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| 2DDS: Chris, Angelo, Hajo, and Jan (f.l.t.r.) |
Yes, it finally really worked out!!! Great!!!
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Thanx a lot Angelo!!!
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And it took me freaky fuckin' ages to finally get it all done and it up here, damn translation, haha;-)!!!
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Oh, you can't follow?!? Uhm, let us see what we can do to change this.
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Maybe start it all again...
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Yes, maybe, why not...
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Right?
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Right!
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So, again, right from the start, step by step...
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Hey folks, how are you doing? I hope all is fine. Here everything looks pretty good. Now comes something really great, not only the first new interview up here in a year or so, but it's also nothing else than the interview that I wanted to do for quite a while now with my buddies in 2 DIAS DE SANGRE and that took freakin' fuckin' ages before it finally worked out, it took in fact so long that I simply didn't believed it would come to happen anymore, but as you can see now it did. Hell yeahrrr!!! THANKS ANGELO!!! I did the interview with my bro Angelo, guitar man and head and mastermind of and behind the monster known as 2 DIAS DE SANGRE. We did it via E-Mail respectively Facebook message, after Angelo house moved to the city of Hamburg some time ago. And, of course, for doing the interview, again: Angelo, THANKS man!!! The translation is done by me, so every mistakes you find are mine and can be hold by you as a secret treasure. And now, I will spare me every word more about it, and let Angelo do the talking and spread the words by and for himself. Here we go!!! Ah, just one last thing, every guy outta there who wants to know about one of the very strongest and best Hardcore bands of today simply has to read this interview here and now, period. And now here they come, 2 DIAS DE SANGRE in ya hood, mothaf***az!!!
*** COMBAT HARDCORE from Germoney - atomizing a hood near you!!! ***
*** 2 DIAS DE SANGRE -The real deal!!! ***
01.) MA: Hey guys, first of all I want to THANK you for doing this very interview, for sacrificing your time and effort on doing it. What's going on in 2DDS camp these days?!?
2DDS/A: Hi Andy, thanks for the interview and sorry for the long time you have had to wait for it. But in the ranks of 2DDS and in our private lifes a lot happened and we needed to take care of it all first.
02.) MA: No problem man. Okay, to beginn this interview we will start in the here and now of today. So, please tell us what's going currently on in the 2DDS camp and all about the news that happened and are happening. And maybe you can also give us some informations about what to expect next in the future by 2DDS. Let's go.
2DDS/A: Oh, a lot happened and there are a lot of news to be announced. Denis is not longer a active member of 2DDS. Due to his work he house moved to Frankfurt on the Main and he also became father. Vocal duties had been taken over by Chris, who was anyhow already over all the years sort of our fifth bandmember and travelled together with us through the lands. New members had been anyhow never really a topic for us, because we're a very conspired troop and friendship is very important for us. That's also the reason why after back then years ago Toni left the band we never introduced a second guitar player to our ranks. Due to our jobs Hajo and I by myself as well house moved to Hamburg, while Chris and Jan live in Hanover. That's also the reason why we closed our rehearsal room in the Harz Mountains area and searched and found a new one in Hanover, while all of this and especially the long distance between the places where we live isn't making anything easier for us as a band and in our band's life.
Since the end of 2012/the early beginning of 2013 with Marcus Rost (former DOL and the singer of WARHEAD PROJECT) we have finally recruited a new second guitar player to our ranks today.
Currently we are working hard on our new stuff, and we want to release a new album at the end of 2013 via "ONE LIFE, ONE CREW RECORDS".
03.) MA: Looking at it currently then you have already released three albums at all so far, and right from the get go with your debut release, the "BOUND BY HONOR" MCD, you started it full impact at once with recording the album in the studio and with the well-known Andy Claasen. Fat way to start things off! And looking back at it then it payed off pretty quick for you. So I would say that you have done all right and correct. How did the decision of you back then came to happen, to kick it all off that big which means proffessional? I mean, it had been or could had been a big especially financial risk for you all and could hace backfired instead of paying off with bringing you ahead. Was there right from the start the aim or the masterplan to go on stronger with 2DDS than just being another local band around band that's mainly sot of a regional outlived hobby?
