João Eduardo De Faria / Cogumelo Records Interview 2005 (Author Unknown, Translation By Cantapaya)

☝The founder of Cogumelo (yes, the really old guy) and Alex / Thornspawn...

“Dealing with metal back in the 80’s was sacrilegious stuff.”

In the recent history of western music, every preeminent scene or movement was born from the partnership of talented musicians (or the peculiar, at least) and people willing to support the recording and distribution of these groups. From Country to Punk Rock, it has always been like that.

For the metal scene in Minas Gerais during the 80’s, Cogumelo was responsible for making it phonographically possible. Established in 1980 as a rock record store, it also became a recording label when its owners João Eduardo de Faria Filho and Creusa Pereira de Faria (aka Patty), decided to expand the business in 1985. They noticed how the number of bands and people interested in metal was rising in Belo Horizonte and decided to release a record that showcased that. They released the split between Overdose and Sepultura through Cogumelo Produções, which would later become Cogumelo Records.

It all worked out, and from then on, Cogumelo was responsible for launching pretty much every metal band from Belo Horizonte and built itself a respectable legacy. Nowadays, it boasts over 150 releases in its catalog. From the seminal Minas Gerais bands, to Ratos de Porão and Pato Fu, up until the new metal generation of Belo Horizonte.

It was said that, in Belo Horizonte during the 80’s, if you flew over the Augusto Lima avenue, between the Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo streets, you could see a huge black spot. That was a bunch of metalheads getting together around the Cogumelo store.

In 2005, I spoke to the owner João Eduardo, who told me a little about the first years of the label...

Cogumelo as a record store exists since 1980. How were things back then?

When the store was founded in 1980, it was in Avenida Augusto de Lima 339, on the corner with Rio de Janeiro street. It was a common rock record store. It moved out of that place in 1998. The store itself is 25 years old, and the label is 20. We had good visibility here in Minas Gerais, unlike São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. In Rio de Janeiro there isn’t even any Heavy Metal, back in the 80’s there was Dorsal Atlântica, Taurus, Azul Limão, it was actually a good scene. The problem with Rio is that the mentality is a little bit different. Over here people are into the actual metal scene, it was always like that. It may have gone through several phases, but the metal thing here has always been strong. So much that the record label has been active this whole time, constantly releasing Heavy Metal and Hardcore material. There was a time when we turned a little towards Pop, in the 90’s, when we released Pato Fu, Defalla, Tianastácia, afterwards we jumped out of that ship because nowadays you need a lot of money to release that kind of sound: you gotta pay a lot of fucking cash, a lot of promotion. Nowadays we don’t have the structure to support that.

I imagine that was a symptom of the times.

Yeah, that whole Grunge bullshit came in. The only ones that you could salvage from that was Nirvana, Soundgarden and Mudhoney. Everything else was shit, you know? That was the issue, it weakened the metal scene, including in the US. While that grunge thing went on, Heavy Metal had its legs broken. Only by the end of the 90’s things started working out again. Around 6 or 7 years ago metal started coming back strong – both in Europe and in the US. And I think that when people talk about the return of the 80’s, I think they’re wrong. It’s the return of Heavy Metal’s base itself. Because the bands that are coming back stronger are bands from the 70’s: Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Mötorhead…so, if bands are coming back, they are coming back to a rediscovery niche market. Both oldschool folks and today’s kids are listening to these bands.

Let’s try to determine a chronology. The store is founded in 1980, how was the metal scene back then?

The metal thing really started to stick in Brazil around ’84. In 1985 it gained a lot of strength because of Rock in Rio, which was when it all got a huge boost. We were starting to realize that as a store (who opened the store was actually my wife, Patty, at the time I didn’t even think of working in the business). And the Heavy Metal thing, which was amplified by Rock in Rio, really got our attention. We were always into rock, we had a rock record store and saw that metal was a very strong niche market. So we worked towards making a connection with São Paulo, where that scene was also growing strong, there was the Woodstock store, Galeria do Rock, Devil Discos, Rock Brigade was starting out as well…

When we looked into this Heavy Metal thing, we noticed there was a scene here in Belo Horizonte. There were some good bands, playing shows already. But it was just a bunch of kids, really. We took those kids and gave them some support and structure. We had a junction of very important factors in Belo Horizonte: the talent of these kids, the support of the Cogumelo label and the first studio at the time with the technology and conditions to make quality work for these bands, "JG". It’s considered to be at the same level of, for example, Kreator, Sodom, Destruction, bands that recorded in foreign countries. Bands here were at the same level of foreign bands in terms of sound. And the guys here were in touch with the guys over there.

Sepultura, Sarcófago and others contacted other bands by mail, traded fanzines and demo tapes. They were in touch with Death, Kreator, Sodom, there was a huge exchange of information. It’s even hard to talk about a pioneer band, because there was that information exchange and bands mirrored each other. If you take the sonority of bands like Destruction, Sodom, Kreator and Death, and compare it to the local bands, you can find several similarities, both in themes and song structure. It’s death, thrash, black metal, so bands benefitted from that support and Cogumelo could not have come so far without those bands and a quality studio. It was the right time, with the right bands, and us giving them support. Without those factors, there wouldn’t the anything.

When did it start looking like a proper scene?

That would be around the same time as the first Metal BH (First Heavy Metal festival in Belo Horizonte, which took place in March 1985). Sometime before that we had already noticed there was a scene beginning to form. The thing is, we had Vladimir (Vladimir Korg, Chakal’s vocalist) working in the store with us. Vladimir – and Patty – had a strong connection with those kids, mainly because they were at the store all the time. So, due to that contact, we had the idea to record a split with two bands that had material ready to be recorded. Those bands were Overdose and Sepultura. At the time of the split, Sepultura was raw, and Overdose were way more technical, more polished and all that. Vladimir always lobbied for Sepultura, he was close to them. He followed their recording sessions, helped them with translations, writing lyrics, he had a special affection for Sepultura and that made us focus more on Sepultura as well.

But there were also other active bands, that would be part of Warfare Noise later on: Chakal, Holocausto, Mutilator and the one that really blew up internationally, Sarcófago. Nowadays I consider them the most successful band in our label. They became a cult band, a worldwide reference in Metal even today. They influenced the style, the attitude, lyrics, aesthetics, there are foreign bands all over Europe, mainly in Norway, who shamelessly copy Sarcófago. So, 1985 would be the year when things really came into place.

In March 1986, we organised a huge release show for Sepultura and Overdose’s album at Ginástico. It was also then that we started organising events. This show, our first, was huge, with almost 2000 people in the audience. The line-up was Sepultura, Overdose, Mutilator and Dorsal Atlântica. It was the show where there was the burning of a cross. You see, ’85 and ’86 were defining years, when the whole Metal thing really blew up. It was also when people from outside of Belo Horizonte began paying attention. In 1987, the whole scene was consolidated: practically every band in the label already had their own LP, Sepultura’s third was just coming out, Schizophrenia, Andreas [Kisser] had already moved to Belo Horizonte – Jairo went to play in a cheesy band, kinda poser sounding like Motley Crue, and the band at the time was leaning further and further towards Thrash Metal, starting with Death Metal and being influenced by the Bay Area bands, you know the deal.

The scene was very dynamic back then. When we released Warfare Noise, the other bands were already taking it seriously, playing shows frequently, even traveling to neighboring states to play. Going back to the start…what did we do? We put Sepultura and Overdose on our shoulders, and since we kept in touch with bands and producers from other states, we booked shows for them everywhere in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. That made the Minas Gerais metal expand even further, until then no one knew about it. Shop owners in Rio and São Paulo would see me walk in with the records under my arm and laugh: “Fuck man, that’s ridiculous. A band called Sepultura and another called Overdose? That’s going nowhere”.

