In the gutter groove

My man Frédéric is still sitting on some copies of 2nd issue of Gutter Groove fanzine. The list of bands interviewed is fat like a pizza with double cheese crust and includes All Out War, Weekend Nachos, Foreseen, Malice At The Palace, Lodges, True Colors and Integrity. Get yours here.

Assorted News: Race Riot 59, Reaper's Path, St.Hood, No One Rules

Race Riot 59 discography coming soon via Unholy House Records. The label will also release new Crowd Deterrent album - two new songs, an old song re-done, and a cover of Fury Of 5 - Takin Respect.

Straight & Alert Distro is having a big winter sale from January 8th to February 11th. Check out discounted items here. More than 700 items on sale! The other news is that Germany's Dogchains have joined the label for a debut 7″. The release will be a collabolarion between S&A, Life To Live Records (USA) and Dogchains singer’s label, Balance Records (Germany).

The Dead Man's Chest will drop Negative Mental Attitude EP on Seventh Dagger Records. More info soon!

Reaper's Path have dropped new 7" ep Vicious Cycle via Powertrip Records. 4 new tracks, don't miss it!



Keep an eye on Culture Rot - a new label from UK. Their first release will be Think Ahead's demo tape. Boston influenced hardcore punk ffo. Negative Approach etc.

No One Rules - new 7" is coming out in 2014 on Solid Bond. Meanwhile, you can support these dudes by checking out their merch here.

Real Deal zine, done by Gary and Scott from Naysayer, is available here. Interviews with Bent Life, Criminal Instinct, Incendiary, No One Rules and Well Fed.

Bound X By X Modern X Age - The Zine #1 is out! Interviews with Bands like X Repentance X, Foreseen, Lies!, Lions and Get It Done! Interesting stuff (to read) about veganism and the straight edge; with controversial topics like hardline and political correctness. Get your copy here.

Check out new St.Hood track here. It's taken from their upcoming studio album, set to release in 2014, via Knives Out Records.

The Juice Fanzine #01

A fanzine about music, arts, travel and everything in between. "Emphasising on Do It Yourself and underground culture, our aim is to get to know projects and people that do creative and challenging things outside the mass-media spectrum. We provide intimate articles and real-talk interviews, exploring subjectivity and what makes every project and person different in their own way and interesting to know about." It's a 8.5"x11" (21.59 cm x 27.94 cm) magazine, 62 pages, with coloured cover and black & white interior. With every copy you will receive a FREE DOWNLOAD CODE for our upcoming release, the new Thunder Tiger “Spares & Bitters” EP. This first issue contains interviews with: No Borders DIY Bookings, Anna Balecho, Hell Xis Records, Vales and A Thousand Words. Plus travel report, artist profiles and work showcase and other cool features. Order your copy here.

xStrenght & Couragex #4 available for free!

xStrenght & Couragex fanzine #4 is available as a digital edition and totally for free! Message from Michelle, creator of the zine: "After several months working on it (and after nearly 2 years since last issue) FINALLY! A new issue of this fanzine here, but just available on PDF file cause actually due economic things I can’t afford enough money for printing copies. I hope get some money as soon as possible and print at least some few ones. You won’t find a cut & paste zine, now Im able to spend so much time working on a hobby like this, now nearly all my time is about taking care of my daughter. I’ve could work on this zine just in some free/spare time that I’ve got available." Read it here!

Tom Barry talks 'Balance: European Hardcore' book

Recently released Balance: European Hardcore book takes you on the journey across the European hardcore scene presenting number of people devoted to keep it alive and going even at the price of sacrificing free time, money and hard work. The book tells the story of dedication above all and reading how much heart these kids put into hardcore, no matter if it is France, Poland, Portugal or UK, gives your real motivation to carry on. After all, we are all fighting the same struggle to stay true to values which we hold dear in our lives while busting our asses off to provide the food on the table and pay the bills. And as the times get more hectic, it’s even more important to focus on such positive examples. The book was put together by duo; Sophia Schorr-Kon, responsible for the visual side of the book, and Tom Barry, who handled the writing duties. We caught up with the latter for a Q&A session about the project.

