working on a audio version right? Any other fiction in the works?
The audio version is taking a long time! I do have lots of other stuff I'm working on, nothing directly finished. Writing takes time and lately time's been no good pal. I'm really into time travel and future stuff right now. Pretty weird but maybe where I want to go next...
Ok, changing topics once again; you're an expatriate living in Germany now. How did you end up there?
I ended up living in Germany because Spidertown won a young people's award in the house of literature in Vienna. I didn't really wanna go but I had friends in Berlin and they insisted I stop on my way back. So I de-planed in Frankfurt and hopped on a train to Berlin, with something like $120 bucks on me. I was scared shitless, but once I got to Berlin I felt alive & free and just...bouncy. I walked into my friend's kitchen and there's this beautiful woman sitting there. I was late and the first thing she says is, "what took you so long?". The room began spinning...and that's why I ended up in Berlin, though there are plenty of other reasons. The people here are great, you feel a great sense of freedom and openness. It's a wonderful place, still affordable, and I even have health insurance now...And this flag thing: someone asked me on my last tour. Since I 'found' a life in Germany now, am I still the boy without a flag, or do I have a German one now?
Ha, Fly the GDR one now!
I just told the lady I don't care much for flags. I respect certainly what people see in them, but I don't know if I 'have' a flag. I just know when I look at the german flag, I feel good. That's because Puerto Rico is NOT a colony of Germany, dig?
I hear you, I'm impressed by your command of the German language too.
Ohh Vielen Dank! A language I was weirdly obsessed with since I was a kid, like I was preparing for it somehow...
Deja Vu over here, I've got a German father-in-law!
Wow, so when are you guys coming over to Berlin?. There are a lot of Americans popping up over here. Don't know if I like that so much. I don't have many American friends here and I'm not in the ex-pat scene. I didn't come all the way to Berlin to hang out with Yankees! I tend to like the Germans. They seem to have learned from their history. Not like the Americans at all, you see.
There were some great German bands: Upright Citizens, Jingo de Lunch, Spermbirds...Gonna sing in German anytime soon?
Also Neurotic Arseholes, Die Art, Spiel 77...Oh yeah, I should give singing in German a try. Of course, my plans when I get back from NY is to get Urgent Fury started here in Berlin. I have a drummer in mind and if I can pick up a bassist...then maybe my first German song.... ROPE BURNS:http://www.myspace.com/rodmusik
Abraham in the middle with his lovely wife, Jan 2011 NYC.
One would be hard pressed, while sifting through the detritus of 20th century culture, to find a more rewarding experience than listening to a HC tape compilation from the genre's golden years. The pleasure in discovering a private universe of "known" bands alongside hopelessly obscure ones was immeasurable, I write this list as a tribute to those humble 'lil plastic vehicles of analog technology that were my gateway to the US/World HC scenes. This inexpensive medium, generally costing no more than $4 a pop, along with the ability to cram as many bands within a 60-90 minute time-frame; fed my ever growing teenage habit of listening to loud/fast music from all corners of the world.
This is by all means not an exclusive list, those of you that are well versed in this music will no doubt point out some glaring omissions. I am writing this more for the neophyte or someone that at best, has vague knowledge of these gems. I've listed mostly US compilation tapes, some of them included foreign HC with a special mention to the legendary tape label BCT, who deserve an article all by themselves.
Due to the wonderful web, I've posted links to the actual tapes, so you can download them & let the contents speak for themselves & if that wasn't an option, then a link for obtaining the reissue. I've managed to hang to a lot my tapes throughout the years, someone should showcase all these beauties a la Nuggets-type reissue before the passing of time inevitably take its toll. Maybe I will.
