WE GO FAST AND SLOW #3 PART 3: Shitbrains / Exorbitant Prices Must Diminish Interview
- So let's just go straight in. Both band names; are they
a long-standing concept or off-the-cuff stuff, please elaborate.
Anthony (SB): It's a take on being marginalized, but being
resilient enough and having the mental fortitude to keep pushing forward
against all odds. Like getting beaten up in a multitude of ways, being
considered a "shitbrain" by society, but a fuck you to it all by
getting up every single day regardless of the beatings, and just simply getting
better and doing the shit you love. So yeah, keeping it PMA I guess.
It works on a few
levels in my opinion. Ostensibly it means everything is too expensive (which in
Switzerland can often be true), but it's also a sly dig at the way a lot of
punks tend to critique politics and society in an extremely basic and
superficial way; 'everything costs too much and I don't like it', 'why can't I
buy everything I want?' which is pretty selfish and consumer-centred (but also
what a lot of people actually think). Some things cost a lot for a legitimate
reason beyond people simply lining their pockets, not everything is a scam. So
on the one hand it represents anarchism and working class frustration in
societies where wages have stagnated, but on another it represents the
hypocrisy and lack of nuance in a lot of people's opinions when it comes to
economics.
2. How did the idea for a split LP come together? Was it part of a plan to tour
or a long-standing friendship solidified in vinyl form?
3 Does grindcore/fastcore gig culture risk the music losing
its intent, meaning, and message? Do you feel the ethos and message is as
important as the noise or is one more important that the other?
Lio
(EPMD): Some things are evolving in our scene for sure, while some aspects of
the grind ethos can be put aside a little bit sometimes too. I feel like the
collective mindset where the global result of a group effort matters way more
than individual success has changed a bit, just like the extreme individualism
of capitalism has taken advantage over solidarity and collectivism in general.
Some things that evolve can also be positive of course, and it's important to
keep in mind that we shouldn't be the judgy punks in their 30's who despise
everything teenagers are doing by default. Ethos and ideas for sure matter a
lot, I don't know if more than the music, it's kind of an intricate balance
that creates the charm of this scene.
Anthony (SB): It can be several things to different people at different times and in different places. The youth are a strong blend of partying hard and taking bold action. And why wouldn’t they be?! Dystopia and Crass are revolutionary at this time, and when you realize that the engineers and owners of modern-day society designed this shit to extract as much profit without considering the finiteness of the natural world or its other inhabitants, completely disregarding any notion of "doing the right thing for the sake of it", and providing just enough convenience and comfort to the working class of society in order to keep them subdued and blind from the horrors of industry, yeah you need a release! On top of that, the typical dreadful, teenage existential crisis of trying to figure out what the fuck to do/be in a sea of corrupt banality where most are indifferent and undefined.
The youth possess a romance for the ethos that older folks in the scene don’t always have with their jaded asses. Sure, you can tally it to lack of life experience, but that optimism is vital and unfortunately more often than not absent. But what can you do? Life is a grind and aging hurts! More mature people in the scene might choose to put their efforts and work into other things outside of this that they believe are more productive and align to the fundamental punk foundation of it all.
To be honest, the more straight forward punk scenes are better at providing resources, outreach, guidance, information, etc. But it’s also just bigger. We shouldn't be divorced from them, and I don't fully understand why we are, but it's my suspicion it's a sound aesthetic. We are a niche, a microcosm of the bigger umbrella. Share a lot of commonalities, but not exactly the same species. But close enough to co-exist. I like to think people into this shit already come well versed with a background and understanding of the punk message, but at the same time like different abrasive fast sounding genres not necessarily found in the punk universe. So it's intent/ meaning/message doesn’t need to be vigorously promoted.
But fuck, when I see porn-whatever-the-fuck patches on young
kids, yeah it's a risk! On top of that, the karate kid shit merging into
"PV", I don't get it! These kids are exposed to a lot of things and
it's their time. Stuff changes, but I still think it’s wack. I want to give
them the benefit of the doubt that they don’t know. But please go elsewhere if
you’re going to be ANAL CUNTY! There's venues for that, and we are not it! And
I gotta be honest, I don't understand gore. But at the same time I have enjoyed
some of it occasionally due to the sound aesthetic. I don't want to reduce it
to 16-year-old extreme-for-the-sake-of-extreme "that's sick" type
shit, or an ultimate expression of our inevitable fate from deeply disturbed
ass motherfuckers, but we share bills, and I sometimes don't get it. I know
Carcass and Cattle's veganism. So I'm ultimately down for anything that's
germane/adjacent. Could be fucking trance, I don’t care! I know some things,
and I don't know a lot of things, so I'll keep my ears open to it all. Just as
in life with all its volatility and overwhelmingness, one day you can be bleak
and nihilistic, and the next hopeful and optimistic, or all at the same time or
a mix at different times throughout the day. Shit's complex. But we personally
strive to do our best and amplify a message of treating each other with decency
and integrity, and respecting the natural world as much as we can. But we also
have a bleak outlook for the future. Haha! Ying yang motherfucker!
