Fluff15 Interview Series [Pt. II]

Birds In Row (Vocals, Guitar)

How many times have you been at Fluff?

2

Which band did you want to see the most?

Contwig (Friends)

What is your favorite Fluff experience?

The food.

Favorite Food?

Personal tip for the festival?

The food, Contwig

Krimskramz (Label) & 52 Hertz (Vocals, Bass)

How many times have you been at Fluff?

4, & I like it every year because it´s the best weekend in the year.

Which band did you want to see the most?

Tempest, Lord Snow

What is your favorite Fluff experience?

Generally meeting people I´ve met all over Europe & hanging out with them for one weekend.

Favorite Food?

Personal tip for the festival?

If you have Serbian or Bosnian friends you have to search them at the gas station because they are there for the whole weekend.

How many times have you been at Fluff?

It´s my first time here at fluff fest and I´m stoked being here.

Which band did you want to see the most?

Among all the amazing bands playing, I really can´t wait to see DANGERS.

What is your favorite Fluff experience?

For the first days I´ve been there I just love the welcoming & friendly atmosphere of fluff.

Favorite Food?

Personal tip for the festival?

Leave some space in your bag for the merch & be curious about everything.

Raein (Vocals, Guitar)

How many times have you been at Fluff?

3

Which band did you want to see the most?

Le Smudjas + by the grace of god (free open stage)

What is your favorite Fluff experience?

This time amazing weather, lovely people.

Favorite Food?

Personal tip for the festival?

No tips it´s really just perfect already.

Deer In The Headlights (Vocals)

How many times have you been at Fluff?

4

Which band did you want to see the most?

Dangers

What is your favorite Fluff experience?

One year there was a hole in the ground and someone made a little fence & a sign “be careful there are field mice”.

Favorite Food?

Personal tip for the festival?

Be prepared for rainy weather & strong sun!

PAAN (Guitar)

How many times have you been at Fluff?

I guess it´s like the 6th time.

Which band did you want to see the most?

Loma Prieta! But most of the bands are awesome.

What is your favorite Fluff experience?

Meet my shitloads of people from all over Europe I don´t see too often. Experiencing this DIY thing is ace too.

Favorite Food?

Personal tip for the festival?

Drink enough water!

Reason To Care (Vocals)

How many times have you been at Fluff?

I guess this year is the sixth time for me.

Which band did you want to see the most?

Raein, I listened to their records excessively the last few weeks. Great band!

What is your favorite Fluff experience?

The reunion of me and my friends from throughout Europe in one place.

Favorite Food?

Personal tip for the festival?

The canal near the second roundabout where clear water flows through.

Libido Wins (Vocals)

How many times have you been at Fluff?

Twice

Which band did you want to see the most?

DANGERS

What is your favorite Fluff experience?

Having fun with friends from other countries

Favorite Food?

Personal tip for the festival?

Check out every band & you can eat a lot!

Fluff15 Interview Series [Pt. I]

Suis La Lune (Vocals, Guitar)

How many times have you been at Fluff?

We played at Fluff in 2012 & this year me & my girlfriend are here to watch all the great bands & enjoy all the vegan food. :)

Which band did you want to see the most?

Raein, Loma Prieta, Dark Mountain, The Caulfield Cult, Svalbard, Crooked Letter & lots & lots more.

What is your favorite Fluff experience?

Landverrad in 2012 was so much fun. And also Masakari & Alpinist the same year.

Favorite Food?

Personal tip for the festival?

Always a bit of great hc & crust and always a few amazing screamo/emo bands. Great people/atmosphere & political workshops & distros. Best festival in the world! <3

Chaviré (Vocals)

How many times have you been at Fluff?

It´s my first time at Fluff Fest this year! We played on the open stage on Saturday.

Which band did you want to see the most?

I really wanted to see Raein, Anti-corpos, Lord snow…and many more but I can´t remember right now.

What is your favorite Fluff experience?

I would say that food was definitely the best, I really love politics initiatives that were set up!

Favorite Food?

Probably the vegan burger, the watermelon lemonade & the vegan goulash on Friday!

Personal tip for the festival?

Don´t get tattooed just before the fest or you won´t go to the pool!

Kalmare Print

How many times have you been at Fluff?

It´s my 6th time this year.

Which band did you want to see the most?

Raein & Reason To Care

What is your favorite Fluff experience?

Meeting friends from all over the world is awesome & having the opportunity to sell my patches at the festival.

