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EXCLUSIVE: 21 and Under With… Tyrants Blood’s Marco Banco

May 18th, 2013 Filed under: 21 & Under With... by MetalEditor

Vancouver based speed demon Marco Banco of Tyrants Blood chatted with ABORT’s own metal writer Ruthless about their upcoming album and a little bit more. The band’s new release titled Into the Kingdom of Graves will be released July 1st, 2013 through Brazil’s Mutilation Records.

Ruthless: How does your new album differ from previous recordings?

MB: It’s heavier and faster than our previous work. We wanted to delve into darker themes and so we did. From the title of the album, Into the Kingdom of Graves, to the artwork by the great Paolo Girardi, we set up the concept and complexion of this album and its songs. So I believe that the entire package is relative to each other as a whole.

ABORT: Where do you get your inspiration for the music and lyrics?

MB: I’d say musically we are inspired by each other, which is as honest as I can be. Somebody always gets it started and then the rest of us fall in and start the fuckin’ engine, until it’s like world war three in that sweatbox and we’re deaf as death and grinning like maniacs. Then we just keep rolling until we drop an atomic bomb and the song is over.

ABORT: In a day and age where it is difficult to be considered original do you feel Tyrants Blood has a lot to offer?

MB: You know what, we play as we feel and we do whatever we want artistically as musicians within the realm of heavy music. So the end result to us is very rewarding and we hope to keep people interested. We really leave it all on the stage and in the rehearsal space and the studio till we don’t have anything left. So at the end of the day if people find a quality that they can connect to on whatever level that’s deadly, because no matter what we perform for the lust of creation, live music, metal and this thing we are a part of. We keep rolling on and on regardless of any status quo, trends or fashions. We are exactly as we want to be.

STAY TUNED FOR THE FULL LENGTH INTERVIEW IN ISSUE 21 of ABORT Magazine – MONDAY MAY 20th!

By: Ruthless

WANT MORE EXCLUSIVES? CLICK HERE

Copyright © 2004-2013 ABORT Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of this publication, in whole or in part, in any form or medium without express written permission from Abort Media Publishing Corporation (AMP Corp.) is prohibited. All use is subject to our Terms of Use.

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21 And Under With…Jeff Renfroe, Director of The Colony – In Theatres this Friday, April 26th

April 23rd, 2013 Filed under: 21 & Under With..., Exclusive! by Editor in Chief

(Photo – Scott Alexander)

This is Clayton Cyre with ABORT Magazine. We’re here in Vancouver with the creative genius behind the upcoming realistic sci-fi film The Colony, Vancouver resident, Jeff Renfroe.

ABORT MAGAZINE: Are you worried that critics will perceive Colony as a rehashed “rage zombie” film?

JEFF RENFROE: Yes, and no. I think when working in a genre like this, at some point, everything has sort of been done. I think as a film maker, you throw yourself into that arena, and you try to reinvent the genre. The press never really liked this kind of movie, but I’m making this film for fans of the genre like myself. This isn’t a zombie movie, this is something very real. The people coming after you are people from another colony of people that have gone feral from lack of resources. They’re starving so they turn to cannibalism. We’re animals at some level. We’re going to devolve if this kind of thing happens to us. We’re doing something more unique and grounded than your average zombie movie.

ABORT: How was working on The Colony compared to your previous works?

JR: Well, I’ve been working with extremely limited budgets, for The Colony we had a bit more leeway, but I discovered you can never have enough time or money. More money equals more hands in the kitchen, so to speak. It was an experience for me to work with so many people. I think the actors in The Colony were fantastic. Working with so many people was very helpful in the process for feedback as well, I believe it made the story a lot stronger.

ABORT: How has The Colony evolved you as a writer?

JR: In a way I’ve learned to be more collaborative, and put more trust in my team. I don’t feel like I’m doing everything alone anymore. The other films before were so small and I took on so much myself, that this time I don’t feel so alone.

Interviewed by: Clayton Cyre

STAY TUNED FOR THE FULL LENGTH INTERVIEW IN ISSUE 21 of ABORT Magazine – Late May 2013!

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EXCLUSIVE: 21 and Under With… Otep

February 24th, 2013 Filed under: 21 & Under With... by MetalEditor

After 6 studio albums and 13 years of kicking ass and breaking down boundaries, Otep have announced that their latest album Hydra will be their last. Known for a hybrid style of metal courtesy of frontwoman Otep Shamaya’s poetic lyricism and fearless vocal stylings, Otep have been a mainstay in the underground metal scene since the release of their first full length album Sevas Tra in 2002. In this interview the band’s leading lady speaks with ABORT’s Alxs Ness about Hydra and the forthcoming graphic novel.

Alxs Ness: First of all congratulations on the recent release of your sixth studio album Hydra. This album’s being promoted as the band’s last. Does this mean you’re moving away from CD releases in favour of digital, or are you not planning on recording any new material for the foreseeable future?

Otep Shamaya: Thank you. I am very proud of it. HYDRA has just been unleashed and I am devoting all of my energy and passion to her and this album. I do believe that in an age of retail favouritism that digital music levels the playing field, to coin a phrase, for all bands. I know many have issues with iTunes but Amazon and Google Music are awesome as well.

ABORT: Are you planning on distancing yourself from the metal scene for awhile to focus on visual arts and writing instead?

OS: As stated, HYDRA has my total devotion at the moment. But I will continue, as I always have, to create outside of music. I am writing two books at the moment and working on several visual projects. I’ve also been doing voice-over work for film, TV, and video games so my plate stays rather full. But I like it that way.

ABORT: Do you have any other musical projects in the works?

OS: I play jazz flute with Ron Burgundy occasionally.

READ THE ENTIRE INTERVIEW IN ISSUE 20 OF ABORT. COMING SOON.

Artsaves.me

By Alxs Ness

WANT MORE EXCLUSIVES? CLICK HERE

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EXCLUSIVE: 21 and Under With… Montreal hip-hop artist NYCE!

May 25th, 2012 Filed under: 21 & Under With... by Editor in Chief

Photo: Jason Ox

Joe McNeely here for ABORT Magazine’s 21 and Under with a fresh new up-and-comer in the the world of Canadian hiphop, hailing from the far reaches of Montreal, Quebec.

ABORT Magazine: In a few articles, you have been referred to as one of the hardest working rappers in Canada. How do you think you earned this title and do you have any tips for up and coming emcees?

NYCE: I’m a workaholic no matter what I do. Once I have my mind set on a goal, I go for it. No it’s not easy, it involves a lot of work and dedication along with a strong team that’s very important. And weed, If you’re a smoker. Yeah Yeah!

AM: What was the biggest obstacle so far coming up in the rap game in Cote-des-Neiges?

NYCE: Cops won’t give your boy a break; I’M NOT YOUR PUSHA MAN! Once they classify you as a dope dealer they never think a person can change.

AM: You have a very noticeable amount of tattoos. What was your first one and does it have any personal meaning?

NYCE: My first 2 tattoos were my Thug Life 514 and my Uptown tattoos, They represent my city and my hood. I love them both, I am a proud Canadian. C’est la Vie!

AM: Explain a few of your nicknames: Nyce, Mista Uptown. What do they mean to you, and how did you get them?

NYCE: The name used to be Early B because I woke up real early to get my grind on, until I got I got my grind up and now Early B is B-Nyce, that’s what I wanted to be at whatever I do. And as I got older and matured, I dropped the B to keep it simple because realistically I was NYCE. They also called me Mista Uptown because I rep my hood not matter where I go.

AM: What venue would be your dream stage to rock, and if you could choose anyone, who would open for you?

NYCE: My Dream stage would be the Montreal Bell Centre, I got to do it for my City. And I would love to open for T.I. that would for sure would make it a dream.

AM: In your own words, how would you describe Montreal’s hip hop scene?

NYCE: Montreal has a huge Hip hop scene but we need to support each other more.

AM: Your next album ‘Certified’ is soon to be released. If you had to choose one, what would be your favourite track on the album?

NYCE: Aww man! There is too many to choose from. But if I had to choose it would be “Deniero” and maybe “Work”.

AM: Growing up, other than emceeing, were you involved in any of the other elements of hip hop?

NYCE: Nope! Sorry, I’ve slanging them packs from young.. LOL! While people were out playing in the park, I was in the Trap! When you were out having a good time dancing in a club, I was in the Trap!

AM: Who you would be your ideal rapper to collaborate with?

NYCE: It would be Young Jeezy, Motivation 101 did so much for me.

AM:You just recently toured across Canada, which province had the best weed?

NYCE: Vancouver had the most, but Winnipeg had the best Purp… but Montreal is still known for the best weed. MTL baby! #WORK.

Props to NYCE for sitting down with us here at ABORT, keep an eye on the charts…

Treat your ears

By Joe McNeely

WANT MORE EXCLUSIVES? CLICK HERE

Copyright © 2004-2012 ABORT Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of this publication, in whole or in part, in any form or medium without express written permission from Abort Media Publishing Corporation (AMP Corp.) is prohibited. All use is subject to our Terms of Use.

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EXCLUSIVE: 21 and Under With…Director Michael Dowse, on GOON

February 24th, 2012 Filed under: 21 & Under With..., Exclusive!, Made In Canada by Editor in Chief

Photo: Handout (Alliance)

We’re here with Director Michael Dowse, Director of “It’s All Gone Pete Tong” and “Fubar”, among others. Michael is here with us today fresh off his most recent film GOON, here to talk to us about all things Hockey.

ABORTMagazine: Hi Michael, welcome to Vancouver. Have you spent much time here in your Canadian travels?

Michael Dowse: I grew up in Calgary, so I actually worked out here for nine months at one point in my life, and my sister went to UBC so I’ve spent a lot of time in Vancouver.

AM: Doing press for GOON has had you traveling all over Canada lately, I imagine?

MD: It’s just starting. We did the premiere in Winnipeg last night, and then we’ll do the one here. Then on Monday we’ll do a screening in Montreal, next Wednesday we’ll do the Toronto premiere, then Thursday we’ll do the New York premiere. So it’s pretty busy, but it’s fun. That’s why you make the films, to show them to people.

AM: How has the feedback for the film been so far?

MD: It’s been great. Since we’ve screened it at Toronto International Film Festival it’s been nothing but positive. I mean, not everyone loves the film, but most people do. It’s already come out theatrically in the United Kingdom and it’s done really well. I think it’s the highest grossing Canadian film ever in the UK. It’s cool in that it shows that the film can be enjoyed by people who aren’t hard core hockey fans.

AM: So what is the crux of the story for people who haven’t seen the film yet.

MD: Well, Doug sums it up in the first 10 minutes of the film where he says “Everybody’s got something but me.” And he finds his something, which is fighting. He’s got fist smarts. And not only does he find that, but he helps to inspire other people by showing that a guy who can barely skate can learn how to play hockey.

AM: My favourite part of the movie was the fact that the big game wasn’t for the championship, but was for the eighth and final playoff spot.

MD: Thank you. That was something we went back and forth on quite a bit. There was some talk of, “Let’s make it the second to last game is the game that gets them into the playoffs, and then the last game would be the first game of the seven-game series.” I thought we just needed something that was a bit more final. In terms of hockey, the chase for playoff spots is an exciting time! The Rangers – Philly game a couple of years ago is a good example.

