Doom/Sludge
Metal band – Spaztik Munkey – have released two excellent EP's so
far. Their debut EP – Mucktub and their latest EP - Amphetamine
Blues. The band are very hard to categorize. Sure they play Doom and
Sludge Metal but it's still a fucked up kind of sound.
Spaztik
Munkey play by their own rules but they do release damn good music.
They supported Canadian Heavyweights – Dopethrone – earlier this
year in Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK and they went down a storm with the
Geordie Faithful in attendance.
I
wanted to interview Chris Hardwick (Vocals/Guitar) from the band for
quite a while now. I'm pleased to say he's kindly agreed to do this
interview. I want to thank Chris for his brutally honest answers to
my questions. It may make uncomfortable reading but Chris is one of
the nicest guys I've dealt with recently from the UK Doom/Sludge
Metal scene
Anyway.
Time to get the interview started.
Hi,
Chris. Thanks for doing this interview. How are things with you
today?
Chris
Hardwick: In the blue.
Before
we get to discussing your new album. Can you give a brief history of
how the band came together and where it is today?
CH:
Bourbon. Blues. Amphetamine. Vodka. Broken Arms. Old friends. Life.
Goat Leaf. It’s a long story... Some other time perhaps?
Why
did you call the band Spaztik Munkey. Any particular reasons why.
CH:
What do people expect me to say? That we’re a bunch of cunts, and
hate disabled people?; Sorry to disappoint ya’ll. There are lots of
reasons. Here’s some…
I
had an estranged brother through adoption, who suffered from Spastic
Cerebral Palsy. When he died, I attended his funeral and ended up
looking into the condition more. I wanted to do something to allow me
to candidly speak about the condition, and bring some awareness of
the suffering people who have spasticity are experiencing.
We’re
not fans of political correctness and subversive euphemisms in
language - it’s simply fascist, amounting to censorship, and
quieting conversations. We’re opposed to anything that attempts to
shackle an individual's mind through silencing them.
The
American colloquial interpretation meaning; an idiot. Think of it as
“Idiot Human”. Spasticity doesn’t affect mental ability, it’s
a physical condition - language is funny like that.
Were
you mindful that some people may find the name offensive? How do you
respond to comments to people who take offence to your name?
CH:
If they’re offended that’s their choice. The idea that being
offended provides some sort of entitlement to not be? Or moral
superiority due to correctness? That’s a pretty fascist attitude,
be offended - suck it up and stop thinking you’re a special
snowflake that has a right to go through life without ever seeing or
hearing something you dislike. Needless to say - we’re all
particularly hostile towards such people. Everyone has the right to
express an opinion, no matter how nasty or threatening it is -
silencing people is not a legitimate argument. It’s tantamount to
ignorance and part of the reason the world looks the way it does now.
The
amount of people who’ve said “You can’t call yourselves that!”,
we can and we have! Freedom is everything! Most, if not all of these
people don’t care about spasticity! They just want to be “correct”
and the moral vindication is empowering to weak people - you see it
all the time on social media. So here’s our collective middle
finger. You’re the butt of the joke.
There
is a legitimate complaint where people suffering from or who have
family members who are suffering from spastic conditions. I can see
why they could misunderstand what we’re about and be offended.
We’re most definitely not laughing at these people! - unless you’re
Jesper Odelberg (Boys on Wheels is awesome).
Congratulations
on the new EP. Amphetamine Blues. Great to see it carries on the
pissed off frantic tone from Mucktub. What can people expect from the
EP?
CH:
Thanks, Steve, it’s kind of you to say. It’s a unique package -
you get the CD, a T-Shirt, A3 poster, a cloth patch, and a hand
numbered authentication slip with something scrawled on it. We aren’t
going to reissue this on CD when these are gone they’re gone. As a
record, it’s a much wider spread in terms of musical style than
Mucktub.
