NEW INTERVIEW: My second interview with Jason Xenophobic (Xenophobic Records), 12/1/2015

My interview with Jason Xenophobic (XENOPHOBIC WORLDWIDE)

By: Kieran James

Date: 12 January 2015 @ Australind, Bunbury, Australia

Kieran James (BUSUK CHRONICLE): Tell me more about your plans for XENOPHOBIC WORLDWIDE given that the environment in the metal scene is changing all the time?

Jason H: The metal industry is different now - not like back in the day. Now we can’t tell the difference between Commercial and Underground. In Indonesia the marketing of the music is different to western marketing. I called BURGERKILL “sell-out” when they had a picture of THE HAUNTED holding up their BURGERKILL CD. BURGERKILL is bigger than that. That is not the BURGERKILL I supported. We don’t ask people to take sides. People are free to think what they want to think. I’m in the right position to say. If I think I’m wrong I will apologize.  In life I will fight for what I believe in. I will stand up for it. As IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE [rap band] said, if you will die for a cause then make sure it is what you believe in.

KJ: What do you think about BURGERKILL now?

Jason: I don’t give a f*** what they do but I’m really happy with what they are doing. It’s like a marriage – when it’s over it’s over. They do their own things and I do what I want to do. I think we both got something out of it; I won’t lie about it.

KJ: Do you hope they do anything to resolve the problems?

Jason: I don’t really care but I hope they keep their word to the metal people and the metal industry. I’m not happy with the whole thing about how they support the cigarette industry. I know everyone tries to make money but don’t sell-out too much. They are a good band; they have done well for themselves. It’s not a personal issue. I still like them and love their music but it’s just not the same love anymore. I only love a few bands to death such as PANTERA, MACHINE HEAD, and BURGERKILL. When I got really close to them it was different. But, looking at them from outside, I get my appreciation for them again. I would love to see them at Hammersonic from the side of the stage [as a member of the audience]. 

KJ: What is your comment about the band WARKVLT [Bandung BM] whose album you will release on XENOPHOBIC RECORDS?

Jason and Dada Deathstar in Bali, 2015

Jason: A smart band; they are different. In Bandung the sound is if it’s not like JASAD then it is like BURGERKILL. You have to step out a bit from the cycle, you know. I don’t disrespect the scene. This is how I see it looking from the outside. I’m not the only one saying it.

KJ: They say that about the Bandung scene in Surabaya too.

Jason: Well there you go. JASAD had a good sound; BURGERKILL had a good sound. BURGERKILL did very well with that formula. The name change from IMPISH to WARKVLT makes sense. IMPISH is more like high-school kids. When people abuse you but you still act nice about it. That is the meaning of IMPISH to me. WARKVLT says you can’t bully us anymore; we will fight you back. In Indo metal scene IMPISH was bullied too much. We stand for the quality. WARKVLT is f***ing good.

KJ: What is your comment about JIHAD [Cimahi]? As you told me XENOPHOBIC will release a new collectors’ edition of JIHAD Origin of the Rebels Angels this year.

Jason: I always love JIHAD. I love the sound they do. I know Kancil. I love the band. It’s like with DEVO [DEATH VOMIT]. I love the people. With some people you meet them once or twice and you feel you know them forever. I respect this band JIHAD so much. I’m going to issue this album Origin of the Rebels Angels. This is how I felt when I first heard Between Coma and Despair by BURGERKILL. I didn’t have a label then. I just tried to market the band. They thought Indo bands won’t make it. It hurts me how PRIME CUT bring Indo bands to Australia. I call our company XENOPHOBIC. PRIME CUT used to look down upon Indo people. I used to mention JASAD, BURGERKILL, SIKSA KUBUR, and DEVO to them back in the day. Now people claim something to do with that scene. I’m not whinging [complaining] about it. Before they were laughing about Indo scene and now they want to promote it.

KJ: What about the Australian tour of REZUME?

Jason: What I’m saying is these people from the beginning they did not believe us. These companies brought bands in on holiday visas. They brought them in without the paperwork. Anyone can do that.

KJ: What are some new bands you are interested in?

Jason: PARGOCHY [Medan], they are good and HELLSKUAD [Jakarta]. I think PARGOCHY’s battle is not over but they are very big, you know. I used to like CLIMAXETH [Surabaya] – Niza’s band. I don’t know what happened to that girl now. She was the best female vocalist in Indo. I miss that lady. The original person of her was amazing. She was an amazing f***ing growler.

KJ: Have you got any tour plans confirmed for any Indonesian band?

Jason: No, I plan to release a couple of albums first. I will reissue JIHAD – Origin of the Rebels Angels and the new PARGOCHY album. We are thinking of mastering and mixing it in Australia or outside Indo. We want a different approach to the sound. I have a few names in my mind as producer. They will finish at the beginning of the year, this month I hope [January 2015]. I can’t wait to hear the new album. I have a hunch about it. It will really be out there. Only a few bands can capture the imagination. I hope I’m not wrong this time. I think they are a good band. Another band which captures my attention is XTAB [Cimahi]. I think XTAB stands for playing within your own. They know who are going to be their customers. They are young and energetic; I want to see them going up.

KJ: You are promoting two bands from Cimahi then – JIHAD and XTAB. They will be very happy out there in Cimahi.

Jason: Yes, I always like the Bandung bands. I can’t deny it. Bandung has the talent. If bands from other areas come up they must compete with the giant names and they must be good.

KJ: What do you think about Indonesian HC?