Recently released Balance: European Hardcore book takes you on the journey across the European hardcore scene presenting number of people devoted to keep it alive and going even at the price of sacrificing free time, money and hard work. The book tells the story of dedication above all and reading how much heart these kids put into hardcore, no matter if it is France, Poland, Portugal or UK, gives your real motivation to carry on. After all, we are all fighting the same struggle to stay true to values which we hold dear in our lives while busting our asses off to provide the food on the table and pay the bills. And as the times get more hectic, it’s even more important to focus on such positive examples. The book was put together by duo; Sophia Schorr-Kon, responsible for the visual side of the book, and Tom Barry, who handled the writing duties. We caught up with the latter for a Q&A session about the project.

Balance deals with individuals in European hardcore scene who commitment, dedication, enthusiasm to the hardcore scene while struggling to make ends meet and dealing with personal life challenges. What was your motivation to do this book?
The motivation came from our respect for such individuals and the need to get them documented NOW! Once myself and Sophia’s two worlds collided, all of the necessary elements were there to capture this scene in some way. Sophia’s first shots of the Belgian scene made it clear that an opportunity to photograph DIY hardcore in a beautiful and honest way – to give it the props it deserved – was there to be taken. How we would tie this together thematically was not clear at first. It was on a trip to visit the Portuguese scene that we decided that the work/hardcore balance was what we were interested in. The motivation then came directly from the scene and those elements you’ve listed – the enthusiasm you feel being around someone like Tonr from Providence can only add to your own motivation.


Writing book about real people and real situations seems like a huge responsibility to provide honest and sincere story. What is the key to telling a good story without compromising that person’s privacy?
I can’t speak for the individuals featured but hardcore is not a great “hiding place” for the most part, so those involved tend to be more honest and trusting with people tied to them through the culture. They had to trust that I respected them and I think that comes through in the book. If I screwed anybody over I would expect to be called out, but I live for it as they do - I would be fucking myself over to disrespect what I love. I think people understood that. All of the people I met were strong individuals who believe in hardcore and the decisions they make around it and have no problem letting people know that.
In terms of the story being good, well there was no need to be creative ‘cos it was all there – passion, suffering, dedication, alienation, community, anger, love. All the elements of a good story are there when people step out of the mainstream to pursue what they believe in. Having to live between two “worlds” will always be interesting to an observer. I just needed to listen and observe.
Saying all of this doesn’t mean I wasn’t stressed about getting everything ‘right’ - I couldn’t go back to the south of Poland and hang around Adam’s mine waiting for him to finish his shift so that I could check over everything. Both myself and Sophia needed to be open and aware to ensure that we didn’t miss stuff.

How much time did it take you to gather all the stories and how much time did you need for the writing and editing the book?
It was a short period of time – months. After we had presented our initial pitch to the publishers it was a case of wait…wait…um…wait…go, go, go! There was a period of time that we thought it might not happen ‘cos our contact, Buzz (great name, great guy) had to clear it with other people at the publishers and they weren’t going to email to tell us about each meeting they were having. We weren’t sure what was going on and then suddenly it was on and we had to get the whole thing done hardcore style! The speed helped keep everything “true” to our original plan - we had already decided to move through a number of countries quickly, shooting what we saw and documenting as honestly as possible. With the pressure to hand in for publishing, that speed was even more important and helped immensely with focus! The support of those in the scene made the whole thing possible. I also have to send a shout out to Balance’s designer, Siaron Hughes as she really helped us with her advice and guidance.

How did you choose the people to be featured in the book?
We worked out that on our budget we could hit a number of countries in the required time frame. It was then a case of making contact with people in the scene – we needed to capture people at work and performing/promoting, only being able to spend one or two days in each place before catching a train or plane to the next! Word spread through those who were down to support the project - like Joerg in Germany and Tonr in France - and the Balance tentacles found their way into the lives of strangers in the countries visited. We tried to capture a cross section of Europe but didn’t have the time to get to places like the Nordics, which was a real shame. I’d love to do another book and hit a load of the countries we couldn’t get to.