Favorite Food?

Rotkrautburger

Personal tip for the festival?

You should have a nice walk in the woods there is a place where you have an awesome view on Rokycany. & don’t miss the after show.

Øjne (Vocals)

How many times have you been at Fluff?

It`s my fifth fluff.

Which band did you want to see the most?

Raein & Tempest.

What is your favorite Fluff experience?

The party tent on Sunday.

Favorite Food?

Everything is awesome.

Personal tip for the festival?

Go to the swimming pool or to the gas station to take a shower!

Rollergirls (Vocals, Bass)

How many times have you been at Fluff?

First time actually.

Which band did you want to see the most?

The Smudjas, but i´ve missed them.

What is your favorite Fluff experience?

Meeting all the nice people at one place.

Favorite Food?

Beer

Personal tip for the festival?

Give, The Smudjas, Cavalcades

Cavalcades (Drums)

How many times have you been at Fluff?

This is my second time here & first time playing.

Which band did you want to see the most?

Raein, Lord Snow, Tempest, Gattaca, Cloud Rat.

What is your favorite Fluff experience?

Genuinely just seeing everyone I know and like from all over Europe in the same place.

Favorite Food?

Definitely seitan kebab!

Personal tip for the festival?

Canned fruit!

Cykloseladóni (Booking)

How many times have you been at Fluff?

6

Which band did you want to see the most?

Raein

What is your favorite Fluff experience?

Going for breakfast with friends while still having puffy eyes.

Favorite Food?

Soya Burgers

Personal tip for the festival?

More screamo and some sofas to sit on + a dating tent.

Zero Absolu & Sport

How many times have you been at Fluff?

6

Which band did you want to see the most?

Not on tour, Reason to care, Dangers, Contwig, Birds in Row, Loma Prieta.

What is your favorite Fluff experience?

First year 2010 – everything was great! bands, swimming pool, party.

Favorite Food?

Tagesessen

Personal tip for the festival?

I´ve found my secret toilets but sch… it´s a secret.

Interview with Brian Kanagaki of Loma Prieta

Last Saturday, when most people had already arrived at the small airfield in Rokycany to gather for the annual celebration of Fluff, one of us had the opportunity to catch Brian Kanagaki from Loma Prieta at their last minute gig with Dangers in Erlangen. This is the result of this very spontaneous interview.

First of all, could you please introduce yourself?

Brian: My name is Brian Kanagaki and I play guitar in Loma Prieta.

You just started your European Tour a few days ago. How were the first shows?

Brian: So far, the first two shows have been really, really great. It’s kinda hard to know what to expect on this kind of tour when you only come once a year. But the first two shows have been amazing and I feel like we are all pretty tired in getting used of being here but so far it’s been great. We couldn’t ask for anything better.

Tomorrow you’ll play at this year’s Fluff Fest. What are your expectations for this show?

Brian: Man, I really don’t know. I think we are playing pretty high on the bill this year, which is surprising, very, very surprising. It’s a great honor. Fluff Fest is always been great. I played there, I think, four times with, between Loma Prieta and another band that I was in. And it’s kind of mind blowing that we’re playing - I think we’re headlining Sunday. It’s such a strange feeling where I feel like where we don’t, like, deserve to play there, you know. To me we’re the same like punk band….

…it’s a pretty big and popular festival in Europe!

Brian: It really is. I feel like as far as festivals that I care about and I like, It’s the best one and it’s such a good feeling that your band is doing well enough that they want you to play in that spot. It’s already gone above and beyond my expectations, so I’m just excited to play and hopefully play well.

From the point of view of a touring band: What are the main differences between touring in America and touring in Europe? Any pros and cons?

Brian: Oh man. It’s so different. It’s so, so different. They are both great. I love touring in general. Touring in the US is a little bit more lonely, I would say, like there is less interaction with promoters and venue staff and even the fans, because here in Germany, and in Europe in general, you normally build up contacts with the same promoters over the years. They cook you dinner and breakfast and you normally stay at their house. So, you really build the friendship and you feel like you are part of the community, even though we don’t live here. They are usually the people that I stay in contact with throughout the year. In the United States it’s definitely friends that book our shows as well. But, since we live there it’s not as important to hang out after the show with everybody, because since we live here, we can see the guys all the time, even though we tour. You take it for granted, because you know, you can do it whenever you want to, or you can travel there on your own outside of the band. So, you don’t put as much thought into it what you’re doing every day. And in some regards it seems a little bit like work, touring the US; because you are there for one specific purpose of playing music. In Europe you kinda have the opportunity to sit back and relax a little bit, because you know that things are gonna be a lot smoother than in the US. That and the drives in Europe are way, way shorter. Every drive we had so far has been one to two hours and in the States it’s normally five to ten every day. So, I feel lucky to be able to come here, as often as we do.

