webzine

MG-First of all, for those who still don't know you, tell us when you were born and if you've had any line-up changes, etc.
Contrasto:It was September 96 when I propose to Stefano and Enrico to form contrasto and my proposal was ready accepted by them with enthusiasm. In the same time I played music in another hc band "megarissa" active since 89 while ste and enrico played in "reazzione". After some months I finished my contribution in "megarissa" and cause they had a problem with their singer it was natural to start a new project in "contrasto".checco and andrea completed first band formation and together we recorded first 7" and 10".since 98 the new guitarist is Nicola and we have realised other records with this line-up.

MG-Friendship is the most important value that has been supporting Contrasto and the HC scene, isnt'it? Why isn't it so widespread in other genres like, for example, HM?
Contrasto:for me it's not a question of kind of music,it's a generalisation without sense.It depends on what you intend for band,for music…for us friendship is the presuppost, the first request to stay together into a common idea named Contrasto…it's impossible to think to do something if there isn't a sincere sense of friendship.I don't want to say that in this 5 years all has been "a world of happiness"but with confront and respect for opinions we haven't had big problem of convivence…all has been supported by real friendship…an indelible sign in our life.Contrasto is all what everyday we live,it's our choice.

MG-Has anyhting changed in the songwriting and recording of "Statico Senso" compared to the previous works?
Contrasto:The possibility to give an important number of songs in a record like LP aid you to express yourself better than project with a limitated space…..after 5 years together we wanted to do something that was really a kind of "diary"about our experience like not only members of a band but like single persons with a common passion,with a strong,difficult but sincere sense of friendship.This LP resume our "life into Contrasto"starting from what everyone feels in himself…four points of view not ever similar about "life" that everyday we live…so,I think that about songwriting texts in this record are not very dissimilar than precedent lyrics in others..perhaps I have had possibility to express my personal considerations in a great deal of songs and consequently can touch more aspects of my life than what I have done in precedent experiences….about musical aspects I think that this LP shows very good our kind to interpretate music,our style,our influences in hc scene…surely it's a very fast and furious hc but contaminated by our personal way to feel it…. Italian old school '80 years very speed(and in this LP recording it's better than the previous ones)….even if,naturally,music for us is only form,exterior aspect….a kind good or not good to recalled attention about something else.

MG-The intro is connected to Orwell's "1984" and the very present Big Brother stuff. What are your fav musical, cinematographical, and literary influences, besides the everyday world and the so-called 'developed' society?
Contrasto:Yes,from"1984"… very actual..do u think?we start every concert with this words…and into the LP we try to explain our point of view about subdole sense of submission that governament imposes us …school,television,work,family,religion,all in our life….we think to do a free choice while all has been established since a long time…there is a social control in every time,in every space….slave of their power…….about influences everyone of us has personal bases of formation,personal preferences…I like very much reading contemporary writers like Bukowski,B LaMantia, Fante, Kerouac, Carver, Clementi, Ellis, Ferlinghetti..but less famous too….and LP it's full of this….i like b-movies….

MG-Your fav 3 records of 2001 and of all the times?
Contrasto(max): "wild bunch-the early days"(negazione), "gommalacca"(battiato), "da qui"(Massimo volume)…and about 2001 all what hc scene has self-producted.

MG-The cover of "Statico Senso" is referred to a specific historical event/period?
Contrasto: "terrorismo legalizzato"is a cover of a 80s Italian hc band that we have only actulized (you 'd read "…e allora Sole e Baleno…") about recent event of repression against anarchists in Turin …and how u can notice situation is the same. Nearly 20 years were passed since the dawning of the punk hc when some bands started bothering the elderly bureaucracy of the government and the deep rooted dogma of church with her commitment. Those ones were the eighties, years of turmoil in Italy, the bullet years when neofascist groups kept on terroristic attempts ,aimed at the weakening "government institutions"…in this climate of general instability ,of juvenile dissatisfaction,of the serch of alternative spaces,the development of young movement tried to express, through the music, its opinions among the widespread caos finding places. Besides, it 's obvious that a lot of thinking mind have always frightened who hold the power and the only solution is the breaking up, the repression towards "socially dangerous elements"…

MG-Self-production and self-management are the only means to avoid interferences inside the band, but have you ever received any offer from a not D.I.Y. label?
Contrasto: to stimulate self-production as means of free expression and instrument of unconditionated communication.