2DDS/A: Yeahr, of course, right, we wanted to be our music as good as anyhow possible right from the start. But the financial aspects had been more dramatic. We payed our ass' off for it back then and the most of us spend their ''last money'' on it and financially we all had to pay extra heavily. ;-)
It was a great experience to record right at the beginning in such a big and proffessional studio, even we all were very unexperienced back then. But it was anyhow definitely a experience we learned a lot from. And no, such thing like a masterplan had been existing, but a personal pretension.
Especially or at least for me music had always been more than just a hobby... far more. I couldn't imagine how it would be if I should have to abandon from making and creating music. I don't think that I would be a happy person in this case.
04.) MA: Like already mentioned you are around for quite a while now already, but after I have not a single clou about if and when so how many and how long my readers may now you already or not, hm, I can't spare you the question about your bandhistory so far, from the early beginnings to the present day. Okay, then now the word's up to you.
2DDS/A: I'm not that much of a fan of this whole questions about the whole ''primitive-times-mucus'', so I will just give ya short overview about our bandhistory and then that's it.
In 2005 we recorded and released our first MCD "BOUND BY HONOR" all the D.I.Y. way. Soon after this we have had some changes of bandmembers and from 2007 2DDS had been consisting of: Denis (Vox), Jan (bass), Hajo (drums), and Angelo (guitar). In this constellation we recorded and released two albums, "DIA DE LOS MUERTOS" and our "SPLIT" together with GIVE 'EM BLOOD, and played many, many gigs. Since 2012 now Chris took over vocal duties and Marcus joined us at the second guitar. Denis will still be around supporting us when we are in the studio.
05.) MA: Like you know and like it's pretty much nearly everywhere well known I was a huge fan of you right from the start and you took me already with your "BOUND BY HONOR" debut MCD album by storm. And also back then all you guys in the band had been damn good musicians and songwriters. But something that I always wanted to know and always wanted to ask you is how did it came to happen or what did happen that your back then and nowadays former drummer and second guitar man left the band? Ah, and did you ever thought about picking up and adding a new second guitar player to the roster of 2DDS?
2DDS/A: Oh, the question about a second guitar man I've already answered before, so just read it above. Hm, and the other part: We don't discuss band internal elements of the band in the public and we don't wash our "dirty clothes" in the public as well. But if you are really desperately interested in it then check out our song "SO CALLED FRIENDSHIP" from our "DIA DE LOS MUERTOS" album. We "dealed" with this topic in this song musically.
06.) MA: Since your second album "DIA DE LOS MUERTOS" you are on the Ruhr Valley based label "BEATDOWN HARDWEAR INC.", just by looking at the name of the label one could think that it would be sort of a clothing company and no record label. So was it once just a clothing company? How did the contact came to happen and did you need to do a lot for it with sending off thousands of promo discs to countless labels and all this stuff? I could imagine that you have a good friendly contact with the guys from the label anyhow as well, because if my memory isn't now leading me in the totally wrong direction then I think that you, Angelo, once used to work for the label, right? Are you still doing it, and if so how and why and what, or not anymore? And are you still satisfied with the work of the label or are you planning a change or expansion?
2DDS/A: Yes, back then the label was clothing affair, from Brandenburg. Toni of SCREAMIN' SILENCE then took it over and moved it to Münster, hm, so not really a Ruhr Valley affair. After we recorded "DIA DE LOS MUERTOS" we looked and searched for a label to release our stuff in a proper way, and Toni was one of the guys that checked our stuff out. This led him to the idea that he could release music as well and so we then discussed it and finally did it together. So our first full length album is also the first album ever that the label "BEATDOWN HARDWEAR INC." used to release.
Together we used to improvise a lot and we all achieved it in a more friendly way. Back then Toni had no experience with producing, pressing, and releasing albums, GEMA formulars, etc. pp. In cases like this I was able to help him because of the experiences I made when we released our first MCD all the D.I.Y. way.
