True Thrash Fest Organizer INTERVIEW

BFM:Hi miki! how's the thrash scene in japan?
Miki:Thanks my friend Zoham for making this my interview happen!  It’s really my pleasure to tell story of my organizing fest TRUE THRASH FEST and Japanese thrash scene through here! Btw,It’s ok for readers that I’m not a musician/band member!?…lol
There is still strong wave about thrash metal scene in Japan. Lots of thrash metal fans are enjoying to listen from big name bands to obscure young thrashers in Globe. At my store ROCK STAKK RECORDS,THRASH METAL releases is always being good/best seller!  And some good young generation Japanese thrash metal bands are born and acting well in underground scene. Of course,myself is big fan of thrash metal since this ‘magic’ words were born! There was a tons of great thrash metal bands in Japan through ‘80s and I often went to local thrash metal gigs. Several bands like UNITED,OUTRAGE,JURASSIC JADE etc. are still quite Big in our scene. Also if you want to check Japanese underground bands,plz check my label!  It’s just independent small label but I’m releasing Japanese great thrash metal albums I’m releasing! It’s RIVERGE and IMPALER JPN. Check them and bleeding from your ear!!!


BFM:What pushes you to feel like this set up. The first year you started it?
Miki:Well…it’s start was around 2008. I can’t remember well exact date/location but at the after show party of local thrash metal gig,me and several members of local thrash metal bands hanged out together and just made conversation about our dream. One of it was organizing one of best underground thrash metal festival in my country. It’s no one did before. You know,in my country,there is totally no underground scene supporting agency/organizing company. All of them are just into making money bands and only interested in BIG names. I mean I don’t hate these ‘money miser company’ act. They are professional and they should keep their life/make profit through their job. Otherwise,I have main job(owning metal store/independent label) and I can do it only by my passion for heavy metal. So,I really wanted to try to show our guts and personal energy and see what’s happen in Japanese metal scene. Fest will be only in OSAKA city(my homeground). This is one of most priority matter for organizing this thrash metal fest. I mean…this kind of metal fest in JP is held only at capital Tokyo. Audience and music fans from another area always have to pay their long way trip/staying cost to be there. So,We local side metal fans wants to say ‘come on! It’s your turn!!’ to music fans from capital. They should experience same thing like as local fans. You know what I mean!?!?:-) …and as far as I know,TTF is one and only festival that main organizer is always doing Stage dive-running inside mosh pit...uh!?!?:-)
1st TTF(TRUE THRASH FEST) 2009 was held on FEB.2009. I’d not experienced any this kind concert organizing till then and there was tons and tons of problems were happen when we were preparing details.

BFM:In the first event. How many are the audience?
Miki:All previous TTF were 2 days fest and booking same venue but day 1 and day 2 of 1st TTF 2009 were held at different venue on each day. 2-days total was just less than 550 I guess…
When preparing by audience qty,best was 2011. Since 2010,TTF is held at same venue. Max is around 350 per day I’ve heard from venue staff. Unfortunately,any previous TTF was not sold out. I wanna see ‘sold out’ sign in someday future fest…

BFM: to Finding to avenue and to get the permittion to made the gig"
Miki:About 1st TTF,I really had no idea how I can book venue. But co-organizer of FEST(It’s members of RIVERGE) made me advice and helped me a lot. We made a kind of promotion documents of fest and went and asked to venue by venue inside my city. About 2009,our act was bit slow and only could book one night at expected venue. So we need to look for venue of day 2nd. It was tough:-)  Since next 2nd TTF,we can use another good venue calls ESAKA-MUSE. I’d like to say my appreciation to all staffs of ESAKA MUSE for their big help. I want to tell,current using venue ESAKA MUSE is bit north part of downtown but really comfortable location. Thousands of restraunts,large shopping mole,subway station and hotel are there within 5 min. waking!

BFM:Up from as the organizer. Have you got the opportunity to play in your own band?
Miki:Well…I played a guitar long time before and formed my own band then…mostly we played cover of famous/obscure thrash metal band at that time like CASBAH,OUTRAGE,SACRED REICH,ANTHRAX,MEGADETH,MELIAH RAGE,SACRED REICH,S.O.D. and some HxCx like G.B.H….It’s over 20 years before and now I can’t play any guitar because I’m really busy for my main job. But,I can till funny story about this. On summer of 2011,my label band RIVERGE organized one local gig calls’Cross breed device beat-ROCK STAKK 5th ANNIV. GIG’ and I appeared that stage with help members! I played cover songs of RIVERGE/N.ASSAULT/S.O.D. then. One of my friend posted that performance to youtube…really shame primitive player I was but much fun time I could spend!

