According to Europe, I’m a “person of color,” “Pakistani,” “Muslim,” “brown male” and various other identities that mean nothing to me. Meanwhile in Pakistan, I had other identities to contend with regarding the linguistic backgrounds in my family, the province I lived in, religious sects… But really, I could care less about these things. I’ve always identified as an outsider and an outcast. Thus every sort of identity feels like a burden on me. There are more fluid and interesting ways to understand the diversity of human cultures and groups that exist… Let’s deconstruct this sh*t.
Category: Hardcore
DESMADRE – NEGATIVE SHINE.
LUIS: Art is everything within creating a vibration of sound, whether it be cumbia, hardcore, rap, metal… It’s our creative expression, from Chucky coming up with a riff, to the creative bassline that Brando lays down, to the backbone of the drum parts and Martin’s interpretation of that, to whatever Carlos ends up writing out…… Continue reading DESMADRE – NEGATIVE SHINE.
CONCUSSION.33 ft. JUNKJIVES.
I’ve been listening to heavy music my whole life. My dad influenced me a lot; he grew up when the punk scene was really popping in the valley. I love the anger that comes with the music. It’s raw and unfiltered and beneficial for everyone involved. When I perform & see people f*cking with my drumming, it makes me want to play harder and with more energy. I think I’ve really changed my perception on things since I started playing shows – listening to what people in the scene have to say about struggles and everyday issues really opened my eyes to how intense life can be.
SVA – KTOWN HXC.
DIY gives us a chance to have a voice. It gives opportunities to smaller groups that don’t have the chance to play in venues and develop a lot of exposure and experience.
ENTER: CHIMERA.
Our main focus is to speak up on fem-forward and societal issues that others might be uncomfortable bringing up themselves. We also try to have fun playing music.
PRETTY HECTIC – DEVIATED STATE.
It’s weird because we’ve been around for a long time and we’re still trying to get on all the cool hardcore shows. Like, we want to play For The Children – it would be cool to get that reach and put Harbor Area on the map, but we’ve heard through people that we don’t get put on big hardcore shows because we’re just a ‘backyard band.’ You play too many punk shows, so we can’t take you seriously.
Every Venue is Dead – CON on OC Generator Shows.
“If we’re playing any venue in this economy, it’s like $10 to $12 tickets. And you have to see other bands that you don’t really know. Like, there’s no shows where there’s an actual scene set up, where actual bands that would play a backyard are now in a venue – no, it’s cut up. ‘Cause you have to have a headliner and an opener… It’s different.”
Sullen Eyes – Swallowed by the Depths. San Diego HxC/MxC.
I definitely feel like there’s been a boom in hardcore recently – partly due to TikTok making anything and everything blow up. And with that, I’ve seen shows getting more & more expensive. I can’t say exactly what it is, I don’t book shows or know the logistics behind it, but I will say going to a show at 20 to 25 dollars can feel a little weird, especially in extremely DIY spaces… But yeah, I would say there are a lot more people in hardcore now because of social media. That’s when people only start seeing music as a monetary opportunity – when they know no matter what they charge, people will come to the shows. That’s a disservice. So many kids want to take part in their local scenes but can’t because they don’t have the money or it’s not all ages or something like that.
FOUL. OC HXC.
Yo, I’m Marco or Baba whatever y’all wanna call me, but I play drums in Foul. My brothers showed me everything I know about music. They both play in their own bands & don’t get along for reasons, but both of them really have impacted my life.
God Awful – Premeditated.
The hardcore scene has been very welcoming to all of us and it’s brought some amazing people into our lives. The best part about IE hardcore in my opinion is the sense of community. There is always a familiar face at our own shows, and even at shows we attend that we don’t play at. There are so many people we have to thank for constantly showing love and lifting us up. We can only hope to do the same for others and show everyone twice as much love as they show us.