AM: You sound like a big hockey fan.

MD: HUGE Habs fan. I live in Montreal now. Been there for 10 years. We’ve had a crazy season.

AM: How was the experience of working with Jay Baruchel and Evan Goldberg?

MD: Great – Jay is awesome! He’s a great guy. Sometimes when you meet someone in this business they put on airs, then the other shoe drops eventually. But Jay is as advertised. He’s a fantastic guy to collaborate with. Really open to other people’s ideas, yet really firm about his own ideas as you’d expect.

As for Evan, I got to know him through making this film. Evan’s motto is never stop writing. I gleamed a lot of stuff from him. He’s worked on a lot of bigger films where’s they’ve had a little bit more money and stuff to do. But you can take what he does and apply it to this film. Just about grinding out jokes and making it as funny as possible.

AM: How is the relationship between the directors and the writers usually on film sets?

MD: It depends. This was my first time having a screenwriter on set. I had Jay and his writing partner now Jesse Chabot around – not all the time, but they’d come in and out. But it was nice to have two kind of great guys that were always thinking of gags and jokes and lines. And they would send me little pieces of paper. Of 12 different options, I’d take like three and maybe one would work. With ours it was a really great relationship.

AM: Do you find there are many differences between the Canadian and American film industries?

MD: There are vast differences. It’s a great system up here in Canada and I think they’re about to get even better. The reality is that TeleFilm Canada is one of the last independent studios. I love the system in Canada. I think it’s been kidnapped for too long by people making non-commercial films that nobody in their right minds want to see. And what I want to be part of is make films that Canadian’s want to watch. That are entertaining, that are funny, that have good stories. That’s important. And it’s exciting times.

In the States, the trend is to go towards the micro-budget stuff. Thrillers that are under $3 million, the occasional $20 million R-rated comedy that comes out like Bridesmaids that does well. Or there are tent poles. The reality is that because of the economy, there’s a little more risk adverse. So there’s less work in America. But the flip-side is that there are more actors that are available to work in Canada.

AM: Speaking of actors available in Canada, how was having Seann William Scott be a part of Goon?

MD: Seann was amazing. He was involved very early in this project. He always loved the script, and super supportive of this thing. I think what people would be surprised by is the heart he shows in this film. Unfortunately he’s been a little bit pigeon-holed by his success in American Pie as Stifler. But with this film, I think he recognized the opportunity to play a completely different character. I think people will be surprised by the heart that this film has. He really carries this film on his back.

AM: Now that GOON is for your part, finished, what’s next for Michael Dowse?

MD: I’m doing a romantic comedy called The F-Word. It’s a great script, probably shooting it this summer in Toronto. Very completely different from Goon.

Thank you for taking the time to talk to us today Michael, All the best. Goon opens in theatres Nationwide TODAY!

goonthemovie.ca

By Daniel Chai

Want to read our review on GOON? CLICK HERE

WANT MORE EXCLUSIVES? CLICK HERE

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EXCLUSIVE: 21 and Under With…An Autumn For Crippled Children

October 2nd, 2011 Filed under: 21 & Under With..., Exclusive! by Editor in Chief

Only five years may have passed since An Autumn For Crippled Children began emitting their intricate collection of depressive black metal musings, but in that time they have released two albums of incredible depth and atmosphere that together point to a band destined for relative greatness. Ensconced in Holland’s north-western Friesland region – an area whose idyllic world is one of separation from the country in which it finds itself, the members of AAFC are content to lay back and anonymously let the music alone draw the masses. Vocalist / guitarist / key tinkler MXM granted ABORT Magazine’s UK correspondent John Norby a brief audience, sort of enthusiastic at first and then, as you’ll notice, getting a bit tired. Or something.

John Norby: Firstly, just to introduce readers to the band, can you detail the circumstances of AAFCC forming?

MXM: We’ve known each other for some years now. We’ve all been playing in bands and projects but this is the first time we all played in one band. We formed through a mutual taste in music.

ABORT: Lost was fully in the vein of the whole depressive black metal subgenre – Forgotten Tomb, Xasthur, The Axis Of Perdition, Melencolia Estatica, etc. While those elements remain in this album there seems to be a progression in sound to add elements characteristic of the likes of Agalloch meets a more fuzzed-up Mastodon. What were your initial thoughts on developing your sound when going into the writing of the album?

MXM: Personally, I don’t really see the connection to the bands you mention, but I don’t really know them either; just a couple of songs. For Lost we had no plan. We just came together, all of us with different ideas, and worked on the songs until we were satisfied. We aimed for a melancholic atmosphere and tried to do something truthful and pure.

ABORT: How much of the music flowed naturally when you were writing? Were there particular moments on Everything were you had difficulty fitting material together or coming up with ideas to create the songs?

MXM: Indeed the music comes out unforced. We first write basic song structures and add different things later. A song must be good, even in its ‘bone’ construction. For Everything we agreed to focus on good song structures. Letting the songs flow naturally, creating a desired atmosphere. There where no difficulties in fitting material together or coming up with ideas.

ABORT: What’s your typical process when putting a song together? Is it a totally collaborative process between all three members?

MXM: All members have ideas. We come together and work on songs until we are all satisfied.

ABORT: You’re a very prolific band, having released two incredibly intricate albums in such a short pace of time.

MXM: Thanks. There’s more than a year between the two albums, which is pretty normal these days. The first album was released a year after it was recorded. After the recording session, we soon began working on new material. Everything was finished [around] May 2010.

ABORT: Was everything written from scratch for each album or have you had material lying around that just happened to fit the band?

MXM: We all have, of course, riffs laying around but most of the writing is from scratch.

ABORT: Who and what influenced you musically and lyrically on the new album?

MXM: Lyrically, it’s all about personal experiences and happenings. Musically, we try to come up with our own sound and block outside influences, which is difficult. I think we are, as always, influenced by somewhat older music; mainly metal from the late eighties and early nineties.

READ THE ENTIRE INTERVIEW IN ISSUE 17 OF ABORT. COMING SOON

myspace.com/crippledchildren2009

By John Norby

WANT MORE EXCLUSIVES? CLICK HERE

Copyright © 2004-2011 ABORT Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of this publication, in whole or in part, in any form or medium without express written permission from Abort Media Publishing Corporation (AMP Corp.) is prohibited. All use is subject to our Terms of Use.

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EXCLUSIVE: 21 and Under with…AFRO-PUNK’s JAMES SPOONER

August 13th, 2011 Filed under: 21 & Under With..., Exclusive! by Editor in Chief

As the co-founder and film director that bears the same name, former Afro-Punk alumni James Spooner has gone through the twists and turns in white America to get the now cult classic documentary “AFRO-PUNK” the accolades and awards it rightfully deserves, but has the Afro-Punk scene and movement left the underground to become a mainstream corporate sham? We speak with James about that, becoming a daddy and tattooing. READ ON!

E.S Day: E.S Day here for ABORT Magazine, and we are on the line with Mr. James Spooner, director of the documentary film Afro Punk, and can we say, co-founder of the movement?

James Spooner: I was definitely there from the beginning.

ABORT: Lets give a little bit of history for our readers and listeners who may not be aware, the Afro Punk movement, besides yourself, and another group of individuals in New York were this all started, was basically from a scene of African-American kids, we don’t use that phrase as much as we say ‘black’, because Afro-Punk represents black kids and culture who like loud and aggressive music worldwide, not just in the Americas. Even though it started in New York, lets just say for the scenesters there, it was a haven for people who were into that, not necessarily old people like me who were listening to ’24-7 Spyz’ and ‘Bad Brains’ and stuff, but it was also for a lot of the younger, and up-and-coming acts. Basically, I am assuming that whole movement, when it started, including live acts and club nights for DJ’s who could play just loud aggressive fucking music (you’ll have to excuse me, I do curse a lot, journalistic tourettes) [both laugh] where did the movie idea come from?

JS: Well the movie came before the movement. in 2001 I was just kinda going through some personal identity issues, thinking about my life as a black person involved in the punk scene, and it kinda came out of anger, I was angry at the punk scene for not exploring race in any kind of deep way, it was just like ‘Fuck Nazi’s’ and that’s it you know? That really wasn’t anything I was dealing with. Nazi’s haven’t been in NY for ever. So I just decided I wanted to make a film about it. I hadn’t really made a movie before, but I thought it was something I could do. I just basically maxed out my credit cards, buying a camera, and a computer so I could edit, then I started talking to people who had similar interests as me, and two years later, the film was completed. I started showing it, and while showing it, it occurred to me, that it would be a great platform to showcase some great bands to the people who were interested in my film.
That’s really how the movement started. It was me trying to push the film.

ABORT: Afro Punk festival, is there going to be one in 2010?

JS: There should be, but I am not really part of it anymore.

ABORT: Yeah, I was just going to say… lets get that out of the way.

JS: There is no bad blood or anything, it was just a few years ago. I made the film to get away from being a party promoter, and I did a good job. Then, having a good knowledge of promotions, I ended up doing parties and concerts again, so I was right back into it, so I was getting farther away from the film again.
I moved out to California, the movement being NY based, and Matthew and I being the only people holding it together, he just took it on himself, without me telling him what we can and cannot do, he was able to get some major sponsors

ABORT: Has Afro Punk become mainstream then?

JS: All of a sudden, it wasn’t weird to have a Mohawk. Puffy had a mohawk, black people just became more comfortable with it

ABORT: The Plasmatics, had mohawks, this isn’t something new, but I know what you mean, mainstream club kids. I was thinking Afro Punk would become a conglomerate of all the people, like the Plasmatics, Bad Brains, 24-7 Spyz, and so on would all come together, all those people who fuse black culture with loud music, or mix hip-hop and metal, and that would be the community to say fuck the man, fuck corporate big money, and stay underground. Like you mentioned, there is sponsorship and I am wondering if in 2010 it will just be big money for the wrong people.

JS: Matthew was able to get those sponsors, and for better of for worse, he made it from a three day thing you had to pay to go see all the shows, to a ten day thing that was all free. It was several times bigger, and it actually made money instead of losing, or coming up even. Thousands of people came to see these bands. I like to see bands with 80 other people in some basement.

ABORT: Given the fact that a lot of people don’t even know these bands, its good to see these bands. I don’t know how many people even know Fishbone. One of the first American punk bands in general, black or white, Pure Hell. It was good. Too bad Death wasn’t around still, the original band, the first ones to be called Death.

ABORT: There is no culture of any kind up here. Its pretty much an all white hip-hop scene, you can count everyone on one hand here with any sort of cultural contribution, musically.

ABORT: Moving on, What is next for James Spooner, what ventures do you have on the horizon, will you be doing anything in Canada, screenings, seminars, do you have any new films on the horizon?

JS: Well, the screenings for Afro Punk are pretty much dried up, since the movie has been out for 7 years. I’m a full time tattooer, doing a 100% vegan procedure at timeless tattoo in Hollywood. You can see my work at spoonertattoos.com. I’m also a dad, which rules, shout out to my kid, Hollis.

ABORT: I just have to say; I am really impressed with this movement, and what is being done with it. I really hope that big corporate money doesn’t completely take over, because it is a really unique thing going on.