CHARRED REMAINS- Hands down my all-time favorite comp tape. How can you go wrong with this line-up: Void, Articles Of Faith, Husker Du, Die Kreuzen, Toxic Reasons, the great Personality Crisis from Canada & others. A lot of these versions were demo/live material, some of them unreleased; like the AOF tracks that never made it onto their records. I scored major Punk points with friends like Sam from Born Against, a fellow AOF fanatic, by taping them these exclusive songs long before they were officially reissued. This came out on Version Sound records, who also did the first 7"s by the above mentioned bands. I remember picking this up in '86 & even then, it was spoken of in reverential tones. I later copied the full page/band booklet layout for a comp tape that I did in the late 80's. http://www.kbdrecords.com/2007/04/09/va-charred-remains-compilation-cassette/
NO CORE- A classic slice of '82 era southern-fried HC by way of North Carolina featuring only 4 bands: COC, No Labels, Colcor & No Rock Stars. The COC tracks always get name-checked by virtue of including their 1st 15 song demo in its entirety. As much as I love those blistering songs, I've always preferred the No Rock Stars tunes on it; blazing mid-tempo Black Flag-like trash. A prime example of why I love these time capsules, if it wasn't for their appearance on this, NRS would be lost to the dustbins of history. I love the image of the Confederate flag burning on the cover, I can only imagine what it must have been it like to look outside the norm around those parts. Between rednecks/jocks & the general population out to get you; the all-too real threats are reflected on the gut-wrenching music found inside. http://punknotprofit.blogspot.com/2010/10/no-core-1982-hardcore-compilation.html
LIMA ESTA HELADA- I mail-ordered this Peruvian comp in '85 from Europe. The amazing world-wide HC network back in those pre-internet days allowed me to learn about my native country's scene via a tape compiled by a guy in Germany. There are some amazing bands from the '83-'85 explosion in Lima, anyone of them could easily match any of the Italian/Scandinavian trash contingents for sheer power & aggression. Too bad there's scant vinyl documentation of these early years, so a document such as this fills in key gaps. The German who did this, Burkhard Jarisch, later went on to write the exhaustive Flex! series/discography of USHC. I've never seen any download, much less info, on this comp. I will have to digitize my copy & make it available, until then here's another Peruvian comp from '89 that features a lot of the original Peruvian groups like Ataque Frontal, Kaos, G-3. http://crucifiedforyoursins.blogspot.com/2010/07/va-atropello-peruvian-hardcore-punk.html
AMERICA'S DAIRYLAND- There must have been something in the water in Wisconsin in '83, as most of the bands featured on this snapshot of Madison, WI & its surroundings are one weird & unique experience. Groups like Die Kruezen, Mecht Mensch, Tar Babies, Bloody Mattresses offer an off-kilter take on HC's standard 1-2 structure. The off the beat sounds are somehow straight forward & disjointed at the same time, giving one a twisted view of the nation's heartland. I also love the generic lo-fi trash of the the other bands like Suburban Mutilation, GNP: Music played by people that were stuck in the middle of nowhere, hated by parents & peers, destined to a life of dead-end jobs & trailer trash-dom. What's more, they don't care, they'll just bash away at simple 2-chord structures blissfully content on the futile nature of it all. http://youbreedlikerats.blogspot.com/2008/07/americas-dairyland-compilation-tape.html
I TRASH, THEREFORE I AM- This tape was my gateway to the joys of European HC, especially of the Scandinavian & Italian variety. Mob 47 from Sweden kicks it off with 9 songs that are pure perfection in their economy of delivery. Kudos to Anti-Cimex, also Swedish, for being one of the first (& best) disciples in the now all-too common D-beat style. I remember seeing Raw Power in '85 & then picking up this tape a couple of months later. Their songs on it match the insanity of their live show & made me a fan of HC 'a lo Italiano' for life. I couldn't understand a word of what the other bands from Denmark, Germany, Norway said but the universal language of trash shone through. This classic release on BCT tapes was their biggest seller, they must have made thousands of copies, helping to spread the loud & fast gospel irregardless of national origins. There are blogs where you can download this, but I plead you to acquire if you can, the official reissue that came out several years go. Pick it up here: http://interpunk.com/item.cfm?Item=157087&
MUSIC ON FIRE- After listening to Raw Power, I had to check out more Italian HC so I got this '83 sampler also on BCT. There's something about the Italian language that lends itself beautifully to the demands of high-octane trash; words that look poetic, like Dante's writings on paper, become these out of control-violent, almost inhuman screeches that defy the excesses a human puts on his larynx. Case in point is the singer for Wretched & every other band on the tape, are they gargling with drano before recording their parts? It's painful & exhilarating to listen to the vocal gymnastics of these tunes. After finding out about Italy's turbulent history during those years with leftist guerillas, national strikes, entrenched criminal enterprises; I can see why kids that chose to play HC back then exhibited a total nihilist approach. The future was not bright & the present meant living as explicitly as possible. Like the BCT catalog said about Italian-core: "mama mia, that's a spicy piece of plastic".
