|
||
Mitt Val, Mitt Liv |
|
~ Kort om mej~ |
Labelprofile with Pure Impact Pure Impact has been around for quite some time now and here`s some questions for the boss of the label, Peter. So, how and when was Pure Impact started? How many works with P.I and so on? Pure Impact started out as a skinhead fanzine in 1984 which lasted until 1995. I then decided to pack it in as a lot of new zines had surfaced and all with more (financial) means than Pure Impact, which made that my photocopied zine looked a bit cheap compared to the new printed ones. As far as the content goes, Pure Impact was one of the better and most influential ones though covering both political bands and non-political bands, ska, Oi, RAC and skincore from all around the world. Pure Impact - the label - officially started in January 1996. So far 33 releases on Pure Impact and 5 on various sublabels. You release both political and non-political music..And in your webshop you`ll find both Cd`s with Tabloid Play from Japan, Anti Squad from Indonesia as well as more political bands as Brutal Attack and Bound for Glory...For some people, it`s no big deal while to others say it`s weird and hypocritical to have cds with Asian bands alongside with white power bands... So, can you explain the labels philosophy for us? I don't really agree. Our releases are skinhead with maybe 2 - 3 exceptions that are more political. Being patriotic is not being outspokenly political I think and that's the category a lot of the pure Impact bands fit in. Hypocritical to have Asian bands and White Power bands? I don't think so, it's probably because you are too young to grasp the spirit of the early 80's skinhead scene. When I started out as a skinhead, all the factions didn't exist, you were a skinhead and that was it. Some bands were political, some were not, but it didn't matter. There was no left-wing skins, apart maybe from a couple of bands like the Redskins who weren't really skinheads but upper-class yuppies. As far as Pure Impact goes, I will still consider distributing every band as long as they're not outspoken left-wing (but hey, we even distribute The Oppressed and Red Alert) or NSBM pretending to be skinhead. So the label philosophy would be if it's skinhead music or good streetpunk or hardcore we'll distribute it regardless the politics as long as it's not extreme left-wing. How many releases have you done and which one is your bestseller? For the number of releases, see question 1. The bestseller so far is Section 5 -They think it's all over.... Other ones that did well are Les Vilains, Fist Of Steel, the first 2 Retaliator CD's, Bakers Dozen and Red White & Blue. You have released a CD with The Pints, are there any other Swedish bands that you`re interested in releasing? How much do you know about the Swedish Oi / punk scene? I will release bands that I like, that's the main goal for doing the label. I loved the Pints' recordings and therefor decided to put their CD out even though I realised that it would be hard for a pure skinhead label to find distribution for such a CD. One of the next releases due out is Battle Scarreds new album Oi Oi music, football and beer and there's also a DVD of a big Swedish band coming up. How much do I know about the Swedish scene? Not much or just about nothing at all about the punk scene as I'm not interested in it, but I know just about all Oi and RAC bands, from the early 80's till now. I'm always interested in discovering good new bands, wherever they're from. And how is the Oi-scene in Belgium? From what I heard it doesnt come any better with lots of gigs packed with people...And which one is the best band in the country? The Oi scene in Belgium is thriving at the moment with quite a few bands around for such a small country: The Agitators, Headcase, Les Vilains, Unite Against Society, Thuggers, Short Cropped and a lot of smaller bands still. There are concerts at a rate of about 2 per month, and the famous Kastelein pub (www.kastelein.be) has 2 bands playing every month. There is also an organisation Oi is fun (www.oiisfun.tk) who organise Oi festivals regularly and Live and loud, the longest-going organisation in this country who have been around since the late 80's but who have been taking a break the last few years. Naming a best band would be impossible as none of the bands play exactly the same style or cater a 100% for the same kind of audience, but the most active band of the moment is probably Les Vilains. Have you got any dream release? That question would imply a release of a "big" name, but that wouldn't exactly be a dream release for me as I cannot guarantee big bands the same distribution or money as they would get on a bigger label. I rather keep discovering small unknown bands and have people impressed by their quality and youthful aggression and spontaneity. Which band is the 'hottest'one at the moment? As far as Pure Impact is concerned, it the latest 2 releases, Bakers Dozen-Storm of discontent and Retaliator-When duty calls which are getting excellent reactions. Other hot bands from other labels include Emergency (the new top Oi! band), Discipline, Deadline, Legion Of St. George, Steelcapped Strength, Ultima Thule (still after all those years), Perkele,... Finish this sentence 'I know Pure Impact have made it when..' ..when I can give up my dayjob. But since that's not going to happen, I will settle for "...when the label and distro get recognition in the scene for the quality, service and 20+ years of dedication to the scene". O.k, that`s all I got I think. Have you got anything to add or closing comments?Thanks for the interview and good luck with the zine. A big hello to all my friends and contacts in Sweden, you know who you are! 05-08-15, Out on the web 05-08-22.Feel free to link to the interview or pass brief quotes-but give me cred if you do please... |