And there was nothing like the bands from Belo Horizonte. Of course, there was Vulcano, from Santos, and Dorsal Atlântica from Rio, but they didn’t have the same repercussion. Even here in Belo Horizonte, there was Mutilator for example. In my opinion, Mutilator was a band that could have been as big as Sepultura, because they were really freaking good. They had a really good sound, nice production, aesthetics, but even Sarcófago themselves, whom we thought would be even bigger: we licensed them through Music for Nations and they toured through Europe.

Sepultura was really lucky because they ended up in a label that was growing, Roadrunner. They had Mercyful Fate and some other band from that time, but the thing is, they were establishing their franchise in the US, Roadracer. One of the first bands they signed was Sepultura. They backed Sepultura and it was Sepultura that carried them basically. If you notice, practically every other band in Roadrunner were similar to Sepultura. But we can’t take anything away from Roadrunner, because they were dynamic, constantly keeping up with the trends. So Sepultura was lucky to take advantage of that opportunity, to have the backing of a strong label that believed in them.

With Warfare Noise, Brazil and – in a way – the rest of world, paid more attention to Belo Horizonte. The bands were really good at the musical level. Of course, things weren’t so great when it came to organization. Most bands here didn’t have that entrepreneur vision they should have had. Sepultura was one of the first bands to have that ambition. The bands that were part of the first Warfare Noise were bands that came to our store all the time. We knew them from the festivals, we knew their demo tapes, we sold their tapes in our store, so we had an idea of which bands sold more demos. Our guideline for Warfare Noise was: “which bands are the important ones, that deserve to be in such a compilation?”. And the release was kind of surprising. The release of Sepultura’s Morbid Visions, and Warfare Noise, caught a lot of attention. At the time, besides Germany and the US, there weren’t as many metal bands with that potential anywhere else in the world. Overdose didn’t jump in back then. They were a band with a different kind of structure, and unlike Sepultura, who agreed to record Morbid Visions with us right away, Overdose went looking for other labels to release their material. The following year, in 1987, we started to work on each band’s record because of the demand for Warfare Noise. Everyone was asking about their albums, and those bands had the potential to record LPs. So, in sequence, we released Holocausto, Mutilator, Sarcófago and Chakal. Sepultura’s record came out at the end of the year, which was Schizophrenia, in 1987.

Back then, Schizophrenia, was the record in which Cogumelo invested the most. Both in recording and graphic production. It was the label’s first double cover album. The band was already in rotation throughout Brazil, they had already opened for Venom here in Belo Horizonte, there was a lot of exposure. That was when the gringos really started turning their eyes towards Sepultura.

Anyways, you could say that the apex of the Belo Horizonte metal scene was between 1986 and ’89. It was insane the number of bands that were around in 1989. That was when we released the second Warfare Noise, with Witchhammer, Aamonhammer, Megathrash and Mayhem (though Warfare Noise 2 didn’t have such a big impact).

It wasn’t easy. Dealing with metal in the ‘80s was sacrilegious stuff. Up until the promulgation of the constitution (after Brazil’s military dictatorship ended, in 1988), we had to go to the Federal Police, so they would approve the album’s lyrics. At times they would take the records and make us change the lyrics. Every record until 1988 had to go through the censorship’s eye. Back then Sexthrash would never be approved! No chance! And we had to translate the lyrics for them, we had to bring a copy in Portuguese and another in English. The police didn’t even have people who spoke English. So, we translated it to sound milder, in hopes they would approve it. And it did, because they didn’t understand any of it anyways.

About the copyright issues, does Cogumelo still have the copyrights on Sepultura’s records, for example?

We do, on their first records, Bestial Devastation, Morbid Visions and Schizophrenia. We actually show the record sales to the musicians. But there were some reissues released by Roadrunner, whose licenses were conceded to them. When Roadrunner signed with Sepultura they thought of everything. When they noticed that it was getting big, they got in touch with me, we sealed the contract and licensed the records. We always try to be transparent when it comes to this stuff. If any artist has a problem, thinks they didn’t receive what was due, all they have to do is get in touch with us.

It has happened many times already, guys coming up to me and go: “João, I want to get paid for this and that”. And I’ll say: “no, you can’t get any money. I signed a contract with four people, the whole band. So, I have to pay four people and their heirs.”. Imagine that someone wants to be paid someone else’s royalties: “oh, but that guy died, that other one started doing crack and died as well, you can pay me the royalties.”. And I do, and it doesn’t go well. Then people show up and ask: “fuck, you paid that other guy?”. That’s why we are so careful when it comes to managing intellectual rights. Here at Cogumelo we are transparent, if someone is not happy, just come to us and we’ll set the record straight.

Mellakka - '84 Practice & “R.I.P. Recordings 1984-1986” CD 2004 (FLAC/320)


"Mellakka was a Finnish Hardcore Punk band formed in a small Finnish coast/industrial town called Rauma in year 1983. During their relatively short career in the mid/late 80’s, the band visited the recording studio three times, resulting two ep’s and a three-song demo. A compilation album of these songs was released in 2004 and was named 'R.I.P. recordings 1984-1986'.

Pete and Jappe were friends, and started the band at the age of fifteen (Pete) and sixteen (Jappe). After spending a couple of years banging on cardboard boxes and yelling into the cleaning brushes in Jappe’s father’s boiler room. They were also spending time together listening punk rock. Bands like the Ramones, Sex Pistols, U.K. Subs and Lama were the first big names, but the final kick for forming a punk band came when the guys got a hold of Discharge’s 'Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing' LP, and 'Why?' EP. That was the time when the first Propaganda Records’ compilation album was released too, the new Finnish hc-punk bands on that record, like Riistetyt, Kaaos, Terveet Kädet all sounded awesome. Then they had the pleasure of seeing Appendix and Destrucktions playing live at their home town. That was a really influential hc gig, especially Destrucktions. Without these bands it could have been a really different story.

After getting their hands on some equipment, the guys started to practice in Jappe’s parents garage. After practicing for a while, the band was named Mellakka, and the first real line-up was Pete (voc), Kapulainen (bass), Janne (guitar), Jappe (drums). The band was ready to make it’s first gigs, and did, but quite soon the vocalist Pete left the band, and joined the other hc band in Rauma punk scene, Pohjasakka, as a bass player. In the meantime, Jappe met yet another bass player called Holkka. Kapulainen was ready to sing and Holkka naturally took the job of playing the bass. This change seemed to work, and the band sounded much better than before.

Soon Mellakka had enough new songs and it was time to visit the studio. The first Ei EP was published in autumn ‘84 by the guys themselves, mainly because nobody else would do it. Almost all the records at that time were published by the Propaganda Records, but Mellakka thought that they should release it themselves. All the other new bands were doing the same, Sekaannus, Massacre and bands like that.

The musical influences of the band can be spotted on the record. There was some disappointments after finishing the EP, it didn’t sound nowhere near as great as 'Hear Nothing', but at the end of the day the guys had to be more than pleased with the result. Everything in the studio went quite well for being the first time. The place was called Laser Studio and it was built in an old barn. It was run by a religious fanatic fool, but the guy who did the actual recording/mixing was a hippie called Pertti Palonen and he really has quite a lot to do in how both of the EPs and the demo are sounding...a very nice guy. They have only good memories of him. He is probably the main reason why all of the Mellakka recordings are made in that same place. The line-up for the Ei EP was Kapulainen (voc), Janne (guitar), Jappe (drums), Holkka (bass). The guitarist Janne left the band right after the EP was released. Luckily there was a help near by. A guitarist named Perttula was digging the Ei EP hard, and was more than happy to join the group. The band continued to practice and made some new songs. Soon it was time to hit the studio for the second time.

