DEFEKT interview

DEFEKT is anarcho/street punk band from Skopje (Macedonia) formed in 2002 by the its vocalist and ex guitar player..questions was answered by Pepe (vocal), so big thanks goes to him.. enjoy in the interview!..



c.f.: first question,maybe a little boring but important.. beginnings of the band, current line up, etc.?

DEFEKT: well the band have its first rehearsal in 2002. In that time we were 4 people,but line up was changing constantly,some were coming others were going.But from the beginning of Defekt it has always been more like a crew full with our friends and people who share the same ideas like us.Now its me(vox and guitar)and Pucha(drums).

c.f.: I know that you have a lot of line up changes in your past.. you even stopped with your work for  some time.. tell us something about that..

DEFEKT: Oh yea,at the beginning the line up was changing very often.Honestly I don't know why,but that's like a curse on our band.And the first gig was in 2007..the band was disfunctional for few years.But then finally defekt was in full line up witch was result for constant practicing,gigs and our first album "Sezona na Lov"(Hunting Season).

c.f.: on your my space page I saw that you put there download links for your releases.. that means you don't have nothing against downloading music from the net for free!? your opinion about the internet in general?
DEFEKT: yes,they are free to download 'cause we don't want any profit,we are for social changes,and in other way I think its good for bands like us who don't have much material support for spreading the music.And about internet it has its good and bad stuff.

c.f.: you have songs named "pivo", "pijan pesak" but also some like "policijska država".. would you describe yourself as politically engaged band or not? and what are your lyrics about?
DEFEKT: defekt is politically engaged band.I mean how can we not be,when there are so bad things happening in the society and world,and in our songs you can find lyrics from political,what we hate and love,problems in society,through that to the alcohol,drugs,having fun,bored times...

c.f.: how are currently things in Macedonia? how is situation with the scene, bands, gigs...? and how is everyday life?

DEFEKT: The scene is good,I mean there are a lot more bands than few years ago,not just in the punk scene,in underground scene.I can remember before there was like defekt,losi deca,druzinta vep the only really active bands.today situation is much better.

c.f.: this days there are many debates about E.U., especially here in Croatia.. what is your opinion about E.U. and would you like that one day Macedonia become member of it?
DEFEKT: More of the people think that if the country become part of E.U.that will be the end of all unemployment,better life...Witch i think its not really correct.I doubt that the things will be better than,but i know that the state system and police are becoming much more brutal.trying to accomplish the requests for becoming part of E.U.,even now there are many more laws and shit,and it is becoming to look like police state.

c.f.: your opinion about fanzines? is there any sense to do a paper fanzine considering on all today wonders of technology? is there any 'zines in Macedonia?
DEFEKT: In Macedonia there are not any fanzines in this moment.Witch is really fucked up I think. my opinion about fanzines,all about it is great especially cause they are D.I.Y. thing.

c.f.: is it hard to be a band now a days? I mean equipment and all that stuffs are pretty expensive.. and with today economical situation in the whole fckn world.. is this "crisis" affected on you in any way?
DEFEKT: Its hard,yes,especially when people stand to think that being in the band is like a job.And if they not play with love and passion than it sucks.There are not much people who don't take being in the band like responsibility.And there were always problems with not having the whole equipment,so we have to improvise.Usually we get a crew of few band and share the same equipment and place for practice.But this days gotta say that even that is really fucking hard to find.

c.f.: okay, back to the band.. few years ago you was played in Croatia.. how are your experiences with people, gigs, etc. from here?
DEFEKT: What to say,the people are really very friendly,we make a lot of friendships,I'm in touch with someone still,we shared the life experiences,got drunk and have fun..

c.f.: something about your gigs.. do you like them and do you like to play drunk (heheh)?

