[
LOOKING FOR AN ANSWER ]
Die
Spanier von LOOKING FOR AN ANSWER sind in kürzester Zeit zu einer
meiner Lieblingsgrindcoreherden avanciert. Logisch, dass da ein Interview
her musste. Viel Spazz wünscht Euch Gerste.
1. At first please introduce LOOKING FOR AN ANSWER and the people who
are involved in the band to our readers. What's the current line-up? Did
anyone of you play in other bands before? How would you describe the LOOKING
FOR AN ANSWER sound to all those who don't know your band yet?
Ok, LOOKING FOR AN ANSWER is now a four piece grindcore band, in the
beginning it was a one side project band but after the Split 7"EP
whit AGATHOCLES, LOOKING FOR AN ANSWER was a three members band playing
and recording with drum machine and now the definitive line up is Iñaki
(vocals), Moya (drums), Ramón (bass) and I (Félix) guitar.
All of us used to play in other bands Iñaki, Moya and Ramón
was playing in DENAK (now r.i.p.) during some time and now we are still
playing in other bands, Ramon play in UNSANE CRISIS (grindcore), Moya
in GATO APLASTADO (fast hardcore-crust), Iñaki in MOHO (sludge-stoner)
and I in JUSTICE DEPARTMENT (vegan metalcore) and FUTURO (vegan punk-rock)
and we are doing also some funny project bands like BUD SPENCER (noisecore)
or YUGULAR (splatter vegan goregrind).
2.
What was you inspiration to form a band and what are your musical influences?
I always was to get a band from I was listening music so, but the main
inspiration was the feelings you can get listening and playing music,
our main influences come from bands like early NAPALM DEATH, BRUTAL TRUTH,
CARCASS, EXTREME NOISE TERROR, TERRORIZER, SORE THROAT and from the all
time cult bands like early CELTIC FROST, DISCHARGE, SLAYER…
3.
In my opinion, LOOKING FOR AN ANSWER is a pretty interesting name for
a band. At least not one of those typical names for a grindcore band,
you know. Is there a message behind the term LOOKING FOR AN ANSWER or
why did you choose this name for the band?
I really choose this name because I'm a fan from HEALTH HAZARD (the
uk crust-punk band) and they have a song with this name so I really liked
it as a band name, that was the main reason.
4.
This summer you did a tour together with BOMBSTRIKE and SAYYADINA, right?
How was the tour? I hope you had a lot of fun and met some interesting
people! Was it your first tour and how many gigs have you already played?
Do you regularly play gigs?
Yeah, definitively it was, SAYYADINA and BOMSTRIKE are great bands
and now great friends! We really could have great time playing with them
and we could to learn something also so. We hope do more gigs with they
in the future! Yes we could to meet more than nice people around, people
that now are friends and we must to say thanks to people as Laurel / YELLOW
DOG, Christian / KEITZER, Stephan / WOJCZECH, Danilo / ENTRAILS MASSACRE,
Loffi / Archiv squat / CRUDE B.E. / CYNESS, Miguel / Arena and some other
great people for his great help. This tour has been our first european
tour so we hope do another tour again next year for more time, we were
playing about two weeks around Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, France
and Spain. This time Iñaki (our vocalist) can't did this tour with
us and our friend Santi from the grindcore band NASHGUL helped us being
the LOOKING FOR AN ANSWER vocalist during this tour. Yes, we usually play
gigs here in Spain but Madrid (our city) isn't a cool place for pay gigs
because generally the people here are disinterested in grindcore and the
gigs are very undisturbed, the best place for play gigs here is the Basque
Country, really cool places to play with crazy stage drivers doing mosh
all time.
5.
I saw you live at the "Zoro" in Leipzig in July. You really
kicked ass until one of you guys (I think it was the bass player, but
I can't remember exactly because I was pretty drunk, haha) had a terrible
nosebleed and because of that you had to cancel the gig. There was blood
everywhere and the nosebleed didn't stop. One guy from Leipzig told me
that your bass player also had a medical treatment in the hospital. Is
that right? What the hell happened?
Buuufffhhh!!! Yeah, definitely it was the shorter but more intense
gig in all the tour, Ramón was playing and doing extreme head-banging
when he just smashed his face accidentally against the stalk of my guitar:
TUFFF!!! He got totally nose broken and his nose don't stop bleeding doing
splatter gore on stage, we had to stop the show and go to the hospital,
then Ramón got the X-ray to check that his nose was broken but
in the right position and not deviated so "no problem" and we
continue the tour with our nose-broken head-banger bass player, hahaha.
We have to thanx a lot to Swintha, the girl who go with us to the hospital.
Zoro squat rules forever!!! (especially for their awesome vegan food and
for their amazing thrash-death-black metal posters collection in their
kitchen)
6.
As far as I know, your current releases are the Split EP's with OVERPOWERING
and COMRADES, both released by Power It Up Records from Germany. I think
all involved bands and also the label did a great job! What's your opinion
about your split-partners and the label?