So I helped him out when he started the label, I accompanied all releases in the first phase of the beginning of "BEATDOWN HARDWEAR INC.", rehashed the artworks and made them ready for press, invited offers for pressing the CD's, charged the chosen plants with pressing the CD's, and made the GEMA formulars ready. Toni then finally overtook all this duties after the phase of the beginning of the label. It was simply helping out a friend.
Our new album CD won't be released via "BEATDOWN HARDWEAR INC.", but instead of this we now work together with Marcus of "ONE LIFE, ONE CREW" (/"OLOC") who will release our new one. He supports us now for years with booking gigs with us, merchandising, reviews, promotion, etc. pp. He simply helped us far more than anyone else and we also used to have and still have far more good contact with him than with anyone else.
07.) MA: You had also been very busy with playing damn a lot of live shows over all the years of your existence as a band so far, in Germany as well as in Europe respectively in other european countries. Do you have any weird tourlifestories in store for us that you can tell here and now to us? And is there maybe anything you can tell us about the regional different and specific scenes about differences and stuff like this you can tell us, and where are the best concerts to kick off? And are there any bands that you have kept in your memories as just simply great, no matter if humanly or musically, and what are bands with which you just would love to play again a gig or two?
2DDS/A: Through Europe we didn't toured that much so far. We had been in Holland and in Austria, beside this only in Germany. But in germany from Usedom to Ulm, and from the Polish border to Münster. For sure there are a lot of great stories that I could tell, but honestly I can't say anything about them in the public, because in this case we would have a lot of trouble to deal with, hahahaha. ;-)
Highlights had been for example our weekend tour, the show at the "HEADBANGER WEEKEND", and many small club shows where you didn't expect much but then all hell broke loose.
In general we have noticed that we had been more often disappointed by club or festival shows when we went to play them with certain expectations on them in our minds. Then in contrast to this there had been several small club shows which we didn't want to play after we arised and saw the club and the state it was in but then the shows itself turned out to be incredible damn fucking great shit.
08.) MA: Already "just" by looking at your music one have to say that already right up directly from the start you totally did your very own thing and this without any compromises at all. Okay, for sure Hardcore, Metalcore, Death Metal and Thrash Metal hell of a lot bands outta there try to mix together and even far more then also try to cook it up and mix it through with Beatdowns, and a lot manage to succeed in doing so, while even more to fail with it. You are definitely one of those bands where it works out and even by far better than most of the rest does, and this all also damn stand alone and pretty unique, a really fantastic job of you guys, my compliment for this goes out to you. The most noteable thing is that you really managed to somehow create a way and style of guitar playing and guitar tone that's something totally of your very own and definitely damn fucking totally self-contained, amazing, you really associate that specific tone with 2DDS. Much respect for this! Is this something that you are aware of by yourself and would or could you agree on it? And if so, could you draw us the picture of this development from back then up to now? Ah, and by the way: Which were and are your founts of inspiration and what influences you the most on a musical level, and did the influences and origins of inspiration drastically change over the years?
2DDS/A: Wow, that many questions in only one passage! ;-)
So, first of all thanks a lot. We definitely try and want to do our very own thing and we don't want to sound like any other band else outta there.
That with that specific guitar tone is something I heard a lot at last, but I wasn't aware of it before and it surely wasn't planned. It's simply just my way of playing and that tone used to develop more and more over the years, after I worked on cultivating it more and more for some years, so that I am satisfied with it, I want a fat tone.
Oh, there are many bands that we cheer up to, no matter out of which specific musical genre.
And it is surely pretty different with everyone in the band.
But here some names as examples:
IRON MAIDEN, BIOHAZARD, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, MADBALL, NAPALM DEATH, MACHINE HEAD, SLAYER, MERAUDER, CROWBAR, KATAKLYSM, GOREFEST, CANNIBAL CORPSE, DYING FETUS, STAMPIN' GROUND, BACKFIRE!, ALL OUT WAR, BORN FROM PAIN, HATEBREED, ... etc. pp. ...