MG-Why don't you re-print your material on CD? Not everyone has a turntable, the CD has more advantages and a longer duration; I think it might be another way to spread your ideas and wouldn't force the ones without a turntable to have it dubbed on a tape by a friend. Surely you'd be able to keep the CD cost very low, so why not?
Contrasto:we prefer vinyl's dirty and warm sound…"a romantic choice" that ties us to our musical roots. Probably "statico senso" will be record on CD support for American scene but only because a label-friend ask us to do it …for us everyone can reprint and distribuite our material…

MG-Let's talk about the 2001 European tour. Where did you play and what place/club impressed you most and why?
Contrasto:it has been our first European tour(even if japan was first destination)and it has been really a wonderful experience full of satisfactions…we attended to start since lot of time and our anxious state was really high in months before…organisation,preparation of concerts…and naturally all what concerned aspects for realisation of LP that we wanted to keep for tour…unforgettable experience!!We have played in Slovenia(Ajdovscina-waidusna club),Austria(Praga-arena club),Rep.Ceca(Lipsia-papirna squat),Germania(Lipsia-zoro squat Pozdam-breiti squot Berlino-kopj squat Hannover-ujz korn club Cadolzburg-jugenzentrum club)and Svizzera(Zurigo-ego squat)…..we had only 10 days to stay out of italy so in some other dates we didn't can play…….sure,every day on tour has been a big story cause there were ever surprises,good"difficulties",but above all a lot of friends to meet,to know…….i remember all how it was yesterday….really good experience for knowing us,for knowing deep aspects of our characters,of our convivence inside Contrasto.All has been very interesting ……but east European places and friends….very good….very warm people…..

MG-Where would U like to play and whom with for the first time?
Contrasto:every concert we play and every band/friend we meet it's a great stuff!

MG-Tell us a funny or a scary situation happened to you during the tour.
Contrasto:there wasn't not only a scary situation….but if I think at first concert in slovenia after 8 hours of trip(we had gone to take big friend Mila, principal organizer of tour in Pavia) with Nik tired for tension and trip(he drove without pause) in an absurd and visionary …"delirium tremens"….well,very funny situation….for us….less for Nik….(but big concert Nik!!!)

MG-It has been said for awhile the Italian scene has grown up, that is equal to the foreign one, so why just Cripple Bastards and very few others have made splits with foreign bands? Also tell us qualities and faults of the Italian scene.
Contrasto:yes Italian hc scene has grown up in last years…but we don't must losing that HC has born in italy ….when you think at old school you think at political movements of Bologna,Turin,Milan in 1980….a lot of bands of Italian scene collaborate or have done it with foreign ones …not only cripple bastards(that personally I don't think to be right to identificate with Italian hc scene….for their way to live some aspects of hc attitude…not condivisible..)…we have recorded two years ago a cover song in a tribute to Rattus(big 80s finnish band of old school….the most in scandinavian history…)out on cd support for Fight rec.a finnish label very active in world hc scene…….and some collaborations with others in Europe,japan,south America….so every year a lot of splits are produced between ita-not ita bands …….

MG-Have you written any new songs, and if so, how do they differ from the previous compositions?
Contrasto: we are composing some new songs …Stefano and I usually put our personal convictions about aspects of life around us,sometimes writing also about political situations and problems in society but it is simply our little opinion ,nothing more. We don't want to give a particular message,a specified teaching but only to express free thoughts. Everyone who reads our lyrics can see them as the pictures of how we felt at that moment .The main thread of our lyrics is the necessity to be able to be true,to be able to taste even the deep essence of life ,to be and not just to pretend.

MG-Do you believe the world has walked over the irreversible phase of self-destruction? Contrasto:Wow!!!!situation isn't certainly very good in the world but….for me it's very difficult can focalizing attention over so big dimension like problems of the humanity…..i think that everyone of us feel inside himself desire to live better aspects of him quotidianity ,there will be a little costant grow up to start from minimal dimension….only by dialogue,by the confrontation…is possible to grow up together in the essential need that makes us sharing common experiences everyday…deep bonds of life..

