Friday, April 11, 2014

Mind Your Grind: Interview With Proletar



Interview with guitarist Ipol.

Finally a new album is out. Will you give us an insight about Proletar’s latest release?
Proletar “From Mindless Syndrome To The Eternal Decay” is a compilation album released locally on CD format. It contains few materials diverse from couple of 7” splits, 2 cover songs and few unreleased tracks. Yeah you can say it has a vibe of new songs despite most of the songs are indeed old materials.

What’s the album title all about?
The cover artwork from the album describe how the system or we can say the country runs by abuse of power from a corrupt government enslaved its people by taking side to the multinational companies that knows nothing but profit.

Your musical direction hasn’t changed much since you guys started although you tend to lean more on mincecore lately. What makes old school grind/mince so interesting to you?
I like the oldschool sounds, it’s a tough question if you asked me how to write something different from what it always stucked in my head.


Despite having only 2 full lengths, Proletar have a massive discography, mainly splits and compilations. How do you managed in terms of recording materials for a certain projects?
Its been 15 years Proletar has been around. The main circle of the life of it consist few simple things, write songs, jam the shit at the studio and finally nailed the coffin to it at the recording studio. We don’t spend too much time wondering on how we should do, or what kind of songs we should write or what label should release our shit. We don’t pays too much details on those. Everything runs smoothly in no rushed environment in the way of Proletar has always been. 

Of all the splits and compilations that you have, which one do you consider closest and/or memorable to you personally?
Eventually everything will “pays off” after everything is done and released.
How is it like to work with several labels and bands from different countries?
The networking, its all that matters if you asked me the main thing concerning the underground community. It has this humongous spider web of networking where local friends and overseas friends (individuals, bands, labels) side by side supporting on each other. I believe we will get a lot of thing positively from it. It takes a lot of hard work to make it this big.
Our local scene is few the biggest scene in the part of Asia so I see there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be cooperate on each other locally. It would be no fun just to cooperate with overseas friends without getting locals friends involved. 


You are the only original member of the band, what keeps you going?
Like I said earlier its been a good 15 years of proletar, and if you asked me when I should stop doing this hell it’s a tough question. The passion deep inside keep me hang in there doing what I feels is great to me. Luckily family and close friends are supporting me to keep going so why I have to think about quiting? 

How do several line-up changes affect the band and the music?
Some new style will emerge that’s evolution says in every form of life but the shape of it still remains the same if you know what I mean.
  
Your official video for Resistance has a very interesting mix of politics and scene unity. How did you come up with the idea of mixing them together?
Closed friends of ours made the video. I just told them the main idea and the theme. Those guys explore and expanding it on every parts. 

Without a doubt Indonesia have the biggest underground scene in Asia and despite the constant struggle with the law, the scene continuous to grow. What do you think is the reason behind this?
Our surrounding its like paradise for an endless idea for lyrics you know. We actually touched by the scenarios of daily life here. Indonesia has a huge quantity of underground musical movement. Hopefully it will accompany by a good progression on raise the awareness of buying physical music haha 


You write songs in 2 languages. How do you decide which song will be in English or Bahasa?
We never thought about it really. It depends on mood should I write lyrics in English or in Indonesia. 

How’s the scene in Jakarta?
Big and active. 

You did a 2-day show in the Philippines with Sete Star Sept. How's it like?
Its like a dream come true you know, seeing old friends from myspace era back in the days haha. It’s a tremendous fun if you asked me. We met some the nicest people there in Philipphines.
Though that our drummer Levoy couldn’t make it to come there due to motorcycle accident that occurred a month before we got invited but the result was great we have a filled in friend there Paul Magat who happens to be a great drummer filling Levoy’s shoes on Proletar. It’s an honor to be able to jam with a great musician like him, definitely an unforgettable in the life of Proletar career haha.

Proletar