Interviews

Japanther

By Jeff Kile

Japanther is a two peice band from New York. They create a proverbial “Wall of Sound” using tape loops, a disstorted bass and catchy vocals. On Super Bowl Sunday, they paid KUCI a visit to play some music live over the Orange County airwaves. Afterwards, we sat down to find out what Matt Rielly (Bass and Vocals) and Ian Vantek (Drums and Vocals) are all about.

Forest Fire: I went to New York City for the first time last spring break, I went to CBGBs and Birdland, but I didn’t really get to see too much of the current scene. what’s it like back there compared to what’s going on out here?

Matt: It’s very varied.
Ian: We live in Brooklyn, New York which is very different from New York, New York. The scene in Brooklyn is really cool.
M: A lot of import kids.

FF: What is an “import kid”?

M: They’re kids who come to New York from other places and take pieces of their home towns and bring them to New York.
I: [I think] the possibility for creative expression is a lot wider in a place like New York because there’s so many [different] types of people. We can play one night in an art gallery for one crowd, and the next night at a house show in a different place for a whole other type of crowd. It’s a lot different than Los Angeles because LA is so spread - it’s a lot of driving. in New York, it’s cool because you can ride your bike everywhere.

FF: I heard that you guys were doing some kind of Punk Rock Puppet Show, what was that about?

I: Yeah, we did two puppet things. One with an artist named Dan Gram called ‘Don’t Trust Anyone Over Thirty’. That was with Marionette puppets . Then we did one of our own called ‘Dump the Body in Ricki Lake,’ which was named after one of our albums, with like huge 11 foot puppets. That was more on our own terms. But we were definitely inspired by the first puppet show.

FF: Was this something you guys wanted to do for a while or something that Dan suggested might be fun?

I: He conceived the idea in the 80s. I guess, [it was originally an idea] for Dutch television, but we got involved with it much later in about 2003. We definitely got the inspiration for the Punk Rock Puppet thing from him. It was a collaboration with a lot of people, like the Huber Marionettes, who are these amazing puppeteers from Tennessee. We were hoping to perform it at the Hammer Museum (UCLA), but it got cancelled. So now we’re out here playing a bunch of shows around Los Angeles.

FF: I'm curious what your views on Orange County are. Do people back east really perceive us like the people on 'the OC'

Matt: We played a show in South Central last night. What stigmas are attached to that? White people wouldn't even come out to see us play a show at our friend’s house because of stigmas, you know. So, if you going to let stigmas influence the way your life is...
Ian: Well, his question was weather or not you think New York perceives them like that.
Matt: Oh uuhh... yeah! It’s what’s prominently showing so yeah. But people like that show a lot and it makes them happy so it’s not all bad. [laughter] You probably didn’t want a rant

FF: No thats good, lets keep ranting. People call you guys a Punk band, what does Punk Rock mean to you?

I: Ah man, you should ask [Matt] that question because I don’t think it means much to him.
M: Yeah, I don’t know, it’s just a word.
I: Yeah it’s definitely just a word. At this point, it’s irrelevant. Malcom Mclaren and the Sex Pistols wanted the term because it meant the equivalent of ‘faggot’ at the time and they wanted to claim it and take pride in something that was tabboo. But it has come full circle. Even the jocks have mohawks, you know? I don’t want to necessarily be called punk I think we’re just as much of a hip hop band as we’re a punk band because were using sampled beats and rhymes and un preformative development, but I like a lot of things that you call punk rock you know? Like the RAmones and the Misfits and stuff, it’s just quintessential punk rock that I love.
M: Yeah, well we’re not coming out of the 70s, so we could be anti ... something else.
I: Anti-establishment!

FF: What about the ‘Do-it-Yourself’ ethics that go along with punk? You guys are out here in your van from New York, playing independent radio (KUCI) and supporting an album that was released on Menlo Park records, a fairly unknown record label…

I: I think its cool. ‘Do-It-Yourself’ is a good motto. But at the same time, you can’t let any moniker, be it ‘Punk Rock’ or ‘Hip Hop,’ hold you back. when someone says: ‘Well you’re a Punk band,’ I’ll tell them: ‘well this is really just an art project between two friends.’ when someone says that this is an art project and they start getting really philosophical about it, I’ll say: ‘we’re just a Punk band, don’t worry about it.’
M: I think D.I.Y. is a more important term to explore as a young person
I: Hardcore though, I don’t know ... [laugh]
M: I don’t want to blame it all on Henry Rollins, but...
I: But I do! [laughs]
M: He turned everything that Hardcore was against into everything Hardcore is now.
I: ... it’s a bummer

FF: We had Mike Watt [Minute Men/SST] on [KCUI] last week, which was cool.

I: He’s a smart guy, a real smart guy.
M: Is Greg Ginn still alive?
I: Yeah he just did a Black Flag reunion for cats.
M: Like the musical ‘Cats’?
I: To benefit cats, the little furry animals!
all: [laughter]

FF: Anything Else?

M: Ride more bikes!
I: Be cool to your friends!
M: and don’t be mean to girls!