Máris :: DE LA MUITNIEKS TAPES interview (2015)

Úvod:

Tento rozhovor (podobne ako: http://muzika-komunika.blogspot.sk/2015/12/interview-with-dambis-inokentijs-marpls.html) bol pôvodne robený pre fanzin HLUBOKÁ ORBA, zásadný HC/punkový časák, ktorý vydával Filip Fuchs od roku 1993.

Otázky som položil Márisovi (HC/punkovému aktivistovi a vydavateľovi kaziet z malého lotyšského mesta Kuldiga) prostredníctvom mailovej komunikácie počas niekoľkých mesiacov. Je to taký retrospektívny rozhovor, akoby vystrihnutý z 90-tych rokov. Spolu s rozhovorom s Dambisom mal byť súčasťou nového čísla H.O. rovnako ako moja kresba na obálku časopisu.

Filip mi ale dal vedieť, že sa mu medzičasom nazbieralo do časáku dosť materiálu a taktiež mu energiu uberal boj zo zákernou chorobou.

Koncom roka mi napísal: "...teď jsem zrovna na pár dnů doma a tak po skoro 2 měsíční pauze opět dělám na Orbě, rád bych jí měl na jaře hotovou a kvůli tomu taky píšu - šla by ta obálka dokončit a poslat do konce roku? A druhá věc - Lotyši, opět jsem oba rozhovory pročetl a radši bych byl, kdybys je použil na svůj blog. I tak toho mám teď na překládání fakt hodně a kdybych to měl tisknout, musel bych k tomu napsat nějaký vysvětlující texty, takhle samo o sobě by to pro lidi, co se nezajímají o tak obskurní věci, moc zajímavý nebylo. Sorry, vím, že jsis s tím dal práci, ale myslím, že na blog je to ideální. OK?"

Měj se fajn!

Filip


OK, tak som prvý rozhovor uverejnil koncom decembra, druhý dávam teraz. Objavuje v pôvodnom znení, pretože predpokladám že ho budú čítať viac návštevníci blogu z Ruska, USA, či Ázie.

Rozhovor je venovaný najmä Filipovi, ktorý energiu a nadšenie pre punkové veci od 90-tych rokov nestratil a ten entuziastický "DIY HC/punk spirit" vždy sprevádzal všetky jeho hudobné aj nehudobné aktivity!

S ľútosťou oznamujem, že Filip včera zákernej chorobe podľahol. 


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Introduction:

This interview was originally produced for Czech zine HLUBOKÁ ORBA, but things have drastically changed.
Interview is dedicated to all punx with 90´s spirit and mainly to Filip - editor of fanzine HLUBOKÁ ORBA, who died yesterday.

Rest In Peace, Filip.


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Máris :: DE LA MUITNIEKS TAPES interview. Máris - HC/punk activist and tape-trader from Kuldiga, small Latvian town, speaking about Latvian punk scene of 90´s and today.





Q: Mišo
A: Máris


1.Máris, please introduce little bit yourself. Who are you, where are you living, what are you doing?

In winter, late autumn and early spring I live and work in small town Kuldīgā. Sometimes my wife and me go to work abroad because in the winter is hard to find a job. In summer, basically we live in a very beautiful place in the grandparents home in the countryside - Pape, a very small village near the sea, approx. 20 km from the Lithuanian border. There, in the summer I have a small rural tourism business, and I writing projects of renewable and helping others to restore the historic rural buildings. In the town I worked as a builder / decoration work specialist. I am a self-employed person, I am married, I have two sons, one of them is studying Law at the University in Riga, the second will end secondary school in this year.
http://mikjanji.wordpress.lv/





2.How did you discover punk / alternative music in that small town as Kuldiga?

Yes, it is quite interesting because Kuldiga is a small provincial town. In childhood and early youth, my hobby was football and hockey - I stocks photos, seeking information. The main sources of information were the Czech and Slovak sports magazines - Štart, Gol, Stadion. I even had a few of them once ordered, read and translate ..... but in music pulled me my childhood friend and neighbor -Edgars Embergs. He gave me such a tape recordings and of his influence i bought my first tape recorder. Edgar was and is crazy interesting person, together, we did all sorts of crazy things, creating all sorts of musical projects, but punk info was very little or not at all. We did not think about it. The first punk song, which was able to hear was the song of SEX PISTOLS “Anarchy in the UK” in a very poor quality.

