Wednesday 4 April 2012

BESTHÖVEN - Interview 2012

Brazil's one man DIS-army Fofäo Discrust has been playing total DIS-CIMEX raw d-beat punk since 1990 and shows no sign of stopping the DIS-nightmare. With a recent successful 2011 European Disaster Tour, an excellent new full length album on Agipunk and not to mention numerous recent EP and split EP releases BESTHÖVEN's DIS-war seems set to continue... This is the second time I've interviewed Fofäo the first time in 2006 for Agitate #6 with this second interview conducted via email in early 2012...
After 21 years of hell and DIS-truction. What inspires the DIS one man army to continue?
Hi Chris!! I'd like to say first that is really great to be in your zine again dude!! Well... BESTHÖVEN turned to be my principal and strongest work and I can say that is one from the best things in my life to me... I really enjoy this work and enjoy this way of life, to be keeping in touch with friends around the world doing works together, etc... And to keep the band still this way recording alone and releasing stuffs in overseas is a really great thing!! Believe me! I am happy to see that I am still here, playing, composing new songs all the time and always ready to go back in a studio and make a new release also... So, I can't see any reason to stop my work with BESTHÖVEN and I hope to keep this one man band till the day of my death... I live in a fucking boring city... and I need also to keep my works alive... this way I feel myself alive too.
When it comes to musical influences it's obvious the classics like DISCHARGE, ANTI CIMEX, SHITLICKERS etc are a major influence on BESTHÖVEN's sound but what about new bands? Any bands around now that inspire you Fofäo?
Yeah, the most of influences I feel are from the past... classics from 80's!! In special for Swedish bands from 80's...... But I am addicted to music... so I am always hearing a lot of bands all the time and of course, new bands can have some influences in me also! And I think not only punk music you know?... Since I enjoy some metal from 80's also and gothic rock from 80's also, it can be an influence to me also... There's some bands from 90's that I fucking love also: WARCOLLAPSE, BOMBRAID, TIME SQUARE PREACHERS, DISHONEST, DISCHANGE (also MEANWHILE), DISFORNICATE, DISCLOSE, C.F.D.L., ICONOCLAST (Jap), DEATHCHARGE, RECHARGE, S.D.S. and the list can goes on forever... maybe the most important thing in this is = I am always trying to be original and different than the bands I love... or the bands I have influences you know??... But in same time I am trying to do something really into Sweden 80's in manys ways... quality sound quality music... co'z this is my first and biggest influences...
I fucking love the "Dis Means War" LP and think it's one of your best releases. Are you happy with how it turned out? How has the response been to the LP? How many copies were pressed?
Thanx a lot for the cool words dude!! Well, I enjoy a lot that LP! Is strong and have songs in English and Portuguese... I put also an old song "Midnight and Ten" that I never put in vinyl before... Agipunk is a really great label also!! And I am many happy to see BESTHÖVEN with 2 records in this label!! Well... "Dis Means War" LP was pressed in 1000 copies which have also a limited edition 100 copies in color vinyl... There's also BESTHÖVEN / KONTATTO split picture EP for the tour!! A really nice limited 7 inch where each band have 3 songs!! 2 new songs each band and plus a cover song!! BESTHÖVEN plays on this a WRETCHED cover song in Italian language and KONTATTO plays a OLHO SECO cover song in Portuguese language!! And this is really nice!! Something that keep more and more strong in this union between Brazil and Italy!!! I am fucking happy to be released these 2 records!! Someone interested there to take these records, please visit AGIPUNK Records in http://www.agipunk.com/
How much of an influence does alcohol play in BESTHÖVEN? Do you drink before gigs, recording? Is DIS-noise and alcohol a way of life for Fofoä?
Well, I enjoy a lot to drink... is good to a lot of things to me... I enjoy to be drinking when I am hearing music... and I learned how to drink also when I am DOING music... to me is natural path today... yeah... i enjoy a lot to keep alone drinking with my instruments and start to compose new songs and new lyrics... and I don't play a lot of gigs here... but of course I enjoy to drink before play gigs... during the gig... and after the gig also!! But I am not something like an "alcoholic" and you will not see me drunk every day or the full week drinking here, etc... I drink co'z  I enjoy to drink and to stay drunk... but i can't stay drinking or drunk 24 hours every day... all the days you know? This is a natural path maybe... since are 2 things I enjoy to do... do music and drink... so why not use the 2 things together??
Can you talk about the recording process of BESTHÖVEN? How as a DIS one man army do you go about recording the songs?
This is not hard dude... this is like a "normal" full band make in a studio... the difference is I prefer and decided to keep this alone you know?... The process is something like; I begin recording some D-beat drums sessions just like a "drum line guide" so, I back and keep hearing the D-beat drums in a earphone, this way I record the lead guitars!! All the riffs I want so, I back again and hearing the guitar riffs I record all the true drums (the D-beat drums that will be on the end) And I back again, same way; with a earphone I keep hearing the guitars and drums, this way I records all bass lines!! And back again, hearing now = bass, drums and guitars I record the second guitars and solos. The last part in recording is put all the voices and some songs I made the backing voices also. So, finally comes the last working, that is mixing and masterizing the songs, one by one... And to me is really awesome can back to home with the master ready and can hear all the work ready... So it's time to drink again and hear the result!!! Well, the "hard" part on this is = studio is expensive... so to be alone is not easy to pay all alone you know?? So I need some help from the labels that want to release a BESTHÖVEN stuff... If a label want to release a BESTHÖVEN EP or LP the label have to help me with the studio costs...
You write and sing songs in both Portuguese and English? Why both instead of one or the other? Do certain songs suit a particular language?
