With 100% of the proceeds to be donated to the benefit of QUA, the first non-governmental organization of LGBTQ Ukrainians and their allies in the United States, to assist Ukrainian refugees and distribute funds to LGBTQ+ Ukrainians on the ground during the crisis of Russian aggression, “Slava Ukraini“, the newest project from Scottish DIY label Hunkofplastic Records, is yet another amazing charity project coming from one of the hundreds of inspiring independent ventures ran by hard working artists and labels from the worldwide punk community.
Today, after a series of Ukraine related features and interviews with Ukrainian artists, who shared their perspective on the ongoing war, we’re stoked to give you a special 14-artist interview (!) with some of the acts involved in this new project, who took some time with us to discuss the current situation in Ukraine, this new compilation, current updates from their bands, their local independent music scenes, as well as other noteworthy underrated bands we should look into.
“Slava Ukraini” is available now via Hunkofplastic Records and it covers every genre near screamo, from emo, pop punk and ambient experimental, to old-school screamo, fifth-wave electro-touched skramz, hardcore, sasscore, emoviolence and post-hardcore.
Artists involved are also extremely eclectic, from current legends like Pique, Letterbombs and Burial Etiquette to up and coming DIY pioneers like moldmouth, and A Rise (and fall) of a dilapidated house. Two amazing screamo bands from Ukraine also contributed tracks: Janpalach and ФРН / FRN.
Joining us today for this special multi-artist interview are Tokyo, Japan based Against Realism, Albuquerque, New Mexico based My Hair Is A Rat’s Nest, Odessa post hardcore / screamo act Janpalach, emoviolence band Letterbombs from Finland, ФРН, Berlin based Soastasphrenas, Burial Etiquette from Canada (featured on this amazing split with Hawak, Joliette, Our Future Is An Absolute Shadow, Eyelet, and Elle on Zegema Beach Records), bedroom skramz project bright, little stars from Houston, Texas, A Rise (And Fall) Of a Dilapidated Home, Machine Symphony, alt skramz act Suburban Apathy, Moldova based Dyslexia Kink, For Her (US), Atlanta based Son Væ, and blackened but positive violent skramgaze from Illinois called Moldmouth.
Cover artwork by @nervous.rek / Mastering and track order by Against Realism
Your take on the current situation in Ukraine, the reaction of the World and the current attention it’s getting in your local mainstream media
Hunkofplastic Records: It’s a complicated issue that I think international media doesn’t do a good job of covering generally, I also think a lot of the response to it is inherently sensationalist and doesn’t consider the human cost and it also has a habit of ignoring already marginalised people.
Against Realism: Since the war in Ukraine started I wanted to try and do something to help, but like most people involved with DIY music, I have no money. So, I decided to do the only thing I could think to do. Make some music that people might buy, that could be donated to help Ukraine. I know I’m not the only one feeling this way, so I decided to try and set up a compilation. Originally I expected this to be a small affair, I honestly expected 3 or 4 friends in the DIY skramz scene to maybe put together a split, and donate the profits to a charity. But now, somehow, two months later, there are 45 songs from 10 different countries involved in this absolutely phenomenal release.
My Hair Is A Rat’s Nest: I think the war in Ukraine has struck me particularly hard given the fact that information about it has been so accessible to the public, as opposed to other recent conflicts of similar calibers. Seeing phone-recorded footage of civilian houses being bombed while scrolling through Reddit makes it feel that much more real, and that much more sickening. It was also just shocking to see a country go from relatively stable to war-torn in a matter of days, at the hands of a single fascist psychopath.
Janpalach: The answer to this question can be found in our first interview with idioteq, where we talked about all this in more detail. Check it out HERE.
Letterbombs: We as a band do not condone the actions that are being currently brought upon the Ukraine. Tyrannical oppression and propaganda promoting and enabling these actions are sickening and need to be stopped now.
In this day and age there isn’t room for small-mindedness and dictatorship. Unfortunately though this does not seem to be there case, since this phenomenon is more widespread than it should be.
ФРН: First of all, we would like to thank you for the interest to our work and the fight against Russian fascism in general.
As for us, we gathered in 2011 in Kalush to make music under the influence of our favorite emo bands. ФРН is an abbreviation used for comfort, it stands for Феєрверки Ранять Небо and translated as Fireworks Hurt the Sky. For 11 years we have had varying activity, there were times when didn’t show it at all.