MG -If State and anarchy have been proved not to be the right ways to make people live their lives happy, what kind of solution/form do you propose for our societies?
Contrasto:it's impossible that in two words I can say something so important ……..i don't have solution for my life so….i think only that the education given us since we were children tends to reduce the perception of the potentially infinite possibilities of choice that belong to us.this happens across the ataiment of that deep "sense of duty"that make us "trust-worthy persons".this mental cage transform us thinking being into mere slaves of consuetude and compromise.we must rid ourselves from this cage at all costs….anarchy is not the way……u have some ideas about it?……

MG-Of course I do, I'll introduce them to my audience at the right time. Now, do you wanna add anything else to your fans, the readers, etc…( a message? ).
Contrasto:first of all I wanna say thank u for this interview…it's very important to know so active people in Italian hc scene like u , moreover I hope a lot of friends contact us for trading opinions about different situations, musical projects, ideas,…or only for say two words………hi Markus , stay good!!!! "punx nella testa , non nella cresta !(punk in the head , not in the crest!)"

MARKUS GANZHERRLICH 24/12/01

CONTRASTO ARE:

MAX - V
ENRICO - D
NICOLA - G
STEFANO - B/G

Contacts:

MAX DALL'ARA
Via Ariosto 351
47023 Cesena (FC) - Italy
Tel.: +39-0547-303306
E-mail: max.dallara@libero.it
E-mail: contrasto@tiscalinet.it
E-mail: stefanocerotti@tiscalinet.it
Web site: http://web.tiscalinet.it/contrasto

MVDS D.I.Y. PROD. - CONTRASTO DISCOGRAPHY

7" "Dentro le mura" '97
10" "Stabilità precaria" '98
7" with ALTRO "Il controllo sociale" '99
10" with ROID "Assassini" '99
CD "El Paso Torino 22/5/99 '99
7" with ALTER-AZIONE "Per non dimenticare" '00
LP "Statico Senso" '01

	Contrasto With perseverance and humbleness all is possible Interesting dialogue with the 4-piece of Romagna, just come back from a European successful tour and a devastatingly valid full-length vinyl LP "Statico Senso".



