EDDY CURRENT SUPPRESSION RING INTERVIEW

1- Your influences are reasonably obvious. Do you think the spontaneous formation of the band allowed you to channel the vibes of X, The Saints (etc) without falling into the dreaded contrived, forced retro-trap?

Yeah, maybe. To sound the way we do wasn't a preconceived idea. It just quickly came apparent that it was the best sound we could make when the four of us got together. We all listen to lots of other stuff besides punk and garage, this is just what we can do best.

2- What are your collective musical backgrounds? I understand some of you played in hardcore/metal bands?

Danny started in hardcore and thrash bands when he was a teenager. Up until recently he was still in grindcore band, Demonother. Brad started out as a long haired thrash singer . My first ever jam with other people was when i was 14 with Brad and Danny and we all have played in numerous different things over the years together and apart. This just the first one that's stuck.Brendan has no musical background which I think is probably the reason for his untainted but charming singing style.

3- Please explain your recording technique. Do you overdub at all, or is it strictly live? How much set up is involved? Would you ever consider going for a slick studio sound?

I try not to overdub unless it really sounds like it needs it, although i do have a tambourine fetish. Bugger all set up is involved. I just chuck some mics in front of instruments and press record. I'll probably spend a bit more time setting up next time as I could hear things when I mixed the album that I probably could have done better. But basically , I just want to capture the sound of a band playing in a room as well as i can. I would go for a big studio production if the thats what a certain song needed but so far we haven't had to worry about that.

4- Industry bigwigs are started to exalt the band. The band is getting air-play. The band is playing some larger shows. Even though you've stated that you feel more comfortable playing smaller gigs, all the attention and admiration surrounding the band must be pretty exciting?

Yeah, i guess so. I'm amazed that we have got this far. i'm sure attention will eventually shift but it has been a pretty nice feeling receiving all the positive response for the album and getting to play some larger festival type shows. Its just that I think our type of music suits small venues and the further we get from that, the less sense it seems to make sometimes.

5- Please explain what it was like to play at the big day out? Any after party lunacy?

Nah, not at all. I played and pretty much left. Watched a couple of local bands but had no intention to hang around 30,000 people just to watch Tool, Muse etc.Still, was fun playing and we went down prett well.

5- How much room for experimentation is there within a band like ecsr? Have you ever felt confined by the sound you've chosen?

No. I dont feel confined. I'm happy to try anything as long as it works. The only limitation is what sounds good when we play together. We've only done one album so I'm sure things will naturally evolve in different directions without needing to be pushed.

6- I understand a number of band members are working in the ''biz''? How do you muster up the drive to play/write music when you are constantly surrounded by/immersed it?

It's only me that works in the "biz" and even that's probably a stretch of the term. I run a vinyl pressing plant. Great job but not very "biz" like.

7- What is your demographic? Have your shows brought any old heads out of the woodwork? It's hard to imagine tight jeans, fringed, members only jacket, casio-synth bands/fans being into your band.

We get a lot of 40 year old men that havent been to gigs in 15 years and a heap of younger trendier people. We play a lot of different shows with a lot of different bands so it depends on the lineup. For some reason,we seem to get away with playing hardcore shows and trendy synth shows and most people seem to like it.

8- Your sound is unashamedly Australian. Have you found it difficult to be taken seriously on a world stage? I find the upper echelon of Australian bands often have sense of humour and stylistic foundation that is often far superior to contemporaries from the USA , UK (etc), yet they seldom garner the attention they deserve.

We havent tried to take it to the world stage stage so its not really a problem. I am getting nice emails now from Europe and America from people that have bought the record. A lot of people from other countries appreciate its Australian-ness, but i dont think that appreciation will happen on a larger scale. I dont think what we are doing is really chart threatening material.

9- On a similar topic, Australian culture is so often lampooned by the international community. Neighbors and Steve Irwin(RIP) aside, do you think this is a valid criticism? What are the most cringe worthy aspects of Australian culture in your eyes? Houseboat Horror?

hmm. tough one. zany romantic comedies? a pretty bad track record with sitcoms and sketch shows? I'm not sure . I think we are no more cringeworthy than the next country , its just that we are naturally more self conscious of it. At least we have a rock n roll history and culture that we can proud of.