4. Of course both bands embrace a DIY ethos and are very active, but contributing to the rich tapestry of fast DIY music can burn bands out. Do you manage to precisely plan/balance your time or do you try to do everything as much as you can while you can but sometimes take on too much?
Lio (EPMD): A bit of both. Most things are planned quite a long time in advance because that's how adult life is unfortunately, but we also stay young angry punks at heart. Organisation is fully a part of being a DIY band, and we care a lot about making things as satisfying as they can be, but things don't always go as planned obviously, so improvisation 'til exhaustion is the way to go sometimes. That's the beauty of the collective experience that is being in a grindcore band.
Smith
(EPMD): In terms of time management we just try to be active and do stuff when
we can but not over-commit or choke the other things that we all like/need to
do in our lives. We push it a bit sometimes, but anyone can say 'stop, my
schedule is getting too full!' at any point. I've been doing bands for a while
now and obviously you can't be quite as spontaneous in your 40's as in your
20's; with work/family/whatever commitments you already have more demands on
your time. But like anything, if it's important to you and you love it then you
find time to keep doing it whenever possible.
Emi (SB): We are incredibly lazy and
barely get things done. We are more dependable and structured with our other
bands because other people depend on us. Same with booking shows. We always
remember when other people have taken us in, whether it was someone booking a
show for us, putting us on their fests, staying at their homes, being fed,
driven, lending us their gear, picking us up at airports, etc. Those thoughts
get us off our asses quick. Practicing for the sake of sounding better and
putting out music for ourselves, not so much haha. I think that's probably why
we have so many splits. We have always had some loose intention of doing a solo
full length but we just can't seem to get our shit together when it's just for
ourselves.
Anthony (SB): I’ve been burned
out for the past two decades, haha! For whatever reason I’ve been on autopilot
just playing non-stop in several bands without giving it much thought. I’ve
tried to let it go, but it always pulls me back in. As I get older, the
economics of it get more challenging. Being decisive about how much to spend
because I’m feeling the finiteness of my body and worrying about retirement. It
has taken a lot from me economically, but has also given me so much in terms of
experience, and now international experience. Breaking even is always ideal,
but usually a romantic delusion.
And it’s not only the money,
it’s the time consumed. I often think to myself, what if I took academia more
serious and actually tried to do something positive in the professional world,
maybe even on an industrious scale? Now being in my 40’s, I have aging parents
and a family I know will need my support relatively soon. I feel like I’ve
neglected that aspect of my life for punk rock, haha! For all the youngins, be
more active participants in your lives and take charge of the steering wheel.
Really think about what 5, 10, 15, 20 years from now means in your life because
you’ll be there sooner than you think. I feel like I’ve been passive for a
considerable amount of time, and it’s a regret. There’s enough art/artists out
there. What we need more is people in positions of power/ influence with spines
and integrity doing the right thing not because it’s profitable, but because
it’s right and will generally move things towards in a positive trajectory. So
maybe do the art shit on the side, on your real free time.
I’m not saying I’m not thankful
for it. Definitely appreciative to be part of the biggest underground in the
country. And for the opportunities given late into all this for international
travel. It definitely has made the world smaller, more inviting, relatable, and
has gifted me friendships, memories, experiences all throughout the world I
will always cherish. I really never imagined I would play outside of LA ever
and I was fine with that. Also grateful to even be mildly relevant in a sea of
the young, haha! Maybe I’ll make my way to Europe one day as I’ve noted the age
demographic to be older there for this fast shit in general. Please take me!
5. If you could pick one song by the other band that you feel best sums them up which one and why?
Anthony (SB): CONSOMOCRATIE! I don’t know if it best
encapsulates them, but definitely a lot of what I love about them. Meticulous
stop-and-go fury almost exclusive to Europe. And all the members bring their A
game! Like seriously brah! There are bands out there that you know, you
sometimes wish a particular voicing was stronger. Not in this case! I remember
stumbling onto a YouTube video of them playing live about three years or so
ago, and they start out with this song. Remember Alessia wearing a trucker hat
and just having a wide range of intensely sick vocals. Maxime’s blasts were so
pronounced and clean, and then I noticed Smith from the Gents. I immediately
went “Holy shit!!! Wtf!!!” and showed the band to Emi. I’m sure Lio’s clean,
killer, precise riffage is influenced by the zaniness of the Leeds greats. That
back-and-forth shit between guitar, bass, and sometimes drums always gets me. I
still blush at the fact that Smith asked us to split after seeing us in Europe.
