Check this site www.saveyourscene.com
Enjoy...
Introduce the band to someone who doesn¢t know. Where are you from,
how long have you¢ve been around and what do you have out in these past
years? Before I start to answer your questions I'd like thank you on behalf of
my band for this interview. We are located in the capital of Turkey
(Ankara). At the end of this year our band will be officially 8 years
old. This band had started out as a project just for the sake of making
music that went in a different musical direction than the bands that
each member was already committed to full-time. The only thing common
amongst us (the original roster) at the time was that each members had a
soft spot for oldschool hardcore and death metal. Anyway, to keep a long
story short, for almost 8 years now as band we've experimented and had
line-up changes that have fine tuned what selftorture is today by
incorporating the two genres we love . We've managed to keep busy and
release an album every two years (mislead 2002 / person-a 2004 / dead
center 2006) and are preparing to record and release our fourth album to
keep the trend going. We don't want to bore you with all the details, so
maybe it is more important to state that we aim to do shows outside of
turkey and keep writing music as long as our regular responsibilities
and health permit us (we never considered this as a way to pay the
bills, so naturally we do not have the luxury of quiting our
jobs/education or doing shows when we like). Those that are interested
to know further are more than welcome to check out our website:
www.selftorture.net
You guys recently released a new full length on Anger Epidemic. What
are the reactions about it? I think it would be safe to say that all the reviews we have gotten so
far for this album (dead center) has been positive both nationally and
abroad. We are aware that we can not please everyone and that we will
always have room to develop. As a band though, we consider this album as
blueprint for our next releases, so at the same time we consider it be
our first solid step. I'm sure if anyone took the time to listen to our
previous albums they will grasp what I'm trying to say here better.
How you¢d describe the kind of hardcore/metal you guys play. What are
your influences in Dead Center and past releases? This is always a hard question to answer, but I'll do my best to keep it
clear. Most of our influences come from hardcore and death metal that
comes from the eastern coast of the united states during the 90's (from
new york city to tampa, so to speak). Of course all of our influences
are not completely restricted to those particular genres or that
specific region and decade, but it should give the general idea. The
bands that have influenced us are just too many and diverse to list, but
we've always appreciated Napalm Death and Turmoil. I know this
explanation might be too vague for some, but as a band we think it is
better for individuals to listen closely on their own and decide for
themselves.
You guys stand right between death metal and hardcore. What do you
like and dislike in these two kinds of music and scenes? We honestly can not say we like dislike anything about these scenes.
Some might dislike us because we choose to stand between the two instead
of taking a side, but that is their choice not ours.
You guys come from Turkey, a country not famous for the metal/hardcore
bands. How does that affect the fans of the music and the bands of the
country? We don't think it is easy for any extreme band in any country to record
and perform. In Turkey or countries like Turkey in relation to heavy
music, the struggle is most likely more because the participants of
these scenes (performer/audience/listner) are much more of a minority
amongst their population in comparison to regions such as North America
and Europe. So the results are only obvious: less bands, shows and
listeners. For us the negative side of doing what we do here actually
motivates us to work harder. We have no choice but to remain positive
and contribute as much as we can to help it survive and progress.
Do you think it is easy for a Turkish band to tour central/northern
Europe and do you have any related plans? We know it is not easy, but we also know it is not impossible. Legal
issues such as travel visas can be costly and time consuming, which can
make tour planning tricky. To kick start touring abroad, at first we
will have to fund most of our tours by saving up money we earn from our
day jobs and hope that we will be able spend less in the future (this
will all depend on the demand we create and support we get). So, in
order to answer your question fully, yes it is hard for a band like us
to do gigs abroad, but we are in close contact with organizers abroad
and are determined to make a few shows a reality outside of Turkey.
How do you find the metal/hardcore scene worldwidely? What are some
bands that you really like? I'm sure that both sides of this issue can be strongly debated. We as a
band definitely think that heavy music should be supported on
international level.
Like I mentioned before the list of bands that we enjoy listening
together as a band can go on forever, but here's some off the top of my
head:
IMMOLATION, UNTIL THE END, MONSTROSITY, MADBALL, SUFFOCATION, CROWBAR,
ANIMOSITY, BURNT BY THE SUN, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, LIFE OF AGONY, HATE
ETERNAL, BURIED ALIVE, DEICIDE, DYING FETUS, PYREXIA, TERROR, MERAUDER,
DRI, and tons and tons of other sick bands ;)
What are some shows you have played and you¢ll never forget? Do you
get more anxious for a great show or for a perfect cd release? There was a show where we played for an audience of a maximum of 40
people in the city of izmir a while back, this was probably on of the
best performances we displayed, but there was something about that
atmosphere that made it seem very passionate and sincere. In general
though, we love to perform anywhere regardless of the participation
level. We also love to record because it gives us the opportunity be an
audience to what we create, which helps us critique ourselves and decide
what steps should be taken for future material.
Where can someone get your cds?? Anyone that would like to get a copy of our recent album (dead center)
can contact anger epidemic directly through this address:
sales@angerepidemic.com
Since our former label (zoo sound) does not exist anymore our previous
releases (mislead and person-a) are limited in quantity and can be
purchased directly through us, just contact our manager:
oben@selftorture.net
What are some good Turkish bands that you¢d suggest for our readers to
check out? At the moment the following bands come to mind, but before anyone starts
to look into them they should keep in mind that they all play different
styles:
CENOTAPH, SUICIDE, KETUM, NETTLETHRONE, RAVENWOODS, DECIMATION,
SOMETHINGS WRONG (RIP), RADICAL NOISE (RIP), CORRODED (RIP).
Close this the way you want. Thank you once again for the interview, we hope this won't be our last
conversation, take care of yourself and support heavy music to the fullest.