Jason & Kieran James, 12/1/2015

Jason: HC is such a funny subject; it’s like gangsta-rap. We can say HC belongs to white people; unless Indo bands are singing in Indo that might make a difference. When Indo bands sing in English it is so awkward to my ear. When they sing in Indo it is so awesome – such as BORN PSYCHO, FINGERPRINT [Medan], OUTRIGHT [Bandung], and FRAUD [Surabaya]. To me I think it is hard to sell Indo HC to the non-Indonesian people because of the xenophobia.

KJ: Have you got more comments about the Bandung UG scene?

Jason: They are good and professional; they have been doing it for a long time. They have the advantage of location near Jakarta and the cool weather. They have the passion; they are the Paris Van Java.

KJ: Do you think too many Bandung bands play the same style of brutal death-metal?

Jason: It’s not much of a problem; the more the merrier. The good thing about metal is everyone is a player. You have got to think of it in a good way. Everyone is a fan.

KJ: Have you talked to DEVO about the plan for another Australia tour by them?

Jason: We talked about it; we miss them. We want to see them come to Australia. I’m just so busy now. It’s a one-man operation. I can’t dump them to other people. It takes time and energy to get their visas arranged. I need to find the right moment to organize the tour. I got so many invitations from people in Australia asking me whether DEVO will be coming back.

KJ: What do you think of the new DEVO album?

Jason: I got the new album. It is f***ing amazing. I’m happy with the whole lot. There is not much change in the style; they have cemented their own sound. Their sound says who they are. Sofyan and Oki put their own signature upon it. You can’t just say it is just Death Metal; it is the DEATH VOMIT sound.

KJ: I know you are releasing the new album by PARGOCHY from Medan. Do you think it’s a problem that people in Java don’t want to listen to Sumatra bands?

Jason: Yes, that’s the mentality. If a band from Sumatra wants to stand out they have to be very good. If they do the hard work they can achieve something. If they can succeed it will be a bonus that they are not from Java. Medan is famous for their DM as Man JASAD has said.

KJ: Do you prefer any genre over others?

Jason: I don’t care much although I do like BDM better than other stuff. Music is universal. As long as it is good for the audience’s ear that is the main thing. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I’m not stuck to the attitude that it must be slam or BDM only. Just call it metal or brutal metal. As long as people still play guitar music it will still be the same. 

KJ: Do you hope to see JASAD tour Australia?

Jason: I would love to see JASAD in Australia. I reckon that would be the ultimate. I grew up watching them and hearing the name. I would love to see JASAD’s name in Australia.  

KJ: I have seen most of the other Bandung bands live onstage but not JASAD…

Jason: You have got to see Man one time on the stage. He makes the whole experience. JASAD is captivating. Man and Ferly are just amazing. The bass [Yuli] is pretty f***ing good. I never paid much attention to the drummer.

KJ: The old JASAD drummer Papap has formed the new band DISMEMBERMENT TORTURE.

Jason: Yes, you said. 

KJ: How about JAGAL [Surabaya]?

Jason: They are a little bit old, those boys. You hear much more about the name JASAD. Man did so much for f***ing Indo metal. He is the hero. I respect that guy for who he is. It’s a pity what happened with Papap. It’s like SLAYER without Dave Lombardo – the feeling is not the same. FORGOTTEN is quite good; DISINFECTED is good; Amenk is smart.

KJ: Amenk has a great stage show.

Jason: There is a lot going on there at the moment. REVENGE from Jakarta is doing well.

KJ: Do you think you can make a profit from XENOPHOBIC?

Jason: I made a little bit of profit but not much. It’s never been about the money; it’s about the passion. I’m patriotic to my people. I like being the underdog. I don’t care about other people’s success.

KJ: What do you think of people mixing religion with metal?

Jason: With music in general you don’t want to hear about religion. We both believe what we believe. I grew up as a Muslim but I saw a lot of shit. I’m not going to say what religion I am. Religion is like sex. It’s a private thing. I don’t want someone singing about their dick size. We don’t care what people do with their lives. Belief is a different subject from music. Metal is about hell-raising. Don’t change it to become religion mumbo-jumbo. If you want religion to make you happy in your own life that is alright but don’t preach it to me.

KJ: What do you think about the band SAFFAR [Bandung]?

Jason: No, they are too religious.

KJ: Aren’t JIHAD a religious band then?

Jason No, they are not.

KJ: Why do you like to listen to hip-hop?

Jason: Back in the day I loved the rebellion in the metal. I’m not into that gangsta-rap we see in the Top 40 such as EMINEM. IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE, ILL-BILL, and VINNIE PAZ, those bands from the UG, plus NECRO – it is polluted from the DM stuff back in the day. He did a song with John Tardy [OBITUARY vocalist]. I love metal. I listen to it now for its intensity and beauty. If I want to listen to lyrics about real-life experiences you can’t beat the UG hip-hop lyrics. I’m only talking about three or four performers. I got inspiration from them. They sing about a lot of taboo subjects which metal has forgotten about. I’m not interested in the racist hip-hop about gun and whore but the political bands.

KJ: Do you want to organize tours for hip-hop bands?

Jason: No, I don’t think so. My heart is still metal to be honest. I might have said it jokingly back in the day but that was not my intention. I listen to all music but I still always go back to metal. That is what I call home.

KJ: Your love for hip-hop now brings out the xenophobia in some people.

   

[Jason laughs.]

KJ: Is Lauren going to be involved with XENOPHOBIC in the future?

Jason: I am not sure; maybe in the future.

KJ: What do you think of me starting Black Hammer Webzine?

Jason: You should go back to Busuk and stay strong about it. It’s your intellectual property. You have the right to say whatever you want. That is why we are here, doing this independent stuff.

*****THE END