Neo-Zine ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Intro: Napalmed is a legend in noise (for me at least) I have traded for many of their recordings, and now it is a pleasure to have them in my magazine. I was warned in advance that the English might not be too good, so I kept the questions in simple language. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHC: Greetings, please introduce yourself and the band. Hi CHC and readers of NEO-ZINE! We are NAPALMED band. I'm Radek Kopel. Other actual line-up members are: Petr Kopecky - hard beaten metals; Mira Vlcek - strange sounds; Martin Beraxa - harsh beats and fucked-up rhythms. We try to browse the endless aural sphere, make sounds, looking for unknown experimental corners, to be free sonic freaks. Most people range us in the NOISE/INDUSTRIAL style, but I think our complete production is much colourful. Try it! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHC: Tell us about the Czech Republic, and the "noise scene" there. Is it more acceptable than other places? Not special noise scene as we are very small country. "From electro, rhythmic industrial to noise": DO SASHKA!, DETI DESTE, EILEITUNGSZEIT, SKROL, ... are some of the live performed bands. Studio projects are here too: HOMOLA TOBOLA, SAGRAMON, GME, SEISMIC WAVE FACTORY, ... Industrial festival in Prague each year, ..... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHC: How long have you been making noise? NAPALMED exists since mid `94. Same as my sound making. I listen to ?-metal, ?-core alot, same as others: jazz, ambient, contemporary music, electronics, ethnic/world music, garage pop/rock/punk, aural exots, etc. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHC: Please describe your sound Simply I describe our sound as industrial/noise, but there are many other elements too; as like strange experiments, harsh rhythms, ambient soundscapes, ... whatever we find interesting and experimental. People often judge us on few recordings. The truth is, we try to have common points: powerful positive energy, quality of production and sound. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHC: How do you make your noise. Do you use instruments? We used instruments (two basses and drums) in the beginning. As they were "too musical" for our use, we change them for recycle stuff and daily-use things: various metals, junk, light/heavy tools, 2nd hand mics, home hi-fi equipment, guitar pedal effects, ... Most of our recorded stuff is "live", what means it is not overdubbed or so. Only post-production works are mastering, equalisation and some other preparation for the final release. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHC: Why do you choose to make noise instead of music or other forms of art? On my mind making noise is form of art. We could simply select between good and bad noise. I lead the NAPALMED as a normal band, but we never rehearse. It seems to me very bored to create new songs, rehearse them and than play still the same on the gigs. Of course there's another problem too I don't know the "musical chemistry". I think I'll be a bit limited in communication w/musicians in possible future collaboration, but who cares? More noise/+ satisfy my "desire" in power and energy in music. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHC: What emotions will a Napalmed recordings make a listener feel? This really depends on the listeners themselves. It would be really great to know (to get) all these emotions from them. Listen to NAPALMED and let us know. On my mind we create positive vibrations, sometime transfer to loud sounds. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHC: How many recordings have you done? I don't count them, but we recorded relatively lot through the time. People could see the complete list on http://napalweb.host.sk/releases.html. Most of them are tapes. I would very like to continue the line of 7"EP split-vinyls, but they are fucking expensive in small editions. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHC: The "Anomalous Silencer" comps were great. Did you put them together? Do you think that you have helped many other noise bands with the comp? Thanx for nice words. Not me, but contributed artists help the series keep alive and mainly to promote their own sounds. As you know "Silencer" is co-finnancied. Many bands wanted to join it, but only few of them is able to do something more than record stuff and send it to label. I think about to stop the line, as I'm tired of all delays and waitings. At last I change my view on that situation. This is underground all about. I think it is good idea (for me the only) to make this type of compilation. Now you could find many co-payed compilations (often on CD-Rs), but deep in the `96 was the situation a bit different. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHC: Have you collaborated with many other noisicians? I tried to communicate w/all active people in the deepest underground. Not problem for me what style they do, where they are from, etc... Of course the main focus fall on the noisicians and similiar. More I don't care on what contacts they are available; I'm more electronic last time, but I answer normal paper letters as well. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHC: Do you do much mail? Do you have a lot of pen-pals and contacts all over the world? ToooOOO much. From 50-100 e-mails and about 10 paper letter per day. It's strange sometimes to answer them all, but I'm not worry, as I do that for free. I like to communicate. Around 5.000 contacts through the time in my address book from ALL OVER the world. There are some long-time friends of mine among them. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHC: Do you play live? What is it like? For sure we do. To date we play about 50 live performances. Mostly with metal bands, only in the Czech Republic. We will perform outside republic 23.03.03, for the first time - in Germany. I hope people there will find our production interesting. Nothing special at our shows. We made loud, improvisating sounds, people listening, some went out. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHC: Have you been in many zines? Any questions you have been asked that were interesting or difficult? As I can remember "many" interviews were made all obver the world. Editors asked still the same questions. On one side it's good, as my english is not very good, new readers/fans wanted to know the well-known facts too. On the other side it's bad, as for me the inteviews are a bit bored. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHC: Tell us about your distro. Distribution runs for a very long time. It wasn't named NAPALMED early, but the activity is still the same from its beginning: to trade and to find new music (for myself), unknown artists, ... If I sell something it's great too, and the money are get back to new releases. I ever tried to run the distro and label (both unofficial) to be self-financied. I only put my personal time and energy there. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHC: Tell us about your label. As I wrote before this activity is unofficial too. The main is ANOMALOUS SILENCER (noise/industrial/experimental CD compilation) series. As no concept here, not all released are numbered. More I release my friends items too, as like FOUR SEATS FOR INVALIDES (czech grindcore act). No extra plans, so we (me too) will see what happens. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHC: Tell us about your graphics design. I promote/named this activity mainly because of internet presentation. There will be all my graphics/collage works at our website. I like to make old-style, hand-made abstract collages, photographing, recycle system, tear the magazine to pieces and past them together in absolutely different sense. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHC: Anything else you would like to talk about? I think it's absolutely "all" for now. THANX alot for the time, interest and space in your zine. Labels/artists contact me for the possible trades, other people feel free to ask whatever you want or just simply communicate. I can offer you promotion via our website, same as flyer spreading. Radek Kopel, Lipova 1123m, 43401 Most, napalmed@volny.cz, http://napalweb.host.sk