Category: Features

Following their recent split 7”inch with Touché Amoré, we thought it was about time we caught up with La Dispute; one of our favorite hardcore bands of recent years. The split is one of a number of projects La Dispute are currently hard at work on, as they continue to tour extensively while writing the follow up to their stunning debut LP. While that might be enough for some bands, La Dispute seemingly never stop working, with a second split release and the potential of a new EP also in their pipeline.

We spoke with singer Jordan Dreyer, whose lyrics and delivery are central to the band’s fresh and unique take on the genre. Much like on record, Dreyer had plenty to say, giving us the low down on split releases, UK shows and The Wave.

Interview: Sleekly Lion

So first off, you’ve just released a split with Touché Amoré, how did this come about?

The TA split came about through a series of conversations between members of both bands. We’re really close friends, and the idea of working together on something – of sharing space on a record – is something we’ve tossed about since we first met. Part of it is intention. Both our bands share similar ideologies and approaches to music, so it made sense to collaborate on something. The other part is admiration. We love what Touché does, they love what we do (I hope. Ha ha), so it was an honor and a privilege to have their songs opposite our own.

All four songs on the record seem connected both stylistically and lyrically. How did the writing process work?

Way back when the idea had first started to gain momentum, Jeremy and I sat down on a porch in Chicago at a show we were playing together and discussed, pretty broadly, a few ideas that we wanted to include in the lyrics to the record. Through that conversation we set down a general concept to kind of dictate the direction the record would take, but also allow us to approach it in our own manner so that you’d see the similarities and differences in our focus and style. It ended up working out really well for both of us, I think, in that it allowed us room to work independently while still giving uniformity to the four songs. And we ended up talking about pretty similar things, which was interesting. As far as the songwriting goes, we wanted to give the record a consistent sound to compliment the consistencies lyrically, so we tried to be aware of Touché’s strong points and tendencies musically throughout the writing process to give the record a pretty steady feel despite being from two different bands. It was a different approach for us, but we’re really happy with how it turned out.

La Dispute has always been hugely supportive of other bands and scenes – tell us about The Wave and why those particular bands are connected?

The Wave is Touche Amore, Make Do and Mend, Defeater, Pianos Become the Teeth, and ourselves. The name has no particular meaning really, although it makes for hilarious water-related puns. Really, it’s something fun for all of us – like being part of a cool club in your neighbour’s treehouse when you were a kid. It came about because we’re all friends and we all care deeply about music and the community of music, and because we care about each other’s art, so it just made sense. More than anything, it’s a way for all of us support each other, and to support emotionally challenging music in general. So, much more Wave stuff will be surfing down the pipeline in the future, so keep your snorkel nearby. I’m pushing for a 5-way split and a 5-way tour immediately after the split. We’ll see. Catch The Wave.

You’ve also got another split release, this time with Koji, lined up for November. Why is the split record appealing to you as a format?

Awesome unintentional segue. The split format has existed for many years and has produced a number of really interesting and powerful collaborations. Splits accomplish a lot of things that make it immensely appealing to us. First, it’s just fun to share record space with friends and artists you love and respect. To be mentioned in the same breath as Koji or Touché is incredibly flattering, but to be opposite their songs on the same record is pretty unreal, and not just because we love their music, but because we know and love them as individuals. Second, it makes for interesting contrasts. People get so caught up on liking one specific genre that they close themselves off to the lot of everything else. Putting two different bands on the same release gives people the opportunity to branch out, to notice the similarities as much as the differences, and makes for an interesting musical examination in the process. Third, it exposes both bands to people who might’ve never heard the other were it not for the split. Now all the people who listened to us but not Koji will get to hear Koji, and vice versa. It’s a helping out a friend and being helped out by a friend thing. Really, splits are cool because you get to work with friends. That’s why they’re so appealing to us.

It’s certainly great to see a lot of awesome splits being released recently. How do the songs you wrote for the Koji release differ to those with Touché Amoré?

A lot more low key. We tried to give this split a certain uniformity sonically as well, so we stripped things down a bit. Think, Fall Down, Never Get Back Up Again, or even some of the HH stuff. It was really challenging to switch it up so drastically from our normal volume and intensity, but it was really fun and made for an interesting end product.

Going back in time a little bit, it’s been a couple of years since you released ‘Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair’. It’s a record that we love here at Crossfire HQ, but how do you feel about it now the dust has settled?

First off, thank you. Second off, I think we feel the same way we did about it 2 years ago. We’re really proud of the way it turned out, and we’re immensely flattered that it’s mattered to some people. Honestly, we hadn’t the faintest idea what would become of it or what we wanted to come of it while we were writing it, and the fact that people paid attention and enjoyed it, or even listened to it in the first place, is pretty flooring. We put our heart into it, and we’ll always be proud of it for that reason. On the other hand, it’s been two years. We’re all very eager to see what we’re capable of writing now, and ready to start playing new songs live. We’ll always love Somewhere, and it will always be a part of what we do, but we’re ready for the next installment.

The album resists easy categorization, but I imagine journalists are still keen to try. What’s the strangest description of the band’s sound you remember reading?

Oh, man. I have no idea. Any categorization is pretty strange for us. We don’t sit around trying to think of what genre we play, or what niche we fall into, we just enjoy writing and playing the music that we do. Titles are divisive, but more than that, it’s just never been on our radar. We all listen to different stuff, so it ends up a sort of amalgamation of sorts. Anyone elses description is as good as one we’d be able to come up with. The funniest descriptions come from people critiquing my voice, probably. I’ve heard whiny Will Ferrell before. But the best will always be “entirely Fred Durst.” Brilliant.