Where can we visit you right now on the web, for your own personal endeavors?

JS: Pretty much just on facebook for any current stuff – facebook.com/jamesspooner. I have a Dad-Blog going on right now, but nothing else really.

ABORT: What Afro Punk is still on your iPod that you still give love to?

JS: ‘The Eternals’ and this band ‘Trench Mouth’ from DC, back in the day

ABORT: I’m going to go put on some old 24-7 Spyz, right now. Thank you so much for your time James, Good luck in everything. I am really glad that you had the balls to take the time and make this happen to open the ears and eyes of metal America.

JS: Thanks!

Facebook.com/jamesspooner
twitter.com/spoonerjames

By E.S. Day

WANT MORE EXCLUSIVES? CLICK HERE

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EXCLUSIVE: 21 & Under With…Keith Murray

March 2nd, 2011 Filed under: 21 & Under With..., Exclusive! by Editor in Chief

With his 8th studio album about to be released, Long Island, NY rapper Keith Murray is set to bring his latest brand of sharp-tongued lyricism to the Hip-Hop masses. Murray, a member of the elite Def Squad trio that includes Redman and EPMD’s Erick Sermon, has been in the studio putting the finishing touches on his latest opus: The Beauty Of It All.

ABORT Magazine’s E.S. Day caught up with Keith for a quick 21 & Under session to discuss the new album, Hip-Hop, Haiti and more.

E.S. Day: Def Squad reunion: Are you still in touch with Redman and Erick Sermon – any updates?

Keith Murray: Yes I’m in touch with Erick and Red, I live down the street from Erick right now and I talk to Red on the phone and text once a week. We’re talking about doing a new D.S. album but we have to get in the studio and do it. Our lives have taking different paths right now, but it’s in the mind so I hope it will happen.

ABORT: Your recent trip to Mozambique has to be an eye-opening experience, what prompted you to do that at that time as opposed to earlier?

KM: Yes, my trip to Mozambique has been an eye-opener. I went there because the opportunity came to me at the time. I did 2 shows and went to visit orphan kids and kids with HIV who nobody goes to see. I walked around the town to the stores and the people knew who I was and took pictures, so I was thankful to see they knew me.

ABORT: How come the Hip-Hop community has rarely done anything for HIV/AIDS and why is there still such an ignorant attitude towards it? (And by the way props to you for taking a stand)

KM: I feel the Hip-Hop community is doing all it can at the time for awareness, but a lot of people don’t want to talk about it because its a scary thing and its real so they don’t want to talk about it, but its a lot of other things killing people as well.

ABORT: Do you think certain artists are in fact profiting off the situation in Haiti via shows and royalty donations that are (apparently) going toward the cause? As we have already seen/heard about benefit shows where the money went right into the promoters pockets?

KM: With the Haiti situation I don’t thing artists are lining their pockets. I think they’re really trying to help, but the government over there is in control and from the looks of things they’re the real problem why the people are not being helped. As far as the promoters taking the money, that’s just not right and they will have to answer to God for that.

ABORT: New album: when and who is on board as far as producers?

KM: My new album is called THE BEAUTY OF IT ALL.I named it that to give myself room to touch many different topics. The good, the bad, the ugly and the beautiful in life, with all types of cutting edge sounds and unconventional formats. As far as producers I got the RZA, a producer from Boston named The Sultan, a producer from over seas named M-Phazes and Erick Sermon. Right now its half way done (at time of interview – Ed)I got the RZA rapping on there, Redman and my younger brother D.Murray so far.

ABORT: Last great Canadian artist you listened to?

KM: The last great Canadian artist I listened to was The Rascalz. We had the same beat for my song “Candi Bar”. I didn’t know they had the beat when Kevin from Def Jam at the time gave it to me, but I like them.

ABORT: How did you and Canibus come together for the Undergods project?

KM: I got with Canibus from a friend we both know by the name of M80.

ABORT: Any other outside ventures or collabos coming up?

KM: My outside ventures include a custom set of headphones and movie parts in the works.

ABORT: How is the European response so far on these dates, have you found Europe appreciates Keith Murray more than North America?

KM: My European dates are going well they all know and love Keith Murray. As far as Europe appreciating me more than America I feel it’s the same love. They all like what I’ve done and what I’m doing.

ABORT: Next up and coming MC to break out in your hometown (unsigned), your recommendation?

KM: the next emcee to break out from my hometown is my younger brother D FISH GREASE MURRAY not because he’s my brother, but because he’s a talented rapper and has a way with words.

ABORT: Thanks for your time Keith.

KM: Thanks for your time; people can hit me at Facebook, Twitter and MySpace under the name Keith Murray. Peace.

myspace.com/keithmurray

By E.S. Day

WANT MORE EXCLUSIVES? CLICK HERE

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EXCLUSIVE!: TALIB KWELI – The ABORT Interview (Issue 16 Preview)

January 18th, 2011 Filed under: 21 & Under With..., Exclusive! by Editor in Chief

Brooklyn’s Talib Kweli is, in the eyes of many, on a very short list of artists at the top of the rap food chain. Author and co author of a growing stack of classic albums, the BK MC continues to set the lyrical bar, both on solo projects and with the influential groups Black Star and Reflection Eternal. His latest release, titled Gutter Rainbows, will be available January 25 for online purchase and promises to be a beautiful dose of bittersweet realness. Recently, Talib was kind enough to share his thoughts on “smart” art, what to read, Blacksmith in 2011, and more with ABORT’s Nigel Mojica.

Nigel Mojica: One theme that reoccurs a lot in your work, and again in “Gutter Rainbows”, is the idea of finding beauty in unusual places and difficult experiences. Are you an optimistic guy? How and why did you begin noticing the rainbows in the gutter and how important has this outlook been for you personally and professionally?

Talib Kweli: It’s the aware artists job to paint pictures of what can be, rather than what is. The gutter rainbow is an image that stayed with me since childhood. It the inner city that has inspired much of my lyrical content, so this album is dedicated to that sort of living.

ABORT: “Cold Rain” has a gospel feel to it and seems to evoke some nostalgia and reflection; can you tell us a bit about the sound you and the production team were going for on Gutter Rainbows and how you approached this album as an author?

TK: Gutter Rainbows has many producers, all of them with an extra passionate boom bap hip hop style. They come from all over the world, and I think the sound of the album reflects the differences and similarities in styles. The Ski produced Cold Rain had been sitting in my computer for years. I wrote many songs to it. It’s a beast of a track. I was determined to fin lyrics for it. Once I did, the lyrics were so timely and urgent, that I felt the song needed to be heard now, and this sort of catapulted me into releasing Gutter Rainbows.

ABORT: In addition to Gutter Rainbows, which drops digitally on January 25, I understand you’ve got another album on the way entitled Prisoners of Conscious. What can you tell folks about that?

TK: Prisoner Of Conscious is actually the album I’ve been working on since Eardrum. I put to the side to record the new Reflection Eternal album, and Gutter Rainbows comes from the POC sessions, but I am now focusing back on that album. It is in its infant stages.

ABORT: Why do you think challenging or “intellectual” big-word-using MC’s are so seldom embraced in the hip hop mainstream? Also, to what do you accredit your popularity with more commercial or mainstream artists and audiences, being that your music is lyrically dense and at often times very critical?

TK: In order to have “smart” art affect mainstream culture, it must respect the sensibility of the mainstream. Too often edgy artists are dismissive of mainstream sensibilities. [The film] Glee, which I’ve never watched, seems to be one of the smartest shows on TV. From a distance, it seems to make fun of the mainstream, but embrace the very mainstream principle of glee clubs. With music, I pay attention to the trends without following them. If you haven’t been to a nightclub in 5 years, you will not have a clue why younger years are not attuned to your musical sensibility. But if you know, you can navigate in the business better, whether you trying to keep up with trends or not. The knowledge is still key.

READ THE ENTIRE INTERVIEW IN ISSUE 16 OF ABORT

Gutter Rainbows is in stores January 25th, 2011

yearoftheblacksmith.com

By Nigel Mojica

WANT MORE EXCLUSIVES? CLICK HERE

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EXCLUSIVE: 21 and Under With…GARY NUMAN

October 29th, 2010 Filed under: 21 & Under With..., Exclusive! by Editor in Chief

(Photo – Ed Fielding)

New Wave legend and the godfather of electronic music’s humble beginning, Gary Numan has taken a few breaks, but never stopped his mission to keep creating unique and diverse electronic music. Thirty-one years later he has strapped on the gear, loaded up the bus and has once again hit the road to give die-hard fans a complete live version of the classic album “The Pleasure Principle”, played in it’s entirety. ABORT Magazine’s E.S. Day spoke with Gary from Toronto to get an update on his current activities and on the recent incident where he lost his voice while playing in Atlanta.

1. ABORT: We heard that you recently lost your voice, what’s the situation with that right now?

GARY NUMAN: It’s okay now. It vanished entirely on day two of the tour. I couldn’t even talk let alone sing anything. We had to cancel the Atlanta show, which was a real bummer for me. That’s the only show I’ve cancelled for health reasons in 31 years of touring, so it was a huge disappointment. For the next three shows I had to ask the audience to sing a few of the higher pitched songs that I still couldn’t get to, but since last week’s New York show it’s been okay.

2. ABORT: “The Pleasure Principle Tour 2010” sees you going to Mexico for a few dates, any particular reason you chose Mexico rather than doing a string of South American dates?

GN: I don’t like being away from my children for too long. I usually limit touring to two-week segments these days for that reason. This tour is around three weeks, so I’m already pushing that limit some way. We had the option to extend the tour and go all across South America, but it would have been way too long away from them. They are only young and it’s not good to be away from them for too long, not for them or me. We intend to come back to South America next year.

3. ABORT: Can we see Gary Numan doing any more appearances as you did when you performed “Metal” with Trent Reznor or maybe some surprise guests to appear on your current tour?

GN: It’s not something I plan for to be honest, but I’m happy if people want to come and join us for a song or two. The Nine Inch Nails thing evolved from a single guest appearance when they played London last year into also playing at the final four NIN shows in Los Angeles. That was an amazing experience. On this tour, we had Nash The Slash join us on stage in Toronto, which was very cool.

4. ABORT: You will be heading back to the U.K. for a few dates, do you still find years later that a North American crowd are less or more receptive?

GN: I think they are pretty similar actually. A good crowd in North America makes the same kind of noise as a good crowd at home. Haven’t had any bad ones yet, so I guess I’ve been lucky.

5. ABORT: Next studio album: When are we looking at as far as a release date and can we get a few producers names that are involved?

GN: It’s likely to be called Splinter and I’m working on it with Ade Fenton again, who worked on the last album Jagged. I hope to have it out by spring 2011 or soon after. We also have another album called Dead Son Rising that we have nearly finished. We are still unsure whether to release that as an album or move that music over into two film projects that are being put together at the moment.

6. ABORT: This tour seems to be a solidified line-up of musicians, are you going to keep this troupe for recording as well?

GN: I don’t really use musicians much on the albums as I tend to play most things myself, along with Ade these days. Having said that, Tim Muddiman and Steve Harris have already contributed some great guitar and bass parts for some of the songs, but it’s not really a studio band, it’s a live band.