Which part of researching for the book was the most personally interesting to you?
Poland’s experience of the modern scene was of great interest because it was happening at the same time as I was getting into hardcore yet the experiences were both very different and very similar in a way that wasn’t the case with other Western European countries. Aside from the subject matter I was writing about, I was also very interested in how we would capture the people and music in photographs. Standing on speakers with a lightbox held above my head while Sophia dodged spin-kicks looked chaotic but we knew that the resultant lighting would capture the subjects in a more intimate way.



Was there anything that surprised you when dealing with hardcore kids from totally different parts of Europe, like Poland, Portugal, Germany, France… ?
There were cultural elements that informed some behavior and attitudes – the Southern Europeans were a lot more open and warm than their Northern counterparts for example, but ultimately hardcore people are hardcore people.

Were there stories that you would have liked to include, but they just didn't make into the final book?
Due to the speed that we were moving at, there were a few cases where a person was playing a show but it was impossible to catch them at work while we were in their country. There were also a few cases of vans breaking down and potential subjects not making shows – typical low budget DIY hardcore stuff. We could only cover two people per country so it was hard when you’d interview and hang out with somebody and they’d have another angle but there was no room to include them. Essentially there was a cut-off point - if we didn’t catch a full snapshot of that person at that time then it wouldn’t do the project justice.
It would have been amazing to include every country in Europe but it would have been impossible in the timescale. The book had to remain honest to its creation. As I explain in the introduction – this isn’t the ultimate guide to European Hardcore in 2011/12, rather it is a snapshot of the lives of some of its participants. There will always be those who can’t accept that and want the book to feature pages and pages of their favourite bands. This project came about to highlight what living a hardcore life means – if you can’t see yourself in some of these subjects and their experience than what are you doing calling yourself hardcore?


Hardcore is still an unusual topic for a book. Was it easy to find a publisher?
No. We learnt a lot wandering around book fairs and asking questions but it helped that we pitched the project to Buzz; somebody who was already familiar with hardcore. When I explained what we were going to be doing he half joked, “is this gonna be about FSU?” and I knew that we’d been given a lucky break and we had to nail it. Thankfully we did. Some of the other publishers would smile and nod as you went through presentations and suddenly reel back in horror when they saw a tattooed “thug” swinging their arms in a pit. Hopefully they can now read about these people and not be so quick to judge them. Strangely, a common brush-off was, “we’re concentrating on cook books.” I guess that was the most un-hardcore subject they could think of. I think there was actually a hardcore cookbook put out a while ago with Sick Of It All and maybe Agnostic Front donating their favourite recipes. Maybe I dreamt it…



What was the publishing process like with this book?
As you can tell from our stress waiting for a decision from the publishers, we were both novices to this world. We decided that, no matter how hard it was to convince people, it was important to do this on a scale befitting of the subject matter and work. We were confident in our work and believed in what we were doing, even if we took a few knock-backs.

What’s your own history or relationship with hardcore? What's the most important lesson you've learned throughout your involvement in the movement?
I got into hardcore in my teens because it was the perfect fit. I didn’t fit in with the metal and rock scenes, and they didn’t connect with me in anything like the way seeing people of my own age, dressed “normally”, and screaming about stuff with sincerity did. Everybody around me listened to dancehall and rap (which I still love), but Knuckledust was the same age as us and made music that crushed all of that dead! It was completely crazy. I was full of aggression and I needed something real to listen to that had that rage running through it. I love all types of street music but hardcore has THE sound. The first show I went to had my future singer, DBS on the door – 15 years old but a tough kid! Knuckledust were playing alongside Stampin’ Ground, who Ian Glasper played with. Ian’s balancing act of running labels, working a day job, raising a family, playing in bands, and writing, would go on to inspire me to do something. The fact that he writes the foreword for the book is amazing - he was playing onstage at my first hardcore show which cemented my love for the music - and then writes the foreword for Balance all these years later. Would that happen in any other “music scene?”
I started my own band, Kartel after attending shows, so my relationship with hardcore then became even more involved. The most important lessons? Wow. The real power of co-operation, of trust, the importance of channeling negativity into something positive without compromising your beliefs, the power to go beyond the limits society places on you through building your own communities and art. Aggressive music is no less valid than other forms of music – humans have different experiences, hardcore is one type of music for those who’ve been pissed off by theirs. It definitely acted as an anchor in my life growing up.

