[ Alea Iacta Est ]

..soviel zur Bandbio/History der noch ziemlich jungen, nichtsdestotrotz aber äußerst fitten und (zumindest bislang!) noch nicht so wahnsinnig bekannten Grindcore-Formation ALEA IACTA EST aus der Slowakei, die ich Euch hier und heute mal etwas näher bringen möchte. Die Knüppelcombo mit dem klangvollen Namen hat vor noch gar nicht allzu langer Zeit ihr Debüt in Form einer absolut ancheckungswürdigen MCD (die mir Tomas freundlicherweise zukommen ließ, vielen Dank dafür!) veröffentlicht und dreht darauf sowohl old schoolige als auch new schoolige Einflüsse durch den Grindwolf. Außerdem punkten die Slowaken mit gelungenem, abwechslungsreichem Songwriting, einer gesunden Portion Craziness und diversen Crusteinflüssen, mit denen sie ihren Songs zusätzliche Würze verleihen. Auch hört man dem Material an, dass ALEA IACTA EST ursprünglich mal als HC/Punk-Band starteten, bevor sie letztendlich grindige Pfade beschritten. Die Mucke ist also schon mal allererste Sahne, doch auch in Sachen textlicher Aussage kann die Band voll und ganz überzeugen (was für mich persönlich ebenfalls von Bedeutung ist!). Ein Interview war daher schnell beschlossene Sache und Dank des ALEA IACTA EST-Bassers Tomas und ihres Sängers Attila kam die ganze Geschichte schnell und unkompliziert zustande (thanx again!). Nun aber los, let’s GRIND! (Gerste, Februar 2010)

1.: Hi Tomas! Thanx for your interest in doing a little interview with me for our zine for musical destruction! How are you and how are the things going with ALEA IACTA EST at the moment? What about the weather in Slovakia? We have tons of snow here and it’s fucking cold. So it seems that we’re heading for an eternal winter, hehe!

- T: Hi Gerste! Thanks for the questiones. Well nothing special news around AIE. Everything seems normal. Practising, sometimes a gig. The weather is better now. No more snow. So hopefully it is spring in some weeks. Yes, you are right. It really looked like an eternal winter.

2.: I received your self-titled CD-EP recently (thanx!). As far as I know it’s the debut release of ALEA IACTA EST, right? Well, I must say that the record really impressed me. Good work guys, that’s for sure! Are you satisfied with the final outcome?

- T: Thanks for the nice words. Yes. The EP was released by ourselves two months ago. There are 12 songs in nearly 14 minutes. We did all the work on the booklet and cover. If you asking me if I am satisfied, then I say yes. David did a great work with the sound of the stuff.

3.: The CD-EP was recorded within 3 days at the house of your vocalist Attila. It’s some kind of a “D.I.Y. homerecording” so to say but the mix and the mastering was in the hands of Dávid Fehér (www.myspace.com/noiselabhungary). What do you think of Dávid’s work and the soundquality in general? In my opinion the sound kills! Do you agree?

- T: It was recorded in Attila's house during one weekend in september by David Feher. He is a nice guy from Budapest. He really knows what is he doing. Yeah, he makes it in a diy way. I like his sound. I heard the first recordings of him and he is always better and better. It kills!!! We really liked the rough mix he did, but we were completely shocked when we heard the mastered version. The sound is awesome.

4.: Your tunes are really fast, short, brutal and straight to the point but pretty original and crazy at the same time. I can hear lots of ols school influences and a little touch of new school as well. Besides of that there’s an HC/punk-edge and some crusty influences that spice the whole thing up. I really enjoy this stuff! How would you, with your own words, best describe your sound to those who aren’t familiar with ALEA IACTA EST yet?

- T: Oh, thank you, thank you for the nice words. I give you one percent of the money we raise by playing when we get famous and rich..heh..I think your description of our music is really close how we feel it. I would describe our music as grindcore with some crust and other influences. We have a killer thrash part in our newest song.

5.: You guys did a nice coverversion of the song “Russian Roulette”, originally performed by the mighty grindcore veterans ROT from Brasil. Would you say that ROT was and still is an influence for the band? What about (anti)musical influences in general and who influenced especially you as a bass player?

- T: ROT is an excellent band. I like them a lot. Cruel face of life was one the first grindcore albums I ever heard in 1996 or maybe later. I think ROT is an influence for every grindcore band on the Earth. They were one of the first bands in creating grind musis. I do not have any guitar heroes or so. I am more influenced and fascinated by some sounds of the bass, amps... I think you understand what I mean.

