----------------------------------------------------------------
INDEX
INTERVIEWS
GUESTBOOK
----------------------------------------------------------------
UNDERGROUND
METAL LABEL & OLD SCHOOL
PAPER FANZINE FROM GERMANY!
INTERVIEWED
IN WRATH OF DIY HYPERACTIVITY!
1. Hello, how are you? What should the readers do to prepare for this interview?
Hail Eternal Gabriel and Nihilistic Holocaust! Everything's fine here, just finished my dinner and blasting some old C.o.T. tracks at maximum volume when I've received your interview-questions here which is truely honor me! Well, be attentive and try to realize your mission!
2. You are running a label, a fanzine, a newsletter, and probably numerous other things... It might be the moment to quote and introduce it all. Why do you never want to stop? Are you somewhat hyperactive? What are the most important activities in your "rooster"?
Well, we all know the words „nothing lasts forever“, but has anyone ever thought about the reason for such a stupid phrase came up? In my eyes, values and traditions or even relationships and brotherhood are just disappearing, because nobody takes properly care about it anymore. We're living in a world, where things are taken as natural and hardly anyone wants to be „the active one“ - and that's where everything started for me. I've been taught by my parents at young age, that you're not allowed to complain about anything, unless you have tried everything possible by yourself to do something against the shit, that bothers you. So when I started with the label, the zines and all the other stuff, it was mainly started to keep the real Underground-Spirit and traditions alive! Words like „I don't know how“ or „the underground and fanzines are dead“ are bullshit-things, that drive me crazy in absolute rage since day one! „There was no metal-scene during the 90s...“ Bullshit! „Fanzines are dead?“ Bullshit! „MP3 is the format of the future?“ triple bullshit!!! Whoever spoke out such words just outed himself being a fukkin trendy-poser who just walked with the stream instead of being really a part of something higher! That being said, the metal spirit is an essential part of my life and as much as I worship the creations of all the real bands, I'd like to be sure to see and hear more for the future as well and thus the support of each one within the underground is so damn important! Same as everyone, I wasn't born with any experience of „how to do this or that“... but also same as others before, I've started to learn and transfer everything I've learned at different jobs or in life in general into my underground activities. Nobody gets born as a master – but we all have the same chances and the choice to become one! So, well if nobody wants to do the job (or simply doesn't know how to do it right/or does it with the wrong attitude) it's up to you to decide: Shall I just stand around and let's see how things work out (high chance that all fukks up) OR get your own ass up and try to understand what you can do to keep the shit alive! I don't wait for anyone to get the job done – I rather do it myself! There are too many, who just do it for personal fame and their ego, for money or whatever other simply wrong reasons! I definitely don't want to be one of those, who left everything rush down into shit. If you want to get something done properly, do it yourself – and if you truely value something, defend it and keep it alive by acts, not empty words!
Well, my main activities are definitely on Destruktion Records, as I produce as much as possible by myself at home because many factories are not able to realise my visions or are simply too expensive or whatever (I hate discussing with anyone) so finally I rather craft all the stuff by myself if possible, to keep the production easier and faster for myself and to keep the final sales-prices lower or better said „more fair“, as I personally refuse to pay nowaday ridiculous prices for tapes and lps, which partly are so expensive because of expensive productions or simply greedy people behind it... (speaking about 8-12€ for a tape?! Or 22-25€ for a normal lp?!) Being an „Underground Label“ grants you the freedoom (and in my opinion also demands) to do the things in a way more personal way, real „Fan to Fan“-like productions without a commercial aim unlike major-labels. There's no time- or financial pressure and nobody telling you what to do! Therefore I'm always doing my best, to create something that is worth to carry the name of each artist and what represents and reflects, what I and all the other maniacs feel, when we listen to their hymns – available for a price, which is fair and affordable for the real Maniacs – not the rich ones! No „fastfood“-shit here! Besides of Destruktion Records, I write the zines „Bestial Desecration“ & „Nachzehrer“, also participating for the „Morbid Faith Newsletter“ (founded by Rodrigo of Hellavenger/El Abismo Recs.) and some other things like fan-bootlegs/DIY-memorabilia for poor fans like me who deny to pay 20€ for a „vintage sticker/button...etc“ (so I do the shit all myself... Stickers, Boxes, Mirrors, Shirts, Tapes, CDs, Buttons, Posters... It's D.I.Y. or DIE (poor... haha)!)
