Interview: Raph, Body Seasons Authentik Tattoo Studio

As cliché as it might sound, hardcore is much more than music. It might be a lifestyle centered around music, but it goes deeper than that. Started by a bunch of angry kids, the culture has spread to so many things over the years. Important ideas and politics of all kind have been introduced to the scene, but also more down to earth stuff like fanzines, dance, books, tattoos help to preserve the spirit and identity of the movement. We’re going to focus on the tattoo aspect right now. Here’s interview with Raph, French tattoo artist working for Body Seasons Authentik studio whose style and vision is deeply rooted in old school tattoo fashion.

As cliché as it might sound, hardcore is much more than music. It might be a lifestyle centered around music, but it goes deeper than that. Started by a bunch of angry kids, the culture has spread to so many things over the years. Important ideas and politics of all kind have been introduced to the scene, but also more down to earth stuff like fanzines, dance, books, tattoos help to preserve the spirit and identity of the movement. We’re going to focus on the tattoo aspect right now. Here’s interview with Raph, French tattoo artist working for Body Seasons Authentik studio whose style and vision is deeply rooted in old school tattoo fashion.

Hello Raph, well first of all can you quickly introduce yourself ?

Well my name is Raph (Raph M. not to be confused with another French tattoo-artist), and I've been tattooing at the BSA (Body Seasons Authentik) studio in Aix-en-provence for five years now, I had been doing it for a few years at home before that but I really started my formation here, with Mr.Biz.

How did you come to the tattoo world ? What motivated you to go this way ?

I've always drawn, and I've always liked tattoos, and since I graduated in art studies, at one point I thought “why not combining the two and make it my job ?” so I started looking into it and basically that's how it happened ...



Any artist that influenced you maybe ? Not necessarily tattoo artists, people who inspired you ?

Well to say the truth, what kind of drew me to in the first place is music. Originally I didn't really have any tattoo culture, but when I was a kid I listened to quite a lot of hard-rock and metal, and every guy in every band was tattooed, and I liked it so much, that's what got me hooked up on it. So I have plenty of memories of the old shitty tattoos of Slash and Axl Rose that I liked at the time, then Kerry King, Phil Anselmo were pretty inked too, yeah that's how it started.

Any style of predilection ? Themes maybe, what do you like tattooing ?

I love old-school, I also like the chicano style a lot, but yeah I just love working on old-school pieces.

Musically, I know you're a major hardcore fan, how did you encounter this style ?

I come from hard-rock, when I was really a kid, and metal too, I'm from 83, when I started listening to hard-rock I must have been about six, because of my big sister, my friends' big brothers and everything. In secondary I started listening to stuff like Testament, Obituary, a bit of Deicide and Cannibal Corpse and all these things, but mainly I was really into the Guns'n Roses and Metallica, it was all through the big brothers actually, we would get the tapes from them, it was a bunch of old school metalheads, with patch-jackets and stuff. Then when I got to high-school I met a guy who was from a punk background, listening to a lot of skatecore and punk-rock, Pennywise, NOFX … and he was the one who introduced me to hardcore, he gave me my first tapes, Backfire, Discipline, the firsts Hatebreed … I immediately got hooked up on it, I really thought I was corresponding me perfectly, the brutal aspect of metal with this little kind of “ghetto” touch, it was perfect. Then the firsts shows, fucking shit up …



What link do you think exists between the two cultures of hardcore and tattoo ?

Well the two have always been linked I think, it is part of the culture, with origins in punk and metal, both always had been linked with tattoos so guess it's quite logical.

What does it represent to you, hardcore music ?

To me, it's all about the music, at least before anything else. I've always been deep into music. Today it's way more shared and many people, I mean I don't want to be an old cunt, but they discover this and they dig the looks, the ink, all that, but the music goes after that. For me, hardcore is music, it's passionate music. Passion before trend, that's the main value I think.

Check out: http://bsatattoo.com/

New Blood: Tirade

London has for long been a breeding ground to some of the hardest bands in Europe. Not only big city life creates a need for creative release of everyday anger, stress and frustration, but also the presence of notorious bands like Knuckledust, Ninebar or TRC creates a good environment for this type of sound. Tirade is one of the newest addition to London scene having been around since 2010, although the guys involved in the project have been active in number of household bands like Injury Time and Ninebar. Here’s what Tom, who does vocals for the Tirade, had to say in an interview we did recently.

London has for long been a breeding ground to some of the hardest bands in Europe. Not only big city life creates a need for creative release of everyday anger, stress and frustration, but also the presence of notorious bands like Knuckledust, Ninebar or TRC creates a good environment for this type of sound. Tirade is one of the newest addition to London scene having been around since 2010, although the guys involved in the project have been active in number of household bands like Injury Time and Ninebar. Here’s what Tom, who does vocals for the Tirade, had to say in an interview we did recently.