Are there any plans in place to continue the Here, Hear series of EPs? The three existing parts have covered a fair bit of ground, where might it go next?

For as long as we make music we’ll make Here, Hear stuff. It’s one of the most enjoyable and rewarding parts of being a part of this band. As for where it might go, who knows? We’ve thrown out a lot of ideas, but we haven’t really set down to get started yet, and might not for awhile, but I’m sure some sort of shift in approach will occur.

Having quite a unique and potentially divisive sound, how do different crowds react to you? Would you rather play to like-minded people or do you equally enjoy the more difficult shows?

I don’t know that I often feel any difference. Most nights, no matter what show you’re at, there are people who don’t like you and people who do. Most often, the people that do make it impossible to notice the people that don’t.

You recently came over to the UK as part of a European tour, but the selection of dates was quite unusual. What was the thinking behind that, why not play a London show for example?

You’d have to ask the person that booked it. As far as I know, the dates we took in the UK happened because people in those places were willing to make a show happen. There weren’t promoters in London willing to do the show, so we went where people would do the show. We didn’t pick the locations, the locations picked us, I guess.

Are there any plans to reach the UK again soon?

No definite plans yet, but we’re working on making it happen sometime in the relatively near future, probably after we put another record out, but hopefully sooner.

What’s the status of the next La Dispute full length record, are the wheels in motion yet? What can we expect from it compared to the last one?

The wheels are very much in motion, my friend. And I’d say you should expect a lot of storytelling, a lot of groove, and a more of an organic feel than the last record. But we’ll see. It’s all a skeleton right now.

Finally, are there any bands or records from 2010 you want to big up to Crossfire readers?

The Wave, Have One On Me by Joanna Newsom, and Eyes and Nines by our dudes in Trash Talk.

Get on it.

In ‘Symptoms and Cures’, Comeback Kid have written what is arguably their best work to date. Vocalist (previously guitarist) Andrew Neufeld has really come into his own as the voice of the band. The band’s last record ‘Broadcasting…’ was a bold effort that strayed away from the straight-up old-school hardcore style of the band’s first albums and saw the band adopt a more epic sound with a thicker texture and depth. With ‘Symptoms and Cures’, Comeback Kid have retained that forward-thinking sound but have incorporated a much rawer, old-school sound more akin to their early work. The resulting record is something that fans of all stages of CBK’s career should be able to get on board with. And it should gain them some new fans along the way.

We caught up with Neufeld for a quick update on the new album and the various processes behind it.

Interview: Winegums
Live Photos: Eric Levin

When did you start writing the new record?

Maybe like a year ago. But it’s like a lot of times throughout the last few years we’ve had ideas… Sometimes you just have ideas that you just store away and think ‘I’ll have that for the future. I have that in my back pocket.’ You know?

Do you think you’ve had some ideas that have been forgotten about along the way?

Definitely. And what I do a lot of the time is if I just have some random idea I’ll sing it into the voice recorder of my phone. And I have a few phones because I travel a lot and they get lost sometimes so there’s probably some awesome Comeback Kid ideas that are just lost in space somewhere.

Are there any times you listen back to the snippets and you can’t remember what the fuck you were thinking?

Sometimes. Usually when I get stoned though. But that’s also usually when the best ideas come up (laughs)!

And how and when did you hook up with producer Eric Ratz?

Um we’ve been talking to him for a while. We wanted to record in Canada because we haven’t done that with Comeback Kid since the first record. So we hooked up with this guy Eric Ratz and his partner Kenny Long and they’d just done the new Cancer Bats and we’d met them through those guys. They’ve done some other cool stuff up here in Canada and we thought we’d just give it a shot! It went super rad. It’s always nice when you’re in the studio and really feel comfortable with the guys you’re working with. And you can kind of vibe a little bit with them. Sometimes when you have bigger names or whatever involved it’s kind of like you’re paying for that name and sometimes the process isn’t an enjoyable one. But it was really important for us to just vibe with the guys. We really loved working with Bill Stevenson when we did our last couple of records but we just kind of wanted a change you know?

What was the reason behind the name of the album ‘Symptoms and Cures’?

That’s just a lyric from one of the songs. The title track. The song just deals with how sometimes living in a transient lifestyle and moving around all the time and going through borders all the time, you just get a sense of the walls pushing in around you at times and security tightening up and just a lot of falsities that the powers of be like to force upon us. The lyric that it comes from is me talking about the positive mindset in the face of all this. And I’d hope that as we go on in this life we have a better future and people come together with a positive attitude. With a PMA, you know?! (chuckles a little) The lyrics are just about how the world’s really focused on and saturated with people telling us what we’re supposed to be afraid of and sometimes people jump onto those fears. And that’s why we have an album cover with a guy kind of jumping headfirst in to the unknown because that’s what we do sometimes and what a lot of people do without always knowing the facts. You know?

So how do you think the new songs are going to translate live and fit into the set?

Well we’ve only played one new song live so far and we’re going to be rehearsing over the summer a little bit. Getting it all ready. All the songs are more straight-up and up the live alley and we have a lot of really harder songs that are going to be fun to play – straight-up hardcore songs. And then some kind of like red-cup-with-beer-spilling-over-anthem-type-songs.