Itsenäisyyspaivä EP from January ‘85 was made for Rat Poison Records run by Mr P. Järveläinen. Rat Poison published other punk/hc music too at that time, bands like Kuolleet Kukat. After visiting one practice session and hearing the new songs, Järveläinen reserved new studio time for the band. Only two weeks before the studio, the singer Kapulainen had enough, threw the mic to the floor saying 'FYA, I never gonna sing a goddamn note again!', and just like that, it was over for him. Gotta respect that. Well anyways, the band was in trouble, new singers didn’t grow on trees as they say. In desperation the guys even called to Mike Poison, who is/was known for singing for the great hc band called Destrucktions. He promised to visit to the studio, to see what can be done, but didn’t sound TOO excited...It was getting clearer and clearer that only one man can do this job. The band got together with the original singer Pete, and after a long discussion and convincing, he decided to join the band again, and this time he stayed for good. The band did get the practice they needed before the studio and everything went just right after all. The guys thought that the result was far better than the first time around, sound wise, song wise, in all the ways. The band added some guitar riffs, solos and other non-hc-tricks in their songs, which made this record a bit more interesting than the first one. But no success without some losses, soon after the second EP was out, Holkka left the band.

Perttula’s good friend Altti was to replace Holkka right away, as the band had some gigs to take care of. First he played the bass, later the guitar. The year ‘85 went by making new songs again and practicing, maybe more than ever. The absolute best gig was in Helsinki at Lepakko 5.18.1985. With them there were at least Rattus, Maho Neitsyt and Painajainen. There is VHS footage of that gig, but it’s recorded so poorly, that you can’t really tell what song they are playing at times, but ‘85-’86 they were at their very best form.

The band tried to find a publisher for their LP, and there was some discussions but that was far as it went and it never came thru. Anyways, the band decided to visit the studio just to make a demo if nothing else and have some fun. The result was three songs (Totuus II, Anti-Kaikki, Turhaa Taistelua), recorded in five hours, which have a lot of musical influences by metal/thrash scene of that time. This demo was recorded in February 1986, and was never even meant to be released, as they were going to record the songs again later with more time in the studio. The line-up for the demo was Perttula (bass), Jappe (drums), Pete (voc), Altti (guitar). Mellakka had about ten to fifteen other songs from the same period of time than these three songs, but never got the time to record them. Damn shame. After the demo was made the band continued for some time, but the guys of the band started to get bored with the small town and soon everybody was leaving the place to different directions. It was time to lay the band to rest.

Mellakka has practiced together few times after that. Last session was in 1993. The band got together and played few days just for fun with the line-up: Perttula (guitar), Jappe (drums), Pete (voc) and Sätkä (bass). This is probably the line-up the band would have if they should play together again."

Click to embiggen...



Krunch – "När Varje Steg Är Ett Snedsteg" Demo 1984 & "We're Back...But We're Evil: The Almost Complete Krunch, But More..." CD 1993 (FLAC/320)





Selfish - "Patriotism Is Not Excuse" Demo 1990 (FLAC)


Pre Otto, but still insanely "Japcore" (upbeat, noiseless)
sung in a shockingly unexpected Keller-style...

Excrement Of War & Doom - 1990 Demo & Rehearsals (FLAC)


The ropey remnants of Fagin's final brood, snatching ears (and snatch) with their demo
and a split practice with Doom. Admit it, I should have been an editor for the NME... 

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Bacchus - Demo 2002 (FLAC)


Post Defuse orugaru garawgecore...


Laxative Souls - "Twist And Decease" Cassette 1982 (256) & "Desinfektionsraum" Cassette 1984 (320) With Scans



"Laxative Souls, also known by the contraction 'LXSS', was one of the very first post-industrial music projects on the Italian scene. Born in the early 1980s in the province of Ascoli Piceno, according to many critics LXSS was chronologically second only to 'MB'. The project was from the mind of Roberto Marinelli and takes it's name from Dante's Inferno's dialog of souls in purgatory, a literal translation of which s not reflected in the English language, thus generating a nonsensical phrase. His music is a mixture of electronic rage, vocal distortions, concrete music, feedback generated by self-assembly of electrical circuits and cut-ups of documentaries, recordings and radio proclamations. Less dehumanizing than Maurizio Bianchi, the compositions of LXSS seem more linked to an emotional interpretation of the social organism, where in the evolution of the songs and albums it seems to elaborate an almost narrative development of the sound material.

The first album under the name LXSS was released after two years of exhausting research and construction of samples, for the 'Multiple Configuration' label of Roberto Marinelli himself, for which 'TAC', 'Tasaday', 'Maze 1066' and 'Luca Miti' also recorded. In 'Twist And Decease' Marinelli traces a series of violent deaths that have crossed the historical, political and social universe, using an almost documentary style. From Umberto The First killed by the anarchist Gaetano Bresci to Aldo Moro killed by the Red Brigades, from the aerospace accident of Vladimir Michajlovič Komarov to the mass exterminations of concentration camps, the narratives sometimes develop following documentary evidence and elaborating compositions around recordings, interviews and voice documents concerning the events themselves, and at other times in an emotional way through a succession of sound images and 'suggestions'. In his narrative evolutions then, Marinelli never seems to give value to the catastrophic spectacularization of crime news ,trying instead to maintain the maximum critical lucidity in the poetic treatment of events.

In 1984 Marinelli published the album entitled 'Desinfektionsraum', a cassette focused on the final solution of the Jewish question and more particularly on the extermination camp of Auschwitz, in which, according to Ambrosini, the fusion between poetic-sound processing of images and documentary narration reaches its compositional apex, also managing to trace a link between those misdeeds and the inability of our society to analyze any event in a non-rhetorical way."

Inertia Kills ‎– "Tous Des Aveugles" Discography CD (1995/2009)


"Terrorisateur Québécois"...PUTAIN DE MERDE ILS AVAIENT RAISON!!!


CDR Culture: Three Friendship "Mixtapes" Of Industrial & Neofolk (Mostly) From Justin & Ray...


"A mixtape (alternatively mix-tape or mix tape) is a compilation of music, typically from multiple sources, recorded onto a medium. With origins in the 1980s, the term normally describes a homemade compilation of music onto a cassette tape, CD, or digital playlist. The songs are either ordered sequentially or made into a continuous program by 'beat matching' the songs and creating seamless transitions at their beginnings and endings with fades or abrupt edits. Essayist Geoffrey O'Brien described the mixtape as perhaps the most widely practiced American art form.

Homemade mix tapes became common in the 1980s. Although the compact audio cassette by Philips appeared at the 1963 Berlin Radio Show, the sound quality of cassettes was not good enough to be seriously considered for music recording until further advances in chemical formulations of the tape. Before the introduction of the audio cassette, the creation of a pop music compilation required specialized or cumbersome equipment, such as a reel-to-reel or 8 track recorder, that was often inaccessible to the casual music fan. As cassette tapes and recorders grew in popularity and portability, these technological hurdles were lowered to the point where the only resources required to create a mix were a handful of cassettes and a cassette recorder connected to a source of pre-recorded music, such as a radio or LP player. The 8-track tape cartridge was more popular for music recording during much of the 1960s, as the cassette was originally only mono and intended for vocal recordings only, such as in office dictation machines. But improvements in fidelity finally allowed the cassette to become a major player. The ready availability of the cassette and higher quality home recording decks to serve the casual home user allowed the cassette to become the dominant tape format, to the point that the 8 track tape disappeared shortly after the turn of the 1980s. The growth of the mixtape was also encouraged by improved quality and increased popularity of audio cassette players in car entertainment systems, and by the introduction of the Sony Walkman in 1979.