3.Did you have interest about alternative music scene in USSR before 1989? How how did you got your first recordings/records? Do you remember of your first record ever which you bought?

As I mentioned an interest about music created me my childhood friend Edgars and it was in the end of 80-s, for that reason I had not previously interest about any music. Later, of course, I am started very intrested any information about the alternative music scene in the former USSR. In shops could, if at all could, especially in Kuldiga, buy some popular music vinyl records, some cassettes. In Kuldiga and elsewhere in Latvia, mainly in Riga, there were some people who made copies of various Western countries music from vinyl records to tapes (not cassettes).. They had lists from which you can choose from. The choice has not had any huge. My first album could I have AC/ DC, from punk could only be the SEX PISTOLS album “Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols” and if pretty actively sought could also get THE EXPLOITED, THE CLASH... In the Riga situation was better there could buy vinyl of the seafarers, etc. It was in the 80s.
In Latvia in the second half of 80's was the band ZIG ZAG, they sometimes play also today, at the that time their sound was something between the Sex Pistols and Depeche Mode, they are dressed up in torn clothes, dyed hair and faces. In the 1988 TV showed a clip of their song “Signe melo” (Signe liar - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wXUnPOTOFo) this clip and music me greatly impressed and it was also my first contact with punk music ...





4. What about bands? Did you play in some band? Which forgotten bands from Latvia would you recommend? Can you tell somethig about band AV KAPEC which you have released on bootleg tape? It was band or project?

Ok. I've played in several groups. The first was the NDA (Nāc Dilonīt Apsēdies) together with Edgar at the beginning we were alone, later joined drummer, it was the 90th year. Seems also that year I graduated secondary school ... in the next year, after the first concert people said that it was punk rock .. and I liked it very well. Later, when we started to play more faster and more aggressively, simplifying our name to DILONIS (http://www.nekac.lv/K_skatuve_gr_dilonis.html ).




DILONIS


In the mid of nineties, when the group split up, Edgars together with friends has formed a new band VONOSONOLOPPUS, but I with other friends band - ČAPAJEVS VAGONS (http://www.nekac.lv/K_skatuve_gr_capajevs.html ). We recorded and to issue a DIY single album "Vīrietis ar dīvānu” (A man with a sofa).




ČAPAJEVS VAGONS live in Vons




ČAPAJEVS VAGONS




ČAPAJEVS VAGONS ´95


At the end of the 90’s when Č.V. split up I set up another project / band – D.U.R.A.K. (http://www.nekac.lv/K_skatuve_gr_durak.html ) This band existed only a few years because all of the time we has problems with the line up. But any way we released a demo tape, played 3 gigs and one of our songs were included in a hardcore/punk compilation EUROPE IN DECLINE by six weeks rec.
Later, in the beginning of 2000 I joined to the band HUGO (http://www.nekac.lv/K_skatuve_gr_hugo.html ) and played with them until the break down of the middle of the 2000 years. It was a very nice time we played fast and with lots of rhythm changes hardcore punk inspired from powerviolence, we had Los Crudos “Asesinos” song cover, in March 2001, together with other band from Valmiera city NON SKID we were small eastern European tour, played two concerts in the Czech Republic too. Thanks to Filip and other activists for support!
Later was still such of the projects, but the most I like the last one RIPORATĀ (https://www.facebook.com/riporatarip ), a few years ago.
Latvian underground from 80’s to 2000’s years did not have a lot of groups that reason it would be difficult to name some of the forgotten. Their were so many as there were, among other interesting not so interesting.
ANNA VANNĀ KĀPĒC were schyzzo Chaotic Organized punk / rock / punk image with noise band. They did not have a permanent line up and gigs were only few, existed a band in the end of of 80-years, one of their gigs took place because one of the members of the band from the second floor threw up a flower pot on the head militiaman and was arrested...
Generally speaking, quite interesting and legendary phenomenon in the LV scene.
They had recorded an album at the Dambis (Raimonds Lagimovs) apartment, but it is not preserved. Once somehow came to me that band rehearsal record and I decided to do a full to issue on the tape.
bands name is also interesting - ANNA in the BATH WHY.
At the beginning of 90’s to the festival KOCIS had the idea to reanimate the band under the name - JANIS SPĒLMANIS SPECIĀLAIS (JOHN PLAYER SPECIAL), unfortunately, but arose only name ...