The new issue of Just Say Yo! zine is out

Just Say Yo! #4 is finally out! This time it's 60 pages, full size, in English with an artwork by Matt Gauck. Inside you can find interviews with Vinnie Caruana (The Movielife, I Am The Avalanche), On, Bridge And Tunnel, Bökanövsky, The Saddest Landscape, Austin Lucas and Hate5six. Also, the ultimate Leatherface mixtape (by Alex Fox), columns, reviews (records, zines...) and other shit. Available for 2 EUR (or 3 USD) + shipping and you can place your order here.

'H8000 HC - a decade and more' book details

H8000-Central got some news about the 'H8000 HC - a decade and more' book! As they wrote: 'Yes folks...things are getting organised, while 2011 had to be the release of the book, there's a change that 2012 will be more realistic. A ton of work and organisation is part of the deal here. Interviews are been taken this weekend with some h8000 veterans by Willem, as he will be the main man to do this job...which is awesome of course. The working title for the book will be ' H8000 Hardcore 'a decade and more'....things will be starting probably from 1990 on, which is the pre-h8000 period, but the base for everything afterwards..' Read more here.

Keep It Real fanzine #10 out now!

The 10th issue of Keep It Real fanzine is out now! And what's inside? 52 A4 pages with colored cover and tons of hardcore goodness. Interviews with Fucked Up, AC4, Antimob, Lemuria, Ruined Families, Integrity, Bitter End, Throats, Glasses, photo report of the last Endstand & Manifesto Jukebox show in Finland, and perspectives featuring people from the scene writing on a topic they choose. Tons of reviews and usual stuff as well. Circulation: 700 copies. 3 euros for a single copy, 2 euros in wholesale.

Keep It Real fanzine #10

Keep It Real fanzine #10 will be unfortunately the last issue of this great fanzine. They surely made sure the last number will be something to remember: interviews with Fucked Up, Throats, AC4, Bitter End, Ruined Families, Antimob, Integrity, Glasses; photography: Endstand & Manifesto Jukebox last show ever photo report; features: Peio art, Troo Food Liberation; perspectives: 8 people from Greece & world write about a topic they chose. Misc: The Preacher vol.2, Keep It Real archive, Reviews. 52 A4 b&w pages, 2-colored cover by Ermis. More info here!

Fashionable Activism - Issue #1 out now

Fashionable Activism is now in print! First issue now available. Interviews with No Class(KC) and Mauser (FL). 20 full sized pages. First run of 100 with red covers. 3ppd US // 5ppd World.

A Short Fanzine About Rocking #28 out now

The winter 2010 issue of A Short Fanzine About Rocking, is out now! It features interviews with Terror, Down To Nothing, Brutality Will Prevail, The Wonder Years, Comeback Kid, The Arteries, Death Before Dishonor, Throats, This Is Hell, Pettybone, Evergreen Terrace and Take Courage! You can order it here.

The last issue of Will To Speak is out

Will To Speak Issue #3 has been available since May. Here's the official release info:
Guess what, Will To Speak Issue #3 is finally out, should be finished at the printer as I am typing this. Long announced, we did not find the time and motivation to finish the zine for a long time, but it's done now. Get in contact with us personally or through will.to.speak[at]gmail.com if you want copies.

In other news, this will probably the last issue of Will To Speak. Thanks for your support. Please start your own zine and go read some books too. Team To Speak.

Interviews with:
- Debaser
- Lewd Acts
- Seed Of Pain
- Ian Wiles of Dead & Gone Records fame
- Ghetto Josh / Hexed Clothing

Plus:
- Photo Exhibition (rabbitriot.net)
- Columns
- Book Club
- Austrian Band News

Vista fanzine #3 is out

Vista Fanzine #3 is available right now! Interviews with: Converge, Caliban, These Three Poisons, Wrench In The Works, Candiria. Brian Peterson/"Burning Fight" book author. Plus a special feature called, In The Rear view: interview with, Bloodlet. 63 pages in all. 8 1/2 x 11 zine. Music reviews, live photos & some other cool stuff. This zine ain't gonna be around forever, so get your copy here!