Interview with Yogi - Scenowy Dzielnicowy #2 08.2010

Zlewon: 1. Hi Yogi. The evolution you've undergone as a musician and songwriter over the past 20 years is truly remarkable to me. You started with simple, raw punk rock in SMAR SW, then veered towards a more noise-infused sound on the albums "Świadomość" and "Suicide." I wonder what inspired you to take this direction? Did you gradually explore these musical territories, or was there a radical breakthrough influenced by specific albums and literature (life?)? I wasn't around at the time, so looking at the album chronology alone, it's surprising, to say the least. On the cover of "Walczmy o swoim praw" (Fight for Your Rights), you look like you stepped out of a punk fashion journal (no offense), only to release an album a few years later that sounds like, not far off, Neurosis drawing inspiration from Allen Ginsberg.

Yogi: We didn't look like we were in a magazine; no band in Poland looked like that, so it wasn't a fad. Even then, we were "forerunners" of the punk movement in Poland. ;)

We started out playing our best, meaning "three chords, screaming our faces." Over time, you learn to play a little more interestingly and aren't satisfied with just any riff anymore. You start looking for your own means of expression that most accurately reflects what you want to say in your songs. The books we read and listening to music from an increasingly wider audience certainly influenced our development, both lyrically and musically. We matured, and our music matured with us. Each subsequent album was a step "forward towards death." This was one of the reasons why Ninja and I parted ways after "Walczmy o swoim praw" (Let's Fight for Our Rights)-he wanted the next album to be "the same," while the rest wanted to grow and move on. Back then, we were listening to a lot of different music that went beyond the standard of so-called "punk rock"-so we went without him.

Regarding the album "Suicide," the musical impact that seeing Neurosis perform live in Berlin (at the peak of their career, in my opinion, when they were playing material from Souls at Zero and Enemy of the Sun) left on me is undeniable. I listened to those albums every day for a year at 300 watts full blast. I think we created our own atmosphere on "Suicide," and the associations with Neurosis stem more from the monumentality and length of the songs.

When, years later, I learned that those rednecks from Neurosis enjoyed hunting, I regretted not being one of the biggest promoters of their music in this country.

2. Despite its weak sound, I consider "Suicide" one of the best (if not the best) albums from the Polish independent scene. It remains underrated to this day. I'm amazed that, despite the passage of time, most people associate SMAR SW with hits like "Nie ma piwo" (No Beer) rather than with the band's final period. You guys were probably a bit of a victim of that track, weren't you? What's your opinion of the album from today's perspective, and why do you think it was so poorly received, with many people still unaware of its existence?

It's a shame we couldn't record this album with the same engineer we used for "Świadomość," but on the same note, I can say that "Walczmy o swoim praw" would have sounded different if we'd recorded it in a "savvy" studio instead of at Radio Opole, where we were the first punk band to record there and it took three days-hard to imagine today-to record and mix an album in such a short time. "Suicide" was usually underestimated by those who hadn't listened to it or those whose "stage propriety" prevented them from saying a good word about our work. At that time, there weren't many bands playing similar music; people at concerts wanted to hear old, familiar songs and, as always, reacted with reservations to new things. A few years later, Neurosis came into fashion, and many of them picked up our album. I'm glad that there were people then, and still are, who really liked the album. We never felt like slaves to "Nie ma piwo" (No beer). It's a cool track (a hit at many a party in this country and, due to its simplicity, one of the first songs played by young punk bands), whose humorous genesis I described in detail on the SMAR SW website. From the very beginning, we had a lot to say in our songs in a more serious form, and anyone who treated SMAR SW through the prism of that chorus is simply foolish or dishonest.

3. Has "Suicide" been released on CD? Is it still available anywhere? Are you tempted to release a remastered reissue?

I released this album on CD in a limited edition of 100 copies (it went mainly to friends), after waiting several years for Pietia from QQRYQ to return the "master tape" (I put it in quotation marks because he didn't return the original - apparently, it's lost) without even accounting for the cassette release. Sure, it's tempting to release a reissue, but I don't really have the time to take care of everything, and I don't want some other idiot making money off my music. A few years ago, I agreed to Zima making SMAR SW T-shirts (even though they were supposed to look different), but he never accounted for it, but that's probably standard practice in the so-called "scene." I'm absorbed in what I'm doing every day, whether it's music or some online project, and I lack the energy to rip and post old concerts or download CDs on the smar website.

Maybe after the release of the new THCulture album, I'll do something about that. I know many people are waiting for this, as I keep getting emails about it. Be patient...