In the begin was only in Portuguese first demos and first vinyl appearance... I remember an old song "Nuclear Arms" from 91 or 92 that was the first song from BESTHÖVEN in English... beyond some covers we made in the past also... But to be hearing always bands from Sweden and Japan in a special way, many of them always was singing in English... I think in a natural way I started to compose in English also... today I have songs in the 2 languages... and for 2 times I made a thing that is sing part of a song in English and part in Portuguese, I made this with 2 songs; "Midnight and Ten" and "A Maldiçäo dos Corvos" and I enjoyed it a lot... Hope to do this kind of thing again in the near future!!! Well, when I am composing a new song, I am not thinking like; "now this new one have to be in English... or Portuguese" you know?? Is a natural way... And sometimes, some songs not working well in Portuguese, so I put it to English... or not work well in English and I put it in Portuguese... By the way I want to keep the 2 languages!! I enjoy to sing in both.
You've recorded both Japanese and Swedish tribute EP's. Any plans for anymore? What about a UK tribute record with maybe covers of DISASTER, DOOM and of course DISCHARGE?
This is a really fucking great idea dude!! If someday I can do this I will remember this interview!! By the way the 3 bands you mentioned now I already recorded covers from the 3 bands! A cover of DOOM for the Tribute to DOOM Comp CD, also a DISCHARGE cover for "Dis Means War" LP and I used it also in Brazilian tribute to DISCHARGE (with 27 bands from Brazil playing DISCHARGE!! I organised it here! The CD is available, peoples interested visit www.terrotten.com) And also a DISASTER cover song years ago for a 4 way comp EP in Muerte Negra Records in USA. That is something like a medley I made with DISASTER and DISCLOSE!! Well... now I want to do a "Hail To Sweden Part 2 - EP"!! A new EP covering more Swedeish classics!! Like AVSKUM, DISARM, BEDROVLERZ, BOMBANFALL and maybe again FEAR OF WAR (another song of course) and maybe ANTI CIMEX (also another song... some song I never played before...)... And I am looking for labels to release it ok?? some label interested drop me a line ok??? So, back to the UK tribute... of course I can do this... And this can be really great to me to be doing this!!! Let's see!!!
What's happening with the "Hail To DISCLOSE" EP? Do you have a label to release it? What songs have you covered?
Well, I think this will be ready soon now! My friend that are working on this was busy these times, but he said me that now is ok and have time to be working on this... it was to be released by 3 or 4 labels before I think... but I Feel Good Records from France from my friend Willian is taking care of it now... The full list covers in this EP is:
Why We Must Die?
Burning Damage
Doomsday
Massacred People
The Report Of...
The Aspects Of War
A HAIL TO D-BEAT MASTER KAWAKAMI and DISCLOSE!!!
How did the European Disaster Tour go? What countries did you play? What bands did you play with?
Uou... the tour was really awesome dude... it was 40 shows!! and to me was unbelievable... since I don't play a lot of gigs here... you know... we played in countries like; Slovenia, Austria, Slovakia, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, Sweden, Finland, Czech Republic, France, Belgium, Holland... The tour was together with KONTATTO and NOIA from Italy... which I used some members also in the line up; Marco the drummer from NOIA was my second guitar and Marziona the drummer from KONTATTO was my bass player, also Meti from DISEASE was my drummer!! Really awesome peoples!! and fucking great bands also!! I am fucking happy to be playing in a big tour, with these 2 fucking awesome bands!!! Others bands we did played together was FESTA DESPERATO, BETON, RAJAT, AGRIMONIA, BACKLASH, CRASHBOX, INFERNÖH, DISPOSE, KRANIUM... and a lot of others great bands!! We did played in 3 festivals also... so there's a lot of bands playing in the same night... and is impossible to remember all the band names also... sorry...
What were some of the tours highlights? What were your favourite countries and bands you played with?
To me every moment there was really awesome dude... impossible to say just one special moment or special show, you know?? There's a lot of cool things happening everyday and every night and every moment... for example; I met a lot of friends for the first time, peoples that have labels and keep working with BESTHÖVEN for years ago... and also friends from bands that we have works together like splits, comps etc... and alot of new friends also... awesome places to play and cool public also everyday...
How did the BESTHÖVEN line up for the European tour come about? How did the band prepare for the tour? Did you get much time to rehearse before the gigs?
Mister Koppa is a great guy and helped me in all ways dude... he found the "gang" to join in the line up also... I sent the set list in mp3 by email, so they learned the songs and started to practise in Italy without me... and with Koppa doing guitars and solos... they made some videos also and sent me to check... the first time I saw this I was chocked and fucking happy also... I said = Hey, this is perfect!! we don't need more practise!! Let's play!!... But I arrived in Italy 3 days before the tour and we practise together, so in the fourth day we are playing in Slovenia, it was the first show.
What can we expect from BESTHÖVEN in 2012? What releases are you currently working on?
Uou, hope to be recording many noise this year!! I just recorded 3 new songs for a split 7 inch with SKULL AND BULLETS!! I will be back in studio soon again to record more songs to a split with DISPOSE!! Also a new 6 trax EP. And how I said before hope to do my "Hail To Sweden Part 2"!!!
Thanks for your time Fofoä. Anything else you want to say?
Thanx a lot one more time my friend Chris for all the support and attention with BESTHÖVEN work all these years dude!! Hope to see you and drink some beers together in the next European tour!!!!!!
DIS AND CHEERS!!!
Fofoä Discrust
fofaodiscrust@bol.co.'fr
http://vxpxzine.blogspot.co.uk