We’re
trying to show another side - spread out the wings, and challenge a
few preconceptions. There’s less humour on this record that’s for
sure, and we’ve taken a step outside of our comfort zone. It’s
healthy to experiment, and we’re keen to experiment further on
future recordings and to continue to evolve. Amphetamine Blues isn’t
a sign of anything to come but more a snapshot of that period in
time.
Was
it an easier or harder record to write and record for compared to
your debut EP.
CH:
Much harder to write, Cluster B took months to perfect it’s feel -
and was revised several times. Although Amphetamine Blues was pretty
quick to record, 18 hours opposed to 24 hours for Mucktub. Most of
the reason we recorded Amphetamine Blues was because Daniel had to
have an operation on his arm. He went to the hospital for that the
day after we recorded it and we knew it was going put us out of
action for some time, potentially permanently - so there was a little
pressure to get this done. After EyeHateGod cancelled their European
tour we decided to do more of a collector's package, it was just
going to be a CD originally.
This
release has a more a doomier outlook compared to Mucktub. Perhaps
even sinister as well. Was that your intention to release something
different to Mucktub.
CH:
Both records reflect an emotional state at the time. Each song is
either a personal or observational story and the subject matter on
Mucktub was less inclusive of that personal space. It was a very
conscious decision to do something different, Mucktub was a safer
record. Amphetamine Blues is a seesaw of a record, more about
balancing the extremes.
Did
you do anything different when recording Amphetamine Blues compared
to Mucktub?
CH:
Yes. Some of which I can’t talk about. Mark Chantler - the
recording engineer from the Noiseworks in Rotherham where we recorded
both records used a completely different mic technique, and we did
some things with the vocals - I don’t consider himself much of a
vocalist, but layering harsh and soft with saturation of reverb
seemed to work. Guitar wise, a Mustang as the second guitar,
alongside a Stratocaster, I changed the brand of strings, used some
different fuzz pedals. David kept the bass guitar is identical to
Mucktub - even the strings are the same! Daniel used a jungle snare
to get a tighter snare sound alongside his main snare drum.
Are
you curious what fans may think of your new sound on the new EP?
CH:
Sure. I’ve all the time in the world to listen to people's
thoughts, good and bad. It’s interesting to see how people think it
sounds, the band's people think influenced us. It was certainly the
case with Mucktub; I have never listened to a single church of misery
record by the way. Amphetamine Blues is different to Mucktub, so
we’re expecting it’ll appeal to different people. It has a more
experimental sound for us and sits outside of our own comfort zone.
It won’t be for everyone, it’s not a sign of some radical shift
within the band towards a new sound - it exists as is.
The
overall content of the album is very bleak especially the lyrics and
riffs. What inspires you and influences you when writing music and
lyrics.
CH:
Have you ever visited Rotherham? I’m going to assume not. It’s a
place where hope goes to die, it may as well just be a mental asylum.
It’s a combination of location and absurd personal experiences.
Lyrically
I make use of extreme contradictory terms, “Eat, shit, and die”
or “Eat shit and die” - one is an insult, one relates to actions
we all share. The environment and isolated nature play a huge part of
it, and then naturally - bands and artists we like, Son House, Tom
Waits, Tad, Melvins, Charles Bukowski, Iron Monkey etc… The whole
Jimmy Savile is a wizard thing is based off of a youtube documentary.
What
is the song-writing dynamic in the band? Is it a group collective or
down to one individual.
CH:
I write all the riffs and lyrics. The band operates in a creatively
open environment, based on honesty, respect and trust - which
basically amounts to me shutting up and listening to what abuse David
and Daniel have to hurl my way. I listen, mostly. Daniel brings some
seriously deep understanding of arrangement, as does David. I trust
them 100% when it comes to their instrumental contributions, and
assessment of the quality of a song. Nothing is performed or recorded
until we’re ready and satisfied it's complete.
You're
from Rotherham. What's the local scene like in Rotherham? Do you get
the chance to play gigs on a regular basis? Or do you have to travel
further afield?