A distinction should be drawn between a private mixtape, which is usually intended for a specific listener or private social event, and a public mixtape, or 'party tape', usually consisting of a recording of a club performance by a DJ and intended to be sold to multiple individuals. In the 1970s, such DJs as Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Afrika Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force, Kool Herc and the Herculoids, and DJ Hollywood would often distribute recordings of their club performances via audio cassette, as well as customized recordings (often prepared at exorbitant prices) for individual tape purchasers. These recordings tended to be of higher technical ability than home-made mixtapes and incorporated techniques such as beat matching and scratching. One 1974 article in Billboard reported: 'Tapes were originally dubbed by jockeys to serve as standbys for times when they did not have turntables on hand. The tapes represent each jockey's concept of programming, placing, and sequencing of records. The music is heard without interruption. One-to three-hour programs bring anywhere from $30 to $75 per tape, mostly reel-to-reel, but increasingly on 8-Track and cassette.'

Throughout the 1980s, mixtapes were a highly visible element of youth culture. However, the increased availability of CD burners and MP3 players and the gradual disappearance of cassette players in cars and households led to a decline in the popularity of the compact audio cassette as a medium for homemade mixes. The high point of traditional mixtape culture was arguably the publication of Nick Hornby's novel 'High Fidelity' in 1995. Since then, mixtapes have largely been replaced by mix CDs and shared MP3 playlists, which are more durable, can hold more songs, and require minutes (rather than hours) to prepare.

While the process of recording a mix onto an audio cassette from LPs or compact discs is technically straightforward, many music fans who create more than one mixtape are eventually compelled to confront some of the practical and aesthetic challenges involved in the format. From a practical standpoint, such issues as avoiding an excessive amount of blank tape at the end of one side (which requires careful planning of the length of each side of the mix) and reducing the audible click between songs (which requires mastery of the pause button on the cassette recorder) have been identified as part of the shared experience of mixtape aficionados. From an aesthetic point of view, many enthusiasts believe that because a tape player, unlike a CD player, lacks the ability to skip from song to song, the mixtape needs to be considered in its entirety. This requires the mixtape creator to consider the transitions between songs, the effects caused by juxtaposing a soft song with a loud song, and the overall 'narrative arc' of the entire tape. Many enthusiasts also devote substantial attention to the packaging of a mix tape intended as a gift, sometimes going so far as to create cover art and customized liner notes.

From an artistic point of view, many creators of mix tapes seem to regard them as a form of emotional self-expression, although whether a mix tape retains the same web of emotional associations when passed from its creator to the recipient is, at best, debatable. Some argue that in selecting, juxtaposing, or even editing originally unrelated tracks of pop music into a new work of art, the author of a mix tape moves from passive listener to archivist, editor, and finally active participant in the process of musical creation. On a very basic level, the creation of a mix tape can be seen as an expression of the individual compiler's taste in music, often put forward for the implicit approval of the tape's recipient."

💿

"'Cassette culture' refers to the practices associated with amateur production and distribution of home-recorded music via audio cassettes. Several factors led to it's popularity: the development of the format and widespread availability of tape decks allowed participants to produce copies of their music (or other's music via 'tape trading') rather cheaply. Additionally, multi-track equipment that used cassettes and electronic instruments such as drum machines all became more affordable, portable, and of fairly high quality. These factors finally made recording at home and duplication of those recordings a low cost alternative to professional studios and distribution services. 

In the United Kingdom cassette culture was at its peak in what is known as the 'post-punk' period, 1978–1984. UK cassette culture (as in the U.S.) was mainly championed by punk groups, industrial musicians, and marginal artists in general. Individuals would often freely copy their releases in exchange for a blank tape and return postage, but there also existed many small 'tape labels'. There was great diversity amongst those labels, some were entirely bedroom based, utilizing new home copying technologies, whilst others were more organized, functioning in a similar way to established music companies. Some also did vinyl releases, or later developed into vinyl labels.

In the US, cassette culture activity extended through the late 1980s and into the 1990s. Although larger operations made use of commercial copying services, anybody who had access to a tape-to-tape cassette player could release a tape and publicize it in the network of fanzines and newsletters that served niche markets. Therefore cassette culture was an ideal and very democratic method for making available music that was never likely to have mainstream appeal. Many found in cassette culture sounds that were more imaginative, challenging, and groundbreaking than output released on major and even mid-level record labels.

The packaging of cassette releases, whilst sometimes amateurish, was also an aspect of the format in which a high degree of creativity and originality could be found. For the most part, packaging relied on traditional plastic shells with a photocopied insert (though some labels, no matter how small the operation, made more of an effort). In the late 1990s cassette culture began to decline with the advent of new technologies and methods of distribution such as CDRs and MP3s, though in recent years it has seen a small yet highly dedicated revival."

Tellus #13: Power Electronics Tape 1986


Maybe Mental, Merzbow, Amor Fati, If Bwana, Rhys Chatham, Psyclones, Blackhouse,
Joseph Nechvatal, Master/Slave Relationship, Architects Office, Controlled Bleeding,
Mojo, Coup De Grace, Le Syndicat, Mitch Corber, and F/i...


"Launched from the Lower East Side as a subscription-only bimonthly publication, the Tellus cassette series took full advantage of that then popular format to document and promote the New York scene's experimental composers of the time. It published 'audio art', exploring musical spheres as diverse
as post-industrial, no wave, neo-dada, noise, avant rock, radio plays, tango, electroacoustic,
musique concrete, and sound collage."

Negative Gain - "Back From The Dead" LP 1986 (FLAC)


"Negative Gain was founded in Toronto by Peter Warner, who wrote all of the lyrics and provided rehearsal space in his basement. Filling out the lineup was Grant C. Slavin on guitar, Steve Currie on bass, and Andrew Mosely on drums. All members were in their mid-teens at the time. Their influences included Minor Threat, Millions Of Dead Cops, Misfits, and Dead Kennedys, as well as local bands Direct Action and Sudden Impact. They got their first break in 1983, opening for Jodie Fosters Army at the legendary punk club The Turning Point (Pete and Grant went skateboarding with JFA after the show). The evening was documented in a subsequent issue of Thrasher. Other memorable gigs included opening for the Circle Jerks, Gang Green, Descendents, and 7 Seconds. The group went from listening to their favorite bands' records on a daily basis to hanging out with them backstage (and stealing their beer riders)! More help came when promoter Jill Heath sent their demo tape, 1985's Attack of the Killer Bears, to Pushead for review in MRR. Pushead liked the tape so much that he offered to release an LP. They recorded the album in five hours on a Saturday afternoon in Oakville, Ontario., with Brian Taylor of Youth Youth Youth as producer. Sadly, Pete Warner committed suicide not too long after the LP was completed, and never lived to see its release. The remaining members continued on as a three-piece for two more years before splitting up in the late 1980s." --Edited From Grant C. Slavin

Seizure - "All Hail The Fucking System" 7" 1986 (320 With Hi-Res Scans)


Michigan-Heresy's spiritual twin (Britpunk delivery, Yankcore tone)...

Gore Beyond Necropsy - "Go Filth Go!" CD 1999 (FLAC)



My original review from 2000 (I'd traded for the CD from
one of the labels, who in turn got my live Repulsion LP, booted by 
the guy...Sergio...who put out the first live boot Crossed Out 10"
[not "Fuck Grindcore"])...