But it's pretty different, for example Hajo also likes to listen to Hip Hop, Electronical Music, and Reggea.
I think everyone lives through a musical development over the years, and this development influences one maybe unconsciously.
09.) MA: All of you guys in the band are already around for quite a long while now and also before 2DDS you all made your experiences in making music all across the harder and heavier departments of subcultural underground music. Do you see any similarities between your older bands and projects with 2DDS today, and what did changed looking at the importance of 2DDS for you between older bands/projects of you and 2DDS? And what significance earns 2DDS in your whole private life? By the way, what had been your first impulses back then to start to create your own music? I mean, that you are today damn skilled and good musicians, much respect for that, I just say here for the record.
2DDS/A: 2DDS is the by far most serious thing anyone of us had ever done in the case of making and creating music. Our earlier bands and projects surely had their impacts on us, but we never did anything of it so persistent like 2DDS today. I think that for everyone of us 2DDS earns its very own significance, but it's anyhow very important for every single one of us. I put hell a lot into it so far and let other things beside 2DDS more or less unheeded, because it's by far more than just a hobby for me. And I think for the other guys in the band it's pretty much the same, pretty sure about it.
How all of us came to this music I honestly can't say, I mean every single one of us celebrated Hardcore and Metal heavily and we attended ''some'' concerts. And we are all also all a little bit older nowadays and the first shows had been taken place eighteen years ago or so. But I think it was especially the energy at the live shows that grabbed us and hold us tight.
10.) MA: Some of you and I we know each other now for already more than a decade and you guys in the band know each other also for a time like this now already. So, how was it, how everyone of you used to fell in love with Hardcore, what bands/records/styles were into play? And what means Hardcore for you (if one can anyhow say this), and what do you think of the development of the Hardcore genre, the style, the scene, the music, the way of doing slam dancing, etc. pp., and do you like to name yourself proudly as a part of the Hardcore scene?
2DDS/A: Man, uh, what a long-range-question...
I think the answers to the question eight and nine already answered this one here quite a bit as well. Okay, I think everyone defines for his-/herself what "Hardcore" is or means and what not. But especially in the "Underground" I think the current development hard shocking. This situation is nothing new, but it gets more bitter day by day. Music is for a lot of bands not that important anymore. It's by far more important to catch attention. Catch attention with and through shitty music, shitty lyrics, and a ostensible image.
I don't follow the development of the scene anymore, for quite a while now already. We all focuss on the music at first, not all the other stuff around, and we all also cheer up to bands in a ''scene-overlapping'' way, as long we like their music, that matters most.
We are just annoyed and get pissed if someone wants to label us solely as being ''Beatdown'' Hardcore.
11.) MA: With 2DDS you have a pretty militant and Gang-like appearance, and with your accent on Latin-American influences you add up to this some sort of a harsh macho-like attitude. So, now honest and serious: Is it just fashion, style, and show or is it a real heartfelt show or proof of attitude, haha;-)? But, how-ever, a little bit of irony added up to it all won't hurt anyone anyhow, right? Did you had to deal with hostilities maybe because of this (or why ever else) so far or not? Ah, and by the way, what is the story behind respectively the meaning of your bandname and why did you choose this one? (Okay, I know, why not, haha;-)...)
2DDS/A: Hm, "militant" and "Gang-like appearance" I can't understand nor can I aggree on it anyway. We're simply just a bunch of good friends that make together music and that have always other good friends with and around them who help us out where ever they can with helping us doing shows, selling our merch, and such stuff, and who also support us heavily and enthusiastically how-, when-, and whereever they can. We do this all very purposeful and results oriented. Maybe this is the reason why the "militant" and "Gang-like appearance" impressions do come from. No, we definitely mean what we say and do, no irony behind it. I hate it when Hardcore bands see themselves as fun-bands and want to be very ironically with what they are doing. It's simply something that short and simple just don't fit with and into Hardcore, this ironic fun and joke stuff. For us the band and the 2DDS circle of friends savor a high reputation and a strong significance. The way how we write and create our music, the way how we haul our music and lyrics follows no sort of a masterplan or something like this, we don't write it for the big masses outta there. We just do what WE like to do, we just do what WE want to do..