Hey yes, it's a great job, Tom (Power it Up) was working to put the
split out for the tour and he got it, Tom is a nice guy for sure. We used
to release stuff with friendly bands and what can I say about OVERPOWERING
and COMRADES? They are good friends from a long time and great bands too!
7.
Besides of the before mentioned splits, the only LOOKING FOR AN ANSWER
record I know is the "Buscando una Respuesta" LP. What else
have you released so far and what's the release you're most proud of /
satisfied with? Please give your personal opinion of each release.
Well before that stuff you mentioned we have some other like:
AGATHOCLES / LOOKING FOR AN ANSWER split 7" EP (1999) it was released
on Bad People Records and Selfish Fucker, both from USA, our tracks here
are really far from our actual grindcore style, later and yet as trio
we got our LOOKING FOR AN ANSWER full length CD (2000) on Distortion from
Sweden, the release of this CD was delayed and more or less at the same
time we got our LOOKING FOR AN ANSWER / KONTRAATTAQUE Split CD (2001)
on La Idea from Spain... maybe our best recording with drum-machine, later
it was our "Buscando una Respuesta" 12" MLP (2003) our
first recording with Moya as "human drummer" and maybe our best
recording to date. Right now our two splits 7" EPs with COMRADES
and OVERPOWERING (both recorded in 2004) also we are waiting for next
upcoming splits that were recorded, like splits 7"ep with CATHETER
(from the 2001 recording session) ZANUSSI plus a split 10" MLP with
IRA ET DECESSUS (both from the 2004 recording session).
8.
When I read your lyrics, I think that you're not only in it for the music
and that you really have something to say. So how important are the lyrics
for you and what do wanna express by them? Do you think that a band can
really change something with its lyrics? Would you describe LOOKING FOR
AN ANSWER as a political band?
Ok I don't know if a band can change something with lyrics but I know
that I feel good trying to express that things I really care with, anyway
I think that sometimes band lyrics can open the eyes to some people, for
example I began to think about Animal Liberation when I used to read lyrics
from EXTREME NOISE TERROR, BATTLE OF DISARM or SORE THROAT. I personally
try to show people the daily massacre that non-humans animals get from
humans, and try to open mind people to veganism as a cruelty free life
style. I'm not sure if it get or if I'll get it, but I feel it is a necessary
thing to do.
9.
What's your opinion about the terrorist attacks in London some time ago
and what do you think about terrorism in general?
I just believe in violence for a self-defense way and of course I see
unjustified the indiscriminate murder of innocents. Whoever of us could
have been there in London or Madrid during the terrorist attacks, in the
same way that whoever of us could have been there in Iraq or Afghanistan
during the terrorist attacks from USA. Anyway we think that here are one
difference, It seems that the terrorist attacks in Europe or USA are the
biggest massacres ever, but every day is a September 11th or a March 11th
in many Africans, south Americans and Asians countries, and of course
in each slaughterhouse where each second die one innocent animal life.
I would like to see a more peaceful world but it is just impossible while
some kind of people are living on earth.
10.
Bullfights and another bloody and cruel event, where people are running
through the streets in front of a bull (I don't know how it's called exactly,
but I think it's called "encierro") are still part of Spain's
so called "traditions". In my opinion this shit totally sucks!
What do you think about that?
Ok I think that it is a more than interesting question, well yes the
bullfighting is sadly a kind of tradition here, the thing is that so much
people are against to kill bulls in bullfightings but then later they
support to kill animals to eat meat or wear leather so it is not much
a coherence thing. If no bulls for "encierros" no cows in your
food neither. Well the main problem is the speciesism, what is speciesism?
Ok it is a discrimination in order of a specie you are in, in the same
way that in racism, where other individuals are discriminate in order
of their skin color, or in the same way the in sexism where other individuals
are discriminate in order of their sexuality. We are educating in the
speciesism from child, in the school or at home we can hear things like
"the cow give us the milk" "the pig give us the meat"
etc, etc, so we learn that animals are just like objects to satisfy humans,
ok so we think that it is a big mistake to think in that way, and we are
based on ethical arguments to say that animals as sentient life being
they are should have a basic rights like right to live. Some people think
that as we are rational animals we can do whatever we want with other
non-rational life beings, this argument is totally wrong because they
are forgetting that there are so many humans that have not this kind of
rational thing, I work with children with psychical problems and much
of them have not rationality, so then and following the those people argument..
can we do whatever we want with this children??? Of course our answer
is NOT, but why not??? Because we think that rationality is not a relevant
stuff to consider the life of other individuals, the main question here
is can they feel? Have they feelings? and in order of that, of course,
animals can feel like us (we are animals also) so that's the reason why
we should to respect their lives and thinking try to get a vegan life
style. In other ages some people toughts that black people was born to
be slaves and step by step this mentality was change, ok so now is time
to think about other sentient life being.
11.
What do you think about the hordes of tourists (especially from Germany)
invading Mallorca every summer just to drink as much as they can and behaving
like total idiots?