"I'm speechless, absolutely fucking speechless. I simply cannot and will not find fault in this CD (other than why didn't the band just release this as one massive 117 song album seeing as it was recorded at the same sessions as their Relapse CD). Gore Beyond Necropsy are the all-time gods of ultra sewage-goregrind (with the occasional half-assed but still serious social commentary). This pisses, shits and analdrills all over their split with Minch. Nothing was left out on this disasterpiece...the hokey 50's tunes as intros along with the John Waters samples, guitar tone that resembles Repulsion bass, 58 tracks in 26 minutes (!!!) of 2-second songs mixed with longer deathcore grinders, Every song played at hyper-killspeed, un-harmonized/effected vocals (singer Mamoru comes across like Lee Dorrian during F.E.T.O. with a bad sore throat), hilarious and genius song titles such as 'Puke, Piss and SHIT on Your Face', 'Reek Of Putridfashionpig' (one of my favorite songs) and 'Scenario Of Total Annihilation', and to top it all off they have a guy who just makes POWER-ELECTRONICS along with the songs! I swear you're a fucking poser if you don't get this CD! I do have one fear and that is that I'm afraid that there really is nowhere else the band can go within the grind genre. Over their 7+ year existence they have explored all of the traditional routes from drum-machine and Carcass-worship days to their refinement as the ultimate cheesy goregrindmassacrecore band. They really can't go any faster as the musick would just fall apart into Anal Cunt meanderings then, and for them to slow down...well, I prefer not to dwell on such terrible thoughts. PLEDGE YOUR PITIFUL SOULS TO GORE BEYOND NECROPSY!!! Whoopsy! Almost forgot to mention the great full color (I thought this release would be in black and white) layout complete with tasty front-cover collage of a putrid ball of cancerous, jaundiced and A.I.D.S.-infected chunks of SHIT squished together!!! HARSHIT RECORDS/837-6 HORINISHI. HADANO-CITY/KANAGAWA 259-1331/JAPAN"


Terminal Disaster - "Nuclear Suicide" Demo 1981


Airstrip 1 in '81! If the unknown ripper had told me this was a lost Napalm Death demo from the Bullshit Detector era, I'd swallow that lucid fairytale hook, line, sinker, the entire cooler of wormbait, the fucking fisherman, and his dingy too! No homo...I MEAN Y-E-S...YES homo......if it's Ellen Page nigga...


Offerbeest - "Afrika" CD 2018 & Split Tape With Clawing 2018


"Maurice De Jong is a real prolific artist hailing from The Netherlands. He’s involved with numerous projects (both 'Gnaw Their Tongues' and 'Aderlating' are some of his most renowned), but Offerbeest is one of his newest sonic creations, which he started in 2017. He recently released the 'Afrika' album on Malignant Records. The work is an analogue creation dealing with hard-electronics and power-noise. Time for a brief introduction to the harsh world of Offerbeest..."

Interview Edited From Inferno Sound Diaries 2018

What incited you to set up Offerbeest and what makes this project different from all the other ones you’ve been involved with?

I wanted to do music without using samples/computer/DAW. Just using analogue gear; limiting myself in a way. At the time I found that doing ambient/noise/drone (like Aderlating) with digital gear was just too easy, not a challenge anymore. I use my DAW as a recording device of course, but there is no editing or manipulation. I think Offerbeest is my most straight up industrial/power electronics project. The focus lays on the rhythms, bass sounds, noise and ambient sounds. And of course spitting hatred into the mic.

Tell us a bit more about your way of working and composing and how did the “Afrika“ CD came to life?

I just messed around with my gear until I found something that sounded interesting to me. Or something that sounds really nasty and sick. For “Afrika” I had a general feel and theme. So I worked from there.

Analogue gear takes an important part in your composing process. What makes the magic of analogue equipment and also the main differences with software equipment? Do you have favorite tools?

There’s no magic in my opinion. I just was fed up with using digital gear and samples creating drone/noise etc. I use both a lot, but for Offerbeest I made a conscious decision to only use analogue gear. My favorite tools are my Eurorack set up (mostly "Doepfer" modules) and my Hades bass synth.

Considering the booklet and title of the tracks, “Afrika” appears to be an "engage" work. What did you try to express and do you consider yourself as an "engaged/reactional" artist?

No engagement. No expression. No reaction. Just trancy numbness. People need to make their own minds up about the music and themes, though I have been interested in the more gruesome side of the continent since I was a kid.

Nekronomikon "First E.P." 12" 1998 & "Deathcore" 12" 2000


Pulping-the-pulp minimalist speedcore/experimental hardcore from one Spaniard,
two French fucks, and their broken (psychologically broken) drum machine.

Bad Breeding - Self-Titled LP 2016 (Wav)


Interview With Chris Dodd By Alex Macrow 2015...

I understand that you returned from recording your debut album in L.A. last week. What made you decide to record in the States rather than in the UK?

We'd been pondering how to approach the record for a lengthy period and in the end the decision was based around the people we wanted to work with. The prospect of putting the songs together in Los Angeles might seem like some manifestation of financial immoderation or excess, but what we arrived upon was a plan that allowed us to do the sessions on a shoestring budget with a producer who was emotionally and artistically invested in the band. Joby J. Ford had been a fan of what we were doing and it just so transpired that he had some incredibly charitable friends from the Californian punk community who were able to lend us gear and provide a studio, which helped us save on the cost of flying things over. On the morning of the outbound flight, as we walked through the nauseating commercial stupor that Heathrow throws you into, I remember thinking to myself how moving it was that somewhere out there room still exists for things to work on the basis of admiration and artistic understanding amongst all the corrupt noise.

In the past, you've said that being a Stevenage-based band has had an influence on your music. What sort of impact do you feel having recording sessions Stateside has had on the music?

We're most certainly a product of Stevenage and I'm sure there are many other young people living in new town developments across the country who feel the same: marginalised, stagnant, ignored… Our ideas were all written in a tiny rehearsal space on an industrial estate and we have always been keen to hold on to what inspired us to write the songs and their structures. Recording in another country was never going to change that. I've been asked the same question by friends and family, who I think were under the illusion that we were flying away to submit ourselves to some wild American experience - which wasn't the case at all. During the sessions we worked from early morning to late in the evening, and to be honest I've probably got more sun by walking my dog back home. There wasn't any time to become engrossed by American culture other than when we had to navigate through the gross profusion of food on offer at the end of the day.

Does the material sound like the songs Bad Breeding have already released, or are there moments where you experimented with it?

The two releases from the band so far were recorded during a period of relative infancy, just a few months into working together. The whole concept of Bad Breeding didn't get started until late in 2013 so I'd like to think what we've put together on the record is a step forward both in terms of ideas as well as in our presentation. My sensibilities are in English anarcho and hardcore and I've personally tried to inflect more of that into the record, while the others have brought a whole range of new concepts to the songs compared to when we first started. At the centre of the band is the idea of self-empowerment and musically we've produced a framework that continuously seeks to reiterate that point, at times through brute force and at others using more subtle manoeuvres. Lyrically the content might be bleak and cynical, but half of the tactic is recognising certain faults and giving time to addressing dark subject matter - I like to do that using both serious content and my own take on macabre self-deprecation.

Are there any details that you can release about the album or the recording session yet? If not, when are you expecting to reveal them?

Not at the moment. If you can bring me Michael Gove's head on a stick I might be able to give you a preliminary track-listing?

When listening to your music, it reminded me a lot of early punk, but songs such as 'Age Of Nothing' sound like they have an indie rock edge as well. Are you a fan of both genres?

The songs are written together as a four, usually around an idea that somebody has brought along. There are lots of different touchstones, but I wouldn't say there is any conscious effort to bring wider work into what we're trying to do. Obviously you're influenced by what you consume - that's the nature of having a brain and being a human - although I'd say that we don't really spend much of our time analytically thinking about other people's output and how it fits within the context of Bad Breeding. What I would say is that our surroundings and environment seem to be the most conducive thing towards the whole process. We write and rehearse in a restrictive room for a few hours after spending the majority of the day scraping around to earn a living. A two-hour period a few times a week gives us the chance to plough every frustration, anxiety and concern into our instruments, leaving the backbone of the songs to take form out of a destructive, almost primitive, process. At the end of the practice you've only got the prospect of going back to waking up at 5 am the next morning to lug bricks around a building site as part of a cyclical, monotonous routine and that definitely plays into the identity of what we create. That rehearsal space can be a tense and punishing environment for all of us and we often have to draw on the strength of our friendship to ensure that we don't all fall apart or end up chinning each other. The go-to descriptor is punk, but like you say there are some other elements at play. Punk and hardcore are important to me and my record collection is full of Crass, Flux Of Pink Indians, Crisis, Void, Rudimentary Peni and Noh Mercy, however the feeling is that we'd like to do something that is more inclusive in a musical sense. Some scenes can, by their own nature, go against the idea of inclusivity because of the sense of impenetrability about them. Don't get me wrong, in the UK there are some great things going on in both London and Leeds - take work by Good Throb, Frau, The Lowest Form, Perspex Flesh, Static Shock Records and places like the Temple Of Boom - but bringing in some softer elements, or maybe more melodic overtones, has been a conscious effort on our part to cast the net a touch wider.