5.DE LA MUITNIEKS – what does it mean? What was the main idea of your label? What did you released? Were they relased also vinyls in Latvia back in the 90´s ? I think that Simon Butcher (The Beard Is Weird label) released few. Have you been in touch? Do you know what he's doing today?

Muitenieks is my surname, my nick name come from it and DE LA MUITNIEKS was a simple word game and also my friends was called me that...
The main idea of the label was to spread and selfreleased of Latvian underground hardcore punk recordings and trade its with others. The first tape at the home, I released in 1993, when I still did not the name of label, but had accumulated several LV and overseas bands entries from the correspondence and exchange, it was an international band comp. THREE YEARS OLD CHILD Compilation. All releases were compiled, prepared and published at home, copying from one tape to another tape, issued by the cassettes number is not known, it is not listed. They have been released so much how were in demand, most of which were changed and not sold. Only one product – D.U.R.A.K. kasete EP - are reproduced by 100 copies in the some record printing label, covers were printed in the printing house. Another one product DLM 006 RIBAMEČ SVOLOČ OBIKNOVENNAJA / ALAHADUPAKS split cassette cover was printed in the printing house, but the rest was copied with the help of xerox. I think you know it very well.


DE LA MUITNIEKS TAPES
(tapes recordings and distribution)
DLM 001 THREE YEARS OLD CHILD COMP. kasete
DLM 002 KULDĪGAS IZLASE 1989.-1994. Kasete
DLM 003 ČAPAJEVS VAGONS Vīrietis ar Dīvānu `95,kasete,ierakst. PRIEDE REC
DLM 004 ANNA VANNĀ KĀPĒC 198? Kasete, rare bootleg
DLM 005 ZVAIGŽŅU BALSIS – Live in Vons 5, okt.96. kasete
DLM 006 RIBAMEČ SVOLOČ OBIKNOVENNAJA / ALAHADUPAKS split kasete
DLM 007 D.U.R.A.K.- KASETE EP `97, ierakstīta PRIEDE REC.
DLM 008 SABRAUKTĀ MANOJĒZE – Live Comp. 1997 kasete
DLM 009 FORCA MACABRA / WIND OF PAIN split kasete, Live 97
DLM 010 TRATTRATRATARAT vol.1, 4 way tape
DLM 011 TRATTRATRATARAT vol.2, 4 way tape
DLM 012 TRATTRATRATARAT vol.3, 4 way tape

Yes, Simon was the first who released Latvian punk bands on vinyl, then he and his wife and daughter lived in Latvia. It was vinyl record PEASANTS WITH PITCHFORKS - Baltic punk / hc compilation in 1995. Of course, we write letters and stayed in contacts. Simon is currently living in Australia, trying not to use the Internet, continues to collect vinyls.. Last message i got from him, approx. 5-6 years ago.

6.How is the scene in Kuldiga today compared of the 80´s/90´s? What about punk gigs, zines/magazines or record labels?

It can not be compared. They were completely different times. In the 80's in Kuldiga underground scene did not exist. In the 90's thanks to some people was formed the bands published zines, organized concerts and festivals, and so on. There was a problem with the hardware, musical instruments, rehearsal rooms, recording studios were not, but the activists thought did and fought. At the moment everything is, young people lack imagination, often lack the motivation to do something, the internet is ALL for them…..







7.Tell something about your fanzine SOS IN BIG. How was the zine-scene of the 90´s in Latvia? And how is situation with zines today in LV?