10- Have you started writing new material? What is coming up next for the band?

Yeah, we have enough songs for another album so hopefully ew record that this year and put it out as soon as we can.

IRON LUNG INTERVIEW

1- Why did you decide to drop your stand-alone singer? Were you listening to alot of White Stripes and Death From Above Summer of '69 at the time? Or were you finding it difficult to coordinate 3 people as opposed to 2?

JW- Iron Lung has always been a two-peice. Shit, we never had a permanent stand-alone singer. We had a couple friends sing at shows here and there. Mike Cheese was the first and then August Alston. That's it really. Also, how dare you compare us to the white stripes! At least I can play the drums the way they are meant to be played...TOTAL DESTRUCTION.

2- One of the pitfalls of 2 piece bands is the inability to replicate studio sound in a live setting. Was this an initial concern of the band? What amp set-up/volume trickery to you employ to overcome such problems?

JW- We will never divulge the secret weapon's contents. You think we want all the other two-mans to have our sound. The real answer seekers will just have to look at pictures and try to guess.

3- Due to the catalogue of novelty two-piece bands that have clogged the underground in years past I, and many other avid listeners of the musical form approach two piece bands with a certain degree of trepidation. While I doubt IL has ever been viewed a novelty band, was it difficult to convey the legitimacy of IL to people (haters) in the infantile stages of the band?

JW- I can understand the trepidation whole-heartedly. I have it too. There is a lot of crap out there. A lot of crap. You know, we never had a problem being taken seriously. Even when I talked a lot on stage, the music was never light. People just know that this is real anger sound. We never tried to sell a gimmick.

4- What has shaped your sound over the years? The difference between the first ep and the last record is pretty significant. I hear alot of swans creeping in? Or maybe that is because i was born next to lake?

JW- There has always been the classic US hardcore/Rudimentary Peni/Swans influence in our songs. We are playing what seems natural given the times and music we listen to. Life has been a little rough lately so naturally the Swans aspect has crept in a bit more. Or maybe you were born next to a lake, who knows?

5- What provided the impetus for the exploration of medicine, illness (etc)? The detailed lyrics lead me to believe that one of you studies, or at the very least has some interest in the topic? Or are you guys just real big carcass fans?

JW- Who doesn't like Carcass? C'mon. Medicine and illness, particularly old practice, tools and machines, has always keenly interested me. It is tisted what people used to do to each other because they didn't know any better. Bleeding to cure a toothache at the barbershop is a good example. If you really think about it we haven't progressed that far in these 100's of years. When more conventional methods fail, we still perform trepanation to soothe pressure inside the skull. WOW.

6- The prison-related lyrics on the split with shank are very interesting. Is it a ‘’subtle’’ comment on the prison system, or a mere observation? Or both? Have you guys ever spent time in the cooler? Or is it merely hyperbole, like Tupac or something?

JW- Subtle comment. I spent some time in jail in my younger years but nothing serious.

7- What are your thoughts on what appears to be the re-bastardisation of power violence? Do you see the sudden influx of half-arsed, play fast bands as a blight upon the ''genre'' that you have populated for a number of years? Or do you simply believe that ''re-bastardisation of power violence'' is going to be the name of the next band that puts out a 7'' on 625?

JW- I think this re-bastardization you talk about is the same hogwash that is happening to all music these days. You really have to dig and think to come up with a band that has a wholly original sound and idea. Try it. Hurts, doesn't it? Got one? Nope, they sound like Yes playing No Comment. Got another? Nope, they are Negative Approach 2. Also, let's not talk shit on Max. He has always supported us. You are warned.

8- What was the catalyst for moving to seattle?

JW- Good people, record stores and vegan food.

9- I know you play in a number of bands. I'd image this affords you the opportunity to tour alot more than say, a band from war-torn bosnia? Are you able to live a frugal existence whilst touring constantly, or are you forced into jobs you hate to facilitate such exercises?

JW- I have two jobs right now. One that I hate and one that isn't so bad. Both give me time off to tour so I keep on working at these places. And yes, I live very frugally.

10- American touring bands are often quite well rehearsed. How much do you think the ability to tour endlessly, play countless shows per-week and having your own practice space influences this? With the vast-array of bands in the states, do you think competition and one-upmanship plays a big part in the quality of US touring bands?