7. ABORT: With the exception of the track listing, how does The Pleasure Principle 2009 DVD differ both visually and musically when compared to let’s say Jagged or Cold Warning DVD’s?

GN: The Pleasure Principle 2009 DVD and Jagged are not so different. Obviously the PP DVD has all the old PP songs on it, played in a very similar style to the 1979 originals, but the rest of the show is along the lines of the Jagged DVD. A few changes in band lineup perhaps and the lights are obviously different, but overall you can see it’s from a closer point in the band’s history than the Cold Warning DVD. That goes back to 1984, different look entirely, different sound entirely, different band entirely.

8. ABORT: Best date on this tour so far and will we ever see Gary Numan doing a full or condensed Canadian tour?

GN: Best show so far has probably been Chicago. We played there with Recoil, Alan Wilder’s band, and had a great time. Sold out, fantastic crowd, amazing atmosphere. To be honest though, we haven’t had a bad night on the entire tour. It’s been the most enjoyable tour that I’ve played in North America for a very long time for a number of reasons. I do seem to have a problem with Canadian promoters, however. With the exception of Toronto, and even then their offer was the lowest on the tour by far and barely covered my costs for going there, no other Canadian promoter was interested. It is a bit frustrating because we sold out Toronto, and we have sold out shows in the majority of the other cities we have visited as well. To not be able to find a promoter in Montreal or Vancouver for example, historically two cities I would play in, that was interested in having me was very disappointing. Perhaps they will think again next time when they look at how well this tour has sold. From my point of view, I would love to play more shows in Canada.

ABORT: Thanks for your time Gary.

You can catch Gary Numan live for the following dates :

Sun 10/31 Seattle, WA Neumos

Mon 11/1 Portland, OR Roseland Theatre

Tue 11/2 San Francisco, CA Fillmore

Wed 11/3 Los Angeles, CA El Rey

Thu 11/4 Los Angeles, CA El Rey

For more tour dates and info go to:

numan.co.uk

By E.S. Day

WANT MORE EXCLUSIVES? CLICK HERE

Copyright © 2004-2010 ABORT Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of this publication, in whole or in part, in any form or medium without express written permission from Abort Media Publishing Corporation (AMP Corp.) is prohibited. All use is subject to our Terms of Use.

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EXCLUSIVE: 21 and Under With…HELLYEAH

October 9th, 2010 Filed under: 21 & Under With..., Exclusive! by Editor in Chief

(Photo – Dustin Wood)

It’s been a long couple of years for fans since Hellyeah’s first self titled album hit stores, but at long last the wait is over. Fresh off the release of their newest studio album, Stampede, the Hellyeah crew is running wild all over North America supporting Disturbed on this year’s Rockstar Uproar Festival. Guitarists Tom Maxwell and Greg Tribbett take a moment before the Vancouver show to sit and Talk with ABORT Magazine’s Matt Snow about the new album, life and “The Cowboy Way”.

Matt Snow: So I’m here with Tom and Greg from Hellyeah. How you guys doing today?

Tom Maxwell: Doin’ very well thank you.

ABORT: Awesome, Awesome. So just going to start off talking about the new album; Stampede. It’s great. Now since your first release, self titled in 2007, it seems like you’re getting a more defined kind of heavier sound going. Was this a real plan or was this just the way the song writing progressed having been with the guys for a while now.

Greg Tribbett: No I think it’s from us playing together you know. Even from the first record. To get back together. It was easier to come together and this record kind of, you know, Stampede is where basically the first record left off. We just kind of continued it. I mean, and the production is better on this record. You know, we did it a Vinnie’s (Drummer Vinne Paul) house. We had different guitar rigs set up you know, we just took a lot more time on this record feelinit, production wise. Otherwise the recording process was pretty simple man.

Tom: Pretty Simple man. A lot more organic because we did record at Vinnie’s house, but over to dime’s (Dimebag Darrell) house, took us about 25 minutes to get there, gotta get motivated to go, once you get there, you gotta get motivated to get started ya know what I mean? This was a bit more like ya wake up, eat, drink, go.

ABORT and just start jamming? Cool, that’s awesome. a great way to do it. Now one of the big tunes on this album is Cowboy way; I mean this seems like more than a song it’s like a real philosophy with the band right? How has this developed over the years? Where did this start and how does it pertain to yourself as artists?

Tom: Whatta ya mean like the mentality?

ABORT:Yeah it seems like more of a philosophy for the band.

Tom: I think it’s just a Friday night every night mentality. Like we don’t give a fuck ya know. Like Chad (Gray, Hellyeah vocalist) says it’s like we do this every day. Call us alcoholics, call us fucking white trash mother fuckers and he’s like you know I’m ok with that. It’s the cowboy fucking way

ABORT It’s just fun?

Tom: It’s just fun.

Gregg: ya, it’s fun. We’re just doin what we’re doing. And nobody gives a fuck. We’re just out to party, have a good time with our fans, put on a good show, rock our records and get visible.

Tom: we do this for ourselves. Know what I mean. I mean obviously the fans are, that’s what makes you, but you gotta be happy first.

ABORT: Exactly, and that’s awesome. Now, this is one I wanted to get on a little bit. You’ve all got your own projects and you’ve all got your own defined sounds. When you get in Hellyeah, there are certain things that are really just Hellyeah, but there are lots of things that ring true for the musicians that you were before. Is this something you’re really trying to preserve, you’re trying to keep those unique features or is it just Hellyeah.

Tom: I think it’s who we are. You know we can’t really shapeshift. I mean this band is, it does have its identity. It does have that sound, but we can’t really change the way that we are as guitar players. You kinda pull the harness back and do what’s appropriate for what we’re din, but we’re still gonna bring out the same nuances that we developed over the years and carried with us.

ABORT a chance to spread your wings in a different musical environment?

Tom: It’s like a football player shifting teams, know what I mean? It’s a different team, the plays are different, but it’s st:ill that guy. He’s still got his star quality about him. Know what I mean?

ABORT: Now this one is about the show here now. There’s a real eclectic mix of metal that’s being offered here today. How does being part of a larger festival compare to when you went out with Korn and a smaller group of bands. How does that compare to the all day nine band kind of thing?

Gregg: Well that’s the thing. It’s all day. (laughs) It’s all day, all night you know. Going out with Korn, it was us, I think it was just two bands going out with korn..

Tom: Five Finger (Five finger death punch)

Gregg: and that didn’t start till 7 o clock. This starts at 3 o clock in the afternoon sometimes. You know so, it’s an all day festival. Especially out with this lineup, this is a pretty big lineup to be out with. Disturbed, Avenged (Sevenfold), stone sour. Plus everybody’s got new records out, new music out, so it’s a good tour man.

Tom: Plus everybody on tour has got a single on radio. You know, it’s not like bands that are unheard off. Every band on the jagermeister stage, the second stage and they’ve got a single on the radio. So it’s pretty cool man.

ABORT: Awesome! And it is a huge lineup and it’s really nice that everyone has a brand new album that they’re pushing. It’s really bringing people out.

Tom: Yeah

Gregg: Totally

ABORT: Quick question about touring. Has there been any bands that you’ve been listening to lately or you met that you really want to go on the road with?

Tom: I really like Lamb of God a lot, you know, I’d love to do some shows with those guys. We’re gonna be doinit with avenged and stone sour next month when we get off of this tour. We’re gointo Japan, U.K. and Europe with those guys. That’s a very powerful line up right there.

Gregg: Mastodon

Tom: Mastodon definitely.

Gregg: We just seen those guys in Atlanta. We’re good friends with those guys. They’re a great band

ABORT: Yeah, they just came through and they were awesome

Tom: yeah, it was ridiculous

ABORT: Cool. I’m sure you hear this all the time, but there’s a lot of what people are calling super groups, and I know that’s a terrible moniker. So you guys are really out to define yourselves as Hellyeah. Do you find that there’s any pressure to push the fact that you’re all from these big bands, or are you just running on your own steam flat out?

Tom: We just run on our own man. This band holds it’s own ground. Even from the very first show we ever played. People were there to see Hellyeah. There was no chance for Nothingface, Mudvayne or Pantera. It was Hellyeah from the beginning and it’s been that way and we’re very thankful for that cause a lot of bands do break off and do other projects and stuff like that and people wanna hear some of their older catalogue you know, but not with us. We’re really fortunate about that. People come to see Hellyeah

ABORT: That’s awesome, always a great party wherever you go right?

Gregg: Oh yeah. And like that super group saying. We just got tagged it.

ABORT: There’s a name for everything.

Gregg; Right.

Tom: Like Vinnie says, we’re like the world’s biggest garage band!.

ABORT: That’s a great way of putting it. Are there any other ventures that you guys are doing, like clothing lines, I know Vinnie has got his cookbook coming out I hear and stuff like this. Is there anything you guys are doing outside of music that is getting on the go?

Tom: There’s lot’s of branding stuff we’re gonna do. It’d be nice to do the Hell yeah bar and grill barbeque

Gregg: The Hell yeah beer.

Tom: Hell yeah beer, hot sauces and barbeque sauces. Hell yeah strip clubs.

ABORT: Vince’s got one already eh? And you got your pole rider song on the album kinda heating that up too.

Tom: Well “Pole Rider” is one of the songs (laughs)

ABORT: and it’s a great one too. So a little question in closing. If you weren’t in Hell yeah, what would you be don?

Tom: in a restaurant cookin’ probably.

Gregg: Fishing.

ABORT: fishin’.

Gregg: ya know I’d be on bass masters.

(all laugh)

Tom: I could see myself doing it. I’m more of a crabber. I live in Chesapeake bay Maryland.

Gregg: tonnes of crabs.

Tom: I love crabs. I got tons of crabs !

(laughs)

ABORT: So that’s it, we got the mighty Hell yeah on tour now. Their latest Epic/Sony release “Stampede” is in stores now and on iTunes, so go do yourselves a favour and grab a copy. By the way, where’s the best place to find you guys on the web?

Tom: well obviously you got the hellyeahband.com and the myspace, which is MySpace/hellyeah1.com I think and the Facebook page which is the mass social network. I stay away from all that social networking stuff.

ABORT: it’s tangy at best. Well thanks very much for your time guys, have a great rest of your tour. I appreciate it.

HellYeah’s Stampede Is In Stores Now

hellyeahband.com

By Matt Snow

WANT MORE EXCLUSIVES? CLICK HERE

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EXCLUSIVE: APOCALYPTICA – The ABORT Interview

August 15th, 2010 Filed under: 21 & Under With..., Exclusive! by Editor in Chief

(Photo – Ralf Strathmann)

Three years after the release of their highly successful Worlds Collide, Finnish metal band Apocalyptica are back with their latest full length album 7th Symphony. Known for their groundbreaking use of the cello in a metal music context, Apocalyptica have been steadily pushing the boundaries of both classical composition and thrash music. Cellist Perttu Kivilaasko speaks with ABORT’s Alxs Ness about the artwork and musical direction of the new album, the dynamics of collaboration and the effects of the band’s recent success.

Alxs Ness: So you guys are set to release 7th Symphony August 23rd. Now the album cover seems to be an adaptation from the Worlds Collide and Reflections album covers. Can you tell us a little bit about the concept behind this one?