Nah it's definitely not hyperactivity. Just organisation of time, brother. I don't spend all my day-time on FB or other shit like that, it blinds you and weakens your mind... so I rather stay productive and try new methods for my productions to work faster. It's really fun to do all the stuff at home! People are wasting so much of their time day by day... when you sit in the bus or train on the way to work, you can think about such new „methods to do things better“, use your creativity to be ready to start when you come home (it saves a lot of time) – instead of watching your damn smartphone like a loser! And as said before, I don't wait for anyone to do the job – I rather do it myself. If I feel like that I want to have a sticker of Children of Technology or like to print Venom's „Welcome to Hell“ on my couch-table or like to have a metallic badge of Trench Hell NOW, then I will try to figure out how to do it instead of waiting 10-20-30 years till someone else does it finally (and for a lot of money? Fukk off!)... poverty makes creative! hehe
3. Your
patterns of liking often have something to do with the thrashing
side: Old school thrash, thrashing death, black thrash... Why is
it better when it thrashes? More violence = more pleasure?
„More violence = more pleasure“ partly yes hehe but the main reason was actually that I've made most of my bad experience at the label/zine/distro/personal life with heavy metal bands due to their higher risk of „trying to become rock star faggs“ or simply the different attitude (although I love traditional heavy metal as well). Extreme music demands an extreme attitude and the strength to stay loyal to it. Honesty is very important in music so there's no space for „pussy-hunters“ and „rockstars“, who just start a band to satisfy their egos/need of attention/sexual frustration!... and I've seen too many of these suckers within the Heavy Metal-scene lately (does not relate to all bands of course, but many though!). I just want to be sure that I'm supporting, listening and working with the real ones, who truely stand behind their words and live by the old spirit with the same attitude as you and me and that relates all aspects of handling their things and business, up to their compositions and performances and personally I feel it mostly within extreme metal bands from the black-thrash, death-thrash, black and death metal bands! On the other side I have to correct you at one thing: I'm not the biggest „thrash“ fan at all, as most actual thrash bands dragged the name of extremity into dirt with their „beer-pizza-fun“ ASSitude and D.R.I.-stupidity... Death- and Black-Thrash kills and stands above all these kiddie-bands!!!
4. Can you introduce you fanzine, Bestial Desecration, and your newsletter? Why doing two different publications, what are the differences between both?
Bestial Desecration was meant to be a classic Fanzine, which means: Same as all the other editors out there, I did it my way instead of following or obeying any rules. The main focus lies on the real underground hordes of today and also from the past, digging up the shit which (at least in my opinion) was brutally underrated or overseen (for example all the japanese extreme metal bands or colombian ultra metal). On top, my loyal friend „Dr. Stahl“ is a real east-european metal fanatic who always delievers great articles about obscure metal bands from the east-bloc (the ones who are truely worth to be checked out! No „cult“ bands who still sound like crap and gave themselves a reason why nobody ever heard about them...). Interviews are the most important at B.D., as I don't like superficial and short-written question-answer games, which leave you with nothing but even more questions or even anger haha! The zine itself appears as a double-zine since issue #2 (main zine + bonus zine. Both pro-printed in full colour), which happened by accident due to a limit of a space (no tolerance for compromises at all!) and so it became some kind of tradition for it now. The zine contains only, what I really like. No acception of promos or interviews from bands, I don't give a big fat fukk about... it's all about the support of the underground! Free ads and promo for bands, labels, zines and distros which I like, as we can only keep all the shit going together, instead of against.
The newsletter „Morbid Faith“ is a pure DIY-newsletter, which we spread to all contacts worldwide to promote bands, labels, zines, distros etc and to get a real „place for news“ which is NOT facebook or any other „public internet forum“. The main difference is, that M.F. gets written by (now already) 4-5 editors, mainly doing promo here and once in a while some short interviews (short = focusing on one topic in a longer form). Everyone can join us and deliever news. We wanted to get the maniacs up on the streets again, getting them away from their smartphone shit and reactivating their own brains and opinions, getting them active to support the metal underground bands, zines, distros, locations, maniacs etc by becoming an active part of it instead of just being „someone who listens to metal music“, if you know what I mean! The newsletter is for free, so there's nothing to lose, right? Furthermore, we have many friends who do not use FB and such and thus never get any updates about what's actually going on in the Underground (that also counts for all the killer bands who refuse to use any kind of internet-presence) and with such a free newsletter, you can keep the maniacs informed and the bands promoted (that means our own activities but also all news of all bands, zines and labels which we personally like or consider as worth to be supported)... independent and without any censorship or rules by any facebook fukktards! That also counts for Bestial Desecration and all printed zines in general... Though I don't hold back my own opinions regarding anything in my interviews of B.D., me and also the other editors of Morbid Faith publish some personal thoughts in a way more detailed form (articles) for the newsletter to, as mentioned, get the people thinking and agreeing/disagreeing and getting in touch with us or other maniacs to exchange opinions and stuff. To have your own opinion is your duty, if you live and still want to live in a free world.