6.: What’s interesting to know about the bandhistory? When I’m informed right you didn’t belong to the the founding members but you joined the band at the end of 2008, right? How come you were asked to play bass? Did you have some experiences with other bands/projects in the past? Please introduce the current line-up to our readers and give us a brief history of the band. What were the most memorable moments by now and why? What would you say were the highlights and what were the biggest letdowns and disappointments so far?

- A: Hi! I’m Attila, the vocalist of the band. I’m one of the three founding fathers hehe. I think our history is an usual one. Long ago Péter (our old bassist), Szilárd (our guitarist) and I just spoke about to create a band, but these worlds were only worlds without action. Our breakpoint was in summer 2005, when we decided to really do something. So we had some rehearsals. After some months we ask Sanyi to join the band as a drummer, and than joined us Pityu to as a second guitarist. In that line-up we did some songs, some gigs but we didn’t record or release our stuff. In early 2008 Péter decided to leave the band. The reason of his leaving was, that the kind of music, what we want to play is was not for him. So he left, but there is no conflict between us, and we really like him as a person, and I as my brother!:)? So after Péter’s leaving we played some months without bass, we had some gigs and recorded three songs (they went fucking wrong) and ect. At and of 2008 we found Tomi or he found us!! It’s all one! What really matters, that he fit in the band perfectly, and so with him we are a five member fucking grindcore band from slofuckia and we love it so!!!

- T: I have some experiences with making noise. I started it in 1998 when me and my mate recorded 111 songs of noisecore. After that we had a grindcore 2man project INCURABLE and some times we released some stuff, but no gigs. I also had some more noisecore projects just for fun like NAPANSKE or FUNFUNDAKCIG BOJS (I really enjoyed playing drums with this project. Great times!). But AIE is my first normal band where no instrument is missing...heheh..

7.: In my opinion ALEA IACTA EST isn’t a typical name for a grindcore outfit, don’t you think so? When and why did you ultimately go with the ALEA IACTA EST monikker? What were some other bandnames you tossed around before settling on this one? Oh, and since my knowledge of the Latin language isn’t the best (carefully spoken, hehe!), it’s needless to say that I’m really interested to know what ALEA IACTA EST means translated into English!

- A: The name of the band comes in the early of 2005. It was my idea. Alea Iacta Est means in English “the die has been cast”. It was originally said by Julius Cesar on January 10. 49 B.C., when he crossed the river Rubicon whit his army. In that time was a law in Rome, that no general can cross this river whit a military. And when he did that, he said “ALEA IACTA EST”, whit meaning, that he is in for it. So when I choose the name of the band, I meant whit it, that there is something, what we must play, that we must live in, and we are truly and deep in for it!!!

8.: The coverartwork of your CD-EP has some kind of a depressed and desperate look if you ask me and I think that somehow fits to your lyrics near perfectly because the lyrics are mostly about the negative things in life like for example the cold and harsh reality that surrounds us, brainwashing through conformity or the lies and broken promises of demagogic dickheads. But also a little glimmer of hope shines through, at least when I read the lyrics of the song “Escape” where it’s said that suicide isn’t the final solution for personal problems. Please comment your lyrics. What do you want to express and/or achieve and how important are the lyrics for you guys as a band and also for you personally?

- A: The lyrics are very important for me, because this is my way to express in our music my feelings, my thoughts, my discredits about the world that surrounds us. I write them from everything what is bothering me, from everything what is in my head. I think that our music is some kind of a scream against all the fucking sickness what is going around in our world. So I can’t write them full whit smiling faces, with shiny sun and with “everything is perfect” feelings, because it is not true. But I’m optimist, so I can see everywhere these “glimmer of hope shines” what you meant.

9.: Do ALEA IACTA EST gig regularly? Locally or in other countries too? What can the crowd expect from a typical ALEA IACTA EST gig? Are there many people and venues supporting extreme music in the area you live in?

- A: That’s one of our big problems, that we don’t gig regularly. But we  hope, that after our first ep we will have more opportunity to show our art to the people hehe. Lot of gig’s were made in SK and some other gigs in Hungary. In april we will go to a three day tour with Human Error and 6Mas (one day in Hu, one day in SK, and one day in CZ). So truly said we have to practice our delivery of our music, ‘cause we can play it, but our moves and live shows are a little bit stiff, and this is a thing what we must change. Support of extreme music? No, in our area the conditions of extreme music are really shit. There are we with AIE and with our other crust band project UNCURABLE (myspace.ccom/uncurabledrunks), and I think that’s all. One of our friend is singing in a HC band, but I don’t know the name of the band.