Listening to the demo it sounds like the band was born out of a fascination with the raw and heavy side of hardcore music – can you tell me about that?
Well we originally came together with the aim of playing heavy mid tempo hardcore. Over the course of writing our first 6 songs our sound has strayed a bit from that, but as you can tell we definitely are influenced by some of the older dark and heavy bands eg Sheer Terror, Breakdown, Merauder.
This is some of the stuff that really got me deep into HC back in the 90s. Of course as you can probably hear we have some elements of more typical straight up HC and maybe a couple of beatdown type moments too, that definitely describes what we are into as a band.

How would you describe the lyrical content of the first demo? Is there any advice or knowledge that you would like to get across to the listeners?
The first demo lyrics are all quite personal, dealing with topics such as overcoming everyday struggles, people who are all talk and image but no action, growing older and more disillusioned, fighting against whatever holds you back. So not really looking to put across too much of a specific message with my lyrics, they are a vent for the experiences, frustrations and realities of everyday life and about getting beyond them, something I think everyone can relate to.

London hardcore has always been a breeding ground for heavy, tight sounding bands. What do you attribute it to?
Don't know really, some pretty diverse bands have come from London and continue to emerge, but I guess acts like 50 Caliber, BDF and in more recent years Prowler have been instrumental in exposing the metallic beatdown style that our city became notorious for. Newer bands like Crippler seem to be keeping this sound going for the next generation. You are definitely right in thinking there is an affection for the heavier end of things here!

The other thing about London based bands is the longevity of the bands, something not that common among other scenes. You have Knuckledust as a good example. It deserves respect, especially taking under consideration the high cost of living in London. What’s your opinion about it?
We have a core of older heads in London, of which I am proud to say I am one, who have been going to shows and playing in at least one if not more bands for well over a decade with no sign of quitting, that's what I would attribute the longevity of many London bands to.
Knuckledust are definitely an inspiration and I am proud to say Tirade's first show was their 15 year anniversary show, an amazing night for many reasons. I guess their consistency and dedication as well as that of other bands helps to keep the spotlight on London.



Can you recall any challenges you faced while balancing the personal life with being part of hardcore?
Its an ongoing challenge, balancing life, work and relationships with rehearsing, recording and playing shows, obviously I spend a lot of time looking at schedules so that we can book practices as we are still writing new material. We are all older guys who still devote lots of time to HC so we have outside pressures like work or looking for work, and our guitarist Si will be getting married in a few months.
So everything we do has an element of challenge in it, we are all fully committed to Tirade though so all these outside pressures are just something we have to deal with in order to further ourselves as a band, we will never let them get in the way of something we love.

Have you ever felt like giving up? What kept you going?
Not sure if you mean giving up on life in general or HC? I guess the two are linked very closely in my case, hardcore really has always kept me going and given me something to look forward to. I love to play, write or just go to shows and this has stayed constant with age, continuing to inspire me along with the obvious things like family and friends.

Do you remember what stirred the desire to be in hardcore band in you?
That is going back a while, I guess it was the mid 90s when everyone in London was quite new to hardcore, first getting to know each other, realising what was possible and making connections. The whole 'support your scene, Do it yourself' aspect of hardcore was fresh in everyones minds and it was a very different time to now.
As for nowadays and what started Tirade, we are all good friends and longtime hardcore fans who spend plenty of time together anyway, our bassist Paulie, drummer Ammo and guitarist Si had been jamming together in one way or another for a while, I was looking for something else to get involved in having finished the new Nine Bar album, and we first got together and started writing in November 2010.

Do you still follow any new bands in the scene? What are some UK bands we should check out?
Yes of course, both on a UK level and also worldwide I am always keen to hear new bands.
In the UK I would urge people to check out all the Rucktion Records acts such as my other band Nine Bar, also Kartel and Diction who both have new releases in the works, Chains of Hate who have a split CD with Surge of Fury about to drop, as well as True valliance, Deathskulls, Prowler, Injury Time.
Cold hard truth and Pay the Price are some other bands from around the UK I would definitely recommend.

What are the plans for the band? What should we except from Tirade in the future?
We plan to keep on writing, we already have a couple of new songs well on the way to being ready so we are at the early stages of thinking about a followup release. Also hoping to play as many shows as possible in 2012. I'm also gonna be designing shirts in the next few weeks.

Look My Way - Tension Building

First official video of this German band. Filmed and edited by Toni BDHW.

Jungle Fever - Winning Mentality

Jungle Fever hails from Italy and delivers some seriously energy-driven hardcore. They formed just in 2011 and already got this Ep out which brings some NYHC-flavored tunes. They name bands like Breakdown, Dmize, Rest in Pieces or Leeway as their main source of influences and it can be heard. The band got all the musical elements locked down tight and everything just flows so naturally from fast parts to slick breakdowns. The vocals are strong and have a good vibe which fits perfectly with the music. Good stuff, I look forward to hear more from these guys! Download it!