Incredibly enough, you can pick up the original tape from the guy that put it out at the same price it was in the 80's, $4 ppd. http://www.socialnapalm.com/other/distroBCT.htm
NEW YORK TRASH- The first HC tape comp I ever bought & a sentimental favorite by virtue of growing up in NY. Bands like Bad Brains, False Prophets, Beastie Boys define the sound I fell in love with in '84. Seeing a band like Kraut from my home borough of Queens on it was a real ego boost. Pretty funny that with all this star power on the comp, the one track people always remember is AOD's "Paul's not home" skit, their smart-aleck approach was completely indicative of their suburban jersey roots & it made me search out more bands of their ilk. This came out on the tapes-only (back then) label ROIR, a company that stubbornly refused to convert to digital once CD's were introduced, a fact that made them all the more endearing to me. They eventually relented & you can now find this classic slice of the big apple on their site, the reissue tags on the Stimulators proto-HC "Loud, Fast Rules" 7", with a pre-pubescent Harley Flanagan on drums. http://www.roir-usa.com/8244.htm
FRESNO HC 84- A comp like this makes a strong argument for preserving the format. Besides Capital Punishment, the only band that anyone outside of Fresno in '84, would be aware of. Have you ever heard of Kyos or Primer Grey? How about Burnin Bob & the Big Boys? Didn't think so, the fact all these obscure groups churn out solid performances, while nothing ground-breaking; they still document a particular time & place. How many cities across America had groups like these, basically an 80's version of unknown garage bands, that never made it onto vinyl. If it wasn't for this platter, we would never be able to enjoy the lo-fi charm of some solid bands that who knows, maybe in a more "popular" scene would have gotten the chance to document their music more extensively. There is a myspace page for the comp here:
WAR BETWEEN THE STATES: NORTH vs SOUTH-
A genius-themed comp with bands representing both sides of the great divide, 2 tapes altogether. There are almost 100-plus songs in total! My favorite being the Southern portion with some truly unique bands like Born Without a Face, Power of the Spoken Word, Beef People & Like A Horse. Bands that only a very few know about these days & appreciate. The North side is no slouch either with some great tracks by Verbal Assault, Insanity Defense, GG Allin & Urge Overkill yes, the same bad that was on the Pulp Fiction soundtrack. The guys who did this, Wally & The Beaver, went on to release the 1st HC record by a band from Alaska, but this is what their legacy is built on: A virtual encyclopedia of unknown HC from 1985. http://agzdaredz.blogspot.com/2011/02/war-between-states-north-south.html
I could go on as this article only covers tapes from '82-'85, there are so many more from the latter half of the '80's, not to mention European/South American & Japanese comps. Honorable mentions: Empty Skulls, Barefoot & Pregnant, Skate Rock Comps Vol 1-7, Last White X-Mas, Punx Japanese Comp.. The list is endless. Speaking of lists, the Kill From The Heart website has an exhaustive one of just about any comp I can think of here: http://www.killfromtheheart.com/comps.php?format=tape