DEFEKT: the most thing I like about our gig is that they are total chaos.And alcohol comes together with that.For me being sedated on gigs is the elixir..hehee...And a good gig mixed with alcohol and drugs are perfect combination.hehe

c.f.: do you know crew from NEW POLICE STATE? I would say that in your music feels a little of their influence!?.. or its maybe because of the language, I don't know..
DEFEKT: yes,it was real pleasure for us to play with them on The Best Of Rock Fest.having in mind that they exist somewhere about 1994 and are one of my favorite bands.When defekt started playing my biggest wish was to play with New Police State and Disorder.And it happend.

c.f.: who is working on your releases, you alone or maybe some label? your opinion about big major labels? if you will have chance to work with some major label someday, would you sign up for them or you will stay d.i.y. forever?
DEFEKT: We are D.I.Y. band  there is no way to sing for some label.Like that we will lose our freedom.

c.f.: any future plans with the band, gigs, releases, etc.?
DEFEKT: to practice more,gig all over the country,balkan tour and have fun as always..

c.f.: something for the end.. wishes and greetings?
DEFEKT: Cheers to everyone,have good time and fun,if you need something you know where to find us...


contact:  http://www.myspace.com/defektni

SENATA FOX/CYNESS/WOJCZECH 20.10.2009. AKC Medika, Zagreb

another usual day at my work till the noon when I received SMS.. something like: "would you like to go on the gig today?".. after a little hesitation, because I was still tired from the crushing weekend (we was celebrating friend's birthday and all that turns in 2 days intoxication, as usually), I decide to go.. after agreement with 2 mates we go somewhere around 6:30PM.. drive to Zagreb was all well, but then standard losing all over around.. if there is some competition how to get lost in Zagreb I shall sign in and I'll probably win.. after 1 hour of unsuccessful searching of Medika squat we take deep concentration (hehe) and map in our hands and we finally find the squat.. when we arrived there we figured that we passed by at least 10 times but we didn't see the squat..horror.. that was first time that we was in Medika, and I must say that I was surprised because of its size.. all the building looks nice and it have a lot of space..
when we was entered, there was Senata Fox already played.. fast trashy hardxcore.. we saw just few songs of them..
after them Germans Cyness grind band from Podsdam (Germany).. they was interesting, especially their singer which was, with his jumping around, running and performing acrobatics with the microphone all the time, warm up the crowd.. I would say that there feels influence of Napalm Death in their music.. at least I experience them like that..
after short pause on the stage comes Wojczech form Rostock (Germany).. grind core slaughtering with 3 vocals which are alternating all the time.. the lead vocalist sounds like someone slaughter him.. the last song they played cover of some German trash band (I forgot its name) and that was maybe the best song.. very fast..
BTW, this gig was part of euro tour of those two bands..beside Croatia they was visited Slovenia, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria.. after the gig much of the crowd stay to hang out at Medika (there was a lot of people considering that was Tuesday) and we goes home because I was working in the morning.. and finaly, as one of my mates has been said: "and we saw this,too".. another two bands which was worth to see live..

SENATA FOX
CYNESS
WOJCZECH
AKC MEDIKA

STIGMA interview

STIGMA is crustcore punk band from Zagreb (Croatia).. they exist for quite short time (for about year and half).. they sound pretty originally in view on other bands here in Croatia so it is the main reason why this interview with them..my questions was answered by Vuk and Branko..my apologies to them because of my lousy translation on english..


Stigma at Gromka/Ljubljana, 2009

Puky | MySpace Video
c.f. : for the beginning please introduce yourself to the readers..
Vuk: cheers dude!

Branko: hi! let me introduce the band - Klen is on guitar, Gradski is on bass, Vuk is vocals and I am on drums..this line up is in full strength for about year and half..
c.f.:in the start band was named Pogrebno Poduzeće.. why you changed the name, and does those two bands have anything in common except line up?
Vuk: look, when Branko ask me to sing with Pogrebno poduzeće that was the first thing, we all agreed that the name should be changed.. as things continued to develop Stigma is no more Pogrebno Poduzeće, I consider that as a completely new project..

Branko: we changed the name because line up was changed.. as Vuk have said Stigma is completely new band and it doesn't have anything in common with Pogrebno Poduzeće except few songs for which we all agreed that will be a shame that they failed, so we improved them and recorded for the first album..
c.f.:few words about  1st album "Apokalipsa", where it can be bought etc.?
Vuk: even in spring this year we have shared for about 100 CDs only because of the fact that doesn't everyone have internet at their homes, and for now, until we don't finish this CD officially (cover,printings and that shits) you can download it from the net.. anybody interested in contact as at my space or at stigma.zghc@gmail.com..

