Hai guys im Garth from FTAR Zine.
Chris Lee: Hey Garth! What’s up?!
How are you guy’s, well it’s been awhile since we’ve heard from Downset. Good to have you back guys!
first of all please introduce yourself and tell us where have you guys been?
CL: We’re good and glad to be back on the scene. We’re downset. from Los Angeles, California. We have a new line-up with Neil Roemer on vocals, Roy Lozano on guitars, J.D. Manhart on bass and myself, Chris Lee on drums, We’ve been all doing our own side projects and staying busy personally and musically. It’s been a while indeed, about 8 years to be exact!
Downset started back in 92 and before that you’ve know as Social Justice. i know it’s history but tell us what’s the reason for the name change?
CL: Well Social Justice was a straight faced hardcore band from the area of Los Angeles that we grew in. When we started to receive major label attention and get hi level notoriety we felt it was time to leave the integrity of that scene to what it was and decided to change the name. The name was originally Concrete and soon was revamped to downset.
Downset self titled album back in 94 is one of my favorite album, Anger! yes that song is truly inspirational to me back than. tell us about this album and specially about this song what inspired you guys
CL: That album was written in a very tumultuous time in the city of angels. We were fresh off the 1992 riots that wreaked havoc on much of the inner city and left thousands without utilities and even more on edge. The songs on that first downset album and Anger in particular reflect those times and portray an audible picture to the listener of the chaotic surroundings we encountered daily as youth in Los Angeles neighborhoods. Police Violence and brutality, corrupt government and politicians, black ops, false flags, and so much more fuel the fire that is downset.
You guys released “Do we speak a dead language” in 96 with Mercury records, tell us about the album?
CL: Our second release on Mercury had some great songs like Empower and Pocket Full of Fatcaps. I liked the music on that as I felt it leaned a little more towards hip hop and less towards hardcore. I felt we were getting ourselves out of the box finally and then Mercury really dropped the ball on that release. We had some good tours though. Ozzfest 97 being the most stand out of them all. We really carved out our fan base with that one.
And in 2000 you guy’s release “Check Your Head” with Epitaph records, what makes the change of records company? and by the words of Darryl Sterd, you guys sounds like more Heavier and more crushing than a safe dropped on your foot. Tell us about this album?
CL: Well the record label change was due to Mercury Records being bought out by Seagrams International at the time. We were bounced to Def Jam and then off the label completely. We were picked up by Epitaph after the album was finished. Great songs on that one too including Coming Back and Play Big, not to mention the pit killer, Pure Trauma! Good stuff!
Your last album is in 2004, what change through out the years?
CL: The last album is my least favorite. The writing process was subpar and the ideas were not raked over properly. Just a meh period. Hahahaha!! A lot has changed and will continue to change. One thing that will not change will be the style we play and the way we play it!
Downset calling you out tour 2013 are any chance to hit Asia?
CL: We have expressed interest in hitting Japan and Indonesia among other spots. We’re just waiting to be in contact with the right promoters to put us out there and bring the music to the fans! Downset hit Japan in 2000, and we’d love to go back.
What do you see in the past 20 years in Hardcore music scene, what change?
CL: I‘ve seen fads, facades, scenes and styles come and go. I have always felt that hardcore, punkrock, whatever you wanna call it, it’s more of a mindset than anything. Closed mindedness will get you nowhere! Thinking outside the box and breaking down barriers. That’s what it’s all about. Having a great soundtrack to go with those ideals and ideas is just a bonus! I’ll be punk till I die!
You release your first song in nine years, tell us about this song “Forgotten”
CL: Forgotten is the newest track we’ve released. In fact it just dropped today! We’re excited to have new music in circulation. This song tackles the ever present problem of persistent homelessness in our neighborhoods worldwide and the “doesn’t affect me” attitude America in general takes with it. Survival of the fittest is an outdated theory. Humanity is key and we want to spread that. This tour we’re working with Hardcore Help Foundation (HHF) and we’ve organized a fund raiser to raise money to address this problem. We will be giving away free downloads of the iTunes release of this song to compensate for those donations!
New album coming up i believe, when will be expecting to release?
CL: New 7” vinyl EP, and very limited edition I might add is coming to the Irish Voodoo web store very soon, and we’ll see about a follow up soon. For now the new track, Forgotten is available on iTunes and Amazon, so be sure to check it out!
Thank you for the interview, any last words?
CL: Thank you to all of our fans and friends and family worldwide! Downset is what it is because of you! We are ever grateful for your undying support! See you in Europe in August! …
Thanks for the time Garth!
Email – downset.la@gmail.com
Web – http://downset.net (NIS)
Twitter – http://twitter.com/LA_downset818
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/downset
MySpace – http://www.myspace.com/downset
interview by Garth Spencer
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