Maybe you’ll need a little help on those gang vocals when playing live?

Everyone has to sing. I’ve got to make sure all of the band are singing! Get Kyle (the drummer) a headset or something like that…

Unfairly tagged as ‘hipster’ metal by those that consider themselves to be ‘real’ metal, Texan metal warriors The Sword may be cooler than most metal bands but they are without doubt 100% genuine and irony free heavy fucking metal.

Back with a new album – ‘Warp Riders’ through Kemado Records – The Sword have created a sci-fi heavy metal concept album that recounts the saga of Ereth the archer, banished from his tribe on the planet Acheron, which is scorched on one side by the heat of three suns and the landscape for a battle between pure good and evil. The frankly bewildering story is back up by some of the best Metal riffs of all time. And that’s The Sword all over. A constant barrage of bulldozer riffs that threaten to flatten you at any point. Metal Hammer magazine were moved to state recently that The Sword ‘shit planetoid-size riffs with ease’, which sums it up better than I could. The Sword are the real deal. Start polishing yours now.

You can see our interview filmed by Alan Christensen with the band about their new album ‘Warp Riders‘ below back stage at The Barfly Club in Camden in July this summer, but be sure to make note of the UK live dates below and make plans to see them, you won’t be disappointed.

November

29^th – Portsmouth, Wedgewood Rooms
30^th – Bristol, Fleece & Firkin

December

1^st – Birmingham, Bar Academy
3^rd – Leeds, Cockpit
4^th – Glasgow, G2
5^th – Newcastle Academy 2
6^th – Manchester, Academy 3
8^th – Nottingham, Rescue Rooms
9^th – London, Islington Academy
10^th – Brighton, Audio

Reading and Leeds festivals are always the big ones of the summer. Somehow bittersweet as it’s always a blast yet kind of signifies the end of the summer. Yes, there are still a couple of festivals lurking in the corners of September but R+L just seem like the culmination of summertime musical events before the Autumn touring onslaught begins. And what a climax! People always rubbish the line-up before really looking at it. The truth is that the majority of people are going to find something that tickles their fancy within this immense bill of bands.

We’ve picked out a few who could well be worth your time. Now, this is a bit of a mammoth list. And it’s not even all the bands who’d be on our list if there were no clashes and an infinite amount of energy to see as many bands as you wanted. This is merely a suggestion of how you could spend your precious hours at the festival if you’re stuck for activities (as if). Shame on those people who never leave their tents due to an alcohol/drug induced semi-coma!

readingfestival.com
leedsfestival.com

FRIDAY @ READING / SUNDAY @ LEEDS

Young Guns
Main Stage (12pm at Reading and Leeds)

There’s often a bit of a wildcard as the opener of the festival but, whilst Young Guns will be unknown to many a festival-goer, they’ve truly earned their place on the bill here this year. Releasing their debut album totally independently and starting to sell out venues across the country, they’ve achieved a lot and this will be a fitting end to a busy summer for the young Brits!

A Day To Remember
Main stage (1pm at Reading; 12.45pm at Leeds)

ADTR play a bombastic pop-punk/hardcore hybrid type of music that shouldn’t really work but just kind of does. They’ve built up a solid fanbase over here despite being from the US so expect their followers to be out in force despite the early set time!

Pulled Apart By Horses
Festival Republic Stage (3.50pm at Reading; 3.45pm at Leeds)

PABH’s set is not to be missed. Always raucous, amusing and crammed with deafening riffs, the band’s live performance is steadily building them a reputation as one of the UK’s most exciting new acts. In fact, we’re kind of surprised they’re not billed higher on this stage… Still, maybe this timeslot will provide them with a bigger crowd. Let’s hope so!

Streetlight Manifesto
Lock Up Stage (5.50pm at Reading; 5.40pm at Leeds)

Now, I’m really not an advocate of ska in general. But Streetlight Manifesto are some of the best musicians who’ll be present at this festival. And their music is super-happy but still manages to avoid being really grating like a lot of ska music ends up being. Top notch.

Blood Red Shoes
Festival Republic Stage (8.25pm at Reading; 8pm at Leeds)

Fast becoming big hits in the world of Radio 1 DJs (and their ever-increasing fanbase, of course), Blood Red Shoes’ latest single ‘Heartsink’ has been catching many ears and the Brighton duo look set for a triumphant set as their run of European festivals brings them back closer to home at Reading and Leeds.

Phoenix
NME / Radio 1 Stage (9.10pm at Reading; 8.40pm at Leeds)

Phoenix are those French wonders with the awesomely poppy ditties that get stuck in your head without being the slightest bit annoying. You can’t say that about a lot of catchy music. You may recognize their work from many a Sofia Coppola film; she is going out with the singer after all.

SATURDAY @ READING / FRIDAY @ LEEDS

The Walkmen
Main Stage (12pm at Reading and Leeds)

Moody indie-rock to kick-off the day? Why not! The band will no doubt be dosing out fan favourites such as The Rat along with choice cuts from forthcoming album ‘Lisbon’.

Paint It Black
Lock Up Stage (1.30pm at Reading; 1.20pm at Leeds)

Punk rock doesn’t get much better than this. Paint It Black’s lively approach will be exactly the thing to fuel you with music-oriented energy for the rest of the day.

Trash Talk
Lock Up Stage (2.15pm at Reading; 5.25pm at Leeds)

More stellar punk rock from one of the best Lock Up Stage line-ups of recent years. These Californians know a thing or two about entertaining a crowd. If you’re near the front beware of mic cables, spit, puke and flying bodies.