5. Which paper fanzines were very influential for you, and even perhaps motivated you to create your own zine? Is it about old or newer zines?
Tough question... although I can say that „Oldschool Metal Maniac“ (poland) and the old and only original „Ablaze“ (germany) but also „Black Mass“ (germany) and good ol' „Thrash Attack“ (ger) got me pretty much into it. But I'd say the heaviest influence came along by Oldschool Metal Maniac zine (Hail Leszek!!!) because of the absolute killer layouts, great bands (old and new, issue #1 had Trench Hell on cover and even an Em Ruinas interview!!!) etc... The motivation to do my own zine came actually from the reason, which I explained before. Seeing dumbheads claiming everywhere that „zines are dead and nobody reads them anymore“ made me crazy... I mean, there were and still are soooo many killer zines keeping the shit alive, so what about them? But somehow the promo (or the ones who had the power to do some promo for them simply never did anything for them) for all the zines was not as good as it should be and there we're returning to the point, that each and everyone is important. I remember when I got in touch with your website (you've introduced a hell of a lot zines on your site!) or with my friend 'Löns' of Witchcraft zine... check up his endless distro (FANZINE)-list and tell me again, that there are no fanzines ok?!... another reason why I started my own zine was to shut up all the traitors out there - to prove them wrong! 300 copies got sold in always 2-3 months of issue #1, #2, #3 and #4 so what's the problem?! Maniacs are still reading zines, you just have to write them correctly (and not superficial or ego-focused!) and promote them correctly instead of handling them like something „less important“...! Well getting back to your question: I like both, old and new. There's still a lot more to learn for me from all the different editors and their writing-styles, so I can't say which ones I prefer more... each one has its own charme and spirit! It's actually very interesting to see all the differences/similarities in ideology, attitude or understanding of history and music when reading old and new zines. It helps to understand the „evolution“ of certain musicians and people within the scene and becomes a source for new questions (at least for me hehe)...
6. You once told me that, while preparing questions for interviews, you happened to write down all the ideas on little pieces of paper... And it could be on the supermarket receipts AhAh... What are the craziest stories about preparing interviews? I hope you didn't have to write important questions on the toilet paper of a dirty highway water closet... Uh!? Or perhaps on the paper that encircles sandwiches? (Yes, eating can awake inspiration sometimes)
Haha... to tell you the truth: the best ideas are popping up when you're bored and when is that? Exactly... at work! Or on the toilette or the 5min in bed before you fall asleep. In the past I used to work as a cashier in a shitty supermarket so indeed I used all the supermarket receipts for noting down all interview-questions which came into my mind. I once even asked a customer if I can keep his receipt because it was damn long and I had so much stuff going on in my head... his face was kind of „wtf“ like, mixed with suspicion haha! Indeed it happened once, that some notes ended up on a ripped up toilett-paper cardboard roll, as I finished all the rest for my business on the throne at work and had nothing to write on anymore! But as I don't work there anymore (source of long papers gone) I mainly use all kinds of paper I find on the streets or at home whenever I have something in my mind (or simply write some notes on my arm)... Hey that idea with the sandwhich paper is pretty clever! Gonna save and use that one for sure someday hehe!!!
7. When you run a fanzine, you often trade your own issues against those of other editors... And so your fanzine collection grows much faster AhAh.. Did you notice a real acceleration of the collection's growing since you released your own publication?
To be honest? Not really haha... I've got in touch with a lot of zines since then for sure, but I can't say that my „collection“ grew by it. Most editors just released one issue in 2 years and Bestial Desecration has just started in 2018 haha... but I have bought a lot of new zines from different distros, as I like to support the distros and zines directly as well. Löns of Witchcraft zine once sent me about 40 zines for free as he received all remaining stocks of SinIsThere zine etc. and so he spreaded them to interested readers... that zine (for all those, who are able to read german) is truely one hell of a killer and unique zine!!! In fact, I've notived another thing: A lot of new zines have started or better said also many old zines are coming back now. Another proof, that printed zines are still alive and stronger than ever (remember, we're not living in the 80s. Futureworld is here, zines are not „as common as in the past“ but they are still here! So the brave ones who're still delievering it, are truely doing it by dedication and boundless spirit! Support! Watch out for 'Dimension of Torment's first issue, greetings Chris!)