	MG-First of all, for those who still don't know you, tell us when you were born and if you've had any line-up changes, etc. Contrasto:It was September 96 when I propose to Stefano and Enrico to form contrasto and my proposal was ready accepted by them with enthusiasm. In the same time I played music in another hc band "megarissa" active since 89 while ste and enrico played in "reazzione". After some months I finished my contribution in "megarissa" and cause they had a problem with their singer it was natural to start a new project in "contrasto".checco and andrea completed first band formation and together we recorded first 7" and 10".since 98 the new guitarist is Nicola and we have realised other records with this line-up. MG-Friendship is the most important value that has been supporting Contrasto and the HC scene, isnt'it? Why isn't it so widespread in other genres like, for example, HM? Contrasto:for me it's not a question of kind of music,it's a generalisation without sense.It depends on what you intend for band,for music…for us friendship is the presuppost, the first request to stay together into a common idea named Contrasto…it's impossible to think to do something if there isn't a sincere sense of friendship.I don't want to say that in this 5 years all has been "a world of happiness"but with confront and respect for opinions we haven't had big problem of convivence…all has been supported by real friendship…an indelible sign in our life.Contrasto is all what everyday we live,it's our choice. MG-Has anyhting changed in the songwriting and recording of "Statico Senso" compared to the previous works? Contrasto:The possibility to give an important number of songs in a record like LP aid you to express yourself better than project with a limitated space…..after 5 years together we wanted to do something that was really a kind of "diary"about our experience like not only members of a band but like single persons with a common passion,with a strong,difficult but sincere sense of friendship.This LP resume our "life into Contrasto"starting from what everyone feels in himself…four points of view not ever similar about "life" that everyday we live…so,I think that about songwriting texts in this record are not very dissimilar than precedent lyrics in others..perhaps I have had possibility to express my personal considerations in a great deal of songs and consequently can touch more aspects of my life than what I have done in precedent experiences….about musical aspects I think that this LP shows very good our kind to interpretate music,our style,our influences in hc scene…surely it's a very fast and furious hc but contaminated by our personal way to feel it…. Italian old school '80 years very speed(and in this LP recording it's better than the previous ones)….even if,naturally,music for us is only form,exterior aspect….a kind good or not good to recalled attention about something else. MG-The intro is connected to Orwell's "1984" and the very present Big Brother stuff. What are your fav musical, cinematographical, and literary influences, besides the everyday world and the so-called 'developed' society? Contrasto:Yes,from"1984"… very actual..do u think?we start every concert with this words…and into the LP we try to explain our point of view about subdole sense of submission that governament imposes us …school,television,work,family,religion,all in our life….we think to do a free choice while all has been established since a long time…there is a social control in every time,in every space….slave of their power…….about influences everyone of us has personal bases of formation,personal preferences…I like very much reading contemporary writers like Bukowski,B LaMantia, Fante, Kerouac, Carver, Clementi, Ellis, Ferlinghetti..but less famous too….and LP it's full of this….i like b-movies…. MG-Your fav 3 records of 2001 and of all the times? Contrasto(max): "wild bunch-the early days"(negazione), "gommalacca"(battiato), "da qui"(Massimo volume)…and about 2001 all what hc scene has self-producted. MG-The cover of "Statico Senso" is referred to a specific historical event/period? Contrasto: "terrorismo legalizzato"is a cover of a 80s Italian hc band that we have only actulized (you 'd read "…e allora Sole e Baleno…") about recent event of repression against anarchists in Turin …and how u can notice situation is the same. Nearly 20 years were passed since the dawning of the punk hc when some bands started bothering the elderly bureaucracy of the government and the deep rooted dogma of church with her commitment. Those ones were the eighties, years of turmoil in Italy, the bullet years when neofascist groups kept on terroristic attempts ,aimed at the weakening "government institutions"…in this climate of general instability ,of juvenile dissatisfaction,of the serch of alternative spaces,the development of young movement tried to express, through the music, its opinions among the widespread caos finding places. Besides, it 's obvious that a lot of thinking mind have always frightened who hold the power and the only solution is the breaking up, the repression towards "socially dangerous elements"… MG-Self-production and self-management are the only means to avoid interferences inside the band, but have you ever received any offer from a not D.I.Y. label? Contrasto: to stimulate self-production as means of free expression and instrument of unconditionated communication. MG-Why don't you re-print your material on CD? Not everyone has a turntable, the CD has more advantages and a longer duration; I think it might be another way to spread your ideas and wouldn't force the ones without a turntable to have it dubbed on a tape by a friend. Surely you'd be able to keep the CD cost very low, so why not? Contrasto:we prefer vinyl's dirty and warm sound…"a romantic choice" that ties us to our musical roots. Probably "statico senso" will be record on CD support for American scene but only because a label-friend ask us to do it …for us everyone can reprint and distribuite our