But in February 2022, we finished to record the material for the EP Casus Belli, the composition from which was included in this compilation. It’s called Endless Joke.
This song is about our dead friend, but in a broad sense, it tells about the war with oneself and about the tragic consequences that this can lead to.
Soastasphrenas: Barbaric acts like the Russian invasion of Ukraine have no place in the 21st Century. The mass protests in support of Ukraine and large humanitarian efforts taking place world-wide during the first few weeks of the invasion felt like the (western) world had finally united under one cause. Now, it feels like the media and the public have lost interest and moved on to other things, as if the loss of human life is some sort of fad. We’ve sadly become so desensitized by the horrific news coming out of Ukraine, that images of dead children, mutilated bodies, mass rapes and executions all seem normal. The strength of these people is truly inspiring, and we should all ask ourselves if we’re doing enough to help. – Alex
Burial Etiquette: The actions of Russia’s government and its military deployment in Ukraine is an unmistakable tragedy. As we know it, history can only repeat itself if we don’t take a stand against this active war crime. P*tin wants to “de-n*zify” Ukraine, yet the actions and blatant genocide Russian militiary is exuding proves otherwise: control and power are the driving force behind this heartless, senseless invasion.
bright, little stars: The situation in Ukraine is an utterly devastating problem in the world right now, and I want to do what I can to be able to support it. It’s still getting plenty of screen time here; both on the news and on the internet, which is good. It needs to be recognized.
A Rise (And Fall) Of a Dilapidated Home: I think its bullshit and quite frankly, terrifying. The fact that a country’s leader can just sort of come up with a insane reasoning for storming another country (ie: Putin had previously said that there were Nazi’s in Ukraine and he wanted to “denazify Ukraine”) and pursuing the conflict that they put themself into and then go through with it is not ok. Luckily, there are a lot of people obviously who think the same thing which gives me at least some hope. Even in my town I see quite a few Ukraine flags cropping up!
Machine Symphony: This is Jug of Machine Symphony. I don’t think it’s an unpopular sentiment to say that Putin is out of his fucking gourd, and it’s important to remember that his pathetic, end-of-life crisis/crises not only jeopardizes your own safety, it’s already been responsible for the death of 30,000 civilians in Ukraine. Truly monstrous shit.
Suburban Apathy: Putin is a power-hungry egomaniac who seems to have little to no regard for the thousands of innocent Ukrainian lives that he has ended. As for my opinion on the global reaction to this crisis: from what I’ve seen, the general consensus is that the war is a barbaric and inhumane one and I would of course agree with that statement. I don’t understand how anybody could look at what’s happening in Ukraine and go “I am not morally appalled by Putin’s actions.”
Dyslexia Kink: Personally, while not a fan of the Ukrainian government (or any government to be fair), I see Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a manifestation of it’s imperialist and reactionary tendencies and we stand against any violence committed by Putin’s regime against the people of Ukraine.
For Her: I think it’s a unfortunate thing especially since one of my side projects has worked with a label from Ukraine. I personally feel like there’s no reason for Ukraine to be invaded its something unnecessary. The whole world has been taking it alright supplying and helping refugees from Ukraine.
Son Væ: I think it’s an ugly, violent representation of the disconnect between the ruling class and the people under them who powerlessly watch as people die and suffer without reason. At the height of the chain, we all look like single digits, but at its base, we bear the weight of their decisions. I’ve given up hope in politics and while my answers almost all lead to absolute, dejected hopelessness, I can say one thing: I will do what I can to help within my sphere of influence. A lot of that disconnect I mentioned comes from empty words and lip service, opinions cast into the wind only to diffuse in the air, changing nothing. I’m working with what I have. I, as an artist, can use my music to contribute to fundraisers like this and act upon those once empty words. Whatever I can do, I’ll do it, and I now know that it is all I can do. I’d sell my guitars to guarantee a safe abortion for a friend in need if I ever need to. I’ll continue to support causes like this with my art. That’s all that it comes down to. Action, not words.
Moldmouth: It can be demoralizing to pay attention to things so far from our grasp of control. I can’t say I see many media mouth pieces seem to focus on the PEOPLE of the countries affected by the elite class, which is beyond sad to see on top of everything else going on.