10.: I have to say that I’m pretty much into a lot of bands from your Czech neighbours but when it comes to underground bands from Slovakia I’m petty much dead in the water (sad but true!). So please tell me what’s going on in the Slovakian underground scene right now! I’m sure that there’re some bands/labels/distros/fanzines you’d care to recommend to me and the CFMD readers. What do you think about the Slovakian underground scene in general and what about unity, respect, understanding and mutual help?

- T: The underground life was always weak here in Slovakia. I dont know if we can call it “scene”. It is just some guys who are making it because they like music. I think it is different comparing to the czech scene. But still there are some active people. Bands like MIZAR, CAD, PASKUDA, DOGMA INC., IDIOTS PARADE, ROXOR, SUPRAPHON FAMILY, THE PUBLIC... some small label/distros are HUMAN MEAT FOR SALE, TRENCHCORE RECORDS, KAZ RECORDS... zines: PUTRID EMENTAL CHEESE, RECTUM, DEATH FIST...there are some places for playing gigs in Hurbanovo, Spisska Nova Ves, Ziar nad Hronom, Lucenec...

11.: How and when did you take notice of the existence ouf our CFMD zine? I mean the CFMD isn’t very well known outside of Germany (at least I think so). It’s only a little D.I.Y. underground fanzine mostly written in German language and coming out only once a year. And we only have an ordinary homepage (no MySpace site or anything like that). Are you familiar with one of our printed issues or do you only know about us because of our homepage?

- T: I found your zine when I was looking forward some labels and zines to send our promo. So I checked your webpage and liked it. Then I sent you the CD. I really like fanzines, but just the printed ones. I don't really like webzines, it is because I don't like reading from the monitor. I also make my own zine called Putrid 'Emental cheese. I released 6 issues. The 7th is on the way. I started it in 1997 myself as Putrid Pages zine (2issues) and then I united with my friend and we released 4 issues as PECH. After 5-6 years of silence i started it again. The new issue will be out in a month.

12.: What are your thoughts concerning little underground fanzines like ours? Do you see zines (especially printed ones) as offering a valid means of spreading your band's music and message or is the internet (especially MySpace) the better way?

- T: As I said I am a big fan of fanzines. I think that every chance spreading your bands music is good for the band. Yeah, the internet is more popular thats sure. But the printed zine has its own special spirit.

13.: Before we come to the end, last but not least here’s one of my beloved brainstorming questions. What rushes through your mind when you think about this:
a.) today’s socio-political situation in Sloviakia

- T: Well I don't know very much about the politics, its not my cup of tea.

b.) your country’s goverment

- T: What can I say? A bunch of nationalist, greedy bastards. The have a wallet instead of their brains.

c.) the relationship to your Czech neighbours (easy or problematic?)

- T: EASY for sure! We respect ourselves. It is like brotherhood! And their beer is the best!

d.) the worldwide economic crisis

- T: I am quite sick of this stuff. You cant get more money cauz it is crisis. It is not possible because it is crisis. Oh man! Sometimes I think it was made artificially.

e.) olympic wintergames in Canada

- T: Quite nice event, even if it is about money like everything in the world. I like sports, but i dont feel any need of competing with the others. I always do it for myself, for fun.

f.) grindcore

- T: The best music ever played!!!

14.: What can we expect from ALEA IACTA EST in the near future? Are you still looking for labels to release your stuff? Is anything planned as of yet (gigs, tours, new records...)? Imagine you were offered a split release with a band of your choice, who would it be and why?

- T: Yes, we are still looking for the label and I hope we did find one day. If not, then I release it as a split with an other band. We will see it! We will still working on new songs and if we will have enough stuff, we want to record them for sure. Split release of my dreams? Well it is UNCURBED for sure, it is my dream split with our crust project UNCURABLE and then some really old grind/crust band of my early days. ALEA IACTA EST / WARSORE = split 7”EP. Sounds great, isnt it!

15.: Ok Tomas, I’m running out of questions so I guess that’s the end of our little conversation. But if there’s anything that I forgot to ask you, just let me know... Whatever, thanx a lot for this interview! It was a pleasure for me and I hope you enjoyed it too. All the best for you and your band! Feel free to add a final statement for our readers, this space is yours.

- T: It was a pleasure for us too. We really appreciate your help. Thanks man. I am not the man of big words. Well, if any one is interested in our music, check out our websites myspace.com/aiegrind or bandzone.cz/aleaiactaest . Beers not cheers!! To