PE: Some of you are really in love with your city’s scene: What about a little scene report of Zaragoza?

Dani: Zaragoza is between Barcelona and Euskadi, so we always have tons of touring bands here. This has had a positive result: There is a large quantity of bands (maybe 20 or 25 hardcore punk bands) and some of them are really good quality. We have examples of bands in all the punk styles from CHICHARRICA, who are more punk rock, to DOWN TO AGONY, who are more noisy or “neo crust” like it’s called today. DOWN TO AGONY have released a 7”, a split LP with FALL OF EFRAFA and now their first LP. INSOMNIO is a pretty new band but very popular right now thanks for their well-done punk rock with American hardcore elements. They have a LP, a 7” and another up-coming new LP in the works. CRIATURA, who have been playing for many years and toured Europe four times, have two LPs, two split 7”s a split CD and play a more melodic emo punk style. KARNVAPEN ATTACK are maybe one of the bands with most releases (an LP, a bunch of 7”s and split 7” and a split CD, plus some demo tapes). There is also ROTTEN MEYER AND THE PSYCHOPUNK with their “stupid hardcore,” funny lyrics and fast music influenced by the 80´s hardcore bands. They have a CD out and are planning new stuff soon. KANZER DE ESKROTO have been playing traditional Spanish punk since the early 90´s. They have two LPs out. BLOCKBASTARD are more in the GBH / Discharge vein and are really powerful live. They have a CD out and another one very soon. RIZILLOS are very funny punk rock band and have a bunch of 7”s out. MISTKAFER are the newest and most promising punk/crust in the city, and are a 100% female bandwith killer sound. There are lots of other young bands such as: HAAGUEN DIAZ, KORRIENDO KON TIJERAS, ANGELA CHANNING, PLAGA, MOPKOPB... fuck there are tons!!! We also have a really good place for gigs: Arrebato. It´s a self-run venue with info café and now the Mala Raza distro there too. I think that many people who play in bands and read this will know the place. There are also some distros beside Mala Raza, like La Revuelta who are in an anarchist social center and distribute some hardcore punk stuff and tons of anarchist reading. The people for bands like Insomnio also run small distros with the stuff they trade. But the zine “scene” is not so good, I used to do Canaliza tu Violencia for many years, but I no longer have time for writing. We still have Ciutat Podrida, which is ex-Intellectual Punks zine. Ciutat Podrida also has two hours per week on Radio Topo, a free radio station that reaches all of the city. It’s focused on all DIY sounds, from metal to punk rock.

PE: Technology is demolishing everything and is even fucking with the punk community. Many labels, collectives and even more printed press have had to re-think their projects. Do zines continue to be a vital tool for the DIY scene?

Dani: Vital for keeping it real! Maybe not as an information kiosk because the internet offers us a big quantity of it. I do not think that the internet can offer up as much as the printed paper done by a punks. Zines contain feelings that are in the layout. You can also take it with you and read it anywhere, pass it to your friends, etc. And what is written is way deeper than these flashes that pass in front you so quickly. I also think that the information on the internet is short lived and zines are the things that stand up over time. These are also my feelings about what technology is doing in punk, especially to music. But we have to be brave to face things and know how to move in these “new times,” even if we think they’re shit.

J: Well, I don’t think they’re really vital, as most of the DIY movement is still alive while lots of fanzines have died over time. But it is a reality that many are being lost and a lot are not being done any more. Nowadays most of those which are being done don’t have a continuity, and it just stays as somebody’s project.

Alex: I know nothing about zines, I’m more of an isolated kind, but technology is what it is: It evolves faster than ethics and ideology, so the only way to survive as an information source is to ride the storm and drive it to the places we want it to be. I don’t mean killing the traditional ways, but tradition tends to die as new ways emerge (this movement is about it, I think). The main goal should be to keep on communicating one on one, speaking face to face. Losing touch would be the death of the movement, and losing personal contact would be nearly the same.

PE: The end, use this to say something you think is important.

Dani: Thanks for everything, Jaume. We hope to see you on tour!!! For copies and trades of our LP please contact Mala Raza: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
There’s no only way... there’s your way.

YAKUZA HORROR - ZARAGOZA CRUST CITY ROCKERS

Contact:

www.myspace.com/yakuzahorror
disdani[AT]gmail.com
javichaos[AT]hotmail.com