The importance of solidarity and the support for Ukraine
Hunkofplastic Records: We wanted to go in the direction of supporting a charity that supports what we believe in and we believe it is import to help support queer people internationally during times of distress and turmoil.
Against Realism: Every artist and person involved at every stage has donated their time and expertise to making this release come together, and all the money from sales will be going to help humanitarian aid for the most disadvantaged victims from the war in Ukraine. I am very proud of this release, and want to personally thank every single artist, writer, organiser, reader or listener who had any part in helping with making this release a reality. The world can be a dark place, but community and collectivism can still be an incredibly powerful and important tool to fight back.
My Hair Is A Rat’s Nest: I see it as imperative to continue to bring attention to it, especially here in the U.S. where every week seems to bring a new thing to be outraged about, and issues in foreign countries can so easily fall into obscurity in favor of the newest tragedy.
Janpalach: It’s important because of the simple reasons. Every independent country shouldn’t lose its independence or lose their territory because of invasion. We’re living in the year 2022 and everybody understands that invasion by an imperialist country (russia) is throwing all the world in like 30-40 years back. And that’s without a fact that people are losing their homes and their lives for someone in russia to become richer in perspective.
In the modern world there should be no place for “diseases” like this invasion. And if no one fights the disease it will only grow and all will only get worse.
So this war is more than only about Ukraine. This is a treat to all the world itself.
Letterbombs: I think our answer to the previous question answers this one pretty well, but the reason we wanted to be a part if this project was to raise awareness and try and spread the word about the horrors that are currently taking place.
ФРН: As soon as we got to know about the idea of creating a charity compilation, we wanted to take part in it.
If music can help people affected by war, then this opportunity should be used.
Millions of Ukrainians have already suffered due to Russia’s attack, it cannot be ignored. Unfortunately, as long as the war continues in Ukraine, the suffering will continue as well.
For example, while this text was being written, russians killed 20 people, including 3 children, as a result of rocket fire in the city of Vinnytsia.
Therefore, the help will be relevant throughout the war and even for a long time after it.
We are fighting a huge empire, so it is very important to be united in this war. Therefore, it is very valuable for us that so many people from different countries of the world were involved in the creation of the compilation.
Soastasphrenas: When our old band, Spoiled, first had the idea of playing in Ukraine back in 2018, the people around us were skeptical and we were met with lots of different opinions because of the fear surrounding the situation at the time. We ended up going and playing a few shows and making friends along the way. The people there were really kind and hospitable to us, fed us and gave us places to sleep. In retrospect, I feel grateful that we ended up going.
Thanks for letting us be a part of this comp and spreading awareness for the current events in Ukraine. War is devastating, much love to the people of Ukraine. – Chris
Burial Etiquette It’s easy to slip into a sense of powerlessness at not being able to directly help, but it’s important to offer support, and challenge facism however possible. We need to be sure to continue raising awareness by getting involved in charity and benefit fundraisers, speaking up and calling out against gross political opinions where you see it being normalised;: whether that be your workplace, home or music/art scene. Silence = complacency.
bright, little stars: Ukraine is under attack from a much larger country. The attack was unprovoked, is still going and is taking countless lives. All people on the planet should be aware of this issue, so that they can help the the cause.
A Rise (And Fall) Of a Dilapidated Home: I feel like its extremely important because what Russia has been doing for the past four or so years to them is NOT right. A country should not be bullying another country or fight another country just because they don’t agree with their ideal way of living. The people of Ukraine are innocently suffering because of such a stupid and pointless war. I decided to put my music onto the comp because I wanted to get my music out there, sure, but I also wanted to show my support and solidarity anyway I could and I can do that perfectly through this compilation which utilizes what I do well, music, as the carrying factor to do so. Its sort of a win/win because I get to have my music on a kick ass compilation and that comp gets to speak volumes, in a sense I guess.
Machine Symphony: The best thing you can do on an individual level is donate to relief funds. Protesting, activism, and critical letter-writing are all commendable, but nothing aids in immediate relief like sending money to go towards food, shelter, medical aid, and eventual rescue.
Suburban Apathy: I think helping people is what life is all about, as the act of giving is a beautiful and mutually beneficial one. The feeling of being able to contribute to a good cause doing the one thing I love most in life (making music) is a magical thing. The situation in Ukraine is dire and I hope that we’ll raise some good money.