CH:
I wouldn’t say there is a local Rotherham scene. A community of
musicians that have lived here for years and all know each other is
perhaps as close as it gets. There are places to play here, and we’re
starting to see underground bands come through the town which is
great. As for playing shows - we play where we can when we can. We’ve
turned down more shows than we’ve played and we prefer to play
further afield when we do.
You
recently supported Dopethrone on their recent UK Tour. How did the
guys treat you and what was the audience reaction to your music.
CH:
Dopethrone seemed a nice bunch, they introduced themselves, and
watched some of our set. The north-east folks were some of the
friendliest we’ve met; I got bought a nice bourbon afterwards, that
was nice. It was a pleasure to play the bill. The reaction was far in
excess of anything we expected, and there seemed to be a definite
curiosity about who the hell we were, what the hell we were doing. I
hope people enjoyed the set, it was certainly the best experience
we’ve had all year. We all want to come back to Newcastle in the
future and play again. Sadly it was an opportunity that came at the
expense of Iced Out breaking up, and Jonas from Inverted Mill
Recordings gave us a shot.
Will
you be performing more dates in the UK anytime soon?
CH:
We’ve got a couple of shows in December - in Rotherham. Props
Skateshop on the 10th December & The Bridge Inn on the 17th.
After which we’re not likely to play for some time - we’re eager
to write new stuff - work and family life make it impossible for us
to write and play shows effectively. If the right show and line-up
occur, then sure we’ll jump at it, but for me, it’s about making
music, and if other people are around and digging it great - we
appreciate the support - but it's a cathartic experience even if
we’re just three guys in a room. There is no desire for validation;
I’m simply trying to keep myself sane.
What's
your current verdict on the UK Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal scene? Do you
think it's reached its creative peak? Or can it still vastly improve.
CH:
We’re not part of the scene. If we are a part of it - it’s
news to me. We’ve no real connection to it either, as far as I can
tell it mostly seems to be the same old bands giving each other Dutch
rudders at some promoters circle jerk. It’s a clique, a clique that
very likely takes one look at the name of our band and says nope. I
find it all a bit incestuous, and that’s sure to stifle creativity.
Perhaps
it’s got more to do with it being some folks meal ticket to the
rock and roll dream? So to answer your point - yeah it can vastly
improve! Since when did rock and roll become so safe? When did people
start wearing earplugs to shows? When did being loud equate to heavy?
When did it all become so nice and respectable? When did labelling
yourself as something become more important that the music?
Do
you have an advanced setup or basic setup when performing live and
recording?
CH:
Our live shows use the same musical equipment as when we record. Live
I use different guitars based on my mood. I’m an ex-lampy, so I’ve
been building up a lighting rig to enhance the live shows at venues
where one isn’t available, or when it’s not a traditional venue
(something we’re keen on, hence the Skateshop show on the Dec
10th).
The
artwork for Amphetamine Blues is fantastic. Who designed that cover
and how much input did you have into the overall design of the EP.
CH:
Daniel Lee Tunstill (Danny T), a long time friend. He’s the sonic
genius behind the psychedelic alt. rock band 6Needles - who I implore
people to check out. The only real input I believe we had or wanted
to have is our recording - he listened to it, and the art was the
result of his interpretation of the record. I think the Iron Monkey
“Our Problem” LP cover may have been an influence.
What
are your plans for 2017? Full-length album. More tours. Anything you
like to share with us.
CH:
Our main priority at the moment is a full-length record. We *may* do
a tour in the later half of next year - depends if we can make it
work. If you’re a promoter - feel free to get in touch with us.
We’ll also be considering releasing a video of a live show, and I’m
pretty sure we’ve some plans to do a video to support Amphetamine
Blues. Then there’s also Montage of Shit, Volume Two - a collection
of live recordings set to video stuff that we’ll make before
hitting the studio. It’s our equivalent to a teaser volume one is
out there, by all means, check it out.
Well,
Chris thanks for doing this interview. All the best with the EP
release. It's a great EP.
CH:
Cheers. Thanks for the support.
Words
by Steve Howe and Chris Hardwick
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