The Gaslight Anthem
Main Stage (2.35pm at Reading; 2.20pm at Leeds)

The Gaslight Anthem arrive on the main stage following their past two years enthusing crowds in tents at Reading and Leeds. This will be one mighty singalong with the band breaking out a mixture of ‘American Slang’ hits-in-the-making alongside solid favourites from ‘The 59 Sound’.

The Rats
Lock Up Stage (3pm at Reading; 4.20pm at Leeds)

Not the best kept secret in festival history but The Rats will actually be Gallows performing an early set in the midst of some other brilliant acts looking to emulate their cult success. Going by their other festival sets so far this year, it’s going to be a fun one and, judging by all their friends’ bands playing on the same day, there is likely to be a guest appearance or two.

Modest Mouse
Main stage (3.40pm at Reading; 3.20pm at Leeds)

Quirky is not our favourite word here at Crossfire. But Modest Mouse could well be described as such with tracks like ‘The Ice of Boston’ and ‘Paper Thin Walls’ proving their rare spark of originality amongst a sea of middle of the roadness.

Cancer Bats
Lock Up Stage (6.55pm at Reading; 7.35pm at Leeds)

Cancer Bats’ recent cover of Beastie Boys’ Sabotage was a triumph and seemed to broaden their appeal further from their already loyal fanbase. Get ready to growl along with frontman Liam Cornier the immortal words – “Let’s do this!” – as the band crank out their own ‘French Immersion’ alongside said awesome cover version.

Dizzee Rascal
Main Stage (7pm at Reading; 6.35pm at Leeds)

Dizzee Rascal is a brilliant festival act. Enough said.

The Get Up Kids
Lock Up Stage (8pm at Reading; 8.40pm at Leeds)

The Get Up Kids recently made their long-awaited return to the UK which included two shows at Camden’s Underworld. It will be a delight to see them back on a bigger stage, no doubt with a rapt audience heartily singing back every word, probably louder than the band themselves.

Bad Religion
Lock Up Stage (10.30pm at Reading; 10pm at Leeds)

A fitting headliner for a stage with such a bill, Bad Religion’s recent return to the fore meant they were a natural choice. Classic punk, delivered with as much vigour as ever.

SUNDAY @ READING / SATURDAY @ LEEDS

Foxy Shazam
Festival Republic stage (1.30pm at Reading and Leeds)

Sure to be a bizarre but exciting experience to kick off your Sunday, Foxy Shazam have already been making waves across the Atlantic with their eccentric musical sensibilities and have supported the likes of Hole over here. Definitely ones to watch.

All Time Low
Main stage (2.35pm at Reading; 2.25pm at Leeds)

Like a Blink-182 for the next generation, All Time Low are sure to provide some ‘LOLZ’ as the kids would call them. They’ve also got a fair few catchy singles under their belt so you may even find yourself singing along.

You Me At Six
Main Stage (3.40pm at Reading; 3.25pm at Leeds)

You Me At Six are kind of like All Time Low’s UK counterparts though the maturity evident on this year’s album ‘Hold Me Down’ suggests that they take themselves a tad more seriously. As well as the odd heartfelt ballad, You Me At Six also have melodic pop-rock tunes aplenty.

Limp Bizkit
Main Stage (4.45pm at Reading; 4.30pm at Leeds)

A little early in the day for a bit of Bizkit perhaps… Actually, who am I kidding? You’ll have had a few drinks by this time so this will be mighty fun. Hopefully they won’t play *too* much new stuff.

Weezer
Main Stage (7.05pm at Reading; 6.45pm at Leeds)

Much-loved in many circles, Weezer songs have the ability to unite fans of all musical persuasions. This will no doubt be one of the uniting sets of the weekend. Never ones to dwell on old material, we’ll most likely be hearing a fair portion of forthcoming album ‘Hurley’.

Sub Focus
Dance Arena (7.25pm at Reading; 6.55pm at Leeds)

Having dived headfirst into the mainstream this year with banger ‘Could This Be Real’, the D&B DJ has roundly dropped jaws on his travels including the support slot on Pendulum’s recent Arena Tour. Guaranteed to deliver one of the most fun sets of the festival, he’s definitely one to go and check out.

Magnetic Man
Dance Arena (8.25pm at Reading; 7.55pm at Leeds)

The Dubstep Supergroup of Benga, Artwork and Skream have already slaughtered all that came before them across the UK’s festival circuit and will no doubt be tearing the tent apart when they step up on the Sunday. If you’ve got fillings, false teeth or wear a wig, it might be best to bring some superglue or the basslines are going to cause havoc.

Paramore
Main Stage (8.30pm at Reading; 8.05pm at Leeds)

You may guffaw but Paramore are an incredibly talented band who’ve now unleashed quite a sizeable amount of stellar songs. It’s a fact that’s undeniable and they’re sure to sound as solid as ever as they take on the main stage.

We Are Scientists
NME / Radio 1 Stage (9.10pm at Reading; 8.40pm at Leeds)

Always entertaining, even if they don’t actually end up playing that many songs, this is a good chance to catch WAS on a smaller stage following their ruling of the main stage a couple of years ago when they played a cover of Ace of Base’s ‘All That She Wants’. Classic.