Dyslexia Kink: We believe its important to support Ukraine and Ukrainians, because the horrors that Putin’s regime have brought upon Ukraine, a place where a lot of us currently have friends and family, are unacceptable. Joining this project not only helps raise awareness about the hardships that Ukrainians have to go through, but it also works towards bettering the situation of queer refugees, with whom we very much sympathize.
For Her: I feel like it’s important because everyone needs to know the things that happen around the world even if it wasn’t Ukraine who was invaded I feel like everyone would still help.
Son Væ: As I’ve said, it’s about giving words shape and acting upon the principles you stand for. It’s important because it makes a difference. What small amount of money I can help raise means infinitely more than any of the misanthropy and abject hopelessness I have said and ever will say. I want to make a change and spend my life doing something that changes people’s lives, even in a small way. That’s why I make art. To reach people.
Moldmouth: I love humanity and it hurts to see humans harm humans, let alone families and friends divided for political means. I met Jordan (Against Realism) when I first started moldmouth and truthfully being a part of this compilation happened as an extension of our friendship. I sort of see my place in the project as a way to extend that friendships tentacles as far out into the world as possible.
Your project and the song you contributed to this compilation
My Hair Is A Rat’s Nest: My Hair is a Rat’s Nest is essentially just a solo bedroom project that I started late last year to get rid of some of my creative energy.
Obsolescence was a song that I ended up writing while playing around with some new tunings/recording methods, and I figured it might work best in the context of a comp. It’s about the concept of planned obsolescence, and just my disdain for consumerism in general.
Janpalach: The song is called “The Pit”. It’s about the consequences that can’t be controlled.
Human beings are the thing that can give hope to any consequences. It’s building a huge castle inside everyone no meter if the things in life can’t be changed by any actions and the power of will. But this castle helps us to stand still no matter how hard life can be. And as for me this is the only thing that helps not to break inner humans and makes you strive for idealistic beliefs, even if they can’t be reached. This is the point of living, this is the point not to stay in the pit of ignorance and inaction.
Letterbombs: We’re a screamo/emoviolence quartet from Finland. Our drummer Jussi wrote the track and I (Chris) did the lyrics. We wanted to do something short with the intention of getting “straight to the point” musically and lyrically.
ФРН: If Russia stops fighting, there will be no war. If Ukraine stops fighting, there will be no more Ukraine.
We must stop Russia now. And not only Ukraine, but also the entire civilized world should be interested in this.
Russia, like any empire, aims to expand, and it has been doing this for centuries in one form or another. Now it does not even hide its territorial claims to neighboring countries. Nowhere and never did the life of indigenous people change for the better with the arrival of russian soldiers.
All civilized people should contribute to taking away such an opportunity from Russia once and for all. If this is not done, the war will continue in Europe beyond the borders of Ukraine, and not only in Europe, and the world will no longer be safe.
Soastasphrenas: We’re soastasphrenas, a skramz/emoviolence band from Berlin.
The two songs we submitted, Awake As You Rot / Asleep As You Recover, are demos and were originally meant to be used only as guidelines for our album, but we decided it would be better to release them on this amazing compilation as a way of helping out.
Burial Etiquette: Burial Etiquette is based in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. Originally formed in 2018 by Jaccob and Ryan, where Ophelia later joined the band in early 2019. Some of our major influences include Saetia, Rodan, I Would Set Myself on Fire for You, Circle Takes the Square, and Body of Wasps.
The song “Inflorescence” was written & recorded in one day. I wanted to warp & manipulate the sound of a guitar progression until it was unrecognizable as a traditional instrument. which then laid the foundation for the vocal melody to sit on top of.
bright, little stars: I’m a solo bedroom screamo project that mixes elements of lofi skramz and bedroom pop to make a unique sound. The first song is called “sensory deprivation party.” It’s about the loss of emotion and not being able to call out to others to help. I have another track just titled “interlude,” which is a more reverbed track for a transition in the comp.
A Rise (And Fall) Of a Dilapidated Home: My band/project is A Rise (And Fall) Of a Dilapidated Home. It started in September of 2021 after I had recorded a song that I was very proud of and I really wanted to get just that track out. It then flourished into this huge thing which I’ve been extremely shocked by.