BFM:What adverse events have happened in the show?
Miki:Well…how I can say…!?!?  Like I’ve got bit serious injury on my shoulder by miss-dive??:-) There was several small problem was happened but mostly it’s really run smoothly. TTF is really D.I.Y. organizing and all staffs except venue staffs are our personal friends and band members. For example,my personal friend audiences of fest helped to bring band’s gears from Hotel to venue. Also some audience with international band members went to karaoke together as ater show partyJ In this point,I can say my fest TTF is most ‘warm & friendly’ thrash metal concert in Globe. As I just wrote there was small problems…it’s like small fighting,behindness of time schedule etc. but I could reach most important purpose 100% from each fest. It’s…I just wanna see all relating peoples Happy face. I mean players,all staffs,all audience and even if venue area’s people like hotel staffs…I don’t wanna any money from fest. In fact,I lost not small amount of budget from all previous fest but I don’t care!

BFM:Describe the feeling on the Violator, Warpath, Remains, Aggression and Fueled by Fire.
Miki:YEAH!  But AGGRESSION(SPA?) is not appearing to my fest!...hehe…I always can remember well about each bands!...VIOLATOR(BRA) is really killer pure thrash act. Both stage/floor was insane crazy when they played! Also I remember well Poney(singer of band)’s speech from stage(MC). It was much impressed. They are not only player of thrash metal but also music fans as same as all of ‘US’! They wanted to buy Nike sneaker and we went Nike store togetherJ Really nice guys. One of my nickname ‘Miki-Mosh’ is given by them!! WARPATH is young band. It looked they were bit nervous on stage but they kicked audience’s ass well with their crunchy-tight thrash metal sound. Unfortunately,line-up change is happened after appearing my fest but I’m still contacting with them well!...AGGRESSION…maybe you mean ASSASSIN??? They also appeared on 2010. They are really legend band since 1980’s,you know!?!? They played TTF as headliner of 2010 and setlist was so killer! Most of famous classic tunes and cover of Japanese hard core legend OUTO!  Robert from band can speak Japanese and he did most of MC as Japanese! It was so fun.  FUELED BY FIRE was 2011. I’ve met with him at 2009 TTF & Zurich 2010 before coming over my fest. Their playing was really aggressive and fast/tight! I think FBF is one of best young generation thrasher! Between their staying in Japan,me and band went to NARA(one of oldest city in my country) for sightseeing. That was really cold/snowing date. And we all were caught really baddest traffic jam on return way…but now it’s really fun memory.

BFM:The Asahi beer brewery in Japan, then what good is it?
Miki:Ehehe…you sometimes can enjoy to drink Asahi beer???  It should be on Friday!?|m|  They are really famous beer brewery in Japan. But my favorite is KIRIN. I’m Japanese but I don’t like Sake so much
Usually I’m taking BEERS from KIRIN and also a kind of UMESYU(pram liquor).

BFM:Now the band will play next year, it does not it?
Miki:You mean TTF 2013!?!?...Hmm…it’s top secret!!! Yeah. Now I’m working so hard to prepare details/fix whole line up to TTF 2013. It’s 5th anniv. Of fest and I’m always thinking it should be best fest ever through TTF history…Line up of both international/domestic bands should be really KILLER!!lol

BFM:Thanks for taking the time to answer it to me. I like everything in Japan! What would I like to read people?
Miki:Thanks again for giving me this opportunity. I was surprised to see your first contact mail…it’s really my honor. As you know,current music market situation in globe is really tough…my country is same. Sometimes I can hear from my globe friends that METAL is very big in Japan…of course scene is existing well but not so big anymore. Who could suppose this bad situation? We all music fans should not KILL our scene/market by ourself!  Btw,plz visit my web/physical store if you have a time/get a chance to come my city Osaka!  www.rockstakk.com  Thanks again everything and Kanpai(cheers)!!!

Chronosphere Interview (2014)

BFM:Sawaddee-Krub Spades! let's begin the first question, have you ever been interviewed by fanzine/webzine like this before?
Spades:Yeap..Of course..

BFM:Can you introduce a little bit about your Band?
Spades:We are Chronosphere and we play thrash metal.The band was formed back in 2009 as Homo Sapiens and released a demo called Hypnosis.
After that we changed the name to Chronosphere and at the moment we approach thrash metal in a more modern way.

BFM:I heard you once named the band as Homo Sapiens. why do you change your band's name?
Spades:The band at that time had a more old school thrash style.With the new line up we decided to play some kind of modern thrash combined
with other elements of metal(heavy,speed etc.).With that change in our music we also decided to change the name to Chronosphere.



BFM:"Chronosphere" is obviously taken from VDO Game, but I wanna ask you. is there anything special in that name?
Spades: ahaahhaha.i don't play video games so i don't know.We think Chronosphere as a sphere that is used as a portal for you to travel throught time
and witness human sins or other stories.

BFM:Can you explain about feeling in doing the Debut?
Spades:We were very excited at the time.It was our first time in studio so we had to figure out how the whole process is done.We tried to work as
professionals but we also had a lot of fun.



BFM:And how is the Feedback?
Spades: The feedback so far is very positive.There's a range of fans of all ages that are hungry for thrash metal and really dig the new shit.
That gives US a motive to continue and try harder for a better result.

