bad sound system: the streets are on fire!
Your second record ... "Kalean" (In the streets) ... What has changed since you recorded the live "Buiaka"?
Well, that was ages ago, we've played loads since then, we're a bit older... (laughter) and well, thanks to "Buiaka"¬ we've really learned a lot. We've recorded this one, our second in a studio. Nice and easy, there was no rush with it. There has been more thought put into this one. We've grown up a little on it... This record is still 100% BAD Sound System. We've released it on our own record label, Zu2ak, and we recorded it in our own studio we set up. That said, we must say that Psylocibe helped us with the manufacturing end of things and Talka records gave us a hand cutting through all the red tape and also with the distribution. You're the best!!
There have been lots of guest collaborators on the record... How did all of that, the chance to work with all those people, come about?
BAD Sound System have met all of this people on the road. Rude (Bologna), Mungo's Hi-Fi (Scotland), Spartak (Paris), Chalart58 (Catalonia), Dj Loro (Gasteiz), Gaizka Pereda (Algorta), Sorkun (Orereta), Ask, Benas, Fermin Muguruza (Irun) and finally Dj Mau who's been really good for our confidence in ourselves. He's been really patient. Not only did he let us use his mobile studio, he also showed us how to use the damn thing (laughter)! It's been bloody amazing for us to be able to work with all of them. The friendship and above all the quality they've added to our work has been immense. We'd played with all of them live over the last few years and we wanted to capture it and get it down on tape.
The title of the record didn't come off the cuff either. You're one of the very few groups who really get out there on the streets and organise sound systems...
Because that's where stuff is happening, out there on the streets. The streets are home to parties and protest, too. It's the best place for popular expression, and that includes musical expression. For us music has the ability to express emotions, it can get your message across and that's why we feel that the streets are the best place for a BAD Sound System session. We did the first one in Mosku, in our
neighbourhood in "fiestas" in Irun and it was really special for us to see people dancing. Everybody was willing to lend a hand for whatever. That's why once we had recorded the album we wanted to kinda offer it to our people in Mosku (Hiyez all in Mosku!) there, in the streets...
How do people normally take you?
It's always fuckin' amazing. It should be pointed out that it's difficult to play or enjoy music in the street in The Basque Country. And it's not just because of the weather. People are surprised by it at first and they get this great big buzz out of it. There's no set plan to it. It can start anywhere at any time and it can finish as quick. People know this so they try and get the most out of it as they can, right from the start. The response from people is always something we talk about. We'll always get about 15 to 20 people coming along to give us a hand; unloading the van, setting the speakers up, looking after the generator, setting everything up basically. It's everybody's party and that's an incredible feeling for us.
Have you had any problems with the authorities?
They've mostly left us alone but they have pulled the plug on several occasions... in our hometown Irun! We believe in and support street culture. If the authorities want to smoke out those that are committing crime at street level, they'd really need to be after speculators and the criminals who hide themselves in suits... they're the ones taking over the streets.
Looking at the current musical panorama... Have you converted to the belief that if Mohammad doesn't go to the mountain, the mountain should go to Mohammad?
Not really. Luckily, with BAD Sound System we're not short of places to play, but these fests are really important to us. It's more than a party. We strongly agree with the idea that the street is a place we all have in common, a place where we can share our viewpoints with others, where we can relate to and communicate with others. The cult of the individual imposed on us by the system has no place there.
Well, that was ages ago, we've played loads since then, we're a bit older... (laughter) and well, thanks to "Buiaka"¬ we've really learned a lot. We've recorded this one, our second in a studio. Nice and easy, there was no rush with it. There has been more thought put into this one. We've grown up a little on it... This record is still 100% BAD Sound System. We've released it on our own record label, Zu2ak, and we recorded it in our own studio we set up. That said, we must say that Psylocibe helped us with the manufacturing end of things and Talka records gave us a hand cutting through all the red tape and also with the distribution. You're the best!!
There have been lots of guest collaborators on the record... How did all of that, the chance to work with all those people, come about?
BAD Sound System have met all of this people on the road. Rude (Bologna), Mungo's Hi-Fi (Scotland), Spartak (Paris), Chalart58 (Catalonia), Dj Loro (Gasteiz), Gaizka Pereda (Algorta), Sorkun (Orereta), Ask, Benas, Fermin Muguruza (Irun) and finally Dj Mau who's been really good for our confidence in ourselves. He's been really patient. Not only did he let us use his mobile studio, he also showed us how to use the damn thing (laughter)! It's been bloody amazing for us to be able to work with all of them. The friendship and above all the quality they've added to our work has been immense. We'd played with all of them live over the last few years and we wanted to capture it and get it down on tape.
The title of the record didn't come off the cuff either. You're one of the very few groups who really get out there on the streets and organise sound systems...
Because that's where stuff is happening, out there on the streets. The streets are home to parties and protest, too. It's the best place for popular expression, and that includes musical expression. For us music has the ability to express emotions, it can get your message across and that's why we feel that the streets are the best place for a BAD Sound System session. We did the first one in Mosku, in our
neighbourhood in "fiestas" in Irun and it was really special for us to see people dancing. Everybody was willing to lend a hand for whatever. That's why once we had recorded the album we wanted to kinda offer it to our people in Mosku (Hiyez all in Mosku!) there, in the streets...
How do people normally take you?
It's always fuckin' amazing. It should be pointed out that it's difficult to play or enjoy music in the street in The Basque Country. And it's not just because of the weather. People are surprised by it at first and they get this great big buzz out of it. There's no set plan to it. It can start anywhere at any time and it can finish as quick. People know this so they try and get the most out of it as they can, right from the start. The response from people is always something we talk about. We'll always get about 15 to 20 people coming along to give us a hand; unloading the van, setting the speakers up, looking after the generator, setting everything up basically. It's everybody's party and that's an incredible feeling for us.
Have you had any problems with the authorities?
They've mostly left us alone but they have pulled the plug on several occasions... in our hometown Irun! We believe in and support street culture. If the authorities want to smoke out those that are committing crime at street level, they'd really need to be after speculators and the criminals who hide themselves in suits... they're the ones taking over the streets.
Looking at the current musical panorama... Have you converted to the belief that if Mohammad doesn't go to the mountain, the mountain should go to Mohammad?
Not really. Luckily, with BAD Sound System we're not short of places to play, but these fests are really important to us. It's more than a party. We strongly agree with the idea that the street is a place we all have in common, a place where we can share our viewpoints with others, where we can relate to and communicate with others. The cult of the individual imposed on us by the system has no place there.