Perttu Kivilaasko: All the artwork and things, pictures… we were thinking that they have to have a connection with the music. I think all the colors; they come basically from how the music is telling something for us. In the album cover work we have always had the feeling of a cello and bringing the cello in the picture in a little twisted way. Like in Reflections the picture was some meteor or whatever hit the earth making the cello shape. Worlds Collide introduced this strange cello creature and actually this time the creature turned out to be a woman or something like this ghost creature thing… something which I don’t know what it is (laughs) but cool and beautiful creature anyhow. This time we wanted to have the feeling of our album artwork in the videos and basically this cello-thingy-girl from our album cover is the main character of the videos and the videos are connected to each other so they are telling basically a continuous story and it’s something like evolution of this creature.

ABORT: Definitely in the “I Don’t Care” video as well, when the women turn into cellos… that seems to be the recurring theme.

PK: Yeah because of course it has been clear always that the way how you keep the cello, how you play it and tender it, caress it, it’s kind of like a relation and feels like a woman. Of course we are treating our instruments in our live concerts pretty badly and that’s not the way to treat a woman. But that’s a different story of course. (Laughs)

ABORT: Can you tell us a little bit about your collaboration with Joe Duplantier from Gojira for the “Bring Them to Light” track?

PK: “Bring Them to Light” was already actually composed 4 years ago and we were considering the track to Worlds Collide already but when we had all the other Worlds Collide songs we didn’t find that it would fit into that combination. But this time our process was interesting because it was changing all the time and we were not actually satisfied for many of the songs, what we still had last year. Then very late, we got in such strong songs that determined the entire thing, that turned out to be maybe stronger and more pure album and in this new picture, what we got last year, December, it felt clear that this is the right time to bring Joe in because we wanted to still boost the harder side of the album. We are so happy with Joe’s work because he’s so cool: cool vocalist in his own style and absolutely one of the greatest voices on powerful thrash music. It is my favourite track on the album, at least at the moment.

ABORT: I gotta ask, you’ve just released the “Making of” video for the “End of Me” music video, can we expect any corset-girl lap dance sequence like we saw in the video for “I Don’t Care”?

PK: Um no, there is no lap dances unfortunately.

ABORT: Not this time, no?

PK: No, at least they didn’t end up into that. We gave all lap dances to each other. Mikko was dancing up on Paavo.

ABORT: That’s great. Well maybe you can have a blooper video for the fans to catch that.

PK: Like XXX video.

ABORT: That’s funny. It’s safe to say that Worlds Collide was your breakthrough album at least as far as North America is concerned; did you guys find that the sudden success of the album changed anything for you?

PK: Of course it changed, at least it opened the market for us and now we have a great possibility to visit the US more often and we have this already growing fan base in there. This summer we already played a couple festivals there, having cool slots in front of big audiences and its just amazing because we are of course from out of nowhere, a little country far-east, a surprisingly small country and it just feels so cool to be in the USA, what is of course the most difficult place to have a footstep when you come from such a place like Finland. Now we have this possibility to have the releases there, we see that there is a lot of similar minded people who like the same kind of music that we do. It’s just of course an incredible chance and we are really thankful for it and USA already is like our biggest market in record sales for us.

APOCALYPTICA’s 7th Symphony is in stores August 23rd

READ THE ENTIRE INTERVIEW IN THE NEXT ISSUE OF ABORT

apocalyptica.com

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EXCLUSIVE: 21 and Under With…Katatonia

August 8th, 2010 Filed under: 21 & Under With..., Exclusive! by Editor in Chief

Katatonia is a truly amazing Swedish doom/progressive/depressive-rock band, which are probably one of the few (if not the only) in the genre to have memorable albums that do stand apart and singles that are equally as good or better. Their transition from death-doom in the early days to an arcane alchemical substance that thousands adore and love is unique and even though the trend in the genre isn’t unheard of, Katatonia does it their own mind-grabbing way. Their last album Night is The New Day and the following single and EP “The Longest Year” is another step in their evolution and a surprising jump in popularity.

Jonas P. Renkse, the founder and the unmistakable front-man of Katatonia was kind enough to find time during their world tour to talk to ABORT Magazine’s European correspondent Arceon, about the departure of Norman brothers, the collaboration with Long Distance Calling and the deep dark forest of the human soul.

Arceon: First of all, congratulations on the new album and more recently, you brilliant new EP! It’s been four years since The Great Cold Distance”. What does it feel like to be back with new releases yet again?

Jonas Renske: It feels just great. Finally we can add new songs live which is a spark for us. The reception to the new album has been nothing but fantastic so it’s all good.

ABORT: What’s the concept of the album? What is the embedded philosophy in it? Bleak outlook on the future?

J.R.: Kind of, yeah. It’s not a concept album but many of the songs have a red thread going through them. Life and future at its bleakest.

ABORT: It seem that this year you have the biggest tour in the history of the band. Shows are sold-out. How do you deal with all this action and popularity? Aren’t you afraid of becoming a trendy band?

J.R.: For me it’s an achievement. To be able to expand the fan-base without compromising with the sound of the band, that’s the way it should be. I think the new album is even a little more difficult to get into compared to the previous album, so I’m not afraid to become “trendy” at all. We will keep doing the same kind of music despite what’s “hot” at the moment.

ABORT: True fans have undoubtedly noticed your compelling collaboration with Long Distance Calling. Was it interesting to work with a post-rock band? How did you decide to take them touring with you?

J.R.: It was interesting to do it because they are an instrumental band, I’d say. I had to take that into consideration. I wanted the vocals to add another dimension but still let their own music to be the main ingredient. I didn’t want to overdo it just because I had the chance. Yes, Jan (their bass player) told me they were interested in the support slot and since I know him from before, and they are a great band it was an easy choice for us to bring them along.

ABORT: Are you planning to visit countries, where you’ve never been before on this tour? Is there anything special that Katatonia and you personally do when you are playing somewhere for the first time?

J.R.: We played a couple of places that we hadn’t played before, like Israel. It’s always extra fun (and sometimes it makes me nervous) because you don’t know what to expect from the audience. We also try to have an extra look around when we come to anew country, try some local beer and those kind of things.

ABORT: What do you attribute to your relatively mainstream success? In an interview you mentioned that you are number one on your label. Is the promotion that good?

J.R.: Peaceville is doing great work for us . I think they have seen the full capacity of the band now and we are very happy with how things a proceeding. As I said before, mainstream success is not a priority for us, but expanding the fanbase is. I am very humble and feel grateful when I see more people show up at our gigs. It’s what makes it worthwhile these days.

ABORT: There are many new web goodies from Katatonia: new site, polls, commentaries, notes on Facebook, tour blog. Who’s doing all this? Why did you decide to communicate more with fans?

J.R.: Today, I think people expect you to be more in touch with the fans, as there are loads of more mediums to use to reach out. I think it might take away some of the mysteriousness a band/artist could have back in the day. But it also feels good to be able to give fast and reliable information about anything happening with the band.

ABORT: Considering the fact that the Norrman brothers left the band, will it affect your future records and if yes, how?

J.R.: We will have to wait and see. Musically, I’m not sure that people will be able to hear it, but on a personal level it’s going to feel as weird being in the studio without them as it was in the beginning of the tour. They have been members for such a long time, they were expected to be there, but they weren’t. It felt kind of bleak at times.

ABORT: Why is Anders Nystrom a more frequent interview partaker? It also looks like he’s the only one overseeing the tour blog. Does he have more free time or is he just more communicative?

J.R.: He really likes to interact and he also is the person in the band with all the accurate info. He’s just that kind of person. Myself, I am more withdrawn I guess.

ABORT: I see Katatonia fans sitting in complete solitude in the darkness, listening to your music in moments when it seems that night will never end and the day will never come and nothing can save them. Do you have a message for these people? What would you like to say to them?

J.R.: I hope our music can be a good companion in those times. It is made that way.

katatonia.com

peaceville.com

By Arceon

WANT MORE EXCLUSIVES? CLICK HERE

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EXCLUSIVE: AFRO PUNK – The Movement, Pt. 1: FISHBONE’S Norwood Fisher

May 27th, 2010 Filed under: 21 & Under With..., Exclusive! by Editor in Chief

(Photo - Sarah Hamilton)

Ska has always taken a back seat on the charts in the past 2 decades, this by no means is a sign of its tombstone being engraved. In this installment of our Afro Punk feature, we speak with one of the more modern kings of ska-core: Fishbone.

With a rich history that saw the band release a bevy of studio albums and a current live DVD/CD combo, this California based troupe of “ska-lacious” originators are bigger, bolder and have funk-freaks worldwide 2-stepping all over the dance floor…and in the mosh pit.

Bassist Norwood Fisher caught up with ABORT Magazine’s E.S. Day for their 2nd encounter to get some updates and his views on the Afro Punk movement, the band’s love of Vancouver and more.

E.S. Day : Scott Day here for ABORT Magazine, We are here on the phone with legendary bass player, songwriter, Mr. John Norwood Fisher of Fishbone. How are you sir?

John Norwood Fisher: I’m having a great day today.

ABORT: Is it a good day in L.A.?

JNF: Yeah man, its a good day in L.A..

ABORT: Sunny?

JNF: Weather’s nice.

ABORT: Good, good. Everything’s lovely? (laughs) It would be lovelier if I get on with the fucking questions and get this interview over right?

JNF: (laughs)

ABORT: Ok, sure enough. Now this tour, you did recently with he English Beat sees obviously both ska influence bands. English Beat more of ah…defiantly a ska band in that light of…they stray from the heavy stuff like Fishbone. How did that tour come together and what this is all about?

JNF: (Laughs) I’m with you though. We did a festival with The English Beat, ‘Reggae On The Rocks’ in Denver Colorado. Actually David and I sat down in an airport on the way to the show and we started having a really good conversation and we actually, I think we sat next to each other on the way to the festival on the plane. It was in those conversations; Dave actually brought it to my light. He was like, “hey maybe we should do a package tour” and I’m like ‘you ain’t got to say that twice’. Ya know, when it comes down to it, The English Beat was one of the very first ska bands that I ever heard. It was The English Beat and The Selector.

ABORT: The Selector, I was gonna say The Selector and The Specials all that. Yes, for sure.

JNF: Yeah, yeah, I mean I heard The Specials not too long after that, but it was really the first ska that I knew and recognized. It was The English Beat and The Selector dude. You know, I’m a, bottom line and I’m like “Fuck yeah dude let’s ride.”

ABORT: Yeah for sure. Yes defiantly. So that was a no-brainer there.

JNF: Yeah buddy.

ABORT: The tour started in Texas, so you were in barbecue country. I wish I had been but I’m not allowed in the States, ironically. So next time have some ribs for me if you’re a meat eater.

JNF: I do not eat meat man.

ABORT: Shit, shit. Alright well fuck it then. (Laughs) Well have some sauce for me, or something, have a veggie. Veggie sandwich with some real Texas barbecue sauce.

JNF: I never cared for barbecue sauce, I’ll tell you about it. (Laughs)

ABORT: Ok, alright. Is there going to be any Canadian dates coming up for Fishbone? Namely, Vancouver. Since this interview Fishbone have announced their headlining appearnce at the Skafest in Victoria

JNF: I’m not very sure of that. I think we’re gonna end it there, but my first conversation, like I’m probably, I’m gonna let a few shows go by man. Like Dave dude. You know, Canada. The United States but you know. Maybe pick it up later in a year, maybe when the weather’s better. I dunno.