Ten of Swords - Wages Of Sin

Ten Of Swords was brought to existence when Enemymind’s frontman Mike McGuire and Sanctify Her Death guitarist Derek Kovacs decided to start a band with a mission to “become one of the heaviest, most negative bands to ever hit the underground”. The band’s style brings to mind some classic 90’ metallic hardcore sound but is updated with some modern licks and kicks. Hardcore at the base, lots of thrash riffing on top of it and a good deal of mosh to round it out. You can hear those guys know how to handle their shit, but even though they don’t overdo any technical tricks and that type of boring shit. Instead, each song is focused and goes hard and heavy driven by the urge for revenge and destruction.The band is a proof that sometimes it’s all about the feel. The vocals get the job done as well, I guess if the guy didn’t sound as vicious and angry as he does the record would be wholly lacking much of its energy.
The bottom line is that this is very solid release if you’re in search for some heavy, metallic hardcore. Yes, it’s generic in many parts, but it doesn’t change that Wages Of Sin is a monster of an album. In tarot, Ten Of Swords means complete destruction, suffering and being stuck in a hopeless situation. Listening to these tunes makes you think about fucked up shit like this.

Review by Dloogi
Label: Fight for the Cause Records
Year:2010

Two Classic Vietnom Releases Available on Vinyl and Single CD

Year 2012 will be very busy for Spook Records, lots of hardwork and many new releases. The latest news is that New York's own Vietnom has joined to SR family and confirmed special vinyl releases. Limited "Thru My Eyes" as 7 inch and maybe also in this year "Death Is The Outcome" 12'. If you want to grab both albums on one CD, head on to Skinflint Music. Also, band's brand new album, 'Weapons Of Mass Destruction', will be released by Goodlife sometime this year.

La Dispute announce 'Wildlife' tour

La Dispute, based out of Grand Rapids, MI, have announced the details on their Wildlife tour. They will be joined by Balance and Composure, Sainthood Reps, and All Get Out.

Dates:

03/24 Minneapolis, MN Varsity Theater

03/25 Omaha, NE The Waiting Room

03/26 Iowa City, IA Gabe's

03/27 Lawrence, KS Jackpot Music Hall

03/28 Denver, CO Marquis Theatre

03/29 Ogden, UT The Basement

03/30 Boise, ID The Venue

03/31 Seattle, WA Vera Project

04/01 Portland, OR Branx

04/03 Oakland, CA Oakland Metro Operahouse

04/04 San Francisco, CA Sub-mission Art Space

04/05 Anaheim, CA Chain Reaction

04/06 Los Angeles, CA Center For The Arts, Eagle

04/07 Camarillo, CA Rock City

04/08 San Diego, CA Che Cafe

04/09 Phoenix, AZ The Underground

04/11 Midland, TX The Pine Box

04/12 Austin, TX Red 7

04/13 Houston, TX Warehouse Live

04/14 Dallas, TX Rubbergloves Rehearsal

04/15 Oklahoma City, OK Conservatory

04/16 St. Louis, MO Firebird

04/17 Nashville, TN The End

04/18 Atlanta, GA The Masquerade

04/19 Tampa, FL The Orpheum

04/20 Pembroke Pines, FL The Talent Farm

04/21 Jacksonville, FL The Pit

04/22 Columbia, SC New Brookland Tavern

04/24 Raleigh, NC Southland Ballroom

04/25 Richmond, VA Kingdom

04/26 Baltimore, MD Otto Bar

04/27 Syracuse, NY Lost Horizon

04/28 Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer

04/29 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom

04/30 Boston, MA The Middle East Downstairs

05/02 Montreal, QC La Sala Rosa

05/03 Toronto, ON Mod Club

05/04 Buffalo, NY Mohawk Place

05/05 Detroit, MI Magic Stick

05/06 Chicago, IL Metro

Recommended Songs:

La Dispute - Harder Harmonies (off Wildlife)

Balance and Composure - I Tore You Apart In My Head (off Separation)

By: Andrew Wedge

Cancer Bats announce Canadian tour

Toronto, ON's Hardcore/Metal quartet Cancer Bats have announced a Canadian tour with Touche Amore and A Sight For Sewn Eyes. This tour is particularly awesome to me. A Sight For Sewn Eyes hails from Halifax, Nova Scotia. They're part of the East Coast (Canada) music scene that I've grown up around my entire life. They recently (as in two or three days ago) signed to the Canadian based label, Distort Entertainment. Anyone in the East Coast scene knows this is a huge deal. It's an extremely rare thing to have a band from such a small area get signed. They will always have all of our support. They are fantastic musically and everyone should check out their latest release '(nonsense)', a self-released, four-track, EP.