Ok, in the 80s here was known to two zines about underground music - OT VINTA, in russian and STIEPLE in latvian. It was in the midlle and the end of 80’s. in the 90s zines in Latvia was not much too. At the beginning of the 90’s DŽĪGA zine started publishing TORNIS. Editions came out quite irregularly, and was distributed in very small amounts, xerox copies. Around the same time, approximately, me and Edgars, regardless of riga activists, began to publishing WILKS zine. In the July of 1991 came out one DŽĪGA nr.5 and WILKS nr.4 split edition.
MY fanzine SOS in BIG i’ll began to publishing in 1994. zine was in Latvian, propagated to xerox, basically dedicated to hardcore punk music. Up to 1997 February came out 6 numbers. in the March of 95 came out specialnumber of zine SOS in BIG nr.3.5 which was devoted to the theory of anarchism, the same only in Russian, made by self Kone / Bezumec zine in the July of the same year.
In the 1994 zine began to issue Kone (bands: Konec KAPITALIZMA, 33x-Letnij podonok), in Russian, under the name -BEZUMEC. Zine that was also propagated to xerox, was much higher quality than the above zines. Somewhere I read that Bezumec zine had a large influence on the development scene in St. Petersburg (Russia) 90-to the mid / side.
Yet here came out in the midle of 90 newsletter DEBIL FARMER, mainly about punk music and in the late of 90's and early 2000 came out 2 zines- AUSTRA and RIEPA.
http://www.nekac.lv/K_skatuve_prod.html









8. Have you been in contact with punks from other countries? Did you contacted them thru letters, tape-trading?

Yes, of course, in the beginning of 90 I and Edgars corresponded with many people - diy punk activists from around the world. The Internet was not available and we contacted through letters it was very interesting and more personal than the later appeared on the Internet (of course, there are also positive half came Communication speed).
I am not afraid to say that we were the first in the LV who began an active correspondence and tapes trading with foreign punks. I even had a small record exchange distro before DLMT that name was - tapes for trade. One interesting event - letters who included cassettes or vinyl or zines, could received only in the post office. In The house letter box I received a statement in which it was stated that for me is come small packages and from which country. One of these times, the statement stated that on my name has come small packet from...... Antarctica! Can you imagine? .... really small packet was from Ecuador :)
I think this exchange of information and recordings very influenced our musical and ideological thinking.





9. TABUNS music festival – how it was? It was first independent / DIY music festival in Latvia? Tell something more about that event.

TABUNS was not just a music festival, Tabūns was conceived as an open-air event - non-commercial cultural days, released by NGO the Development Center of non-commercial culture (NEKAC), which combines both entertaining ways as well as informative and educational events - musical performances, video and photo artist performances, conference and discussions, exhibitions, sport and visual arts shares. The festival took place from 2000-2004 year.
At the time, in LV took place also another independent music festival TRINCSTOKA
(www.trincstock.lv ), it will could be counted as a private festival and ideologically different, but anyway a lot of punk bands played here.
TABUNS was focused on DIY cultural activities. People said that TABUNS at that time had become the largest that kind of festival in the Baltic States and also the first in Latvia. In the festival, without Latvian artists also took part musicians from Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Russia, Finland, Austria, Belarus. Latvian bands and dj’s for participation is nothing was paid, but for foreign representatives were allocated to 100 usd per band. Many groups refused to participate because of it, but for others it were not an obstacle, because the main was to take part in this festival. This is at a glance.
more:
http://www.nekac.lv/produkti_tab_audiovideo.html





10. Have you been on ZABLOUDIL / TELEFON concert in Latvia?

Yes, I was on these two band concert in Valmiera in September/98. I liked both bands, especially TELEFON, very nice punk hardcore. ZABLOUDIL performance was interesting but sound was bad in that place. I was went with my little son Martins (he was only 3 years old) when I could not withstand the ZABOLUDIL noise and wanted to go out from the hall, Martins me did not allow and said that he liked very much!  In general I really liked, Given the fact that at that time in LV visited very few bands from abroad.

11. What´s actual situation in Latvia with DIY/independent music labels, concerts, distributions of underground music? Any new interesting bands? And what about NGO´s, local activities, animal-rights/human rights activities?