4. After the album that sealed the end of SMAR SW, you founded the even more experimental sounding band THCulture. You're releasing a new album soon. "Transe Noise Voice" was a bit rawer than your debut, even a bit industrial, and evoked associations with '90s Killing Joke. What musical direction did you take on your latest album? You're writing it practically alone. Did you want to have complete influence on its overall design, or did you part ways with the other musicians naturally?

With this sound, it's a matter of the people you record with, and above all, the sound engineer - what they can do and the time you have to do it. Every album I've recorded has sounded different live and then came out differently in the studio. I didn't set any particular direction for the new album, "Tea Age Culture," except that I wanted to make an album without songs in 4/4 time (there is one ;) ). The album definitely won't be as well-produced as the previous one, because I recorded, mixed, and programmed everything myself, at home, without professional equipment. But I don't care. I'm happy to be able to share my music and that it will be an album I could work on as much as I wanted. The only things that limited me were my laziness and lack of good equipment - ​​but that doesn't bother me that much. I grew up on "Kasprzak" and taped concert tapes, which are almost inaudible to "today's listeners." The music speaks for itself, even if the recording is a bit noisy ;)

Playing solo for the past few years wasn't entirely my choice. It was influenced by the fact that Krzysiek, the last drummer in THCulture, with whom we recorded "Trance Noise Voice," moved to Dresden, so there was no opportunity to continue rehearsing and working on new material. So Jacek, the bassist, and I played for a while, supported by a computer. Our paths diverged, however. I was always interested in content first, then form, and Jacek didn't pay much attention to that - he moved towards jazz. Since I value honesty, I didn't want to continue and decided to play solo until I met people with whom I felt something more in common than just "playing for the sake of playing." Or maybe I took the DIY idea too literally ;). When I

played my first THCulture gig a few years ago, on my own, I was really nervous about how people would react. Everyone was used to us playing as a band, etc., and then a guy comes out, plugs in his laptop, plays guitar, and sings. I even planned to print out Krzysiek and Jacek in 1:1 scale and place them on stage ;) because it's a bit empty on my own. After the first few seconds of stage fright, I felt completely at ease knowing what to play and not having to worry about whether the bassist and drummer knew it too? Had they practiced it? Would they make a mistake? etc.

5. There's also Robi Y Loretta, where you dabble in electronica. I've heard the comment: "I don't understand how someone who used to play punk rock suddenly starts blasting techno." To me, that's obvious nonsense, because alongside HC/punk, I listen to tons of electronica, but out of curiosity, I'm asking if you still consider yourself a punk? Do you still follow the HC/punk scene in Poland? And will you continue working under the Robi Y Loretta moniker?

Robi Y Loretta has nothing to do with techno-to my ears. The first album, "365 Days," was created during my first year with a computer, and I'm glad I was able to utilize this tool in this way. I learned to process music myself and no longer need to pay for a studio or watch the clock when recording. Of course, I'd prefer live musicians instead of samples, but playing with a computer has its advantages. This Robi Y Loretta project also stemmed from a temporary lull in THCulture. I had ideas and possibilities, but the aesthetic didn't fit THCulture's, hence the reasoning. The second album, "Don't Forget Fallujah," was a spontaneous creation after the tragic events in Fallujah. The same with the DidgeridooDigital project-I play the didgeridoo a bit, so why not make a few tracks? I used to play punk rock? A tight head has nothing to do with punk rock, so that's not my problem, but the problem of those who formulate "their" opinions. I don't know at the moment if there will be another Robi Y Loretta album - for now, I'm busy with the new THCulture album. I definitely don't plan on stopping making music, and we'll see what name or name it will be under - I just bought a new guitar (my previous one was 17 years old), so I'm rediscovering the joy of playing. ;)

I don't follow any "scene" - in my opinion, there never was one; there were groups of people here and there, associated with certain bands, labels, or zines. I don't have a good opinion of it as a whole. Like any group of people, the so-called "scene" has always included some wonderful people and some just plain scumbags, just like in real life. I've been running rAdios.cz for a few years now, and when I find some interesting music, I invite the band to play on rAdios, but this goes far beyond the boundaries of so-called punk rock. When it comes to punk rock, I think I was exposed to more interesting bands live in my youth than I am now. I'm aware that back then, the music was also "fresher."

I still feel like a punk and an anarchist, and I don't know what influence music played on any given instrument would have on that. I suspect the opinions you cite come from people for whom punk is just some vaguely defined musical genre, and "punking" means listening to this or that music, along with whatever aesthetic is currently in vogue.

6. Looking at the textual layer of THCulture, a question occurred to me: do you actually see any hope for society, for humanity? Erich Fromm suggested that changes for the better would come when people completely reconstructed their inner selves and their attitudes towards life. What about you?