material… MG-Let's talk about the 2001 European tour. Where did you play and what place/club impressed you most and why? Contrasto:it has been our first European tour(even if japan was first destination)and it has been really a wonderful experience full of satisfactions…we attended to start since lot of time and our anxious state was really high in months before…organisation,preparation of concerts…and naturally all what concerned aspects for realisation of LP that we wanted to keep for tour…unforgettable experience!!We have played in Slovenia(Ajdovscina-waidusna club),Austria(Praga-arena club),Rep.Ceca(Lipsia-papirna squat),Germania(Lipsia-zoro squat Pozdam-breiti squot Berlino-kopj squat Hannover-ujz korn club Cadolzburg-jugenzentrum club)and Svizzera(Zurigo-ego squat)…..we had only 10 days to stay out of italy so in some other dates we didn't can play…….sure,every day on tour has been a big story cause there were ever surprises,good"difficulties",but above all a lot of friends to meet,to know…….i remember all how it was yesterday….really good experience for knowing us,for knowing deep aspects of our characters,of our convivence inside Contrasto.All has been very interesting ……but east European places and friends….very good….very warm people….. MG-Where would U like to play and whom with for the first time? Contrasto:every concert we play and every band/friend we meet it's a great stuff! MG-Tell us a funny or a scary situation happened to you during the tour. Contrasto:there wasn't not only a scary situation….but if I think at first concert in slovenia after 8 hours of trip(we had gone to take big friend Mila, principal organizer of tour in Pavia) with Nik tired for tension and trip(he drove without pause) in an absurd and visionary …"delirium tremens"….well,very funny situation….for us….less for Nik….(but big concert Nik!!!) MG-It has been said for awhile the Italian scene has grown up, that is equal to the foreign one, so why just Cripple Bastards and very few others have made splits with foreign bands? Also tell us qualities and faults of the Italian scene. Contrasto:yes Italian hc scene has grown up in last years…but we don't must losing that HC has born in italy ….when you think at old school you think at political movements of Bologna,Turin,Milan in 1980….a lot of bands of Italian scene collaborate or have done it with foreign ones …not only cripple bastards(that personally I don't think to be right to identificate with Italian hc scene….for their way to live some aspects of hc attitude…not condivisible..)…we have recorded two years ago a cover song in a tribute to Rattus(big 80s finnish band of old school….the most in scandinavian history…)out on cd support for Fight rec.a finnish label very active in world hc scene…….and some collaborations with others in Europe,japan,south America….so every year a lot of splits are produced between ita-not ita bands ……. MG-Have you written any new songs, and if so, how do they differ from the previous compositions? Contrasto: we are composing some new songs …Stefano and I usually put our personal convictions about aspects of life around us,sometimes writing also about political situations and problems in society but it is simply our little opinion ,nothing more. We don't want to give a particular message,a specified teaching but only to express free thoughts. Everyone who reads our lyrics can see them as the pictures of how we felt at that moment .The main thread of our lyrics is the necessity to be able to be true,to be able to taste even the deep essence of life ,to be and not just to pretend. MG-Do you believe the world has walked over the irreversible phase of self-destruction? Contrasto:Wow!!!!situation isn't certainly very good in the world but….for me it's very difficult can focalizing attention over so big dimension like problems of the humanity…..i think that everyone of us feel inside himself desire to live better aspects of him quotidianity ,there will be a little costant grow up to start from minimal dimension….only by dialogue,by the confrontation…is possible to grow up together in the essential need that makes us sharing common experiences everyday…deep bonds of life.. MG -If State and anarchy have been proved not to be the right ways to make people live their lives happy, what kind of solution/form do you propose for our societies? Contrasto:it's impossible that in two words I can say something so important ……..i don't have solution for my life so….i think only that the education given us since we were children tends to reduce the perception of the potentially infinite possibilities of choice that belong to us.this happens across the ataiment of that deep "sense of duty"that make us "trust-worthy persons".this mental cage transform us thinking being into mere slaves of consuetude and compromise.we must rid ourselves from this cage at all costs….anarchy is not the way……u have some ideas about it?…… MG-Of course I do, I'll introduce them to my audience at the right time. Now, do you wanna add anything else to your fans, the readers, etc…( a message? ). Contrasto:first of all I wanna say thank u for this interview…it's very important to know so active people in Italian hc scene like u , moreover I hope a lot of friends contact us for trading opinions about different situations, musical projects, ideas,…or only for say two words………hi Markus , stay good!!!! "punx nella testa , non nella cresta !(punk in the head , not in the crest!)" MARKUS GANZHERRLICH 24/12/01 CONTRASTO ARE: MAX - V ENRICO - D NICOLA - G STEFANO - B/G Contacts: MAX DALL'ARA Via Ariosto 351 47023 Cesena (FC) - Italy Tel.: +39-0547-303306 E-mail: max.dallara@libero.it E-mail: contrasto@tiscalinet.it E-mail: stefanocerotti@tiscalinet.it Web site: http://web.tiscalinet.it/contrasto MVDS D.I.Y. PROD. - CONTRASTO DISCOGRAPHY 7" "Dentro le mura" '97 10" "Stabilità precaria" '98 7" with ALTRO "Il controllo sociale" '99 10" with ROID "Assassini" '99 CD "El Paso Torino 22/5/99 '99 7" with ALTER-AZIONE "Per non dimenticare" '00 LP "Statico Senso" '01