Blink 182
Main Stage (10pm at Reading; 9.30pm at Leeds)

Traditionally rather on the infantile side of things in the nature of their performances, it’ll be interesting to see how a mature Blink-182 handle the headline slot following their recent reunion. Will there be as many puerile jokes? Equal amounts of unnecessary swearing? Who knows! But you can almost guarantee it’s going to be fun. And this band have plenty of hits to feed an eager crowd.

This is DEVO‘s second installment of three from the Something For Everybody video interview with Mark Mothersbaugh.

Mark discusses the reason why it took 20 years to record a new DEVO album, major record labels, the beauty of the internet and much more.

If you missed the first webisode then click here for the full trip and look out for the third installment dropping very soon.

Right now clubs all over London are wiring their speakers to turntables powered by the late 90s as two-step, funky garage and rolling house beats are making a huge impact on clubbers as the dubstep sound becomes rinsed and wobbles it’s way outside. It’s the sound that hip indie groups are craving for the b-side of their record and if they’re lucky, mega-production troupes like C.R.S.T might take their collection of sharp, warm synths and back-to-the-future garage beats to it.

They’ve already knocked out one of the dopest, most uplifting remixes of the year for one of the only sensible selections for the Mercury Music Award, The XX. Annie Mac has been further blogging their bouncy re-imagination of Count and Sinden’s summer indie/dance crossover hit ‘After Dark‘. The sound that this eclectic South Wales production collective (each member comes from a background of dabbling in various corners of electronic music) is most definitely on the up.

Stanley caught up with Rodski who spends most of his time being one quarter of the C.R.S.T crew, one half of DJ powerhouses Chesus and Rodski as well as being Cardiff’s biggest skateboarding DJ. Read on to learn more about the importance of blogging, why brostep sucks and how DJs are capable of telekinetic powers…

C.R.S.T Photography: Cam Sweeney
Skate Photography: Gareth Phillips
Portrait: Sam Sam Sam @ Bigger Than Barry

What’s your full name, age and current location?

Rodski, I’m 27 and I’m from Cardiff.

How long have you been DJing?

About seven years altogether, too fucking long…

When did you meet Chesus?

I met Che about three or four years ago while we were both working in Size? in Cardiff.

How often do you two DJ together now?

We only play together as CRST now, we’re chilling for the Summer but we’ll probably be playing two or three shows a week once the students get back.

How did C.R.S.T come about?

We just all went down Tony’s one day to mess around and found that it worked out really well as four so we stuck with it.

Who does what in the group? Four-man production crews aren’t too common…

We just all do whatever needs doing at the time. Live we’re pretty much the same as any other DJ set except we have a pissed up roider onstage to keep things interesting, ha.

Briefly describe what exactly is the music you make…

Garage. Not Future Garage, just Garage. And some house, haha.

What does Chesus’ hip-hop experience as ‘Metabeats’ bring to the sound?

Che’s been doing hip hop since day one, he’s the Welsh Dilla innit. He makes C.R.S.T. wonky.

B-More has always had a place in club music, but in the latter end of the decade we saw it become a bit of a trend after Diplo and others made it more popular. That’s passed a little but do you think that B-More could ever be unpopular?

Well, pretty much all the new hip hop and R&B stuff that’s in the charts is essentially Baltimore club. As soon as they get bored of it it’ll die off. Theres only so many 80s classics you can run that break over…

What about dubstep?

I like some of it, just not all this bait bro-step stuff that all the students are bumming. It gives me a fucking headache.

You’re probably one of the most prominent DJs in Cardiff right now, what’s the club scene like there?

Shite. Without the students it’s dead but that’s the same all over. It’s getting better but still not a patch on places like Bristol and Leeds. Bigger Than Barry is always good. The night they do at The Mint in Leeds is madness.

You’ve supported some pretty gnarly acts, who has been your favourite to play with?

Rico Tubbs is always a good laugh, Martelo and of course Swansea’s finest, Doc Daneeka.

What are your top three records right now?

Any Hudson Mohawke, all the new Girl U.N.I.T. stuff and Ganja by Scratcha DVA

Blogs and regular charts seem to dominate and dictate DJs playlists, what’s your opinion on the influence of blogs, is it a good thing or does it take away the special something of going to record stores and seeking out rare gems?

Without blogs there would be no way to get stuff out to the public and overseas, so blogs are definitely a good thing as long as they don’t bootleg stuff.

Tell us about the radio show you do on Sub FM, who’s running it and what’s a regular night like…

We do 3-5pm every other Saturday afternoon and play pretty much whatever. Biggups to Whistla for running the station and supporting new music.

Tell me, what’s your favourite garage track of all time?

Haha I dont know, anything by Todd Edwards is up there.

Favourite Daft Punk track?

Probabaly Teachers or Bangalter’s solo stuff on Roulé

Okay I can dig that, how about the best drum beat you’ve ever heard and the best break to sample…

Fuck knows, ask Che. He’ll tell you…

You’re welsh skateboarding’s most famous DJ, who’s killing it in Cardiff right now on the board?

Pirate Man, the retard brothers, Gareth Leak and Josh Underwood.

Did Dykie snake your wallride footplant trick in May’s Sidewalk?

Yes! He’s a player hater.

A lot of arsey people would combine the bikes, the boards and the turntables with being a hipster. What would you say to these people?

Fuck off you stupid cunts.

You went on Clever Vs Stupid… you won the mind power race car thing right?

Yes, because I am an evil genius.

Lastly, what’s coming up this year for you?