ABORT: See what happens, ok. Our weather’s not bad right now; I mean we still had no snow this winter so it’s pretty good.

JNF: Really?

ABORT: Nothing. Nothing at all. Not even a speck. Not even a light dusting of snow. Nothing so, yeah which is weird for the winter Olympics that came here. Ironically, I dunno. Where they gonna get the fucking snow, but anyway. Most of its up in the mountains anyway but…. Uh, the reason I was asking is because, when I interviewed you a couple of years ago actually. You and Angelo, upstairs at the Plaza Club. You had just released ‘Still Stuck In Your Throat’ and we had a quick chat there. Angelo was selling his comic book or his book or something. We had a chat up there, he was giving me the stink eye, cause I asked some questions he didn’t like and he scared the bejesus out of me. So… (laughs)

JNF: (Laughs)

ABORT: We haven’t spoken since. The reason, I was also thinking about Vancouver is one of my questions. Maybe explain to some of our readers, your connection with Vancouver and some of its musicians? Your name is well known around town and I think a lot of people are not aware of that. At least in the States. You know, you’ve worked with Mr. Plow I believe and some other artists. What is it about Vancouver that keeps bringing you back?

JNF: Well ya know, it used to be the beer.

ABORT: Yeah of course, and the weed.

JNF: Ya know, I don’t drink anymore and I don’t smoke anymore. (laughs) You know what, it’s a beautiful town. The women are beautiful. It’s a fun place to party. I might not smoke or drink, but I still like to get out. Enjoy some nightlife.

ABORT: Live music, lots of live music here, yeah.

JNF: Yeah. It’s a place; we’ve been coming to Vancouver for like a good portion of these 25 years.

ABORT: That’s the thing; you have such a strong fan base here and a devout following. That’s why I was curious if there going to be any Vancouver dates. By the way, speaking of ‘Still Stuck In Your Throat’, since then you guys did the CD/DVD combo Live in Bordeaux. What’s next for you as far as a studio album? Two-part question. Drop a dime on the Fishbone documentary ‘Everyday Sunshine’, tentatively titled?

JNF: Right, right. Well look, we have ‘Live in Bordeaux’. That was really awesome and exciting adventure. Ya know, we threw an awesome tour of Atlanta to the filming of that show. It captured the excitement the Bordeaux audience, fan relationship we have the French there. It was pretty awesome. Then we have the documentary ‘Everyday Sunshine’ which actually Monday we’ll start the score and try to get it wrapped up and ready for south by Southwest. I don’t know the whole procedure to the release thing, but it’ll be out sure it’ll be available very shortly for people to see.

READ THE ENTIRE INTERVIEW IN ISSUE 16 OF ABORT Magazine (Due sometime in the next 5 years)

fishbone.net

By E.S. Day

Transcribed by Jonathan Parsons

CHECK BACK FOR MORE AFROPUNK Interviews featuring AfroPunk Founder and documentary filmmaker James Spooner and we speak with Brooklyn’s newest hardcore act Game Rebellion. All of this and more, as we lead up to this year’s Afropunk Festival feat. Bad Brians and more!

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MADE IN CANADA: CANCER BATS – The ABORT Interview (Issue 16 Preview)

March 10th, 2010 Filed under: 21 & Under With..., Exclusive!, Made In Canada by Editor in Chief

(Click to enlarge | Photo – Sarah Hamilton)

Toronto-based hardcore outfit Cancer Bats are back this month with their new album Bears, Mayors, Scraps & Bones, new video, new tours and continue to break down the genre barriers that separate heavy music as a whole. Hardcore, punk and metal are all combined to give this band a nasty yet uplifting and vibrant take on a scene that has been dominated by radio-friendly, label-crafted fluff acts who look better than they sound. Not these guys, ugly as fuck and an even meaner stage presence, these gents possess the chops and songwriting skills to make Canada proud to be diagnosed with this terminal Rock & Roll disease.

ABORT Magazine’s Karla “Khaos” McLeod went one on one with vocalist Liam Cormier in a needle-littered alley on Vancouver’s notorious Downtown Eastside, for a quick update on the band’s current tour, their new album and why they chose to cover a classic Beastie Boys track.

Karla “Khaos” McLeod: You just finished playing on a US tour with Anti-Flag and Aiden. Now you are beginning your tour across Canada with Billy Talent, Alexisonfire and Against Me and after that you begin a tour in the UK. Do you find that the UK audience is more receptive compared to a more laid back Canadian audience?

Liam Cormier: Uh…I find I would actually say that the UK and Canada are very similar in terms of a gnarly, crazy crowd. Um, if anything, the United States is a little bit more subdued, in some areas because they see so many shows.

ABORT: Exactly.

Liam: You know, when you go to a small town like in Canada, it’s like, kids are going off, but we don’t have too many of those cities like Toronto, Montreal, maybe Vancouver, where they get a lot of shows and they get off you know. They almost get too many shows that they’re not excited anymore. Where as the US still has that to, you go to Montana and the kids are stoked, you know? you go to small town Ohio and kids are stoked, but so I guess that’s universal.

ABORT: You recorded the album Bears, Mayors, Scraps & Bones at Vespa Studios and worked alongside producers Eric Ratz and Kenny Luong (Billy Talent). How much of a role did you and the band play in the production of this album considering Billy Talent’s sound is little more pop-radio friendly?

Liam: Well I mean that’s the thing. It all depends on what band it is that they’re working on, like they’ve done you know, Three Days Grace and stuff like that. They’re all over the place, but I think they’re all old school metal fans. They come from listening to Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath and stuff like that, so for them, they’re just as stoked to be working on something heavy like us. But, I think it’s cool to have tons of different vibes like that in the mix, they appreciate what makes – you know, like a rad record, like you know Billy Talent and what tricks they use on that and that kind of production and it’s not just making a straight-forward hardcore record or a metal record or you know what I mean? So it’s not like, I find a lot times you just want to make something that’s close to your peers where we these two guys that aren’t even involved in hardcore or aren’t even involved in any of that stuff where they’re thinking completely outside of the box.

ABORT: They’re just trying to make a good album.

Liam: Yeah, exactly. They just wanna make it sound amazing. That’s all they care about, so, it’s definitely awesome working with those dudes.

ABORT: I really enjoy the production quality of the album. The album comes off sounding not too overproduced and raw. Overall it has a very live feeling to it. Can you tell me a bit about the recording process you went through and was it a “less is more” attitude?

Liam: Um, yeah, I mean definitely the live aspect was what we wanted to go for with this album for sure.

ABORT: You got it!

Liam: Yeah, thank you. Uh, it took a lot of work. It was basically like our reaction to you know, a lot of over produced things or realizing how like, easy it is to make up for mistakes in the studio, but for us we pride ourselves on being a live band and how much we tour. We want this record to represent exactly what people are going to come see, so for us when we’re writing the songs we were just rehearsing and practicing and jamming and you know what I mean?, just playing it over and over and over and over again, so we could do these full passes and we could play you know, essentially like a live band. With a recording, it doesn’t work exactly like that. You still need to have almost like; cleaner channels for guitar so you can get that crunch, but it’s like while Mike was playing drums, we were all playing along with him. I was doing vocal takes while Mike was like doing his drum tracks, so he had the live feeling while he’s doing his drums to keep that energy there.

READ THE ENTIRE INTERVIEW IN ISSUE 16 OF ABORT MAGAZINE – SPRING, 2010

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For tour dates and more visit:

myspace.com/cancerbats

cancerbats.com

By Karla “Khaos” McLeod

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EXCLUSIVE: BEHIND THE BOARDS – Mike Fraser (Issue 15 Preview)

February 21st, 2010 Filed under: 21 & Under With..., Exclusive!, Made In Canada by Editor in Chief

(Photo – Scott Alexander)

Mixmaster Mike. No, not the Beastie Boys DJ, but another type of audio technician, the kind that helps turn songs into hits. Known for his extensive work with rock icons AC/DC, Aerosmith, Metallica and a slew of others, Mixer, Producer and Engineer Mike Fraser has set the standard for making the “Classic Rock & Roll Album”. We sat down with Mike at the one and only Warehouse Studios in Downtown Vancouver to discuss his latest work, including the Iron Man 2 Soundtrack, his thoughts on the future of Aerosmith and some of AC/DC’s studio habits. Below is an excerpt from the upcoming feature.

ABORT: E.S. Day here for ABORT Magazine, it’s another episode of Behind The Boards, this time we are here with legendary producer, engineer, mixer, and jack of all studio trades, Mr. Mike Fraser. How are you today?

MIKE FRASER: I am doing great, thank you for asking.

ABORT: Perfect. We are going to get right into it, your current projects, and what’s your involvement with the upcoming ‘Iron Man 2’ soundtrack what is on tap for Mike Fraser in 2010?

MF: We will be doing some new AC/DC stuff. They recently did a big show down in South America, Buenos Aires to a giant crowd and it was amazing.

ABORT: South America loves AC/DC, major crowds every time!

MF: The amazing thing, and what was really cool, is that they are so into the music, that they actually sing along to the guitar chords! (Both laugh) Not just the chorus like we do up here in North America. It is just an amazing experience, 80,000+ people shouting out their lyrics. So there will be a live DVD coming up at some point.

ABORT: Awesome. Will you be producing or mixing that one?

MF: I recorded and mixed it.

ABORT: What was your involvement with the upcoming ‘Iron Man 2’ soundtrack, which has yet to be released.

MF: Iron Man 2 is almost like an AC/DC greatest hits package, which they never do. So it kind of cool, something new for them, bunch of the old, spanning right back from 1974, the beginning, all the way up to 1999 or something.

ABORT: Is there going to be any unreleased tracks, some new, or some bonus material? Or maybe some Mike Fraser remixes of a classic track?

MF: I remixed some of it, sure, since we had to separate some vocals off the original mixes so they can weave it in and out of the movie. I haven’t seen what they did with it yet, but its all just old material, there’s no bonus.

ABORT: The initial thing I saw, was “Shoot To Thrill”, has that song been changed around sound wise?

MF: No, that’s the original. I did mix one of the songs, “Highway to Hell” I believe, off the Buenos Aires show, so a live mix for the promo stuff at least, I’m not sure if its actually in the movie or not.

ABORT: We’re going to move from the big-boys to the little ones for a moment. A two part question. Any current up-and-coming unsigned acts you are working on/with? And, can indie bands, hire the illustrious Mike Fraser, or is this a closed door industry still, where, you know, its only the big guns that get taken on?

MF: It’s not closed door, I’ve got my website going, mikefrasermix.com, and its an open door. Anyone who can reach me, and contact me, I am open to all, and everything.

ABORT: Are you looking at bands that might have a smaller budget? Band members living with Mom, or working at Burger King, a few guys who have honed their craft, can they approach you with a small budget?