JW- I think there is always competition here. If you are not the best then you have to be the coolest. If you aren't the coolest then you have to be the fastest etc... I really wish that touring and playing shows wasn't so easy here. Most of the new-comers don't even care about live shows any more. It is getting increasingly harder to be noticed and enjoyed because the fog of mediocrity is much thicker these days. Not to say that there isn't still a great show here and there, we just have to be more selective.

11- Alphabetical inconsistencies aside, do you file your godstomper records between your agothocles and unholy grave records? Please elaborate.

JW- I file my Donovan records between my Buffalo and Flower Travellin' Band records to be more precise.

Lebenden Toten - State Laughter (Feral Ward)

It is sux when you spill half of your cider all over your 4-track. It's bad enough when your mate Tix falls asleep with a smoke in his fingers and almost burns down your goddamn brown sofa, your copy of Swankys-control and them Nuclear Addicts back patches what vez done; but lubricating your 4-track, shit, how are you going to record your piss-raw, sub-demo quality records?Lebenden Toten seems to have mastered the above on their “State Laughter” record. A collection of releases by these PDX filf-kickers; it has all the characteristics of confuse and disorder, albeit, without a fraction of the hooks that made those bands stand out from the plethora of the rararas, the murmur murmur murmurs, and the rattatatats of similar outfits. The atonal nature of the guitars provides some truly grating moments that even rival watching your grandmother trying to operate a VCR in ‘’get me the fuck outta here’’ levels. The Oscar the Grouch drum sound is more akin to a piece of sheet metal being continuously dropped in a factory environment than an actual Moon the Loon swift-one. A decapitated Yardbird with bound feet provides the vocal delivery whilst trying to navigate an ice skating rink. The bass rumbles out some chaotic, shitstorm lines, however, nothing of the rhythmic devastation of say ‘’No War No Nukes’’.Ultimately, this has a pretty decent taste. Perhaps if one owned the records themselves, one could properly digest these chunks in generous, yet chewable portions. However, this is a bloody Hungry jacks upgrade, minus the meat, with a thirty cent cone and a side of onion rings! And whilst I enjoy a Bacon Deluxe now and then, I can’t quite iron guts an upgrade like I used to be able to. Oh and by the way, Tix is alright, he just burnt his home-made knuckle tatts a bit.

Rupture Interview

INTERVIEW WITH ZOMBO FROM RUPTURE.

29/11/2006.

1-Firstly, Im curious as to how a lad in the suburbs of perth discovered punk rock? Why not Chisel?

I was at a Barnesy concert mate, when I heard working Class Man and suddenly got inspired to start writing songs for Rupture. Also I didn't discover punk rock - I invented it. My first real band was Zitbastard which was basically a hate band directed at one individual. their "music" was inspired by the likes of SOD, Wehrmacht, Septic Death and Mental Abuse, among others. Andrew/Gus from Rupture was also in that band, which is where we first met, and we also recruited Stumbles some years later. Ancient history!

2- How did the band meet and at what age did you all become friends/decide to form a band? What were you listening to at the time? I hear alot of Napalm, righteous pigs (etc) in the ''Forceps'' sound?

Well you'd be pretty on the money there - we loved Napalm and Righteous Pig's first albums - a huge inspiration at the time. Unfortunately we decided to record that ep while the singer was off partying in Sydney, what a pile of horse shit it turned out to be. Righteous Fuck was the first "real" Rupture record for me.

3- It's well documented that early rupture was alot more politically motivated at the time than lets say, ''Gamma 693'', ''The Golden Showers Of Sinbad '' or ''Brotherhood Of Sea Cucumbers''. At which point did you decide to drop the faux-politics and opt for what appears to be, a more honest and indentifiably rupture-esque approach.

All the political stuff was written by the singer. I guess he just had no other ideas at the time. When we did Righteous Fuck we started to encourage some more honesty and intelligence from his lyric writing, and that's when he started to blossom, and when me and Stumbles became involved. By the time we were ready to do Corrupture we'd pretty much found our mojo. I don't knock that early shit - it's a bunch of kids without a direction, but with a bit of a clue.

4- What are some of your favorite rupture songs, song titles and lyrics? Please explain the meaning behind some of the more bizzare, hillarious, ambiguous and obscure numbers?