The song I shared I’ve actually had for a while. The riff at the beginning dates back to probably December of last year, maybe even a little later. I only recently (two months ago) laid down the drum beat. The song sort of grew from there. The lyrics were recycled from a song from some other throw away project of mine and then re touched a lot to give it a lot more depth.
Suburban Apathy: Hello, my name is Dani and I make music under the name Suburban Apathy. Here are some of my influences: Weatherday, Birds Fear Death, Lord Snow, Car Seat Headrest. The name of my song is ”Mon Corps Est Ma Prison !”
Dyslexia Kink: Well, we come from Moldova, a country right on Ukraine’s border. Our songwriting is inspired by the post-soviet urban decay we are witnessing around us, our daily experiences, our own feelings and teenage angst, I guess.
This particular track is more about a most desperate love, which ends up in some sort of loss ( I kinda like the ambiguity of it so I’ll keep it at that).
For Her: My band is called ‘For Her…’ started in March 2019 when I was 11 under the name ‘a little bright star’ I changed the name of the project to honor a friend who unfortunately ended their life in late 2019.
My track ‘Her…’ is a old song, instruments written in 2019 but the lyrics written in 2022 it took me some time to process how exactly I wanted it to sound and when to record it. I feel like it turned out close to what I first imagined when I wrote it.
Son Væ: My artist name is Son Væ. I’m a multi-instrumentalist, producer, writer, etc. The song I’ve contributed to Slava Ukraini is entitled “Haemophiliac”.
It began as a fragmented piece divided into two sections: the opening, which began as a violent rush of dissonance and resolution between two chords recorded on my fretless bass, ebbing and flowing like a wave in a split time signature balanced around five bars of 7/4, and the ending, and the ending, a piece I began developing on my 7 string guitar tuned entirely to C#, utilizing the absolute dissonances and consonances to capture a real harmonious beauty. It relies on a consistent triplet finger picking method which takes a lot of dexterity, almost making the execution of the track a lesson in using pain to create something beautiful. As I get more and more worn down by the constraint finger picking pattern, it blossoms more and more into an intricate balance of complicated consonance relationships all held down by a pedal point until it finally lets up. All I can hope for is that it reaches people and evokes the emotion I put into its making.
Moldmouth: Moldmouth is an amalgamation of all the things I have said and never said aloud in an attempt to prevent the decay of selfworth and focus on the light in life. The song I contributed is a celebration of letting go of problems made for yourself by staring into your own abyss.
Your plans for the coming months
My Hair Is A Rat’s Nest: As for what I have going on at the moment, I’m working on somewhat of a collaborative project with a fellow solo screamo act that should be out in the near future, as well as a side project geared towards faster, heavier stuff.
Janpalach: Support our people with the charity events and donate as much as possible to save our homes.
Letterbombs: Current plans are to finish up some tracks for some splits, a comp and a special EP. After these recordings we’ll solely focus on recording our full-length and hopefully play some more shows towards the end of the year.
ФРН: As for the band, we are now focused on helping our defenders and war victims. At the bandcamp, we sell our new EP Casus Belli and donate the collected funds to the needs of the Armed Forces. We will also promote the mentioned compilation in order to collect as many donations as possible.
Burial Etiquette: We were just featured on two splits, the first being” Cube” which was released on Zegema Beach/Left Hand Label — amongst five other bands: Hawak, Joliette, ELLE, Our Future is an Absolute Shadow and Eyelet. The second split, which was released on Soul Ameria Records with Undermark.
This summer, we plan to finish and finalise our first full length album, and work on a few more splits by the end of year.
bright, little stars: I’m currently working on my debut LP as my main project, but I’m also playing an online music festival called America Online Music Festival. I’m also working on some stuff with an internet band I’ve formed with some of my favorite members of this community, so I’m excited to be showing that soon.
A Rise (And Fall) Of a Dilapidated Home: I’ve been practicing on my live stuff so I may play a show or two in the coming months. I know for a fact that I’ll be trying to get this Demo cdr or tape that I’ve been wanting to do for a while now knocked out. I have a few old songs even pre AR(AF) that I might use haha.
Suburban Apathy: I will be releasing “Mon Corps Est Ma Prison !” as a single in anticipation for my upcoming debut album. I’ll also be participating in an online music festival on twitch.tv/america_online where I will debut more songs from my album.