We got about five releases out in the next two months then three EPs and possibly an album on Cheap Thrills starting from August, plus loads of remixes and shows. Fun times!

Any shout outs and biggups to make?

Thanks to all the labels, DJs and friends who’ve helped us along the way. And to Lau’s in Cadoxton for general excellence in fried cuisine…

You can download C.R.S.T’s funky garage flex Dubplates 2 mix for free directly below this sentence. Scroll down a little more for the tracklisting…

C.R.S.T Dubplates 2 Mixtape by C.R.S.T

1. 1 4 Byron – C.R.S.T (Dubplate)
2. It’s Like That (C.R.S.T. Remix) – Tuff Wheelz (Dead Speaker Office)
3. Music Takes Me Up (C.R.S.T. Remix) – Proper Villains (Nightshifters)
4. Redeye – C.R.S.T (Forthcoming Catapult Records)
5. Baduka – Chesus and Diverse Concepts (Forthcoming 10,000 Yen)
6. Ultra 64 – C.R.S.T (Forthcoming No hats No Hoods)
7. Dial The Operator – C.R.S.T (Forthcoming Well Rounded)
8. Bump – C.R.S.T (Forthcoming 10,000 Yen)
9. Turn Away – C.R.S.T (Bigger Than Barry)
10. May Not Be Real – C.R.S.T (Forthcoming Well Rounded)
11. Need You – C.R.S.T (Forthcoming Well Rounded)
12. Roulette – C.R.S.T (Forthcoming 10,000 Yen)
13. Shelter (C.R.S.T. Remix) – The XX (Forthcoming ???)

What happens when you cross Croydon with a love for punk and rap? Apparently you get lele[SPEAKS]. Not content with making all sorts of crazy videos and dropping tons of music, she also has a hand in some of the best t-shirts around. We caught up with her to discuss upcoming projects, nightmares and just what happens to a Lost fan when their favourite show ends.

Interview: Abjekt
Photography: Dom Marley

I read that you were a big fan of punk music when you were younger, what sort of bands did you listen to most?

I still listen now, my favorite band in the whole world are The Descendents for me they are so ahead of the rest nothing can touch them.

And you played the guitar too? Did you ever make any punk music yourself, or get a band together to do that?

I played the tiniest bit, I was so into writing poetry and songs I never bothered learning more than 6 chords. I’m very impatient so as soon as I found a friend who played better than me I got her to play so I could focus on writing and vocals. That was as close as I got to creating a band.

But talking of bands I am working in more of a band structure at the moment, I’ve started working with a group of musicians on tracks and it’s so different from working with a producer. Everyone is adding to each song it’s so much fun. I’ve been working with Daniel P Carter (an amazing song writer and member of the band A), the banging guitarists Lags and Steph from Gallows and the sick drummer Gareth Grover from Haunts. These tracks are sounding amazing, I can’t wait for people to hear them!

What made you start making more hip hop style music? Did you just gradually switch or was there one album or track that made you think “Damn, I need to be doing this too”?

When I was 17 I started writing raps. To be honest I became a lot more open minded about a lot of things at this age, it was a real turning point. It wasn’t a particular person or song, it was more to do with me struggling to get everything I wanted to say out in one song. When you’re singing there just ain’t room for too many words! So I started rapping, though at the time I saw it more as speaking that’s when I came up with the name lele[SPEAKS]. I’ve been rapping almost 5 years but I’ve been writing songs for longer, I recorded my first song at 10. I know lyrically I’m killing it on my verses but I don’t battle, I respect it a lot, that stuff takes balls and skills but I am not just a rapper I’m a song writer.

A quick look on YouTube shows that you’ve got a number of videos up for tracks that all seem to be a bit on the weird side – you’ve got Uhh Ohh which is like something from The Shining and Volcano which is Barbie in a homemade volcano – are these ideas you think of yourself and film? Or do you have mates who like to chip in?

Weird side? Really? I thought that was completely normal! The brains behind the ideas is my sister Kelly (from The Sick Kids) and me. Sometimes we try to create the visual we get from the music and sometimes it has nothing to do with it we just go with a theme. Uhh Ohh and Horror are pretty strange and scary that’s our favorite kinda imagery. Volcano takes from a lot of things but mainly the stuff with us in the lab coats with the old film effect is based on the old Dharma tapes in Lost. Not Sober and Back to Bed are more random. Over all my videos are about dark comedy, that’s our style in a nutshell.

Do you think that maybe your Barbie in the volcano was a voodoo doll that caused all the ash earlier this year? Are YOU to blame for all those planes that were grounded?!

Yes.

Do you have any new releases planned for this year? Bang us all the details!

I’m working on my album with these guys at the moment, I’m so stoked on how sick it’s sounding. I’m not sure when any of this new stuff will be released but when all the tracks are done, you’ll know about it! I have a mixtape coming soon for free download, it’s a duet mixtape with fellow Croydon rapper Micky Worthless. We are recording it now, so it should be released by later this year via our sites. I’ve been meaning to do some more free tracks, so I’m so happy to be working on this mixtape. It’s going to be hammer time!

You also put out the Sick Kids clothing stuff with your sister which ranges from t-shirts to denim jackets to accessories. What made you want to get started with that kind of thing?

Well Kelly is very talented, she was born for this and like the way she helps me with ideas, I help her. We are a great creative team, we have similar tastes and being sisters well you can’t beat that. We love street fashion and just fell into it naturally, I guess from living in London and being a part of the music scene. For us, this is it, we’re living the dream dude! Even though we still live at home in a council house we are doing what we love.