Smith
(EPMD): Full disclosure – I don't know all their songs inside out, but for me
probably 'Petrol Snow' from the split 12". It's like a cluster bomb, all
these bursts of precision intensity one after another, hyperblasts,
stop-starts, and vocal switches until you're breathless and stunned. But
there's still space for a catchy mini-breakdown riff for a few seconds before
another flurry of screaming blasts tear your head off. Proper.
Alessia (EPMD): I particularly like
Petrol Snow and Cheerleaders With No Team. I don't know if one song can
encapsulate the essence of this band and their aura… they have so much musical
skill, vocal range, and live they have this particular behaviour that can’t
really be expressed on record. To give you an example, during a gig in
Bratislava Emi broke her a string and I never saw someone so unbothered by such
a technical problem, she couldn’t care less, and they finished their set which
was super heavy and tight… I was blown away. I admire their skills, but also
their humbleness and generosity. They carry the true spirit of punk and that
brings me so much joy.
6. It's been so awesome to collaborate on the split and to all promote each other so people know what option is cheapest for them to get a record, it seems this is combating exorbitant prices. Do you feel the DIY scene is at times inflating prices using industry pricing as a marker?
Alessia (EPMD): There are definitely people that integrate the DIY scene with very capitalist behaviour. They seem to care a lot about merch and apparel and ask for a guarantee even if they are not on tour...
Emi (SB): Yes. It sucks the life out
of the scene. I hate it. Seeing bands striving for clout and turning that into
profit is the most normie-ass shit ever. All I can really do though is if I
don't like how other bands/labels/bookers are charging, guaranteeing, paying
bands, profiting, I do it the way I think it should be done when I'm selling
merch as well as booking/paying bands or touring etc. It might feel futile at
times but "If you don't like the rules they make, refuse to play their
game". It can be tricky though sometimes to know where to draw the line or
handle certain situations. But I'm grateful there are loads of bands, labels,
bookers who hold the punk ethos close to their hearts and keep their egos in
check, like members of Disease, Curbed, Hummingbird of Death, Fake Dust,
Tension, Trucido, just to name a few we know well. They hold it down proper and
I'm proud to be in the same scene as people who give more than they take. Also
need to mention RAD in Eugene Oregon, a community development group who put on
punk shows, constantly organize events for mental health, music/art for lower
income youth, anti-ICE campaigns, sex ed, harm reduction, and do a ton of
outreach and provide resources to their community.
We are also incredibly fortunate to
have been with Josh from Wisegrinds Records for several releases now. He is the
absolute embodiment of DIY, never-for-profit grind. All he cares about is
"having more people get their hands on sick grind records". He truly
is WISE grinds. And I love the fact that you, a label yourself, are even asking
us this question. If we were a big enough band where there were people actually
trying to personally profit off of our records I'd get the "pay no more than..."
on the cover art rahhhh.
Anthony (SB) - Inflation touches
everything. From merch, music, instruments, equipment, venue costs, etc. So the
cost of everything must unfortunately go up. Sweatshop shirts can’t stay
stagnant in price forever! But in terms of industry standards, it’s usually the
metal-leaning, aggressive clout-chasing type hype bands that do this. To each
their own. But the numbers don’t lie. For me personally, I don’t want to think
of this shit as a “market” to potentially extract as much money as possible. I
already feel bad that merch serves the purpose of buffering some of the costs
of our selfish touring. Honestly, I’m kind of in awe that I’m still around all
this. I’m sure there’s tons of bands in this that would love to sustain
themselves from it. I just personally wouldn’t feel comfortable. Be more like
Mike from HOD! Sell sustainably sourced, union-made shirts. Sweatshop isn't
punk! We are posers.
I was going to end it there, as
this romanticized notion of this being a selfless economical sacrifice, but all
of this is paradoxical. This is selfish. And we know very well that the
exploitation runs deep in every facet of this, and that we can’t fully escape
the profit margin mentality. It’s sickening, but at the same time it’s trying
to do something positive to counter this from the very sickness it originates
from. Life is expensive. Some are hungrier than others. I just wish more of
life was viewed through a lens divorced from this, as opposed to just numbers
on a spreadsheet equating to a bottom line. But that’s a luxury in itself and
the critique all in one. It takes money to do things. The least we can do is be
understanding of what roles it plays into all of this, its intent, and its
origins.