You covered the Wire track 'Two People In A Room' late last year. Do you have a particular affiliation with the band?

No particular affiliation really, it was decided upon just as us being fans. I first listened to Wire in my late teens having inherited part of my dad's record collection. Pink Flag and 154 were both in there and made a real impact on me, they're brilliant…In terms of the song, 'Two People In A Room' was the easiest to play. They're undoubtedly better musicians than we could ever hope to be.

Your live shows are extremely intense and fairly unforgiving but, from what I've seen, you seem to conduct yourself very differently on and off the stage. Do you consciously choose to represent yourself in two different ways?

What happens live is always a fiercely organic process, it's us putting everything on the line to present our art in a limited period of time. For me personally, it's about expressing emotions that aren't always presentable within the confines of my day-to-day existence; a sort of mangled catharsis. The aggression, intensity and despair is also a way of showcasing the band in our most vulnerable form. I said earlier about promoting inclusivity - presenting ourselves in such a manner helps to give people the chance to see everything laid bare. The aim is to convey that we're not just a bunch of mouthy nihilists. In terms of preparation, I think we always naturally just tell ourselves to be honest and put in all that we have at each show - that doesn't always manifest in physical ways either, sometimes going through the songs can be a mental strain too; perennial frustration can do funny things to your head.

You sold one of your previous releases exclusively through eBay and Alibaba. Did this process operate as you expected it to, and did it have the desired effect?

The idea behind that method was to test the water. As a new band we felt that it was important to explore different ways of presenting releases and reaching people. Given the size of that specific release ('Chains' was limited to 200 copies) it was a way of examining what impact leaving behind the bureaucracy and autocratic nature of labels would have on us. Going via eBay and Alibaba meant that we could just take the music from its source and pass it on to those who wanted it in terms of a physical release. Obviously things become more complicated when you look to larger releases because of the impact of distribution and more sizeable orders, but it felt necessary to try something without a middle-man creaming too much off the top of your creation.

Knowing what you know now, would you stick to releasing material via this unconventional method, or would you use more conventional vendors such as iTunes?

I think it would depend entirely on the release and the amount of distribution required. We offered the last 'Chains' single as a free download via SoundCloud and only charged for the 7"s.

You seem to be a fiercely independent band. I'd be interested to find out why you decided to leave the DIY aspect behind and release the split 7" via Hate Hate Hate.

The Hate Hate Hate release was actually our first. Our friend ran the label and for an initial single it seemed like a nice place to give it a home. The guy behind HHH always had an intensive focus on giving new bands a chance to press something physical - it kind of had its own DIY feel about it. It gave us a platform to put our first bit of material out and also made us think more widely about how to release the second.

I've read a few interviews that you've done in the past where you seem to be fairly outspoken on the subject of politics, including an NME piece encouraging people to vote. Would you describe Bad Breeding as a political band? Where do you stand on the issue of the lack of artists discussing the topic?

I'd agree that we carry a light for political awareness. I wouldn't say it defines everything we do: lyrically the band also explores a lot of personal trauma and reflects on a number of things that extend beyond politics. Political apathy in music is arguably an extension of indifference at a more societal level and I think that's quite prevalent in the UK. Voting is important as it's one of the few democratic ways to bring about change so I'd always advocate doing it. What isn't that productive is encouraging political discourse purely for fashionable purposes, which culminated in right-wing sledging and the preaching of en-vogue liberalism on social media during the most recent general election. This time around social media became a baiting ground for people to pipe up against UKIP and the Conservative party, only for the results to portray a rather different feeling. There are obviously genuine questions to pose about the standpoint of those parties, however writing a few jarring Facebook comments and preaching hate on Twitter isn't going to contribute to progressive discussion about how to improve our situation. The internet can often provide wonderful moments of liberation for people all over the world, but social media clearly had its limitations during the election. If people want to make a difference there are other ways to encourage discussion and aid progress. You mentioned a lack of discussion from artists - why not use your art to make a statement, maybe hold a benefit gig for those who are being failed by people in positions of authority or take part in a protest movement in action? Gobbing off in 140 characters does just as much to distort the perception of complex, contextual issues as the work of the heinous right-wing press. Musicians don't necessarily have any obligation to discuss politics and I can understand why people might feel impassive - why would you want to get involved with a topic that sees the mainstream media spend three weeks analysing how a man eats a bacon sandwich? There's also the slight issue of musicians trying to carve out a financial existence from their work. In the commercialised and materialistic era we find ourselves in, there's more pecuniary reward and exposure in ambiguous songwriting than there is in sticking your neck out on the line or venturing too far into the cerebral.

The general election is still fresh in everyone's minds, what are your opinions on the outcome?

Like a lot of people I feel dejected and disenfranchised, but most of us were aware of the pitfalls of the first past the post system and the potential influence that the migration of votes towards SNP could have on the result before the leaders' campaigns began. That said, seeing a Labour defeat at the hands of a Conservative party that has been showcasing morally questionable policy has made me determined to be more active in the future. I come from a family that has benefited from post-war Labour successes and have also been influenced directly by the aspirational ideologies put forward since 1994. However, I can't help but feel lost as a supporter. Other than Labour's naive outlook towards the adroitly-steered SNP, I think a major contribution to the defeat was a lack of connection with those aspirational voters who backed Tony Blair in 1997. The loss in bond only allowed the Tories to galvanise sections of the electorate who still sought ambition and aspiration in exchange for their vote. Stevenage, a town which has found itself in constant search of identity since its birth as a then-liberal experiment of town planning back in 1945, serves as a perfect microcosm of the impact of Labour's loosening connection. As a socialist, my concern now lies with what is going to pan out under a majority Conservative government unchallenged by a coalition partner. Since the victory, we've seen the announcement of a front bench that includes politicians whose belief systems evidently fly in the face of social progression. You'd find it hard to argue that Labour would not have pushed some sort of austerity policy had they been elected, but I feel vulnerable people are going to suffer even more with talk over cuts in the coming years: ideas being mooted of lowering the benefits cap even further, removing housing benefit for young people, renaming zero-hours contracts without addressing issues of exploitation, cutting help to those with disabilities. Without getting lost in political nepotism, I'd say my interest predominantly lies with how people are impacted by policy. At a local level in Stevenage, we've just re-elected an MP [Stephen McPartland] who voted against the marriage of same-sex couples. In the UK women are charged a five per cent luxury tax on items that hide the natural process of menstruation because of restrictions under EU law. It's hard not to feel like you're living in an age where the very basics of human understanding are being eroded by those who you share no common ground with. You can't blame younger voters for nurturing apathy towards the whole process when they feel like they're unable to be truly represented.

You'll be performing at the Sunday of Field Day, alongside Ride, Patti Smith and your former tourmates Eagulls. To me, your music sounds fairly different to a lot of the artists on the bill - does the idea of playing alongside artists so different to you seem intimidating?

Not at all. There's very little point in being creative or producing something, only to shun away when it comes to presenting it to people. We can't play to Slavoj Žižek fans every night.