Branko: first CD is very raw, charged with energy and realistic because it is recorded live in the studio (we all together played and recorded it at once).. CD is not computer processed as it could be because we think that then will be lost this raw and realistic sound as we wish to be.. in next few days cover will be finished and we will print album in about 200 pieces and it would be able to buy at our site or at gigs..
c.f.: I was found and download your album from the net.. what is your opinion about downloading music from the net and about internet in general?
Vuk: oh only positive.. today music is finally available to everyone.. you don't need more to request someone to re-record some tape to you, its 5th copy.. in my opinion music on internet should be free of any payment.. it's other case if you want some "hard" release CD or LP with cover/booklet etc. it is normal to pay for it and support the band which you are listen to..

Branko: well, that's okay.. but there is no nothing like good old "hand to hand".. I don't have some opinion about internet, even I don't have it at my home and that is no problem to me..
c.f.: your lyrics are dark, about war, apocalypse etc.. from where inspiration for them? which is more important for the band: music or lyrics?
Vuk: look, that's not something what we are imagine to ourselves, this things were happened around as and still they happens all over the world.. we must start to look in the eyes of truth.. we are not some Scandinavians, so unlike them we know what we are talking about.. some "gangs of New York"(this american sayings like "my magnum is watching you") or rhinos, seals, Tibet etc. that aren't things that border on us and I'm personally  not interested in that.. I don't wanna jump around and scream : "I'm doctor pop and I listen punk rock gaba gaba".. it makes me go shit myself 'cause of that..

Branko: you just watch the news and you already have materials for few lyrics.. all kind of craps are happening so it's not a problem to write that kind of lyrics.. in general when someone gets idea on their minds this brings out on our rehearsal and we work this out.. both are very important, music and lyrics: good music and dumb lyrics are easy to create, the same is with good lyrics and bad music, but bring both of that in one good thing is not so easy..
c.f.: you sing mainly on croatian, what is good in my opinion.. but people from abroad will not understand your lyrics..have you ever think about that?
Vuk: we have lyrics on croatian and on english, but anyway, even the crowd from here told us that they don't understand those one on croatian.. I don't know suomi but listen to some bands from Finland, that is actually answer at your question..

Branko: I don't understand croatian but I listen to some bands from here..
c.f.: how often do you have live shows, do you like play live on the gigs?
Vuk: we didn't play very much during the summer but this don't means that we won't now.. there's no nothing better then gigs.. look,fuck it, we will playing more gigs that we don't have our jobs, so it would not be a problem for us to travel during the week..

Branko: as a matter of fact we play when someone call us..there will be more gigs when people adapt on our music..tell me what is better than adrenaline, booze, noise and a good crowd for the mosh?
c.f.: how is today situation with the scene in Zagreb? is there enough of bands, fanzines, gigs...?

Vuk: oh no dude, those are things which is never enough.. in my opinion in town with million citizens there should be gig at least every weekend or like some days in the past when things happened in rhythm "Wednesday - Saturday".. the biggest problem here is in a lack of space like "rojc" in Pula, "swimming pool" in Kranj, or "pekarna" in Maribor or something like this..

Branko: "scene" is a crap, maybe a few bands which are worth, and which are not melody, there's not a single fanzine and every 4th month maybe some gig..horror..
c.f.: there's no much bands like Stigma in Croatia.. respect for your originality.. is there any bands that have some influence on you?
Vuk: that was always strange to me, too.. and  about influences I can tell you for me they are: Extreme Noise Terror, Hellkrusher, Discharge, Wolfpack, Riistety and from domestic bands Anti Otpad..

Branko: we are trying to push out some our own style so that in such a way isn't the same like some other related bands, and if sometimes it sounds like that this isn't on purpose because it's hard to invent something new today because all is already invented and played.. our playing is mostly influenced by Extreme Noise Terror, Wolfpack, Toxic Holocaust, Discharge..
c.f.: you told me that you works on a new album.. when we can expect its publishing? do you have any other plans in a near future?
Vuk: first to us is to publish this 1st CD.. and now we have some 11 new songs which you can expect to be recorded somewhere around December.. we still didn't decide  if we will push that also at our own or it will go like split with someone.. for now everything is open..

Branko: I think that Vuk is pretty clear here so I don't have anything to add..
c.f.: thanks for the interview, fell free to add something for the end..
Vuk: thank you dude.. cheers!

Branko: Hi mate.. enjoy!

contact: my space
             stigma.zghc@gmail.com