You just announced your new LP called “Self Portrait”. How would you describe your sound on the new album?

Brian: It’s pretty hard. Not on this album - in general on every album - it’s pretty hard to describe what we’re going for and what the sound or the aesthetic of the band is to anyone. This one is definitely, forward progression for the band. It’s the most mature music that we’ve written. It’s definitely the most melodic and pretty music. It is a little bit smarter than the music that we’ve written in the past. It’s not just fast and loud and short; there’s some melody in there too. It’s kinda something that we all wanted to do as a band, as we all get older, we try to progress and just work organically with the band. We never sat down with an album, saying “we want to do this, or we want to do that”. It’s kinda always worked out easily for us, as far as the songwriting goes and I feel like this one is just a very large progression from the last record and I think it’s the best one. I know, every band says that about every new record, but it’s the best one because we finally figured out what we’re doing as a band and I’m very proud of it. It’s hard to – we wrote on it for three years - put that much into something and not be somewhat let down in the end because it was such a huge chunk of your life. But I think that we did the absolutely best that we could and I really love it. I hope everybody else likes it.

Can you tell us what the lyrics are about?

Brian: Man, on this new album, I seriously didn’t write or do any vocals. This is the first one that I’ve been on in a couple of years where I haven’t done anything and it was logistically kinda hard, because I moved to the Eastcost after starting to record the LP. The lyrics on this one, are a lot more literal than the other albums. In the past it’s been a little bit vague and it’s been a little bit open ended and I think that these lyrics are more direct and even with the song titles and with the record title, we wanted to be more obvious what we are going for, because it is such like an extension of ourselves. We wanted you to know what we’re talking about.

…sounds promising! I’m really looking forward to it. Back on the road: What is your current tour soundtrack?

Brian: So far, on this tour, there hasn’t been any music yet. We’re touring with Dangers, who are really close friends and we haven’t seen them in a while. So, it’s been us catching up, talking shit and sleeping a lot. Yeah, this might be one of those tours where we just talk the whole time. The drives are short and we like each other a lot and it’s gonna be a lot of storytelling and hanging out.

One last question: It’s been told that you currently have or at least didn’t have a fix home. Is that true? If so: How did you end up deciding to give up the domestic life? How did it work out / does it work out?

Brian: I guess, when I first started touring a lot with Loma Prieta and Punch, this is probably five or six years ago. It’s one of those things, where I was gonna, I quit my job and I was going to take just a month, or two off to do music and then it turned into something that was a lot more fun and a lot, I don’t know…

The both bands were progressing and getting more popular at the same time and I was touring a lot with both bands. I think at one point there was two years in a row where I did like 200 shows with both bands combined and it was really hard to have any kind of normal life outside of the band and it felt really weird to play that many shows and be away from home and come back and have a normal relationship with your friends and I feel like sometimes, they get upset with you when you leave for that long. Not that there are jealous or anything like that, but they kinda resent what you’re doing and they feel like you’re leaving them behind for a little bit, so when you come back it’s almost like a bummer to go home. So, for a while, I just decided to not have a home and in between tours I would travel and I would stay on the friend’s couches. I kinda just used the band for all that I could to get out of it. I thought it was a great way to see the world and see my friends and to play music and keep the momentum going. It made more sense than having any bills, because you don’t really make any money doing this. Touring became more comfortable than being home. It’s really hard to go home to nowhere for a month. I went home to San Francisco where I lived and I didn’t have a house or anything. So I had to stay at friend’s couches for a week or two and then they get bummed that I was there, so I’d go somewhere else, so I’d go to my parents place and it just seemed easier, touring and to be on the road and traveling. So I just kept doing that and it felt more normal than anything else. I did that for three years and then we took time off to write this record and I had to get a job again and an apartment. This was really hard and now it’s the opposite where it’s hard to leave home. I have a dog now. I’m married. Me and my wife, we both have a real adult job, so now I have to consciously think about what tours we’re doing and what makes the most sense and it’s a little bit harder. So, I’m glad that I did those three years or how many it was when I could. Because as you get older, those opportunities don’t come as often.