You're also touring with Mastodon in Ireland later in the month, and supporting Metz. It's obviously going to be a very different atmosphere than Field Day. Do you plan on adapting your performance in any way to compensate for this?

I don't think so. We strive to play every show with the same principles as any before it.

Besides the events that we've already mentioned and the recently-announced Reading and Leeds appearance, is there anywhere else that fans can expect to see Bad Breeding in 2015?

As part of a guest appearance on Corrie. ["Coronation Street", a popular and very long running British Soap Opera.  --S]

Halo - Unreleased E.P. & Loose Unreleased Trax, Live U.S. & Australia, "Massive Corporate Disease", "Subliminal Transmissions" 1998-2004


”Skye Klein quickly recognized that every musical genre contains elements that he likes and can process. Whether metal, drum 'n' bass, drone, soul or dub, Klein knows no musical boundaries. Already with Halo, which followed an experimental path via drone to no wave ('genre fixation means stagnation'), they released five albums, with the last three on Relapse Records. They were also 100% improvised, from the recordings to the concerts [They actually free-jammed an idea multiple times, then chose the best take, only adding basic mixing afterwards, live shows were further improvised renditions of those same trax. --S]. Halo was put on hiatus when Klein moved from Australia to England, never officially disbanding."

(Moar noize, and my own two 1/2 cents, here...

Echo In Eternity...

Eskhatos ("The Day After Armageddon") Issue 2 1995 & Alan Lamb "Primal Image" CD 1995 (FLAC With Scans)


Утро ("Utro / The Morning") - 2010 LP

Radically minimalist post-chernobyl-punk from Russia. The performances are organic and traditional, with an equally uncluttered, even nostalgic production (it really does sound like it was recorded in the early 80s!). Though an entirely different genre, I can comfortably analogize their simplicity to Shitlickers or Sorto...there's just so much world-building they accomplish with the least amount of melodies and beats. Fantastic stuff that will definitely inspire the negligibly talented to ROCK (like Fat Bob).

Ulcerous Phlegm ‎– "Phlegm As A Last Consequence" CD 2015



Interview By Systematic Desensitization Zine November 2017...

Here is an interview with Bernd, who used to play the bass and was responsible for the vocals for the legendary Bavarian grinders ULCEROUS PHLEGM (who broke up in 1993)...

Hey Bernd, let's get started. First of all I have to say by way of introduction that I - born 1978 - never really noticed Ulcerous Phlegm during your active days. When you broke up, I was 15 years old...I came across the name Ulcerous Phlegm every now and then over the decades, but I only really took note of the band when the discography was published via Power It Up. Have you heard from several people who felt exactly the same way or did the discography CD/LP be bought by people who already knew you (although a slimmed-down discography CD had already been released, or even two?)?

Hi! Yes, you are definitely not the only one. Thanks to the discography on Power-It-Up, I even came into contact with people who are just 20 now and who are interested in Grindcore/Death Metal of the 80s and early 90s. But that was also a time that shaped the style. Nevertheless, I think one shouldn't just dig into the past. Musically, every decade actually has exciting developments to show. At the same time, through this discography, I came into contact with people again, some of whom I had completely lost sight of for almost 30 years! That is very exciting, because of course everyone has developed somehow and the common denominator no longer has to be present. All the nicer when it harmonizes again despite all the years. Around 2005 there was an attempt to release an Ulcerous Phlegm Discography as a double CD, but that was then dropped. In 2008 a tape called "Make-Up your mind" was released on an American label, where I plugged together old practice and live recordings. Was fun! The discography on Power-It-Up is definitely the more "official" one as far as the completeness of the recordings relevant to ulcerous phlegm is concerned.

If we do this interview here, it seems like a journey through time. When you founded yourselves, that was about the time when bands like ATROCITY, MORGOTH, LEMMING PROJECT, BLOOD or PROTECTOR (besides the well-known ones like KREATOR, SODOM and DESTRUCTION) started or had been around for a while. In the punk area I think of bands like PINK FLAMINGOS, MVD or SM-70, internationally in the grind scene there were bands like AGATHOCLES, DEAD INFECTION, CARCASS, NAPALM DEATH, EXTREME NOISE TERROR, REPULSION, from neighboring Austria PUNGENT STENCH, MIASMA, DISAHRMONIC ORCHESTRA or DISASTROUS MURMUR...Are you still or are you in contact with some people again? And which bands did you have contacts with at the time? In which "scenes" did you locate yourself back then?

Wow, I could write novels about it now! In retrospect, there were two main reasons for me to start Ulcerous Phlegm. Shortly before that, I had been elected first board member in our local youth center. Back then, to see all the cool concerts, people drove to neighboring Baden Württemberg (NAPALM DEATH, HERESY, FEAR OF GOD, EXTREME NOISE TERROR) and I thought: Why shouldn't you do that here in our sleepy Bavarian town to attempt? When I got a call saying "There are a couple of unbelievably awesome bands from Austria - PUNGENT STENCH, DISHARMONIC ORCHESTRA and DISASTROUS MURMUR - want to play in Germany, but in Geislingen it won't work on the planned weekend" I got them in our "JuZe". It was just great! Even my parents still tell me today how nice they all were and so politely at the common breakfast table at home. With Alex the then drummer of Pungent Stench, I am still in contact now and then. We are united by another common passion: the cinema of the 60s and 70s. After a long break, I've been in contact with the people at BLOOD for about two years. For next year the aim is for me to run a marathon with Martin, the singer. This is our current hobbyhorse. The fact that we were allowed to play together with CARCASS in 1990 was thanks to our friendship with ATROCITY at the time. We had many contacts with other bands and my parents' mailbox in this pre-Internet age was always full. To name a few more names from the closer contact: DEAD, GUT, GROWING MOVEMENT, DISTRACT REALITY...the scenes weren't that separated. Which is no wonder, because bands from the beginning had their influences also drawn from noisy hardcore/punk and metal. In terms of "spirit" I would rather assign Ulcerous Phlegm to hardcore. We always had political or socially critical lyrics. Even if they were articulated difficult to understand. Oh shit, I forgot reason number two for founding UxPx: A friend of mine played the guitar incredibly well and later moved to the quiet area to play with DEATHROW. He once said to me: "You can make the noise that you always hear yourself." Yes, he was right (tended to).

Haha, cool, which confirms again that people who listen to or make extreme music are more sociable...have your parents ever seen Pungent Stench videos or cover artwork, haha? Wherever you are addressing this passion for cinema from the 1960s or 1970s : I'm really into Edgar Wallace or Doktor Mabuse films. Does this also happen during this time, do you also like something or are you traveling in a completely different way?

No, that definitely fits quite well! Every year in June I organize a film festival called "KultKino", where I again show films from original 35mm film rolls. To name a few titles from the last few years: Godzilla vs. Smogmonster, Magdalena - possessed by the devil, The Killer (with Klaus Kinski), Harley Riders, Zombi (Romero, 1978), Sadomona - The island of the devilish women, Party of horror, King Kong against Godzilla, The revenge of 1000 cats...here the website: https://kultkino.de. Maybe this is also interesting for your readers. Uwe (ex-DEAD) and other warriors from back then are also often there.

Hey cool, if I should linger down there again, I'll stop by! This is followed by the next question: According to some websites, Ulcerous Phlegm came from Höchstadt, to be honest I always thought that you originally came from Augsburg, also because Zong played for INFERNO. Otherwise I saw that there was also personal overlap with the grinders/crusties from CERTIFIED INSANE and a thrash metal band called SOULSTORM. You play with DEEP, I even own the first LP, someone from Augsburg sold it to me, and through him I also got to know your label DHYHANA RECORDS, which has already released pretty weird things musically...do you still do that?