I'll explain the ones you mentioned - Gamma 693 was my baby which was inspired by the film Night of the Zombies. I callled it Gamma 693 which turned out to be another zombie type movie. The song was written in fun. Golden Showers of Sinbad was me and Gus having a laugh over a bottle of bourbon and throwing lines in here and there. It means nothing - it made us laugh then, and makes people laugh now. Not sure about Brotherhood - Gus or Stumbles wrote that. Once again it means very little. Obscure in-jokes were our way of communicating most of the time, and thats what you see in the songs. Outsiders simply can't grasp a lot of it.


5- Explain your artwork. Your process, inspiration, favorite artists...

Er, well that's a tough question because I don't have many favourite artists, I love most of what I see at galleries etc. I'm no expert. I started drawing as a child, I used to draw the best dinosaurs in my school. In high school I drew gore and monsters. At 17 I decided to start making murals. I'm 34 now and on my 15th mural, so it takes a long time. It's a lifelong oddessey(did I spell that write?). I make art for myself, not for any market or to please anybody else. The obsession with horror and stuff has pretty much run it's course and now I'm just making purely abstract images. My medium is pens and pencils.

6- What drugs were you guys into at the time? Obviously pot played a big part in the earl;y, ''smoke weed, play fast'' rupture years. Any good drug/alcohol related stories?

Uh, well we smoked a lot of dope when we were hanging around in Zitbastard, then when we formed Rupture we discovered all sort of things like magic mushrooms, acid trips, esctasy, and speed which became my drug of choice. And alcohol. (Lots of it.)I've never touched heroin. Now, I'm pretty much not doing any of that hard shit, just drink and smoke the occasional weed when I'm in the rehearsal room with my boys. Most of the people who keep doing it end up dead by 30. I have a long, long list of people my age who arn't here any more.

7- Despite the backlash to what was percieved to be the ''moronic'' lyrical content of the band, you guys seemed to grow in popularity and notoriety (albiet:outside of perth). You must have recieved alot of interesting letters at the time. Anything of note come to mind?

I've never read much letters and correspondence because most of that was handled by the other guys. I"ve always been aware that we were pissing people off, and it's always tickled me pink. I don't know why exactly - I guess I've always got this weird kick out of fucking with people's heads.

8- Due to the reputation the band had, it is obvious that it was diffeicult for the band to play live in perth at this time. Was this the catalyst for moving east, or were there other reasons?

We moved because we were trying to escape each other mainly. But we ended up back together. It's odd isn't it? All Gus needed was a good stay in rehab, and perhaps what we all could have done with is some psychological help! Some relationships are like that, and so are some bands - you drive each other up the wall.

9- The band eventually moved towards a more Killed by Death, Bloodstains sound. What are your favorite KBD records?

I don't have any.

10- Around this time, the band appeared to become alot more confrontational and deliberatly antagonistic as far as ''right-wing undertones'', racism, nazi-imagery (etc) on the records. Please explain the reasoning behind this? It seemed to alienate a large portion of your audience, however, the band still remained prolific.

The Soapfarm material was purely for shock value, it's simple really. This may disappoint but I'm liberal minded. I don't dig fascism, nazi or otherwise. Race? Couldn't care less (unless your from Perth). Everyone's a fuckhead right(except me). It's OK to blow up a church, a mosque, a synagogue etc, if for fun, not for a cause or any serious "issue". Anarchy foreva! Free love too. We all die - why not do it in style? The suicide bombers have totally got it wrong, I pity them. Suicide is way too personal to waste on a "cause". The same with murder. The same with music!

11- Why did you leave rupture? What was it like to be an outsider looking in on a band that you had been a part of for so many years?

It was the only thing left for me to do - the band had totally gone to shit. We should have split a good 3,4 years earlier. I just didn't have the confidence that I'd be able to start something worthwhile with other people.

12- Obviously the band came to an end with Andrew's passing. This must have come as a great shock.

Yes it sucked. For me, it wasn't totally unexpected. But it's a waste. He was a pretty fuckin funny dude,when he wasn't being a cunt.

13- What have you been doing since the band? What are your future plans? Do you hold any great hope for humanity? Will you eventually join a commune?

I've been playing music. It's what I wanna do until the planet burns up.