There's only one hope for each of us-live according to your own will. It's not easy in a world where there are countless people at every turn telling you what you should and shouldn't do. Most are afraid to take responsibility for their own lives, making further compromises because it's more convenient, because they're "in the herd" and don't stand out from the rest. Then, to justify themselves, they babble about how they're grown up now, that there's no other way, that if I don't do it, someone else will, and the money flies.

I think that throughout human history, there's always been a small group of people who challenge the existing reality and try to change it, with varying degrees of success. I think this group remains constant in percentage terms; although at certain times it seems like "us" is growing, a moment later "our" ranks are dwindling. This sense of growth is probably simply related to the fact that other groups are interested in certain "issues," but they aren't interested in your other "issues."

There's also a strong group that thrives on the status quo, profiting from the rest of us working their asses off, or acting as capos (officials, policemen, or priests) and faring a little better than the common rabble. That's why the system has devised so many ways to bring recalcitrant individuals back into line. For cowards and conformists, they offer the "carrot" of "tighten your belt," "rags to riches," "you can be one of us," "everything is within your reach, take out a loan and work your ass off for life"-as consolation, we'll give you a new TV or car and some colorful junk, next year there'll be an even "better" TV and car-and so the fool goes on and on-propaganda and advertising will sufficiently whet your insatiable appetite, while colorful packaging and "bling" will conceal the fact that the product is poor quality, the entertainment is cheap, and behind it all lies the all-encompassing emptiness they're selling you. For those few who are less afraid, they have a solid "stick." Each of us can observe how our own communities experience this: people from the WiP (WiP) went to work for the UOP (Office of State Protection), anarchists to the courts and public offices, members of punk bands to the police and customs, atheists get married in church and baptize their children, ordinary workers fighting unions and supporting capitalism are a complete oddity in this country, and so on.

I don't see solutions on a societal level, only within the individual. I live my life, and I don't give a damn about the rest. If someone wants to be a scumbag or a son of a bitch who exploits scum, what can I do? All I can do is prove with my own life that there are other ways, just as many have shown me, and thanks to that, I had and still have the courage to make my life as mine as possible.

7. For two years now, for obvious reasons (money), there's been a campaign against the Dopalacze.pl network in Poland. On the other hand, I'm increasingly hearing opinions from people who dabble with psychoactive substances that these designer drugs are actually pretty bad and more dangerous than what you can get "on the street." What's your opinion on legal highs?

That's not for me; I'll stick with nature, which has ensured that every continent has psychoactive plants. For thousands of years, people have used them to "reprogram" their brains, reconnect with their own nature, or use them as a cure for many ailments. At least I know what I'm consuming, and when I grow my own, I can influence the quality. Besides sage, there's probably nothing natural in legal highs. Judging by the prices, they're no different from their "black market" counterparts-they rake in the cash and benefit from drug prohibition just like the mafia. They're comfortable with this situation-with prohibitions-because even if a substance is banned, they'll manipulate a few molecules in the lab and move on. If people could grow their own plants and get a first-class product practically for free, no one would buy expensive cannabis substitutes.

All history shows that prohibition achieves nothing except criminalizing the phenomenon. The only ones who benefit from this are the drug mafia and the police. The former have a high price for their product, while the latter can expand their ranks by dealing with harmless

"drug addicts" instead of the first or real crimes of bankers and corporations. Besides, no dog bites its master's hand. And politicians have something to scare the public with and "prove" when they bust some small-time dealers (the mafia's competitors) how they protect your children and you.

I suspect the campaign stems from the fact that the drug mafia, closely linked to politicians, lost a significant amount of money when "high school students" reached for legal highs instead of their own products.

In my opinion, all substances, especially plants, should be legal, as should their production and cultivation - only this guarantees high quality, choice, and influence over what one consumes. This also means that we can freely discuss all of this, share experiences, and discuss the potential consequences of using certain substances. And prisons aren't filling with innocent people who have done nothing wrong, other than preferring to take advantage of something else the mafia or the state couldn't profit from.

In my opinion, nothing will change regarding drug prohibition in Poland as long as the Vatican (which deals with treating "drug addicts" to get them to take drugs like Jesus instead of heroin and laundering the money from the trade) and the CIA, which reaps the greatest profits from the global drug trade, hold power. Nothing will change as long as people believe that if something is wrong for them, it should be forbidden to others, even if they are not harmed.