Oh, maybe I should draw a family tree around ulcerous phlegm and its interwoven ties. Only I come from Höchstädt and since I was responsible for the post office this address has probably been memorized. UxPx was founded in Augsburg, in the rock factory. That was in July 1989. As far as I know, Inferno were founded in 1982. Zong came to us when Inferno broke up for the first time and I don't think Soulstorm existed anymore. Certified Insane, however, is still available in 2017! It is the band that Blinki, UxPx drummer from the very beginning, founded. And Zong and I have been active with DEEP for 24 years now. This year, for example, we published a cooperation 7" with SEVEN MINUTES OF NAUSEA. Not much is happening on Dhyana Records at the moment, except for a DEEP release every few years. That's right, on Dhyana Records I gave free rein to my diverse musical interests. I stand 100% behind every release, no matter if techno, singer-songwriter, noise, indirect rock, experimental, ambient... robably all of this was a very important outlet for me to get rid of the blinkers that I mainly dealt with death metal and grindcore for years keep busy.

What do you think of current Grindcore or Death Metal things? Do you still listen to something like that or do you notice what is still going on in the scene - including new bands? For example, do bands like the Finnish DEATH TOLL 80k, which I think are very good, tell you something, or do you also like bands like MISERY INDEX, which were founded much later after the end of Ulcerous Phlegm?

To be completely honest, the bands you mentioned don't tell me anything at all. Since I put together the compilation LP "Face The Consequences" last year, on which 43 bands replay the UxPx song Consequence, I did come across some bands of the younger generation, but I'm certainly a long way from getting a full perspective. But I'm already interested in bands that manage to give the old style a new face. By mixing elements of Grindcore with other styles. Grindcore was also something innovative once in a while. With Metal I have the problem that many things now sound too smoothly produced. For my taste, it has to be edgy in some way for it to stick in the ear. In general, however, Grindcore and Death Metal make up no more than 5% of my current music consumption .

I also add the next question to this sampler: did you choose the bands and if so, according to which criteria? Or did the bands approach you? And did all of the musicians involved know Ulcerous Phlegm beforehand, I ask, because some of them are stylistically a long way from grind and metal...did some of the things Jesus Jackson and the Grenzlandreiter come from with their common home in Augsburg? According to Discogs, a Finnish cellist is also represented, for example Martyn Schmidt, whom I didn't know before. Do you want to say something about individual artists and bands that are particularly close to your heart? The whole thing also reminds me of the "Tribute to JAPANISCHE KAMPFHÖRSPIELE" (do you know them?) - sampler, which also contained completely different bands stylistically...

I like the comparison to the JAPANESE KAMPFHÖRSPIELE - Tribute! But my real inspiration was SUZANNE VEGA, who put together an LP many years ago on which only her hit "Tom's Diner" was covered. Also in a wide variety of genres. I collected a total of 65 cover versions of the song Consequence and put the 43 best or most interesting ones on the record. JESUS ​​JACKSON UND DIE GRENZLANDREITER are friends of ours, with whom we have played together with our current band DEEP. A singer-songwriter version is also suitable due to the song structure of Consequence. The vocal artist MARTYN SCHMIDT is also a longtime companion of mine. Many years ago he was my editor-in-chief when I worked for the magazine "Intro" (I wrote reviews), and he is a big Ulcerous Phlegm Fan. That was my chance to finally get a version of the song where you can understand the lyrics. Each of the 43 versions grew dear to me in its own way, whereby I personally prefer the avant-garde approach or a modification to another, my own style of music rather than a 1: 1 copy. For many, Consequence is a song by GUT, the cover version of which made our original so well known. What I find very funny, because the lyrics are about environmental protection, which is not really a priority topic of pornogoregrinders.

But apart from or long before this sampler there were also some ulcerous phlegm cover versions. Do you have an overview of which bands have covered you over the decades?

The Consequence contributions, which I put on the compilation LP, date from 1992 to 2017, they were not recorded especially for the sampler. I couldn't find any contact with many bands, so that some of them still know nothing about their "luck". Just for fun, I've sorted the Consequence cover versions chronologically. The result was that the song was covered most often in the mid-90s. Then there was a consequential recession before a progression set in at the beginning of the 00s. The latest contribution was uploaded a few days before the press shop date without my having commissioned it. That was a funny last minute promotion. Can I also ask the interviewer a short question for fun? If so: With which song did you get to know Ulcerous Phlegm and since I suspect you have the Power-It-Up discography: Which song do you think is the best?

After listening to the discography again, I like "Godless" very much! This slowly grooving slurping middle section is awesome!

Ah okay. This is also one of the few parts in which the snare, which is otherwise too loudly mixed on this EP, goes well with it.

My next question would be: did ulcerous phlegm actually occur abroad? And did you ever think about uploading the old live recordings to bandcamp?

We once had a really cool gig in the Czech Republic, in a nuclear shelter. The sound was incredible: low room and all concrete - a single death reverb, haha! Otherwise we have unfortunately never left the German-speaking area. I remember two cool weekend gigs that I plugged together in my youthful recklessness without first checking the distance between the two venues. Friday evening in French-speaking Switzerland with SAMAEL and Saturday in Vienna in the arena (with DISHARMONIC ORCHESTRA, among others). Some time ago I uploaded all of my old video recordings to youtube. The old live tapes...hm, yes, if anyone is interested, then I could like to tackle it.

Through a little research, I found out that you were often played by a certain Max Schönherr in a show called "Zündfunk" on Bayern 2 and were even allowed to moderate a show there and "fill it up" with music - I neither know this show, nor the moderator, but found the story interesting and the Google research showed that Max Schönherr now lives in Cologne (in my hometown), on his homepage he also writes something about those times, about very conservative radio bosses...what are they your memories of it?

I've been listening to the program "Zündfunk" since I was 12 years old. I heard it today too. When we recorded our demo in 1989, it was important to me to send a copy to them. "What the Donau-Auen produce ..." was the introduction by Max Schönherr and then he played five songs from the demo because they are so short. That was the starting shot to take Ulcerous Phlegm a little more seriously, because we got inquiries from a label and lots of fan mail, especially from the former GDR. Max Schönherr is a very personable person, I appreciate him very much. About 1, 2 years after the demo airplay, he invited my friend Markus, who wrote the lyrics for the first Ulcerous Phlegm EP, his brother and me to the studio to create an hour of Zündfunk musically. It was a lot of fun.

So now I've asked pretty much everything that came on my mind, this was one of the longest and most interesting interviews I've ever done. The last question: That was all about a quarter of a century ago. What feelings do you have when you think back to this time? Nostalgia? Would you do a lot of things very differently today if there were Ulcerous Phlegm today? Why did you split up then and with whom of the former members are you still in contact today? Otherwise: Thank you very much for the interesting interview, and the last words and whatever else you want to get rid of are yours!

I am happy to return the compliment. I have seldom been interviewed by someone who is so knowledgeable and has done appropriate research. Yes, I had a lot of fun! I am just as glad that the time with Ulcerous Phlegm existed for me as I am happy that it was over at some point. I don't even want to imagine that UxGx could still exist today. I am happy to have met people back then whose friendships continue to this day. In the final phase we were two bands at the same time. We practiced with Ulcerous Phlegm and a few hours later Howie joined in as a singer. Kreso and I tuned our instruments 5 frets up again, were called "INFERNO" and played hardcore punk. The background was that our 2nd drummer Max was also a founding member of these punks and was now trying to revive the band. Actually total nonsense, because with Inferno as with Ulcerous Phlegm everything was said from a certain point in time and nothing innovative came about. From time to time I still have contact with Kreso (guitar and vocals at UxPx) and recently again with Blinki (1st drummer and style-defining founding member of UxPx). Who knows, maybe they'll make it to the KultKino film festival in June 2018, then we could all sit down for a nice drink. Would be nice if it works!
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