BFM:Did the members have a full-time job?
Spades: No one from the band has a full-time job.We try to do short term jobs just to make ends meet and cover the requirements of the band.

BFM:Did anybody in band have another band or project up to Chronosphere?
Spades:No.We are solely devoted on Chronosphere.It is our pride and purpose.



BFM:why the band members wear red pants in recently? Just curious
Spades:We see it as a way of expression.It's a stylish touch to our stage presence.Also the red colour represents war!!!!

BFM:How did you get into Metal Scene?
Spades:When i was a kid about 12 y.o. a friend gave me the first record of Iron Maiden and it was a blast.After this i started looking  for bands and 
records.The first metal genres that i got into were black and thrash metal.



BFM:Which bass playyer inspired you?
Spades:I was really inspired by Steve Harris, but the bass player that affected my playing and sound in every domain was David Ellefson from Megadeth



BFM:How many gig that exclusively organized for Thrash Metal in Greece?
Spades: Thrashers United is one of these events and it's held annually since 2010.We participate in this festival with other bands like Exarsis,
Bio-cancer,Fadom etc.

BFM:As you seen, There is how many people approximately attended to the show in Athens?
Spades: The average in every show was 200 people. The last one was attended by 450 people.
It was sold out actually !!

BFM:Name the 5 best albums that you loved most!
Spades: 1)Motorhead-Ace of Spades
2)Motley Crue-Shout at the devil
3)Megadeth-Peace Sells...
4)Bathory-The return
5)Kill Cheerleader-All hail

BFM:Is there any fine beer in Greece? 
Spades: Hahahah..I am more of a whiskey guy.We got a few beers like Mythos and Fix..But my favourite beer is and austrian beer called Samichlaus.

  

Vektor Interview (2011)

BFM: What's up guys! How's everything?
David:Hey, what's up! Everything is going great. We've been really stoked after getting out of the studio and seeing the great response from Outer Isolation. It was crazy finding out how many people were waiting for us to put out our second album.

 

BFM: how 'bout the experience on working "Outer Isolation"?
David:It was really fun, but stressful. We wanted to push ourselves and try to step it up from "Black Future." We recorded with the same studio engineer as last time, and I think the production turned out really cool. It sounds new and relevant, while maintaining a cool old school vibe. We put in way more effort this time in the studio, and I think it shows. Our engineer, Byron Filson, gave both me and Erik three different guitar heads to play through at the same time when we recorded, so the guitar tone is awesome! "Outer Isolation" turned out to be one of our most focused and aggressive recordings yet.
 


BFM: I think that your band's logo are very samilar to Voivod's one. did u have an opinion about this topic?
David:They're pretty similar, but we weren't trying to rip them off or anything. We just wanted a logo that represented our sound: sci-fi, space thrash. A lot of black metal and death metal bands have similar logos, but that's not a big deal. I think people can hear that we're different from Voivod, even though they've been one of our many influences.

BFM: How is Metal scene in around AZ? any great band you shared stage with?
David:The metal scene is ok, but not the greatest. There aren't a lot of good local bands. They're mostly metalcore, or other crap. We have played with a lot of great touring bands though. We opened for Iced Earth, Testament, Toxic Holocaust, Hirax, Bonded By Blood, and a lot of others.

BFM: How did you get into Metal? any of you have a family background?
David:I used to listen to punk. I was into punk for a long time, but then I got into thrash because it was faster and cooler. I first got into metal after my friend showed me "Kill em' All" about 15 years ago.

BFM: Why Thrash Metal?
David:I like the speed and aggression. Thrash bands also sing about more relevant topics like war and social issues.

BFM: 5 Favorite album of all time?
David:Oh, that's hard. There's so many!!
 Destruction: Eternal Devastation
 Kreator: Terrible Certainty
 Vio-Lence: Eternal Nightmare
 Voivod: Killing Technology
 Emperor: Prometheus
 And number six... ASPID: Extravasation

BFM: Where did you guys feel the best crowd? where's worst? Any plan to do a tour in South East Asia? I'm pretty sure there are fans waiting for taste your guy's shred in Thailand. including myself haha!.
David:All of southern California has a great thrash scene. Those kids go crazy at the shows! haha. We would love to tour all over the world. Unfortunately, we don't have enough money for plane tickets, haha. We're looking on getting on a bigger label so we can start touring more extensively.

BFM: according to our (Beer Friendly Music) rules, we need to ask this question. Best Beer in AZ States?
David:Hmmm, also a tough question. haha. I like all beer. Pabst is good because it's cheap. Four Peaks is a good local brewery. I also like wine. Red wine is the best.

BFM: Last Question, give some shout out!, promote new album, quote anything, whatever you want to say ,Mine's "ROCK CHICKS HARD!! & KILL THE POSERS & CLONES!"
David:Support your local scene! Support your local record stores! SCI-FI OR DIE!!