Dyslexia Kink: We are looking forward to getting a more stable line-up, so as to be able to rehearse more often. Other than that, we probably want to rework older demos we wrote into tracks we could use for either split EPs or maybe other compilations. Maybe we’ll record a full length one day…
For Her: I’m planning 4 albums/eps for the coming months for a few projects including ‘For Her…’ I’m releasing a few older albums like ‘See You In The Rain’ physically under my label ShowMeARiver.
Son Væ: In the process of developing as a musician I’ve made some attempts to begin projects with other people, all of which have fallen through, although new opportunities as of late as I proceed into my sophomore year seem promising. After finishing my first album Siren and failing to make a connection with anyone as tenacious as me about creating music, I began work on my second album, entitled Lo, which I have been working on since earlier this year and will continue to develop.
I’m taking a much more perfectionistic approach to it in opposition to the spontaneous, improvisational, fragmented, perhaps almost haphazard development of Siren. I worked with my extremely poor recording setup and created something reflective of the point at which my creative ambition met my bindings, and I think it really did shape itself into something reflective of that. However, it’s much more emotionally detached, perhaps as a result. Lo is the inverse of that. I have been writing for it extensively, developing each composition out, sharpening my technical ability as a bassist and guitarist, and improving my recording setup and production ability, all in pursuit of absolute catharsis and conviction; of taking everything I have and creating a piece of art in the view of totality. I will work until I have made it so.
Moldmouth: I’m in the process of finishing and dropping my EP at the moment. Look for that at the end of August.
Your local DIY music scene in the post-COVID era
My Hair Is A Rat’s Nest: There aren’t many active screamo bands in Albuquerque at the moment, but the hardcore scene in general is very much alive and well, given the array of DIY venues and the dedicated audience that NM has built over the years.
Letterbombs: Things are starting to get back to normal, which is definitely a good thing. It’s a shame that the event industry took a big hit and as a result of this venues closed down.
ФРН: Here it is worth understanding that our local scene, despite the restrictions and bans, paradoxically developed decisively during the covid. And it seemed that a full-scale invasion of Russia would put this process on hold, but this did not happen. Members of our scene quickly adapted to the new reality and continued to create in the area where they feel useful.
For example, big festivals are not happening now due to technical reasons, but hier place is taken by concerts in charity format, which collect more donations than ever.
Burial Etiquette: Like others, our local scene got hit really hard by COVID. The Apollo had to shut down and they were the venue I had been going to for years because for a time, they were the only ones who would put up weird & niche genres of music. They were heavily involved with the Canadian DIY touring network and always made sure to offer bands food & a place to stay. I thought it was a really beautiful thing to lose. Now that they are gone, I threw a house show with the premise of having an inclusive safe space for experimental music.
bright, little stars: My local music scene has a wide mix of genres, but the Houston metal scene has really grown recently, though sadly I haven’t been able to get many band names of anything hardcore related.
A Rise (And Fall) Of a Dilapidated Home: Non existent, but to be fair, Bellefontaine has never had a music scene. We have venues, but I don’t think we really have any scene here which sucks.
Machine Symphony: The music scene in Cincinnati post-COVID is mostly nonexistent. Everyone got too comfortable listening to music from their bedrooms, and there’s nothing wrong with that. We get the occasional concert or festival, but we’re not exactly out at raves every night.
Suburban Apathy: My local “scene” if you could even call it that was virtually non-existent before, so one can only imagine the desolate wasteland that it has become.
Dyslexia Kink: Last year, the local music scene was still visibly affected by Covid, as there were not a lot of concerts within the underground, with the exception of less heavy and more established bands. This year however, a lot of young people (like us) are either creating new bands, or are improving upon their quarantine projects and it’s been wonderful: plenty of releases and concerts and this summer isn’t even over yet.
For Her: My area isn’t really a metal, emo, or any type of alternative kind of music place. I’m one of the few people in my area who even make black metal, skramz, or ambient. So COVID hasn’t changed anything much in my local music scene.
Son Væ: My local music knowledge extends to my friends and the web of connections and interactions I’ve made with dozens of great people across a lot of frequent DIY events. I live in Atlanta, Georgia, which gives me massive amounts of opportunity to meet people and see how those webs of communication form into live sets, and how people who are tenacious enough like me are able to seek out people who we would have never interacted with and connect over the music we love. It’s a good time and a good place to be a young musician.
