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