On May 31st, Israeli commandos attacked the Freedom Flotilla. More than a dozen people died. The world was enraged. Meanwhile, the US, which has the real power to deal an economic blow to Israel through sanctions and perhaps even end the conflict, remains silent (which is not surprising). Do you think there is any real path to peace for Palestine?

This path is the unwavering resistance of Palestinians and a complete boycott of Israel by so-called "Western societies." Unfortunately, many people don't care and do nothing about it. All they could do is stop buying products from Israeli companies, as well as those investing in illegal settlements or in Israel's infrastructure. Finding and familiarizing themselves with this information takes an afternoon. And a boycott is the most effective peaceful way to combat undesirable phenomena. Neither the U$A nor Israel is interested in peace, because their industries are primarily arms and security-related, so war is their daily bread and a cash influx. No requests or threats against Israel will work, because they rule the U$A, Europe, or "international institutions." If they don't directly govern a country, they control corporations and the financial sector, and through this, they are able to influence the policies of individual states. This is clearly visible in our country, for example. No "Polish" government has ever condemned Israel; they buy weapons from them and fight as mercenaries in their wars. It is shameful and disgraceful to serve the Zionists in their criminal activities.

Interestingly,

the "exile" that formed the basis of Israel's state ideology after the failed uprising of 66-73 CE never took place. The Romans, as a rule, did not resort to resettling conquered peoples, and with the arrival of the Arabs, most Judeans adopted Islam and assimilated into society. Today's Palestinians are therefore direct descendants of the ancient, assimilated Judeans. These theses are incredibly revolutionary and iconoclastic for today's global Zionist movement. The historiography prevalent in Israel and all Jewish communities offers a completely different answer to the question of where the Jews actually went after the failure of the uprising in 73 CE. And why, in subsequent centuries, Palestine was dominated by... Palestinians. Israeli historians, and international historians after them, explained that Jews disappeared because they were displaced. This is a lie. No one displaced Jews-they remained in Palestine, and it was against them that the Zionists who founded the state of Israel in 1948 fought. And they continue to fight against them to this day. The founding myth of the state of Israel, this diaspora scattered around the world and hoping for a return, may therefore prove to be a propaganda fabrication. And the creation of Israel was anything but an act of historical justice. It was then, in 1948, that Palestine was taken from its rightful, eternal owners. Zionism would therefore amount to usurpation and appropriation of the land by people who had no rights to it.

A similar falsehood is the artificial ethnicity of the Jews. Jews never constituted a single nation, but merely a loose grouping of various Semitic tribes that adopted Judaism. Evidence of this is the existence of the Judean kingdom of Himyan in the southern Arabian Peninsula and the Jewish Berbers of North Africa. Their descendants are the Sephardic Jews who lived in Spain during the Middle Ages. Similarly, the Ashkenazi Jews of Eastern Europe, including Poland, do not originate in Israel and never existed there. They are ethnic descendants of the Khazars. This is evidenced by philological analyses, which indicate that the Yiddish language is a mixture of German and Khazar.

These analyses have long been known to the world, but they were suppressed and condemned to oblivion because they questioned the raison d'état-and even the very existence of the state of Israel.

The existence of Judaic communities on almost every continent and among all anthropological types is of enormous significance. The generally accepted Zionist explanation, that all Jews originated in Palestine and dispersed throughout the world after the Jewish War of the first century CE, is also utter nonsense. In light of this, Israel has no right to call itself a Jewish state-it should call itself a Zionist state.

The founders of the Zionist movement falsified history and created a racist ideology that continues to justify the actions of the state of Israel. The Jewish nation as such never existed. Only the Mosaic religion existed, uniting the most diverse ethnic groups.

9. I'll get back to SMAR SW. On your website, you wrote that you released the album "Walczymy o swoim praw" (We're Fighting for Our Rights) through Silverton because no independent label would bother to release it. You wrote that the reason was to be consistent with the trends of the time. You also wrote that the independent and "dependent" scenes are no different except for the amount of money they make. Is that a harsh statement? Do you still think so? What did you mean by "correct with the trends of the time"?