MF: For sure, I try to make it work. One of the stumbling blocks is I do a lot of work here at the Warehouse, and I don’t get deals, so there is that hard cost, but my personal rate goes up and down, you know, for these small and upcoming bands, I’ll work on a good rate for them without killing them, but I pepper them in between the bigger gigs, I have to make a living to, so when it quiets down, I can fit some of these smaller projects in. It all comes down to how busy I have been, but for sure I get them in there.

READ THE ENTIRE INTERVIEW WITH MIKE FRASER IN ISSUE 15

MikeFraserMix.com

warehousestudio.com

By E.S. Day

Special Thanks to Scott Alexander

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EXCLUSIVE: 21 & Under With…Angela Marie MacDougall of BWSS

February 14th, 2010 Filed under: 21 & Under With..., Exclusive!, Made In Canada, Tales From The Eastside™ by Editor in Chief

(Photo - Scott Alexander | ObsidianFoxPhotography.com)

The annual Downtown Eastside Memorial Women’s March commemorates the many women lost to the streets of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. In a neighborhood marred by rampant drug use and dangerous sex trade, but also held together by a strong sense of community and identity, the March has allowed the families and friends of the lost to grieve, mourn, and get the message out to the larger masses that all is not well here in “the best place on earth”, and that these women are neither faceless nor forgotten. ABORT Magazine’s Dave”Corvid”McCallum sat with planning committee member Angela Marie MacDougall to speak on the march, the conditions, and the solutions to the problems of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

David McCallum: I’m here with Angela MacDougall of Battered Women Support Services talking about the Women’s Memorial March. Can you introduce yourself and talk about your role in BWSS?

Angela: My name is Angela Marie MacDougall and I’m in the role of Executive Director at Battered Women Support Services and sit on the planning committee for the 19th Annual Feb.14th Memorial March. The memorial march planning committee consists of women from the Downtown Eastside as well as women from other community organizations and individuals and we don’t represent any particular organization on that planning committee. Rather, we do the work of organizing the march for the community.

D: Can you talk about the march itself and how long it’s been around and what it represents etc.?

A: This is the 19th year. In 1991 a woman was found murdered and dismembered in the Downtown Eastside and her family at that time conducted a ceremony at each location where her body parts were found. And the ceremony- I wasn’t at the ceremony- but it was to honor and memorialize and it was to grieve her loss. At the request of the family we no longer say her name but the Women’s Memorial March started on that day. And what I understand is that Feb.14th was chosen as the day because as Valentine’s Day, it was a day of love, and it’s a day of particular significance for women in that it’s a way to show love to women primarily. So that’s my understanding. So for the last 19 years the march has been held and I have been on the planning committee since 1995. Each year we come together between 10 and 30 women to plan the march.

D: In the 19 years since the march started, a lot has gone on in the Downtown Eastside and this issue isn’t something- it’s really difficult to talk about honestly- but this issue hasn’t gone away. The Pickton trial, that’s wrapped up now but that’s just last year. Since the march has began, how has it grown to deal with this issue as an ongoing problem in the community where women are disappearing all the time in the Downtown Eastside? It seems the majority of missing women are of First Nations. So can you talk about what is going on and how it affects the march, the Pickton trial etc.?

A: Good question. The march after the original ceremony continued as a way to honor and to memorialize women. There was critical component early on and that was that part of the march- the procession- takes us to the Police Station at 222 Main Street. And at that time in early 90’s the police were not investigating disappearances and murders at all. So each year we would go to 222 Main Street and people would speak there and would essentially ask the police to do their job and to recognize that women were being murdered and were going missing.

Now fast-forward, what we have now is a situation where in general, some missing women are being investigated, in general there have been some investigations of murders. And we’ve had as you noted, a very high-profile arrest and conviction. And that arrest and conviction was important. We’ve had other issues as well, but they were important because they were acknowledged and it was some measure of justice for the murders and disappearances. In lots of ways it took away attention and resources and it continues to take away resources. It took away attention from women who had been found murdered prior and now post.

So why we see that women go missing, why are women getting murdered, why is there a disproportionate number of indigenous women represented among the missing and murdered? I think we can look very much at the making of this Nation for us to understand that violence against indigenous women was at the heart of the making of this Nation. And the dismantling of indigenous cultures and the dismantling of indigenous ways through that process was also a relegation of indigenous women from leadership and from where indigenous women had public roles and were a central part of the communities. Prior to colonization the very process and ideology and practice of colonization dismantled that and relegated indigenous women to the very bottom of our social structure where the process of colonization relegated women less than men in general.

So that affects everything. The police were established in a lot of ways to move indigenous peoples off their land, so the lack of investigations that we saw of indigenous women being murdered and disappearing very much goes back to the making of the nation and with law enforcement here in Canada. The factors of urbanization of people and subsequent poverty and residential schools and the effects of residential schools – all that speaks to why we see indigenous women represented. Violence against women is one of most pressing issues of our time. Right now the statistics that we see through our work at BWSS that we’ve assessed, and this is confirmed by the Provincial Government, that 1 in 3 women experiences abuse as affected by violence. And women represent 52 percent of our population and so a third of us are dealing with violence. And that grinds down in a big way and becomes very… concentrated when we’re talking about women in the Downtown Eastside where women are incredibly vulnerable to violence and that violence is rampant. And murders and disappearances are then the consequences.

D: So it takes place Feb.14 and the Olympics start on Feb.12. Concurrent with the Olympics people have organized and postered for a large anti-Olympic convergence which has gone beyond that to an anti-Colonial anti-Capitalist convergence with the focus on indigenous sovereignty with the slogan ‘No Olympics on stolen Native land.’ With 95 percent of BC being ceded land being on sovereign Native territory, do you feel like with the march taking place at the beginning of the Olympics this year and concurrent with this anti-Colonialist rally, does this give you a chance to express this sentiment to a larger audience that is coming here unaware that this is going on? The memorial normally draws so many people usually and yet you have the chance to make your statement to the larger population.

A: You know, this is very difficult and complex because V.A.N.O.C. started very early on and spoke with the elected leaders of the Four Host Nations- Squamish, Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh and Mount Currie, and from V.A.N.O.C.’s perspective it was the very first time that they had ever involved indigenous populations in organizing, agreeing or operating the Olympics on indigenous territory. So that has been controversial because the elected officials and to some extent the hereditary chiefs and officials within the four host nations are in support of the Olympics, and who am I as the descendant of settlers to disagree with them when you know, I’m here- quite frankly- as a visitor, and the Indian Act has given them authority and the Indian Act is the Law of the day. And the Indian Act- you know, I didn’t create it and neither did they and we’re dealing with the legacy of it. So that’s one layer is that I can’t disagree with them and their decision to do that. And the second part is that there are a number of urban- and there’s a lot of dissent within those four host nations of the indigenous populations who don’t agree and are very concerned about the legacy. They don’t agree with their leadership and there’s a large concern about what the legacy of that decision is going to be over the long haul and where those resources are going to and how it will shake down, not only to the people of those Four Nations but also to all the urban indigenous people that are in Vancouver that are without representation, without obvious representation.

So the anti-Olympic organizing, the anti-Colonial organizing – yes, it is going to happen and for me- and I recognize clearly and speak all the time about the fact that you can’t talk about violence against women in this nation now known as Canada without talking about Colonialism.

We’ve been very much focused on the committee in supporting all the sides of this and wanting to support obviously anybody that is against the Olympics. But we’ve been focused very much on the march being about mobilizing women and a place for women to honor women’s lives and grieve for missing and murdered women.

We’ve spoken with the anti-Olympic organizers, and certainly asked them to join us and to respect the intention of the march and we’ve received assurances from them that they would do that.

READ THE ENTIRE INTERVIEW IN ISSUE 15 OF ABORT MAGAZINE- COMING SOON

Educate yourself at BWSS.org

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Rock & Roll Refraction: A Conversation with NEIL ZLOZOWER (ISSUE 15 Preview)

February 7th, 2010 Filed under: 21 & Under With..., Exclusive! by Editor in Chief

(Photo – Neil Zlozower)

Rock & Roll’s most famous photographer Neil Zlozower celebrates the release of his fourth book “Six String Heroes” and once again captures the true essence of Rock & Roll from behind the lens. He took the time to speak with ABORT Magazine’s Photo Editor Scott Alexander to discuss his latest book, how it came together, working with digital vs. film and the possibility of a book dedicated to drummers only. Sweet!

Scott Alexander: We’re with the one and only, legendary rock photographer, Neil Zlozower, fresh off the release of his fourth book, ‘Six String Heroes”. How are you Neil?

Neil Zlozower: Good you’re going to have to talk a little louder, I’m a little deaf! I am the loudest voice in Rock and Roll, you wont have a problem hearing me, I guarantee it. (laughs)

ABORT: (Laughs) Perfect, then we will get right into it, after your first three books, what made you decide to dedicate the pages of your fourth to the guitar? Was there a moment you were looking through your archives of negatives, and just knew ‘Six String heroes’ was next?

NZ: I was sitting here one day with my buddy Steve Vai, and I was showing him of my photos for the “Fuck You” book, and he looked at me, and asks, “why don’t you do a guitar book?” At first I was against it, I don’t want to do you know: Here is Pete Townsend, Steve Vai, here is Zakk Wylde…” Steve goes, Neil, why don’t you pick out 10 or so guitarists that you worked closely with over the years, Eddie Van Halen, me, Satriani and you could focus the book on those guys, and still have a lot of stuff. I liked that idea; I told Steve I would do the book under one condition. I would do the book if he wrote the forward, and he agreed.

We ran the idea past my publisher, Chronicle Books, and they liked the idea. Then, it sort of changed to what I didn’t want in the beginning, to what I didn’t want. We didn’t go into the ten guitarists; it went into a bit of everything. If you like Bonnie Raitt, and you don’t like Slash or Zakk Wylde, you’re not going to buy the book. We tried to put a little of everybody, from Johnny Watson, to B.B. King, and people like that. There are a few people that aren’t in the book that I would have loved to have in there, but didn’t have room for. There are a ton of great players out there, and I have photos of a lot, but there are only so many pages to the book. There were certain people I wanted in the book that got vetoed out by the two other people who had a say in who went in there. There are a few people I personally don’t want in the book, but with a three-person decision, you have to give and take a little.

(I want to know who the “few people” are – Ed)

ABORT: With all these other people you wanted in there, but weren’t able to, it almost leaves you open for a second volume of Six String Heroes?

NZ: I don’t know how I am going to top this one. (laughs) I just had my friend Erik Turner from Warrant call and thank me for putting him in the book. He had been a fan of my photos from back in the Creem and Circus, seeing my name under the photos of his heroes.

ABORT: Are we going to see any new books focusing on other parts of ‘The Band’ Singers, Bassists, Drummers?

NZ: You know, I was thinking about a drummer book, but I don’t know. Thank god, I don’t know how many drummers can actually read, I think they are capable of looking at pictures, but drummers are my favorite people in the world to pick on, but I have another book in progress now, It wont be out for another year or so, and I’m not going to spoil the cake and tell you what it is right now, but I like doing these books. I have been shooting for 41 years, a lot of the work is already done, now its just a matter of me and my art director putting together this new book featuring one guitarist who basically set the standards for all the guitarists this day and age, but he is going to be on board with us to. I’m sure you can guess who it is.