Moldmouth: Truthfully I’ve been quite disconnected from my local scene for a few years now. And even more so to the larger Chicago scene, but it seems to be thriving at the moment in Chicago post covid or not which is beautiful. Chicago is a skramz/mathcore mecha now it seems.
Other bands and artists we should check out
My Hair Is A Rat’s Nest: Some noteworthy acts from the area are the blackened screamo band starsdontmeananything, the hardcore band Self Neglect, and my friends in the very promising Agency, who will hopefully have a demo out in the near future.
Janpalach: We have so many talented musicians and bands of various genres, but our short top-5 list looks like: Whiteward, KAT, Bluesbreaker, Reminded, and Mauser.
And we highly recommend you check out the side project of our vocalist and bassist. The band is called Superflat, just watch their debut video below.
Letterbombs: Check out our screamo brethren in Alas, Claire Voyance and Aaltoja with whom we did a bunch of shows this spring.
Other Finnish bands people should definitely check out are Virhe, Turhuus, Dome Runner and Uhrit.
Lastly, here are some of our other musical endeavors: Stolen Kidneys (Noise Rock/Post-Hardcore), Harmer (Grindcore/Powerviolence), Qwälen (Anti-Fascist Black Metal), Hävitys (Grindcore/Crust) and Void Surfers (Satanic Surf Rock).
ФРН: Here is some Ukrainian bands and solo projects that we definitely can recommend. Some of them new, some of them not, some of them no more even active, but they are all great.
Pušča / René Maheu / Raw Grip / Neyemia Grue / Oh, Deer! / Elephant Opinions / Phooey! / the worst is yet to come / Kiteflighter / Pocket Country / Злидень / White Ward / Renevich / КАТ / Smile, Chaos! / Mauser / Джозерс / Чортополох / Svitlana Nianio / кицям сняться сни / ногируки / Yah / Orpha / Mother Witch / Ai Laika! / Dreadnought in the Pond.
Soastasphrenas: Some cool bands active in the scene that people should check out are: La Petite Mort, Colored Moth, Nervöus and Anti-Corpos. There’s a lot of Ukrainian refugees in Berlin trying to start bands or are actively trying to join the music scene here. The least we can do as a scene (not just in Berlin) is to help them out and give them the tools and support they need.
Burial Etiquette: Most recently, we played a show with Hexis from Denmark, SVNEATER from vancouver & a local band Hopeless Ghost.
A Rise (And Fall) Of a Dilapidated Home: The only other local band that we have in my town is a band that I’m in called Riot Baby which is very post rock like and droney. We might try to play a few shows too. Just depends!
Suburban Apathy: These may not be “local” per-se but if I may, I’d like to shoutout Gustavo Nome, Against Realism/Silent Now, Melody’s Dreams and last but not least Bright, Little Stars.
Dyslexia Kink: There are a lot of bands we could talk about here, since there seem to be more and more bands with each coming day. However, the one we would like to shout out is Polaroids of Her, an indie/midwest emo band we are close friends with, who we share a member with and who are currently working on a new album they will release soon.
For Her: ‘Hate Fueled Response’ is a project by a friend called Ray if you like thrash metal you’ll like his music
Son Væ: Some friends of mine who are part of the local music scene I’ve met have helped me along my way as a musician, first and foremost Harry of Collective Undecided and Awesome Friends, who gave me a way into the local scene which I’ll always appreciate. One of my favorites is the band Rorschach, who I haven’t heard from recently, but when I saw them in January at a local show they absolutely blew me away with their tight combination of Sludgy Noise Rock and a mathy edge, which is exactly what I find myself drawn to. They closed out their set with a song in 9/4 which carried this immense intensity to it as it trudged along. I really hope to hear more from them. I’d also like to mention a band a friend of mine is in called Midsummer Motel, who I believe are working on an EP which I’ll be greatly anticipating after seeing them at a local show. Lastly I’d also like to mention a band another band a friend of mine is in called Moral Kiosk, who I’m set to jam with at some point in the coming weeks. Given that they’ve posted an incredibly impressive live cover of Damaged Goods by Gang of Four on their Instagram, I’m hoping for the best since I think I’ll really gel with them.
Moldmouth: Donggripper/Mushroom Forager, Frail Body, XsaladcrusherX, and one that needs no introduction, Joie De Vivre.
