BESTHÖVEN - Interview 2006

BESTHÖVEN are from Brazil and have been around since the end of 1990 playing total Discimex raw fucking D-beat punk. BESTHÖVEN is a one man drunken army with Fofäo Discrust behind the Dis-beat horrorcore. The following interview was conducted with Fofäo by letter in 2006 and was originally published in Agitate #8.

Can you give us some history to BESTHÖVEN? When did the band start?

BESTHÖVEN started to play in the end of 1990 between October to December… Formed by four friends that time was looking to do a new band and play some noise!!! Some changes in the line up in the start… but established til 94 with me Fofäo – Vox, Robson – Guitars, Repolho – Drums and Adriana – Bass… In this era we played many gigs and etc… Then in 1994 I got the band alone… I tried some new line ups too but today the band is just me playing and record alone… Sometimes I invited some friends like support member… Including Robson (who played drums in “Depois De Um Ataque Aereo” EP in 1999) and Adriana (who played bass in 15 years of birthday gigs…) Hope it be good for introduction… coz always is fucking boring to talk about it…

Why the name BESTHÖVEN? What does it mean?

It’s an invented name… Our first drummer creates… It’s a mix of two words: “Besta” that in Portuguese means “evil or beast” and the musician “Beethoven” it means something like “noise not music” or just “anti-music” or then another version of “classic music”… Here’s the “chaotic music”… The first drummer Repolho was a great guy (and still is) then I decided to keep the name and coz I enjoy the name a lot!... I love these mix of words like Alcoholocaust, for example…

How long has BESTHÖVEN been a solo project? Do you have any plans to expand the band or will BESTHÖVEN continue to be “A Drunk One Man Army”?

BESTHÖVEN is not a “project” coz project are short time life… BESTHÖVEN is a one man band since the end of 1994… but sometimes invite somebody to record or help in someway… No I don’t have plans to be a full band never again… The friends I used to play gigs last time all asked me to continues in the band then I say OK!!!... But all they have their own bands, I tried to practise with them and record new songs … but they not have time free to me… Then I say fuck off, I prefer to keep it alone… All them are fucking nice guys and friends a lot… but the drummer for example is playing in others four bands… Yeah!!! The drunk one man army continues!!!

Can you tell us about the “A Lei Du Mais Fraco” 12”? What kind of response have you been getting?

Any good response on it… Always peoples write me letters and sending zines saying lots of great words about BESTHÖVEN records… But now I’m not hearing or seeing anything about the 12”… Maybe no one in the world enjoyed the 12”… but fuck off!!! I enjoy it a lot!!!

What about the split EP’s with VIOLATION and TRIOXIN 245? How did you get involved with Final Attempt Records and Muerte Negra Records? VIOLATION and TRIOXIN 245 are amazing great bands and I’m keeping contacts with them and hearing their fucking good music!!! I’d like just to splits with them coz beyond the music they are friends a lot too!!! Mick from VIOLATION made the contacts with B.C. from Final Attempt to do it and he say ok!!! Muerte Negra asked me to release some BESTHÖVEN stuff, then I asked to be our split with TRIOXIN 245 then he said ok too!!! These two splits will be released many many soon and fastly!!!

Are you still planning on releasing a Swedish covers EP? Can you tell us more about this? What bands and songs will you be covering?

Yeah of course!!! I will do it!!! Maybe just in June this year, coz I’m with lot’s of fucking boring problems in my personal life and I wanna pass all this storm to can do it calm and without running… Meanwhile I will record just BESTHÖVEN songs… The EP will be named “The Vikings Are Back – A Hail To Sweden” and all art sleeve is based “A Hail To Japan” I recorded… The covers on it will be:

THE SHITLICKERS – The Night Of The Holocaust

FEAR OF WAR – Ingent Kwar

CRUDE SS – Capitalism Destroy

DISCARD – Death Race

MOB 47 – (I not choosed yet)

ANTI CIMEX – (I not choosed too! But one from “Raped Ass” and other from “Victims of…) My friend Rabbin Discrust from Dist And Confused more Discrust Records from Sweden wanna do it!!! But I asked he to wait a time and put some BESTHÖVEN new songs meanwhile…

What about BESTHÖVEN gigs? Do you get to play many gigs? Is it a problem with BESTHÖVEN been a solo band?

