SLAVE interview

We had a chance to talk to SLAVE, one of the most promising Los Angeles hardcore bands to date. Below is the conversation we had with Jairo Malagon on March 18, 2012.

Hey, cool to have you guys. Who are you and what do you stand for?

Hey. My name is Jairo, I play guitar in SLAVE. We stand for playing fast, heavy riffs as loud as possible.

What was your first exposure to the hardcore scene? What grabbed your attention?

I was first exposed to hardcore through skateboarding. I pretty much developed my musical taste through reading Thrasher magazine and watching skate videos.

What other bands have you guys played in?

Ricky was in a band called THE KINGSFORD RUN and is currently in BADBLOOD and they both shred. Anthonie plays guitar in a hardcore band called SLEEP WALKERS.

What’s your view on L.A. hardcore scene? Can you talk a bit about your relationship with local bands? Are you tight with some of the bands on hype right now?

I’m sort of out of the loop when it comes to the hardcore scene. We don’t really play with a lot of through and through hardcore bands but we’ve developed close friendships with the guys in RESIDUALS, BADBLOOD, RUPTURES, THEY AS IN THEM, and THE LOVE BELOW. They are all great guys and are playing some of the most interesting heavy music coming out of Southern California.

How come you’re not signed yet? You have every factor a modern heavy hardcore band has to have to be on the tongues. What labels are you thinking about?

I couldn’t tell you. Probably because we haven’t played outside of Southern California. We’ve been talking to a couple labels about releasing our new stuff and possibly re-releasing Abyss. Nothing is set in stone but we hope that it comes together soon.

Tell us about your upcoming EP entitled “Abandoned”. I thought you were talking about an album in December, now it’s the EP. Please put this stuff in order.

It’s faster and heavier than our previous efforts. We went back to record with our friend Sean at Architeuthis Sound and we’re very happy and proud with the outcome. We originally wanted to write for a full length but ultimately decided it would be best to spread the songs across a couple of releases. We’d really like to do a split with one of the aforementioned bands.

You are giving your 2 albums (2010’s “MMX” and 2011’s “Abyss”) for free. What’s your pricing strategy for the upcoming releases? Do you have some sort of an idea for this or you’re just going with the flow of today’s music industry and modern trends?

We’d really like to get this put out on a label since this is our third release but because of how things work nowadays, it’ll probably see the Internet as a digital release as well.

How many shows have you been playing so far? Where have you been traveling with the band?

We’ve played an innumerable amount of shows, it’s been a little more than two years now. We have yet to travel together.

What are some of the best venues and people putting up shows in your area?

Aladdin Jr’s in Pomona seems to be the place for the best turnouts as of late. The Industry Theater in Lancaster has also been putting up a lot of awesome shows.

Who are you most proud of coming outta L.A.?

No one in particular comes to mind because there are so many great bands in LA right now. We are just happy to be surrounded by a lot of talented, like-minded people in bands.

What are your plans for the rest of the year? Any international tours to be booked?

We’re hoping Abandoned sees a summer release, maybe get out of hometown for the first time and write more. As much as we’d probably like to though, I don’t see us doing any international stuff in the near future though.

What pisses you off recently?

Everything pisses me off but to be specific, the recent spike in gas prices has definitely bummed me out quite a bit.

Will you be voting during the next presidential election? Do you care about politics?

I didn’t vote in the last one and I don’t see myself voting in the next one either. Politics is something I try to overlook in life.

Thanks! Would you like to add anything else?

Thanks for having us, we appreciate it. Listen to BADBLOOD, RESIDUALS and THEY AS IN THEM.