I don't know what it's like today because I don't feel like I'm part of any scene. That's how it was back then; "hardcore is in fashion" or "your skateboarding god" didn't come out of nowhere ;) I described it in more detail on the SMAR SW website, but in short, it was like this: each environment "produces its own correctness," what it considers "recommended" and "forbidden." Fala released their first album (according to the scene, they weren't "true" because they sold as many cassettes in a week as the entire "true" scene did in a year). For us, it was a "miracle," because as a young band, we could have our own album, and thanks to that, people discovered our music all over Poland, not just Rzeszów. Thanks to that, we were able to play concerts all over Poland. After the events at Jarocin '93, we wanted "Nobody Knows" to release us, but Woł (a good friend of ours who organized several concerts) didn't have the money for a studio or for QQRYQ to release us. It was a great opportunity for those labels to make a lot of money (which has always been a problem and an obstacle to releasing more albums), but they didn't want us. So we took up Silverton's offer, which finally allowed us to buy some proper equipment to play with. It's ridiculous that the "scene" is angry at you for releasing an album with Silverton when they themselves won't release yours. I found it pathetic when, later, on a flyer advertising the album "Suicide," Pietia explained to "his circle" that QQRYQ was releasing it because we were now "true," even though he was very interested in releasing the previous album, "Świadomość," but his partner was against it. It's telling that on the first album, "In Unity, the Power," the track "SMAR SW" is a summary of an article by Pietia. QQRYQ never settled with us for the "Suicide" album, and I waited several years for the return of the "master tape." When I released THCulture, I wanted to avoid this, so we released the albums with a local "independent publisher," BOOFISH. It seemed that if I had known the company owner for years and the company was in place, something would change. Nothing happened. Just like with QQRYQ, BOOFISH also didn't settle with us for the THCulture albums, and the owner/friend referred me to court, knowing I was an anarchist and wouldn't go to court with her.

10. Do you still meet Ninja? I read an interview with his band Triglav and I was very amused by his statements, which suggested he never had anything to do with the libertarian side of the punk scene. Or maybe he didn't? :)

I haven't seen him since Jarocin '94, where it almost ended in a fight ;). I think he had a lot in common with "the libertarian side of the punk scene" - he primarily played in SMAR SW, we were active together in movements like Freedom and Peace and Miedzymiastówka Anarchistyczna, we participated in many actions, demonstrations, and happenings at the time, and together we beat the shit out of Nazis and Narodniks. However, as we "grew stronger" and became one of the rougher crews in Poland, it sometimes devolved into just "thuggery" and "cutting up." I didn't like that at Jarocin, some of the crew were interested in burning bags of glue and beating up "resisters" as part of "cleansing the punk movement" while they drank alcohol. There are better things to do at concerts and festivals than being a cop - even a "punk cop" :( Power always corrupts ;) Ninja was a good friend and a great companion for late-night conversations; I have fond memories of almost everything we experienced together. Over time, however, the differences between us deepened, and it was impossible to continue playing together or being friends with someone who paraded around with a Celtic cross and what used to be a funny eagle.

11. What is the radios.cz project you are working on?

A few years ago, I started designing websites. A friend from the Czech Republic (who organized THCulture concerts there) with a large collection of vintage radios asked me to create a website using them to showcase the bands he was organizing concerts for. At first, it only featured tracks from my albums and a few other bands. Over time, the project grew; many bands were and are interested in having their music featured, and today we play over 1,500 songs from bands around the world - a new band appears in our "Sound of the Week" edition every week. Having my own radio station has been a long-held dream of mine, especially after hosting "Canal 666" on Radio Centrum in Rzeszów (after six shows, the program was banned and removed from the radio schedule at the request of AWS councilors). From the beginning, rAdios.cz has been based on three pillars: "independent," "commercial-free," and "no-profit." Radyjko is broadcasting, the music database is growing, the Czech section is still organizing amazing events and concerts - I invite you to listen, read and watch (apart from music you will find a lot of video and independent information from around the world) http://www.radios.cz - free radio for free people.

12. Word for Sunday

Abolishing cannabis penalties isn't the ultimate goal. I'm interested in abolishing the penalty for freedom.

Thanks, best regards.

Ściana Wschodnia #11 / Scenowy Dzielnicowy #2 - Split Zine

YEAR: 08.2010

FORMAT: a4

NUMBER OF PAGES: 60

EDITION: printing, soft cover

CONTENT Ściana Wschodnia #11: poetry by Rotten and Benton/NIHILIZM, BROKEN FIST, DEATH ROW, DUPA ZBITA, HARD TO BREATHE, OVER THE TOP, POSING DIRT, ON WITH LIFE, The LINE, TOB, syringe zine, GAZON, COMMON ENEMY, articles, recipes, graphics, comics, reports, reviews

CONTENT Scenowy Dzielnicowy #2: SKITSYSTEM, GAVIN PORTLAND (a bit about the Icelandic scene), IN DEFENCE, HELLO BASTARDS, Yogurt/SMAR SW, column-interview about Article 278 in Austria, report from Palestine, Islam and the DIY scene + survey, how low can you go? (new fucked-up tactics of the far right in Poland), racism in South Africa, the country's situation and the 2010 World Cup, squatting in Poland

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