ABORT: I can think of a few people who it might be. Do you view rock photography as an ‘old boys club’ or do you welcome the new generations of photographers who find themselves in front of their favorite bands in “The pit”?

NZ: There are people like me, dinosaurs like me, they’re a thing of the past. Most of the people now, its’ all digital, I know people these days who don’t even know how to use a light meter! I’m not necessarily talking about live photography, but they will go into the studio, take a shot at 1/125 at F11, and they will take a shot, they’ll go wow, this is way too bright and step it down to F16 or F22. They don’t even know how to use a meter to get it right the first time. I grew up in the day, when it’s all film, manual focus, manual everything, and you had to think to get a great photo. Back then when you made a great photo, you SHOT a great photo. Now, there are no more shooting great photos, what you do now is “create an image”, its amazing how many photos where they take heads from different frames, go in and remove bags, and whatever they got to do. I mean, I’m not a fix it in the mix type of guy. I always try and start out with the very best possible photo that I can, and take it from there. Whereas, people these days, people just fix shiny faces, triple chins, and stuff like that in Photoshop. That isn’t the way I like to work when I get hired for jobs, you know?

READ THE ENTIRE INTERVIEW IN ISSUE 15 OF ABORT – OUT SOON!

Zloz.com

chroniclebooks.com

By Scott Alexander

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MADE IN CANADA: MODULOK – The ABORT Interview (ISSUE 15 Preview)

January 18th, 2010 Filed under: 21 & Under With..., Exclusive!, Made In Canada by Editor in Chief

Like the great Russian realists that he studies, Modulok’s lyrics portray a bleak world caught in the middle of a desperate transition of which it is barely aware. At times it may seem like the kind of dystopian future hell rendered by Philip K. Dick, yet on close inspection it is merely the reflection of a cracked, grease-stained mirror held up first to the relentless grind of the T-Dot, then cast forth upon the Old Country cities of Eastern Europe and the density of Babylon’s coal stained heart in the one and only London, UK. In classic style he has cast himself in the role of the angst ridden everyman, eager for drink, women, and combat in a world of warriors, idiots and beautifully dangerous females.

As one third legendary underground apocalypse rap unit Red Ants, Modulok’s morbid flows compliment producer Vincent Price’s cinema noir compositions like Goya paintings, in a husky baritone evoking grim cityscapes and epic wars of conquest within the human soul. Though MC Predaking has been AWOL for years due to incarceration, his presence exists in the unremitting paranoia emanating from their debut “Phobos Deimos” originally written with Preddy in the mix. Further complications have arisen due to the ongoing conflict of personality between Modulok and Price, and the future of the group is uncertain. Whatever may come, their existing catalog merits repeated spins by any Hip Hop head weaned on the Wu and hungry for the lyrics of a tormented genius.

On a crisp November evening in the T-Dot, big Mo laid out the true time-line of the Red Ants over a half dozen pints of Guinness (with a shot of whiskey in ‘em…) at the Regal Beagle to ABORT Magazine’s Dave”Corvid”McCallum. While his on-wax persona seems somber and thuggishly pensive, in person he is calm, clearheaded, soft-spoken and articulate – more literary bookworm than drunken brawler.

Modulok: Red Ants came about basically…I first started rapping in High School in this group called Symbiots, which was me, Predaking and Astral Black. That fell apart, and I went through a few years where I started to kinda question whether I really wanted to be an MC or what it really takes to be an MC, and I was more into graffiti, and I was always a bit introverted and had a hard time with performance. So I was bouncing around a lot, I was kind of a hobo. Then, totally randomly I got an offer to do a bunch of shows in the Czech Republic, so I did it, even though I didn’t know how these cats had heard of me! I had an awesome time, did a massive show in Prague at a squatted abandoned warehouse with three floors…I came back from Europe totally inspired, like I wanted to get serious about music. Predaking was in prison this whole period in Sudbury Penitentiary. The idea for Red Ants came to me in a train station in the Netherlands, in a diner, and the name just came to me while I was writing. I always wrote Predaking in prison, and I told him that when he got out, we should get an apartment together in Toronto and just work on the project. We’d say like “I wanna start a crew that’s like Heltah Skeltah meets Aceyalone meets…or like Non-Phixion but not when they’re cheesy!”, like we’d have these hilarious conversations about how we’d want it to sound. So, I met him the day he got out of prison, I was there waiting for him just like the movies. You know, he’d been there fifteen months and then one day they open the door and he just fucking walks out, with nothing but a bus ticket! It was pouring rain…I said hey man, you wanna get some food, but he was fucked up, he couldn’t even sit in a restaurant. So, we just got on the bus and I told him the project is called Red Ants.

It was freaky how it all worked out, we got the apartment…and we thought we weren’t just gonna have one producer, we thought we’d ger beats from different people we knew. We know Vincent Price through Noah 23 in Guelph, Plague Language kids, and when we started hitting him up for beats, he said “yo, I don’t wanto to just be a part of Red Ants, I want to be your producer and you only rap on my beats”, and we were like “cool”. So that’s how Red Ants was born, me Predaking and Vincent Price.

READ THE ENTIRE INTERVIEW IN ISSUE 15 OF ABORT (Ready when it’s ready)

myspace.com/modulokrap

redantsmusic.com

By Dave “Corvid” McCallum

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EXCLUSIVE: SUICIDAL TENDENCIES – The ABORT Interview (Issue 15 Preview)

January 16th, 2010 Filed under: 21 & Under With..., Exclusive! by Editor in Chief

ABOVE: Suicidal Tendencies in 2010

Suffering from member and label changes, physical damage and constant touring, the current line-up of Venice, California’s legendary Skate/Thrash/Hardcore Kings Suicidal Tendencies are back and heavier than ever. With 2 new albums on the horizon and a slew of tour dates, vocalist Mike Muir spoke with ABORT Magazine’s E.S. Day to give him the lowdown on their new Live DVD and all things Suicidal (and Infectious Grooves) for 2010.

E.S. Day: We are here with legendary vocalist, and singer-songwriter Mike Muir, how are you sir?

MIKE MUIR: Doing really good. Long story short, I’m just sitting at home in Venice, California

ABORT: The first ever DVD “Live at The Olympic Auditorium” is in stores January 26th on Suicidal Records I had a peek at it this morning…fucking brilliant!, truly captures the essence of Suicidal in their purest form, not grainy, choppy, great camera work and well worth the wait. So my first question Mike, what the fuck took so long?

MM: Well, as I said everything is a little bit of a long story, but basically, the Olympic Auditorium, going back in history, was originally built for the Olympics and was the biggest venue in LA at the time, then over the years it has gone into disrepair, to the point that in the early 1980’s, they actually let bands do big punk rock shows, which wasn’t very common. It was a great big building, basically a fortress that could put up with anything. They did a lot of boxing, roller derby, that sort of stuff. Then we got a call, saying ‘They’re selling the Olympic Auditorium, there hasn’t been any shows there for a while, we want you do headline one last show’ which is all good and would have been a no-brainer, but I just had back surgery…

ABORT: Oh fuck!

MM: … We got another call about headlining a festival in Columbia, so we did the festival, headlined to 95,000 people, the week after that, the Olympic show. Two days before, I wake up, and I cant walk. Because of all the stuff going on, we decided to go ahead and do the show, and afterward, I had to have another back surgery.

ABORT: Well you could have fooled me! After watching a raucous version of “Institutionalized”, you’re jumping around like a motherfucker! That must have hurt, because you were going hard!

MM: We had decided to film it, because I noticed that there was a lot of people doing documentaries, writing books, and since I had people asking me about certain things, I would ask them “Where the fuck did you hear that? That is not true” Turns out they read it in some book. It goes back to what I learned a long time ago. Just because something is in a book, doesn’t mean its true. I went through that with the Dog Town, my brother was one of the original Z-Boys, and that whole thing (Lords of Dogtown) caused a lot of controversy because it was one person’s version of what was happening.

(cont.) That’s part of the reason we wanted to film it. Not to go back to 1984, but to basically show a little bit about where suicidal came from, to capture it, and show why we’re still a band

ABORT: You guys are as fresh, and as vibrant as you were back then, and it’s fucking wicked.

MM: Funny story, we were in France, and they had me go to this doctor, who was the national rugby physician, and I walked in, and the guy is not the typical person you would think who knows Suicidal Tendencies, but he looks at me and says, You’re Mike from Suicidal Tendencies! You may not know it from looking at me, but I am a Suicidal fan.

ABORT: No fucking way!

MM: He looked at me right away, and knew I needed surgery, but I had another week of shows. As a doctor, he told me I should jump on a plane, and just head home

ABORT: Drummer Eric Moore is absent from the drum throne, what happened there?

MM: The footage was actually from 2005, so pre-Eric. Back when Suicidal was touring in California, Eric came to the show, he was friends with Steve, asked me what we were doing with Infectious, and if we ever did anything, he wanted to try out. We gave him the call, got him in the band. It was one of those things that was just too obvious. When we went to Europe, I had people coming up to me saying ‘You’re bringing Eric to Suicidal, aren’t you?’ We just did a show at Long Beach arena, we had the drummers from the other bands filming him, going ‘Dude, that guy is insane!’ and I think that is what Suicidal should be.

ABORT: New Suicidal album when and who’s producing?

MM: We haven’t done a record in 10 years, but we have done a lot in that time. We have people coming up to us saying ‘You know, you guys are doing shows, why don’t you put a record out and tour off that?’ That’s not what Suicidal is about. Its not doing it just because you don’t think you will get another chance, I want to get out there and prove we are better than we ever were. So going out there the last two years, we have kind of re-baptized the converted, reminding people why they love Suicidal, get them on the phone after the show calling up their friends. If you don’t have that excitement, there is something wrong. We’re getting that excitement out there, where people are really excited about a new record. We’re kind of putting out the old stuff, clearing the deck, like with the DVD, we’ve got a live CD straight from the board from 1995 when Infectious grew, Robert Trujillo on bass and stuff, something straight off the board that you can say, wow, that was 15 years ago.

With Suicidal, we have two CDs coming out, the one, I call it the Mike Clark record, and I call it that because we got Mike (ST rhythm guitarist) into Suicidal after working with him and the band No Mercy he came in on “How Will I Laugh Tomorrow” after 1987’s “Join the Army”. Half of ‘How will I laugh’ was actually songs for No Mercy. That was another no brainer, like with Eric, why weren’t we using this for Suicidal?

We re-recorded some of the No Mercy and Join the Army songs with Mike Clark, who isn’t on the originally recordings. With him, we take it to a further level, that’s why I call it the Mike Clark record.

And of course, there is the new Suicidal Record coming out at the end of the year, which everyone is always asking, does it sound old, does it sound new, and for me, I think the whole thing with doing a record, is ultimately having people know it’s Suicidal. Suicidal in a sense that its different than what other people are doing. Some people wont like it because of that, but ultimately, I think 15 years from now people will still be listening to it, and saying wow, that was a really fucking crazy record.

“Live At The Olympic Auditorium ” is in stores January 26th, 2010

READ THE ENTIRE INTERVIEW IN ISSUE 15 OF ABORT – OUT WHEN IT’S READY

By E.S. Day

Transcript – Scott Alexander

suicidaltendencies.com

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myspace.com/infectiousgroovesofficial

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