8. What's the "easiest" way to sell or distribute a fanzine in 2020? Is it better to sell on your own webshop, or is it about trades, or perhaps stands during gigs? Or maybe deposit sale in German physical shops... Perhaps while searching, you discovered new ways to distribute this older media in 2020?
I can't say, what's the „easiest way“, as I've actually always sold all copies through my own distro (www.destruktionshop.de). That's how I've been doing it ever since. For sure I trade copies to other distros as well, as it's important to get the printed word spreaded. In fact, I'd even say there's no difference between selling it in a physical store... or webstore...why? Because all that matters is your own way of handling things. I've never considered or treated the maniacs who ordered from the distro like „normal customers“ because they are simply not! They are fans, like you and me and I prefer the direct, personal contact because it's important for me to make them understand, that this isn't just „typical business“ here. It's a fan-to-fan distro, label, zine... for the underground (and I totally support and always return to such distros, who do it the same way)!!! Thus I take my time for each and every record and zine etc in my distro to give it a proper and honest description and also for each and every one, who has a question about this or that. I think that way you can convince the people, that you're not trying to sell them shit for gold as so many others do! I mean, all of us have this one record-store where we love to hang out and buy records at full price and deny the discount, because we know that the owner is one of us and would never try to sell us shitty records as „the best, that the band has ever made“.. so if you want distribute something that you've created, you have to prove the maniacs, that it's worth their attention and hard-earned money and that works only if you truely put 200% into your work, into everything you do without any compromise and also by real trust and personal contact to the true maniacs, you really want to reach. I just spread some flyers here and there and collaborate with friended editors of other zines, we support each other in the right spheres to reach the right maniacs, only! That counts also for sales at gigs... „love at first sight“-effect! Be it a record or a fanzine... if the zine/record and the editor/musician looks 'real', I'd give it a try and buy a copy blindly (haven't done it in any different way, before there was internet. Listen to your instincts)! But the main problem of nowadays society is, that almost everyone is anal-fukked by „willingness to compromises“... do it right and not halfways and don't „try“ something - do it (right) or let it be!... or as my friend Stahl once said „go hard or go home“ haha!!!
9. When I was younger in the 90's, I also used to read some fanzines containing underground drawings and comics, completed by peoples doing it during hobby time, independent drawing and artwork zines... Are you aware about that scene?
I've seen some of these comics in several older zines. But you're speaking about complete artwork zines? Unfortunately I've never seen one of these... but it sounds like a nice idea though. That would be actually really helpfull if some UG artists would team up for a such a project to present their work, that way one could get in touch with more new artists and different styles (and every record-cover doesn't have the same artist anymore haha).
10. In France we have "La fanzinothèque", it's some kind of cultural library specialized in fanzines and it's located in Poitiers. They gather many fanzines from past and present, from all countries, all kind of underground publications (Music, art, opinions etc), since 2 or 3 decades... Quite cool project, isn't it? Do you know if something similar might take place in other countries? Now do you feel the need to visit the french town of Poitiers? Ahah.
I will definitely
visit that library on my next france trip! Furthermore there's so
much more to see in france arghh...great landscapes and medieval
parts!! That sounds pretty killer with the library! We have some
kind of a states library here (at least they claim to be one) which
you can't visit, but they store 1-2 copies of every record that
got released in germany. The problem is, they force you to send
in copies (unless they're sold out)– otherwise they'll come again
with some lawyer and court-stuff etc. But to be honest, fukk them!
If they'd open the doors for the people as they do in france, than
I'd appreciate it. But since these assclowns here only take stuff
for free on force (and nobody knows, what they're actually really
doing with it?!) they can lick my salty nutsack... metal for maniacs,
pure!
11. While searching for your name on Metal-archives, I didn't find musician results, you only appear for layouts... Why? You don't play an instrument? Or you believe you're not currently good enough at it, or perhaps you're preparing a future project that will be some kind of thrashing revelation?