They invader Mallorca in the same way that some hordes of totally drunk
punks invade the gig places and behaving like total idiots sometimes,
hahaha, now seriously, I have my own views about alcohol and other drugs,
ok I think that Spain is a sunny country and the people trying to get
some sunny time here.
12.
Please tell us about the underground scene in Spain. Would you say that
there's a strong and vital scene in your country? Are there many locations
for gigs? Any good bands/labels/distros you'd care to recommend?
There are great bands here like MACHETAZO, RAS, HAEMORRHAGE, NASHGUL,
OVERPOWERING, ZANUSSI, IRA ET DECESSUS, DISTURBANCE PROJECT, CAMARA DE
GAS, DISNATION, HUMAN BASTARD, WORMED, GODÜS, HASHASSIN, SPANDAU
BULLET, EKKAIA, COP ON FIRE… and the others bands we're involved
in (UNSANE CRISIS, MOHO, GATO APLASTADO and JUSTICE DEPARTMENT) and some
great labels and distros like LIVING DEAD SOCIETY, THRONE, PARADE, TRABUC,
VICTIM… I think that there was more 'zines in the past now are some
cool zines like PERTURBAZÓN and CRIME SYNDICATE CHRONICLES and
about gigs, like I can said in the other question, the best places to
play are in the north.
13.
What are you guys doing besides of playing in LOOKING FOR AN ANSWER? Do
you work or study? Are there other bands/projects you´re involved
in?
Beside LOOKING FOR AN ANSWER all of us work, Moya work in a factory,
Ramón is waiter and he's still in the university, Iñaki
work in FRONTLINE / SOULFORCE (music management and mailorder) and I use
to work as teacher. Ramón also run his own label and distro called
LIVING DEAD SOCIETY where has released MACHETAZO and COFFINS CDs at the
moment and have many great plans for the future, and I run UNDER THE KNIFE
/ B12CREW, my label / distro focus in release vegan bands and distro stuff
into Animal Liberation and veganism like books, videos, shoes, belts etc.
I have release JUSTICE DEPARTMENT CD and RESULT Tape now I'm gonna re-release
some LOOKING FOR AN ANSWER stuff and a RESIST AND EXIST CD.
14.
The next question is a hard one I think. If you were offered a split release
with a band of your choice, what band would it be and why this one?
Ok, it is an easy answer to me, we don't want more splits at the moment,
as you can see we have some splits released and some other to be released
soon so I think we would need to put out more stuff us alone so.
15.
What are you favorite records at the moment? Please list your top-ten.
Whatever from the old recordings from NAPALM DEATH, CARCASS, REPULSION,
BRUTAL TRUTH, TERRORIZER, EXTREME NOISE TERROR, DISCHARGE, CELTIC FROST,
SLAYER, KREATOR, SODOM, VOIVOD, AMEBIX…
16.
Last but not least tell us about the LOOKING FOR AN ANSWER´s future
plans. Any new releases planned for the near future?
Yeah, we have to get in October 2005 out our split 7" EP with
CATHETER (recorded 4 years ago) on Parade Records, our split 7" EP
with ZANUSSI on Trabuc Records / Cruda Realidad and a split 10" MLP
with IRA ET DECESSUS, then we will have all this stuff plus the splits
with COMRADES & OVERPOWERING compiled on CD on Crimes Against Humanity
from USA, also we'll do on our own labels (LIVING DEAD SOCIETY & UNDER
THE KNIFE) the CD version from our "Buscando una Respuesta"
(LP version now is almost sold out), we'll play "The Missing Link"
for the official NAPALM DEATH tribute CD on No Tolerance Records and "Prison
Without Walls" for the NAPALM DEATH' Scum tribute album 12"
LP on Torture Garden Pictures plus cover versions from RUIDO DE RABIA
& SEQZIÓN DEMENCIADOS also (early spanish grindcore cult bands)
for the "Glory Days" tribute CD. We could do in the future a
LOOKING FOR AN ANSWER / JUSTICE DEPARTMENT benefit split, each band playing
covers from our influential bands that speaks in different ways about
Animal Liberation, we'll play covers from EXTREME NOISE TERROR, SORE THROAT,
CARCASS, HIATUS or CATTLE DECAPITATION and JUSTICE DEPARTMENT from bands
such as VEGAN REICH, SEDITION or EARTH CRISIS. Later we'll do a new full
CD / LP next year and of course another european tour!
17.
Ok, that's all. Thanx a lot for answering my questions and all the best
for the future! If you have any questions, if you wanna greet someone
or whatever, this space is yours.
Ok Gerste so many thanx to you for let me to express some ideas on
your 'zine and of course, a big thanx to everyone we could meet in this
european tour, see you next time! GO GRIND & GO VEGAN!
Kontakt:
LOOKING FOR AN ANSWER
P.O. Box 49101
28080 Madrid
Spain
e-mail: looking_for_an_answer@hotmail.com