7. Do both bands have any set criteria when thinking of doing a split with
another band? Is it around sound/ethics/are they mates etc. or just an in the
moment decision?
Smith
(EPMD): For us I think there has to be some kind of personal connection, I
doubt we'd do a split with a band we've never met and/or shared the stage with.
We want to collaborate with people we like. Obviously, we have to like their
sound as well. I'd be totally up for splitting with a doom band or some other
totally different style, that could be interesting. As long as we're feeling
it.
nd/ethic is at the top for us. We hadn't even
met Brainshit or Controlled Existence when we asked them to do a split with us.
We never thought the CE split would ever lead to us meeting them and certainly
not touring EU for the first time! Actually if it weren't for them inviting us
to the EU and doing a whole tour and OEF with them we wouldn't have met EPMD or
have this split with them or be answering these questions! Controlled Existence
has a very special place in our hearts. We love each and every one of them.
8. You will both play Grind the Nazi Scum festival this year, will this be part of another tour together or a quick reunion?
Smith
(EPMD): That's going to be part of our Euro tour together in May (there's a
tour poster with the details somewhere).
9. Are there discussions about lyrics or what is being written about, or is it
a case of who writes the words writes them and a discussion only happens if
there are any concerns? What happens first, words or music?
Alessia (EPMD): - We all participate in the lyrical duty. We all produce some lyrics on our own and then we share them with the rest of the band for further improvements. Our subjects vary between anti-capitalist, ecological, philosophical subjects, as well as very absurd lyrics too. I think it’s really important that lyrics are embraced and carried by the whole band. It's really strange when only the singer controls the narrative of a band. If it's a solo project with session musicians then why not, but EPMD is not such a band. For the moment it's music first then words, but we are gonna experiment with different ways of composing in 2026, so I'm curious to see if we can succeed in doing the words first then the music.
Emi (SB): Music always comes first in
the writing process for us. We're both pretty bad at writing lyrics but we do
it because we have to. We're both punks in the end and for us the noise has to
have substance. We each usually take about half the songs and then heavily
criticize each other, then finally come to some agreement or indifference. Same
with the music, more fighting with that though.
Anthony (SB): The arguments and fights are endless! It’s a fucking struggle!
10. Both bands avoid the fast band stereotype of being a male-only group, in your experience have attitudes and behaviour improved as representation has improved (slightly), or do you feel the rhetoric of the scene does not reflect the reality?
Emi (SB): Well I don't know if the
scene has less women in it because it rejects them. I think it's more because
there are less women who start playing in bands or listen to aggressive music
as young girls. Maybe that has more to do with social pressures, gender roles,
and expectations on girls and women to be not much else than attractive and
agreeable and be quick to feel embarrassed when they're not good at something.
All the bands I looked up to when I was young didn't have much to do with what
they were. It had to do with what they were doing and what they were saying.
As far as my own experience in the
punk/grind scene (I was never into metal), I personally have not experienced
sexism whether I was just going to shows or playing in bands since I was a
teenager in Tokyo, San Francisco/Oakland, then LA. Or maybe there was and I
just didn't notice. The only time I had some guy say some backwards ass shit to
me was at a metal show in Mexico where I was playing in another band. In the LA
grind scene which I know best, I never got the sense that anyone cared what
gender I was or race for that matter. I guess I could speculate, maybe we
would've been liked and booked more if we were 2 brown guys. Or maybe we get
booked more because we aren't. Who knows. I don't really care. "Nothing
has effect if you don't recognize the cause".
Anthony (SB): I think it’s improved. But the scene here is young,
and with that youth comes explosive volatility, and not always the best
understanding. I’m sure there’s a lot of fucked up shit that happens in all of
this. Nothing is a safe space. And there’s plenty of wolves in sheep’s
clothing. But it’s important to keep striving to make this a level playing
field. Guys, don’t be incely creeps, dismissive, or ignorant of your physical
differences. Be more inviting and just friendly.
Alessia (EPMD): - I haven't been around in the grindcore scene as much as Emi or the other guys, but in my own experience the situation hasn’t changed so much, there have always been female musicians in the scene but the there is a slight increase in the number. Most of them are singers and that’s a shame - I hope there can be more drummers, guitarists and bass players. IMO even if the scene tries to encourage females to join a band there are always some mitigating factors:
First, feeling legitimate to join a band, a lot of women reach out to me saying they think they are not good enough or don't feel welcome in the scene, they need to know that it’s a learning process and not all musicians in a band are huge masters of their own instrument, and the only way to learn is to practice and allow yourself to make some mistakes and grow together with your bandmates. You don’t need to be a legendary singer to have a band and you don't need to have the same amount of experience as your bandmates. And fuck those people who are trying to test your musical knowledge and abilities, there’s room for everyone that loves music. If there is no room make it for yourself, you deserve to experience music the way you like it, whether others like it or not.