Searching for me online? Naughty you... haha! Well, I'm glad enough to be able to able to hold my chopsticks right while eating. In fact I've learned and played Piano for a few years and Cello for 10 years during my teenage years but I quit, as I got pissed off with the arrogance and double-face attitude of most younger „classic music“-people. They only cared about fame and wanted to show each and everyone „how awesome they are“ and off-stage they were total losers... fukktards. I may have learned a lot of things from that time regarding my musical-understanding though, but I've sworn myself never to play Cello again and honestly, I think I'm just too unanimated to learn any instrument now, simply not interested. I rather do layout stuff and crafting shit at home, I prefer supporting the artists with my label and zines instead of being one myself. Also I hate it, to be in the spotlight, on stage, whatever... will never join a band nor start one ever. This has actually maybe been the only thing, which I (as a Fan) in contrary to most other fans never wanted: Being a musician. Simply never wanted that and will never be. Also I think, that besides of my daily job, I would definitely have no time for a band next to all the shit, I do all day long already...
12. I think you have Chinese (Or at least Asiatic) roots. Are you well aware about the metal scene in China? (It seems to grow slowly). Did you already visit this country, and what can you say about it?
Asian roots: yes. Chinese: only halfways, mainly taiwanese (but that doesn't make things better haha). Now speaking with all respect about that topic: I can tell you that the chinese „metal-scene“ is completely different to ours, because of certain historical events in the past. The cultural revolution and resulting isolation of china from the mid-60s till the mid 70s... which means: the natural evolution of blues-rock and rock'n'roll to hard rock up to 80s metal up to 90s extreme and underground metal never happened in that way. The background is missing. Today, China became a strong country and tries to catch up all the missed eras as fast as possible. Apart of a very few real metal veterans like Wang (666 Rock Shop) there were not many really into this music, nor understood what it's really about, the essence, the spirit! But now, you can be, whoever you want to be... internet makes it possible! Guys are dressing up in patched denim, grow their hair long and try to copy something, they don't really understand or even create random shit music and call it „metal“. So honestly, there are not many bands nor maniacs who I truely consider as „real“ as the majority is just jumping on a trend now – same as everywhere in every country now (even germany, yes). I don't know what to think about their „scene“ so I don't want to blame or damn all at once... but I can say, that the only guys I respect and send out greetings to are Samark Lin (Terror Execution Zine/Label), Li Meng (Ancestor/Awakening Recs), Asura (Hellfire) & Wang (666 Rock Shop), total respect and support to them!... oh and the same counts sadly for Taiwan, too. I remember the last time I've been there, I got attacked by „fashion-designers“ who wanted to take photos to„copy“ my metal-vest because they thought it looks „cool and could sell well?“ haha... and the last „metalshop“ that was still alive there tried to convince me, that „Korpiklaani“ is better than Darkthrone?!... so much about that!
13.
What are you tips to stop thinking? Some peoples smoke funny green
stuffs, some peoples listen to extremely brutal noisy music... What
about you?
In case you mean to get the mind free of all the bullshit from daily routine, there are several methods which all together work out well: Mainly I'm blasting some records, as I directly transfer myself out of this shit world by listening to music. Drugs are weakening the spirit and brain, so I don't take that shit. Just putting on some records to keep the energy level high, reading fanzines and enjoy life as it is, being thankfull for all I got in my life and banging heads with my wife and friends to the infernal sounds of Toxodeth and Shub Niggurath! The one who never gets himself mentally caught by societys bullshit problems, is the real free one and doesn't need to get this mind „cleared“ because everything that's unimportant never lasts longer than necessary in his mind...
14. Which other plans do you have in mind? Should the readers expect something "special"?
Can't go into details here, but there will be some special releases coming up on Destruktion Records and also for Bestial Desecration zine. It's never enough and it's never perfect... there's always a way of improvement. For now I'm about to publish the fifth issue of Bestial Desecration with an interview with the japanese thrash-legend „Rosenfeld“ (the first one ever with a zine from overseas!) and a 3-piece Ultra Metal-interview! Also there'll be something very special for the next Eurynomos releases, watch out! That's all for now. Finally I would like to send out a thousand thanks to you for this spontaneous interview, this was indeed a heavy one hehe but very interesting, too! The diversity within the writing-styles of each editor is amazing and once again, I've learned something for myself by this interview as well. Keep the old flame burning strong brother and never surrender. Merci!!!
Webshop:
http://www.destruktionshop.de
Facebook:
Label:
https://www.facebook.com/DestruktionRecordsOfficial
Fanzine:
https://www.facebook.com/BestialDesecrationFanzine