Well this “S.O.S.” line up” (like I call) I invited was just for one gig celebration of 15 years of BESTHÖVEN with FORCA MACABRA in their “Missao Metalic Tour 2005”. This gig was amazing!!! Then lots of invitations more… We play more four or five gigs then… but these gigs was not good for me… Bad equipment always… The same bands, the same faces… and a horrible gig in Gyn City in the badest equipment sound of the world and we was totally blind drunk!!! I falled over sound box!! He! He… Not many gigs and now stopped… I can do the line up in future again to some gig but just in special moments… When FORCA MACABRA returns is one!!!

How is the DIY punk scene in Brazil? Bands, zines, labels etc? Can you tell us about your zine?

Is not so different than other places I think… Lot’s of bands, zines, labels, etc… All years in DF state where I live exist a cool and strong DIY scene!! Really great, united and cooperative. Today you can see here punx, straight edgers, bangers, goths. In a same gig all are friends, bands of different styles playing in same day without any problems or fights! Peoples organizing gigs in cooperatives… Friends made stuffs for zines of others friends etc… Of course some bullshit fight for nothing you can see sometimes in a gig but not always… My zine??? My zine is fuckin shit!! He! He! He! I’m doing it since 1990 too… The name is “Vermynoze Putrida”, now he have ten pages A4 size in Xerox… I do interviews all bands that I love around the world, retakes from 80’s… labels… and some shits from my darkness mind… Available now: Number 29/30: Interviews with BLACK MARKET FETUS, plus DISCLOSE, MARERIDT, TRIOXIN 245, Strongly Opposed Records, victims of DISCHARGE (photo session of Brazilian bands and peoples using DISCHARGE items) and republish of CRUDE SS interview from 1986! Published originally just in Brazil!!! Portuguese and English edition. Number 31: Interviews with Jim (SQUANDERED, CRUELTY), HUMAN BASTARD, AUDIO KOLLAPS and BEYOND DESCRIPTION. Plus victims of DISCHARGE and Rodel Records. Total English edition! Someone interest just send $3 for help copies and postage well hidden to my address.

Can you talk about the current political climate in Brazil? What is the economic situation like in Brazil?

No I can’t… Sorry but I don’t give a fuck to it… I live totally off about it…. I just do things I enjoy… Drink is one good… I’m sorry…

Are Brazilian punks politically active? Are punks in Brazil involved in protesting, direct action, squatting etc?

Yeah, but exist different types of punx here… I know that exists lots of punx in anarchy movement, protests, etc… But I can’t talk coz I don’t have contacts with them… I’m not an anarchist… I don’t believe in anarchy or any solution for the human race…

What’s on your turntable at the moment? What bands are you currently listening to?

Lots! Lots!  MOBCHARGE, ALTERNATIVE SYSTEM, BETON, ANOTHER OPPRESSIVE SYSTEM, LEBENDEN TOTEN, DEATHCHARGE, KIROTTUS, MUSTA PARAATI, SKETETAL FAMILY, DEATH IN JUNE, DISASTER, TWO WITCHES, CTHUWULF, etc, etc…. I’m addicted to music!

What’s next for BESTHÖVEN? Are you working on any new material? When’s the split LP with SKELETON out?

Yeah! I’m in studio now!! Recording new songs for two split EP’s with MOBCHARGE and ALTERNATE SYSTEM!!! The split 12” with SKELETON is out!!! You can got copies at: The Total End Records, Matt Strong, 25 St Augustine Street, West Hartford, GT 06110, USA or ibrache@aol.com. Our first individual EP “Depois De Lim Ataque Aereo” from 1999 now available too new press at: Room 101 Records, c/o Mick, PO Box 37271, Philadelphia. PA 19148, USA or criesofpainrecs@hotmail.com

Anything else you want to say or feel needs to be addressed?

Thanx a lot my dear Chris for including BESTHÖVEN on the pages of your amazing zine!!! Thanx to all who read it and respect different thoughts! Thanx for all labels that help spread BESTHÖVEN noise!! And thanx to all peoples are asked me to BESTHÖVEN tour in USA and Europe (hope we can turn it in fact next year!!). A message: Don’t keep your eyes just in fucking computers!! Long live pen pals and real letters!! Long live to paper zines!!! Fofäo Discrust.

BESTHÖVEN c/o Fofäo Discrust, Caixa Postal 8120, Cep 72401-970, Gama-DF Brazil.