Second, the lack of representation in most of the concerts and festivals doesn’t help them to figure «Hey… I could do it too» or «OK, I feel welcomed in that environment». I remember very well the first female singer I saw live… I was feeling super emotional and also it gave me the courage to try it for myself. I also figured there are so many styles and ways to sing, I can just choose a style that fits me and not worry about fulfilling anyone else's expectations
Thirdly, extreme music is often
associated with traditional masculine values like «power, loudness, violence» ,
emotions like anger and hate etc. which are not things that women learn to
embrace culturally and socially. So it takes some work for us to allow
ourselves to express those things, personally and in public.
Fourth, let’s face it, even if the scene seems welcoming there are still women getting harassed, facing misogyny, transphobic comments, or worse in our communities and that is a big problem, not only in the grindcore scene but in every musical genre. Sexism and patriarchy are part of our society and grindcore is unfortunately not an exception.
Fifth, when women join a band they can feel stressed about not knowing all the technicalities or band references, so they feel like an impostor or not good enough. Also, men tend to forget to include them in conversations, compositions, or even band decisions because they think they are in charge. Ask women for their opinion, include them in the process. And there are some very practical points about sleeping conditions, chnaging rooms, being pregnant, access to toilets, having periods on tour...all of that stuff is not always on male members' minds.
To conclude, if you want to encourage women in the scene, maybe ask yourself: did I do everything to make the venue, staff, musicians and public feel safe? Which bands do you invite on stage and what values do they carry and what is the lyrical content? What reactions are you gonna adopt if a friend or someone says a sexist comment? In a collective or gig organisation are there any females at all? If a female friend asks me for advice, do I support her properly or do I gatekeep things?
11. Name 3 bands that you really miss and why, also 3 bands from near where
you live that are new but tearing it up!?
Smith:
3 bands I miss – Narcosis, Drunk in Hell, Warboys.
3 bands from round here currently ripping – Grotesquerie (Lio's deathgrind band), Terrain Vague (Swiss powerviolence who just did a split with Gstürm), and Gstürm (Swiss powerviolence who just did a split with Terrain Vague).
Alessia: I dont know if I can say I miss that band because I never got the chance to see them but let's say I miss Urfaust, Paysage d’hiver (they never play live) and Morbid Angel with the old line up. 3 local new bands that are cool: Trephining, Poisse and Amethyst.
Emi (SB): I don't know if I really
"miss" bands. I can look back on a time and place where it belonged
and meant a lot to me at the time like Dystopia. There's definitely bands I
wish I could've seen in their day like Assuck, Quattro Stagioni, a bunch of
Crass bands. Actually, I miss Twitch. Bummer too.
For LA bands, we miss:
LDT
Harm
Hoy Pinoy
And of course, all of LA misses Goner
New bands tearing it up (we'll define
"new" as post-covid bands):
Fake Dust
Wormeater (pre covid), Byakuya's Revenge (share members)
Blowin Mud
PPT (Puppy Play Time)
Denature
Homegrown
12. Ok super quick yes/no round
a) Gravity blasts
Smith:
Yes and no.
Alessia:
Yes.
SB:
Yes.
b) drum triggers
Smith:
Maybe.
Alessia:
Ugh.
SB:
No.
c)
Playing drunk
Alessia:
Yes, but only if it's not too bad!
Smith:
Well refreshed, not drunk.
SB:
No but yes.
d)
Black Sabbath
Smith:
Of course.
Alessia:
Yes.
Anthony:
Yes.
Emi:
No.
e) Black Flag
Smith:
Some bits.
Alessia:
Yes.
SB:
Yes.
f) AI art
Alessia:
Hell no.
Smith:
...
SB:
No.
g) Album anniversary tours/sets
SB:
No.
Smith:
Depends who/what.
Alessia: Only if there's cake.
13. What next? Any other comments?
Smith (EPMD): We're slowly writing a new record. 2026 isn't going to be mega busy but we've got a Euro tour (with Shitbrains, of course) in May, a few festivals in summer, and a couple of other bits to keep us grinding.
Emi (SB): We're doing
the UK and Japan later this year. We've been doing a cumbia band with a bunch
of grinders for a little over a year and pretty stoked about that. Umm what
else... Keep grind punk! Music has no borders!
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