If you don't know who Touche Amore are yet, then you should give your head a shake. They play a fast-paced, hard-hitting, style of melodic hardcore and right now are going nowhere but up. Their most recent release is their sophomore album 'Parting the Sea Between Brightness and Me'. Check it out. They are a must heard band by any hardcore music enthusiast.

As for Cancer Bats, this tour will be in support of their forth-coming album 'Dead Set On Living' via Distort. Check out the dates below:

3/30 Winnipeg, MB - Pyramid Cabaret

3/31 Brandon, MB - North Hill Inn

4/2 Fernie, BC - Northern Bar & Stage

4/3 Nelson, BC - Hume Hotel Spirit Bar

4/4 Vancouver, BC - The Biltmore Cabaret

4/5 Prince George, BC - The Generator

4/6 Edmonton, AB - The Pawnshop

4/7 Calgary, AB - Broken City

4/8 Saskatoon, SK - Sutherland Memorial Hall

4/10 Thunder Bay, ON - Black Pirates Pub

4/11 Sudbury, ON - Jubilee Hall

4/12 Kitchener, ON - Club Wax

4/13 Ottawa, ON - Mavericks Bar

4/14 Toronto, ON - The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern

4/15 St. Catharines, ON - L3 Nightclub

Recommended Songs by mentioned bands:

A Sight For Sewn Eyes - Dead'd (from (nonsense))

Touche Amore - Home Away From Here (from Parting the Sea Between Brightness and Me)

Cancer Bats - Old Blood (from upcoming Dead Set On Living)

By: Andrew Wedge

Reality Check - No Love For The Underdogs

Reality Check is considerably young band out of Warsaw, Poland but made of folks who have been active in local scene for some time. They take some influences from bands like Terror, Death Threat or Hoods, I guess you know the deal. The songs are fast and no bullshit, they get the job done fast with no fancy technical wankery and that's what I like it the most. The lyrics are 100% hardcore, dealing with topics like scene unity, friends and usual everyday bullshit. Honest, but not cliche. I suggest all of you download this shit, and not because they rep my hometown, but because this is just solid piece of hardcore. Download it!

New Blood: Risk

Risk has been around for over two years now, having released quite decent 2011 demo EP and more recently split with their folks Weightlifter. The band has intensive, thrashy sound which mixed with pissed-off lyrics makes for some decent tunes which must make crowd go crazy at their shows. Here’s a short interview with Brendan who handles vocal.

Risk has been around for over two years now, having released quite decent 2011 demo EP and more recently split with their folks Weightlifter. The band has intensive, thrashy sound which mixed with pissed-off lyrics makes for some decent tunes which must make crowd go crazy at their shows. Here’s a short interview with Brendan who handles vocal.

Give us some background on what Risk is about?
We started a band as 4 best friends just trying to have fun, and it took off, at the end of the day it’s all about having fun with your best homies for us

Who is who and how did you start as a band?
I(Brendan) do vocals, Reeses shreds the guitar, Kaweh does bass, and Marky's our drummer. We were all over marks house on new year’s eve in 2009 and decided to start a band out of fun

Where you from and how is the scene over there?
We're from Billerica, Massachusetts. The scene out here is great, there's so many kids into hardcore and everyone is wicked supportive. Anchors Up is the best venue in the world, MVHC

Can you tell us a little about your releases - the 2011 EP and the split with Weightlifter?
With 2011, we wanted to change our sound completely and mature as a band, I gotta say I listen to 2011 at least once a week. The Split with Weightlifter, we decided we were going to put out a full length and wanted to drop a early teaser.

What are some of your main musical influences?
Literally every corner of hardcore, we take things from all the bands we listen to and switch it up into our style

And where do you get ideas for the lyrics from?
Random poetry, grand theft auto dialogue.

You played couple of fests last year, such as SkateFest or Deep Infest. How was it?
Skatefest 3 and 4 were great. I love playing in our hometown, especially for a great cause. Keep your eyes peeled for Skatefest 5! As for Deep In Fest, we actually had to drop that, reeses decided to get his wisdom teeth out and be a debby downer.

Best places to play shows? Worst?
The best venues we've played at are McGee’s Barnyard (RIP), Anchor's Up, The TUMC in Tewksbury, and The Kave in Maine. The worst venue is the Black Pearl, good riddance

How did you get into hardcore?
I started skating with some kids in Billerica who were into hardcore, and I got into from them. SHOT ON SIGHT CREW

What are your picks for best releases in 2011?
The Grift by Dry Heave, Isolation by Harm's Way What else can we expect from Risk in the future? We're dropping a full length sometime in 2012, along with new merch, summer tour, and big shows in the works

Any last words or shout outs?
97h8, sn, roadrunner, down and out, all i am, MVHC, featherweight, cerce, reset, and anyone who's supported us. Hardcore forever!