Berlin-based punk rock band CHAOS COMMUTE are joinign us today with their new power single “One Way“, taken from their upcoming album “Fairytales and Nightmares”, set to be released in November 2021 via KROD Records!
“Times of drastic changes question many societal conventions.” – comments the band. “Many minorities finally find their voice.The opposition reacts: backwards is the only way. In 1973, a military coup happened in Chile, second home of singer Camilo. Many in his childhood still wanted dictator Pinochet to come back. They wanted the good old times back. This can be applied to today’s populist politicians as well.”
After the chaotic dissolution of a five-piece band, singer and guitarist Camilo Betancourtand drummer Julian Schmauch picked up the remains and founded CHAOS COMMUTE in 2016. They’ve just signed to KROD RECORDS fora new album set to be released in November.
The goal: easier workflow, harder sound, moredirect lyrics. They recorded their first demo“Nice Try” in their rehearsal room and released the first single “Not that easy” in the fall of 2017 with an accompanying video. The first shows were quickly booked, they also organized a fundrasing show for anti-fascist organisation “Faust Hoch”. The band played shows in Berlin and all over Germany and the audience loved them more and more. Soon CHAOS COMMUTE caught the eye and ear of Andreas Hartmann, drummer and producer of German Punk Rock band RADIO HAVANNA. They quickly wrote, recorded and produced the band’s first “proper” EP “Mirror” together.
The first single of that record “Get Out” was released in the fall of 2018. Three more followed: title track “Mirror”, power ballad “All your life” and “Holy ship” in late 2019. Three of their videos were directed by creative mind Jochem Koschlig. More shows were played, bigger support slots kept coming in – by the end of2019 about 50 gigs in total.
The energy that Camilo and Julian emit onstage drew the attention of Stefan Schumacher, European booking agent for RICHIE RAMONE, drummer for the legendary RAMONES from 1983 to 1987. After a show Stefan approached CHAOS COMMUTE and offered to take them onas a support act for Richie’s European tour. And finally in March 2020 the tour began, being chased by the incoming Corona pandemic. Nine of 25 planned shows were played. The last one on March 13, 2020 in Mannheim. Back in Berlin the band took freshly written material toproducer Andreas Hartmann. The production of “Fairytales and Nightmares” took place all over 2020.
“Fairytales and Nightmares” makes HardRock soft again. The twelve tracks on CHAOS COMMUTE’s debut album are asemotional as they are brutal.
Between a raging self reflection with afeature by RICHIE RAMONE, casual condemnation of gentrification, a beautifully yearning ballad an angry anti-fascist anthem, singer and guitarist CAMILOBETANCOURT and drummer JULIANSCHMAUCH are on the run AND on the hunt on these earworms.
“Fairytales and Nightmares” – CHAOS COMMUTE tell stories about getting backup again, about relationship drama, about left-wing utopia and right-wing hate, about confessing love and being overwhelmed by the flood of daily news and information.
As dirty the riffs are and as rough the soundis, acting all manly is not what CHAOS COMMUTE is about. The sound of the band is riff-laden, oscillating between Punk and Rock, with experimental moments in between. It is pure emotion and invites youto freak out. On “Fairytales and Nightmares”, CHAOS COMMUTE are standing on the shoulders of giants, but with a message.