Do you and your sister do all the designs yourself?

Kelly draws everything by hand, you should see her doodles! She loves painting portraits aswell, she just gave me one of 50 Cent! check them out on our blog!

Are you the people behind the now infamous “Wasteman” t-shirts, which appeared all over the place a couple of years ago (Toddla T loves it innit)? Did you think it was going to go as far and wide as it did?

Hell yes that is a Sick Kids Tee, in fact it’s one of our top sellers still today. We recently saw Kele from Bloc Party wearing it at one of his gigs (check it out here). We knew it was a good t-shirt because people reacted to it so well. I love my Wasteman tee!

I had a quick look over your twitter and saw a couple thing I wanted to pick up on. You said that you wish people didn’t make music videos with them singing to their reflection in the mirror – why does that creep you out? Any personal experience thing? Maybe a nightmare as a kid that it would jump out and strangle out?

No man. My kiddie nightmares those involved bears eating my Dad and ET coming to get me. People singing at themselves in the mirror is one of those embarrassing things nobody should see right?! So it creeps me out and makes me cringe when people put it in their music videos.

Big question now, how are you gonna cope now Lost is done?

I was such a huge fan and now it’s gone I feel so lost. Nothing compares to Lost, everything else that’s on is so easy to predict but with lost there is so much going on, so many characters, I’m always surprised. I spent hours trying to figure stuff out, watching reviews and recap videos online. It’s been so fun and it sounds mega cheesy but I don’t care, I loved this show!

I also see that you’re pissed Dr Dre signed The Game back to his label. How come you’re not a fan of Game?

He was OK when 50 was writing his hooks but after that his sound just changed into whoever he was working with. I’m not a fan.

And finally, I see you mentioned on your blog that you’re a big Mario fan. Who are the best Mario characters and why?

I like Toad the best especially for Mario cart because his really fast, but Mario has got to be the best overall on all games. I must mention that the new Mario Bros for Wii game is insane, it’s so sick!

Make sure you check out everything Lele and Sick Kids related on Twitter, YouTube, their Blog and their Shop.

Australia’s Violent Soho have experienced several things over the past couple of years that many a fledgling rock band can only dream of. They were signed by Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore to his own record label Ecstatic Peace!, they played a private show for Rick Rubin at his house and they got to record an album with the legendary production powerforce that is Gil Norton. Add to that the tours and festivals that they’ve been playing across the world and you’ve got a pretty exciting and turbulent lifestyle which the band could never have predicted, growing up in the bible belt area of Mansfield. We decided to give vocalist/guitarist Luke Boerdam the Crossfire treatment and find out what it’s been like for the band and what makes them tick. Oh, and some of them skate too. Bonus!

Do you know how Thurston Moore got his hands on your music? Was it a totally random thing?

Thurston Moore is like some weird omnipresent music guru. When we first met him I asked him if he knew a band from Brisbane Australia called Budd. Not many people in Brisbane know who that band is and he just turns to me and says “Yeah I know them. I put a double 10″ of theirs out in the 90s. I have a bunch of them under my bed.” So who knows how that guy finds music. We are just grateful he found us.

How did it feel working with Gil Norton? What are your favourite records that he’s been involved with in the past and why? How did he influence your music in the studio?

At first, I was scared shitless. I think we all were. But Gil is such a great guy and he made us feel so comfortable in the studio. But I mean you can’t help but be nervous when you’re playing in front of a dude who recorded the Pixies’ Doo little, Trompe le monde, Bossanova, The Foo Fighters’ The Color and the Shape… I mean, the list goes on.

How did Gil and Thurston react to your music? What do you think it is that drew them to working with you?

I remember we got a phone call and it was Gil Norton saying that he loved our music and said he would love to do our record. After it was all done and mixed he said he was real proud of the record, which meant the world to us. The first time I ever saw Thurston was at a venue in New York. He walked in while we were playing, stood right in front of James and started headbanging.

How much is the record (especially songs like ‘Jesus Stole My Girlfriend’) a reaction to the way you were brought up?

Very much. All the songs revolve, in some way, around the idea of loneliness, the mundane and boredom of suburbia. Mansfield is a bible belt area, we grew up with a lot of pentecostal christian influence. Jesus Stole My Girlfriend isn’t just a story about what happened to me. It also embodies a reaction against going with the normal.

What does your hometown mean to you and how does it feel being away from home for long periods of time whilst on tour / recording etc?

Our hometown is what made us the people we are and gave us the frustration we needed to make the music we do. So our hometown is everything to us. Being away from home for long periods sucks, but it also helps you keep going because in the back of your mind it reminds us why we do this. For the love of the 4122.

What’s your favourite thing about being on the road?

Meeting random people is always fun but my favorite thing is all the crazy junk food and weird bars.

Where is the most amazing place you’ve visited so far?

We camped out at Joshua Tree and went up to the mountains and looked out over the ranges but I think Santa Rosa in LA is the most amazing place. Anywhere where you get given over a half of the best bud ever is pretty amazing.

When you go on tour, do you take your board with you? What cool places have you come across to skate?

Yeah Shut Skateboards in NYC gave James a board so he always takes that with him. Hollywood is a pretty rad place to skate. Heaps of good spots.

Who’s your favourite skater?

James always goes on about Jay Adams and every story I get told makes me love the dude.

Does skateboarding influence your music in any way?