I will have difficult to answer this question, because not participating in the activities of the scene for several years, but not so that definitively did not follow up. More detail on this would tell Raimonds Lagimovs (Dambis) or Jānis Daugavietis (Tornis), who are still active participants in the scene.
If compared with the 90s, today Latvian underground no more exist. Groups have a different status than at the time, they play every possible rock and pop festivals and clubs. In my opinion underground as such no more exists are just alternative - independent music scene, but I would hope that is not so bad ...

Concerts.

Take place regularly - in Riga, mostly in clubs, one of them is the NABA KLAB (including alternative / independent music radio, www.naba.lv), several years ago I was there on NO MEANS NO concert. Some years ago NABA also had record company. Here also happens PUNK and Hard Core band concerts which are organized by people from www.punk.lv and the punk music broadcast on radio NABA "Ej Apskrieties".
In Valmiera are activists who have building, something similar, but not really squat - Unfinished skyscrapers (https://www.facebook.com/unfinishedskyscraperofficial?fref=ts) where are organized different concerts, exhibitions, etc. I'm not sure if it still works because there is a different place - Tautas Harmonijas Centrs - PEOPLE HARMONY CENTRE (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tautas-Harmonijas-Centrs/409175399255761?fref=nf).
In Kuldigas DIY culture center Zabadaks, concerts happens very rarely, but the place is very good, you have well know it Mišo  There are also several clubs and places in other Latvian cities - Cesis, Liepaja, Ventspils and Daugavpils. There is a concert organization CIRCLE PIT SHOWS - hardcore / punk show booking (http://circlepitshows.com/).

Labels/ distro.

Recordings are mainly released by the bands themselves, or under a greater or lesser label. Distro still run TORNIS (http://www.tornis.lv/), time to time Dambis - Raimonds Lagimovs, (the legendary Inokentijs Mārpls band frontman), on their own label HUBB released 2 comilations: Latvian punk / hc compilation, is released 6 comp. and Latvian independent band compilation ODEKOLONS (eu du cologne).

NGOs

TORNIS (Tower), www.tornis.lv
NEKAC(the Development Center of non-commercial culture), www.nekac.lv
Tautas Harmonijas Centrs (people harmony center), https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tautas-Harmonijas-Centrs/409175399255761?fref=nf
ZAĻĀ BRĪVĪBA (Green Liberty), http://www.zalabriviba.lv/
There is a small Latvian anti-globalist movement, https://www.facebook.com/antiblobalisti.antiglobalisti?fref=ts.
There is also organisation as Latvian anti-fascist movement - a small group of people, mainly Russian-speaking, and they ideologically are very close to Putin's Russia, I would not be surprised if they are also finance the Russia. Their "anti-fascist" activities are Russian imperialism supportive.
There are more or less formal or unformal groups, but I have no information about them.
Well, it would be all briefly.

Thank you for this interview Mišo. Sorry that my answers are so short, but if you have more questions, feel free to ask.
I also want to say a huge thanks to Peter Bergman and BLACK HAND! For the records and information. For me BLACK HAND idea of 90ties meant major impression to form the NEKAC and ZABADAKS.

Respekt,
Maris

Some extra questions:

Q: Mišo
A: Máris

Have you been in contact with Peter Bergmann - Bergámo? How did you acquaint with him? Did you meet him personaly?

Yes, but it was short moment, and it was a very long time ago. he sent me several vinyl records and a variety of Czech anarchist newspapers, zines, flyers and info on the black hand. interesting, but no one us not acquaint and I dont know him personally and never met him. I do not know even where he got my address too. :) I sent to him few LV tapes + zines for trade and sadly, but with it our correspondence ended. but despite to that I have get a huge impression to understand that through NGOs can realize many of our ideas.

Did you wrote lettes or trades also with the other punks from the Czech Republic and Slovakia back in the 90´s?

Yes,a small correspondence and trade for tapes and zines were.
Jan Hanslik (HC ROAR zine), Filip Fuchs, Testimony band, Čysat Ryža (ČISTÁ RYŽA - ed. Mišo) band these were people who had contact with at that time.
I hope that no one have not forgotten, but if it is, I am very sorry and greetings to my other 90-years pen pals. :) In my collection is still about 10-15 Czech and Slovak punk / hc cassettes, vinyls and cds.


Thanx


Mišo