Thanks for taking the time for answering my questions! Enjoy the rest of the Tour!

Short But Sweet, Polite And Respectful #14

With this Demo, Kapytaen are starting over. While their first recordings were quite provisionally, the two new songs of the likeable band from Würzburg are well produced. But, more importantly: their sound has changed. The four-headed crust monster bares its teeth, sounding even more aggressive than ever before. Both tracks on the Demo are full of wicked screams, which are wrapped in massive guitar walls and insane drumming. No Feelings, Meddl Leude!

“Ever since I can remember, I was haunted by the voices inside telling me that I was born a letdown, raised as a fuckup, an ever growing disgrace, shaping my perception, burning all illusions of relief.”

+ bandcamp

+ discography

Heiße is Moore, Dunn, Nick and Liam. Formally known as Weak, the screamo outfit from Halifax delivers six new tracks. Most of the time “leverage of decomposition” sounds fairly straightforward, yet there are a few slower, more melodic parts. However, the band from Canada is able to create a beautiful blend, making use of different stylistic devices, letting no room for boredom. They are definitely a band to watch out for.

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Currently touring Europe, Lord Snow from Chicago, Illinois, are probably one of the greatest bands in our beloved genre. Their recently published Extended Play called “Winterhold”, which is already their fifth release, includes six fast songs. Every single one of them sounds just perfect. The violent and hysteric screams of Niko and Steph are supported by a shredding guitar, together creating the familiar and chaotic sound of the band. This is emoviolence at its best! Make sure to check out the EP and if you have the chance, also try to catch them at one of their shows.

“refonjouhdsudsy89uo89”

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+ free download

Released by Middle Man Records and time as a color, the collaboration between Kaoru Nagisa and Coma Regalia accommodates one song each band. Both songs sound just great. At the latest, this split won me over as my attention was drawn to the lyrics of “MQWC”. In respect of the legalization of same sex marriage in the States, the song by Coma Regalia could be seen as a hymn, which demands beyond this important, legally step, to accept the human being as its beautiful, individual self, regardless of gender or other categories, settled by the society.

“When will we learn to respect one another regardless of sex or who we have it with and what we do or do not identify as we can be who we are and we can fuck who we want? We will be who we are. We will love who we want.”

+ bandcamp [Kaoru Nagisa]

+ bandcamp [Middle Man Records]

Short But Sweet, Polite And Respectful #13

This is already the second appearance for “The Truth About Dreaming” in this rubric. The two new songs on “To Kill A Heart” are going to be on the next record of this solo-project from Michigan. Recorded during last winter / spring, the Extended Play transports a lot of energy. While the instruments create a pleasant atmosphere, staying melodious most of the time, the intense vocals on this EP are angry and hysteric. Both songs combined; don’t reach the mark of five minutes. Short but sweet!

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The band without a bandname is one of my favorites. After an absolutely magnificent demo and a phenomenal split with Old Soul, this is their latest output. The song “srpen” was released on a compilation called “Memento”, by Damage Done Records in celebration of the label’s ten year anniversary. Already recorded back in April 2013, the song is another proof, that the band from Pilsen, Czech Republic, is definitely one of the most exciting atmospheric black metal bands around. The drilling sound, combined with the diabolic screams of Michal, is on point and let the listener beg for more. With 2:48, “srpen” is the shortest song of ██████.

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Mission completed! Even if the year’s just halfway through, we can already say that “Dear Reader” by La Petite Mort / Little Death will be one of the best German screamo records of 2015 – it’s probably one of the best records of the last few years. The EP is definitely no typical screamo record; since the sound of the ambitious band from Hessia is very unique, breaking down the barriers of the genre. The eight songs on “Dear Reader” are groovy and full of tempo changes, which is pretty fun listening to. This outstanding release is highly recommended and will be available on cassette hopefully. We can't wait!

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Following their selftitled debut, this EP is the sophomore release of Ravin. The tremendous sound of the band from Southern France is characterized by beating drums and heavy guitar walls, which are punctuated with forceful screams. The screamo collective from Perpignan is definitely one of the best French bands you will find in this genre. “Ravin II” will be released through Sad Panda Records, Zegema Beach Records, Winter Sea Records and Unlock Yourself Records. Can’t wait to hear more.

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