Sure, I mean everyone has a record that they put on and it makes them want to go for a skate, like the first Face to Face record ‘Don’t Turn Away’. It’s a vibe I guess, growing up those are the records that stay with you forever and we’d love to think that someone out there is skating to our record.

What’s your ultimate goal as a band?

Stay friends, make the best music we can and play as many shows as possible.

What do you think is your biggest achievement to date?

We lived in a small 4 bedroom, 1 bathroom apartment with 10 people (more at times) for 10 months and are all still great friends so I think surviving that is our greatest achievement.

How has the UK treated you on your visits here so far? Have you got any plans to return soon?

Awesome. We love the UK. Great beer, great people, great music. We hope to be there as soon as we can hopefully before the year is out.

What does the near future hold for Violent Soho?

We are going back home to Australia to do a small tour then we get to play in Chicago at Lollapolooza and then go on tour with Mondo Generator which we are pumped for always been a big fan of Nick Oliveri.

www.myspace.com/violentsoho

Interview: Sleekly Lion

Having made a name for themselves penning singles for the likes of Banquet and Big Scary Monsters, last year Tubelord finally got down to releasing their debut album Our American Friends. Eight months down the line and a series of line-up changes, the band are back with a new bassist and an added percussionist, preparing for the release of a brand new EP.

The intriguingly titled Tezcatlipōca represents a new era for the band, and is said to mark the beginning of a different sounding Tubelord. We caught up with Joseph Prendergast to get the low down on their new sound, preconceptions of time travel and their progress on a second full length record.

Tubelord are back! What’s all this I’m hearing about a new sound?

A few months back at a house party everyone was clinging to the walls, dripping with the effects of what had been stuffed up their noses. In the exchange of sobriety for a general loss of common sense, one of the tenants gave me a keyboard which I took home and wrote some ‘new’ songs with. A couple days later I found a capo under my bed in the shed and added the guitar parts in…new sound is born.

You’ve also been through some line-up changes, what were the reasons behind this?

I dunno man, maybe it’s best not to discuss the reasons and ins and outs on what could be read by anyone you know? Some of the reasoning involves the James Elliot-Field remix of a certain Colour song, that really quick blue hedgehog and sparkly red cardigans.

How do you feel about your debut album “Our First American Friends”, now that the dust has settled and you’ve had time to reflect?

What with all the line-up alterations the amount of time between recording and being released, it’s quite difficult to talk about you know? The recording was complete in the first week of January ’09, the release being set for October 12th, by this time all the songs had altered quite a fair amount, what with the addition of a different bass with an entirely different sound to Sean’s. Maybe I’m side-tracking slightly erm… I feel that we could have built upon the little bits of fun that lacked a musical reference point..bum slaps, secret conversation recordings, book pages flipping, a can of Stella Artois being cranked open and sipped on…all those bits…

The new EP is called Tezcatlipōca, could you tell us a bit about the title and the main themes behind the record?

The main themes involve building upon our preconceptions of time travel and how we understand this concept with a disregard to space as a physical thing, you know? I’ve drawn up a comic depicting the story you can hear through the lyrics to make it a little bit clearer, but it’s set in the Bear Gami universe for sure…more on that next year.

Tubelord has always had unique packaging and artwork ideas – have you got anything special lined up for Tezcatlipōca?

Ahhh I’m pleased you’ve picked up on the packaging…A lot of time is spent trying to ensure any tangible evidence of Tubelord is as unique as the individuals cognitive sense alongside the music. However…I’d rather not type about the Tezcatlipoca packaging right now…I have no idea what may or may not be physical by August 16th. This fella has definitely helped though…

Were there any bands, books or films that you were into during the writing process that might have inspired the content of the new EP?

Sure…The initial idea derived from the Apollo I tragedy, where in a test to determine whether the craft Saturn IB could operate nominally on internal power, the three astronauts Edward White, Virgil Grissom and Roger Chaffee perished in a fire. Taking on board the image of three bodies and their context of space, it got me thinking about using this idea of the subconscious adjective and questioning who exactly puts us through acts and tests to extract the sense behind our contextual use of words? You know…how you’ll say giraffe to one person and they may think of the animal, whilst another might think of a friend due to the nickname ‘giraffe’…err… the invisible matter that is space and how we are capable of travelling through these unseen entities in memories. At the time I was reading a lot about mesoamerica, their use of colour is incredibly inspiring. Other than that…..Evil Dead IV.

Are there any bands you want to big up to Crossfire readers?

So so so many…Koppen, Charles Hamilton, Olympians, Duke Ellington, Medications, Shoes and Socks Off, So Many Dynamos, Dead Red Sun, Slingshot Dakota, Aimee B, Django Reinhardt

With a busy touring schedule ahead of you, Can we expect anything new from your live show?

We’ll only be seen wearing black and carefully place a large naught-shaped light in front of our drum kit.

Beyond touring and promoting the new EP, is there a second full length album in the pipeline?

As it stands there are 9 and a half complete songs, not too many to go before we record..The recording is currently being planned for November.

Any last words?

Other than an intense thank you for even being interested in what we’ve got to say, we’ll leave by communicating what has to be said through the form of video…

Tezcatlipōca will be released on August 16th through Hassle Records. The band will also be curating their own EP launch party on August 7th at Notting Hill Art’s Club. The event starts from 4PM and will include live performances from Aimee B, Dead Red Sun and of course Tubelord themselves. See you there…