By the way: We are in no crew and we never cared about it. We're simply just in it for the music. Scene-thrashtalk, Hardcore-Internet/Online-Discussions, sucking up to somebody, hailing music that is utter garbage just to brownnose with certain people, and all shit like this, nah, this all had been perfected by others and then let them all by themselves out-live their bullshit.
Hostilities had been and still are surely there, in masses, but I can calmly live with it.
12.) MA: Lyricwise you are covering a pretty wide distance of different topics you deal with, from political and critical on society lyrics to personal issues you deal with in your lyrics, as well as with Unity anthems, Hardcore hymns, and Tough Guy lyrics one can find in your rich and first class lyrical repertoire. Who of you guys in the band writes your lyrics and what moves him, from where do he or you get his/your inspirations?
2DDS/A: Hm, so far yet we haven't been asked that much about our lyrics, I think this is again another proof that today most guys just don't care about what bands have to say. Except one song ("POR VIDA CARNAL") so far Denis and I wrote all our lyrics.
We think it's important that each single song has a certain message and a meaning of its own. Hm, inspiration, that's something that's hard to describe. I mean, a idea poppes up and then this certain idea gets worked out by us. So far all the topics popped up spontaneous without any lyrical concept for an album behind it all.
A critical view on what's going on today is something we all should have, with all that bullshit going on and happening around us all. And for sure we deal with personal issues in our lyrics, this personal issues make your head go round and need to be worked up by you. But what you mean with Tough Guy lyrics I can't understand....
13.) MA: Today you all live widely dispersed about Lower Saxony and the city of Hamburg, so I think that the organisation of band rehearsal sessions are a little bit elaborated and need to be planned out more precisely these days then back then when you started with 2DDS, so I would say that you handle it all in a pretty professional way, right? So no heavy boozing and hard partying, but focussed working on old and new songs, right? And how does the songwriting in the camp 2DDS works out anyhow, especially today if we keep the pretty wide distance between the places where you live in mind, and who does what, when, why, and how when you are writing new songs?
2DDS/A: Yes, two of us live in Hamburg, and two of us in Hanover. So when all fits together and we all can find the time to do so then today we meet once a week in our new rehearsal room in Hanover. Heavy boozing and partying are nowadays already for a pretty long while history, because we must drive 300km for one rehearsal session. But we worked anyhow over all the time very focussed on our music, the boozing came then after it;-)...
Most of our ideas came up when we are jamming together in our room. There's a riff or a beat as the beginning and then it all starts off. Back then we worked on it week by week untill we were satisfied with the result. But today it's not that simple and uncomplicated anymore, because it can easily happen that we simply can't jam together for a month or so. So I set up my own little home studio here in Hamburg. So today it's pretty often so that Hajo comes around and we hang together infront of my PC, together he and I then start to write and work on our new songs. This new song material we then send via E-Mail to Jan and Chris and discuss the output. He then programs the "digital" drums and I tuck in the guitar into the PC. When we then have the chance and find the time again to jam and play together in our room we work it all more out untill we finally have our own new proper song.
It's definitely a different songwriting process then back then when we started and our rehearsal sessions are used more intensive by us, not at least because the long ride to get there should be disbursive. Over the week days Chris often practises alone in our room to the old songs of us and to our new demos. Jan takes part in this from time to time as well.
14.) MA: Your second album, "DIA DE LOS MUERTOS", already showed and proofed a impressive development and you really made a huge step forward and you raised the (also already before very high) mquality standard of your music enormously with it. Do you still like the album by yourselves today? And especially I really like the whole conception of it, starting with the perfect fitting intro and skits, over the great music and perfect running order of the songs, the diverse and great lyrics, to the brilliant and intense atmospheric artwork. First class, amazing! Who did the artwork? And in how far (if anyhow) was the, how I called it, ''whole conception'' of it in anyway aimed? Or was it more sort of a chance shell?
2DDS/A: Uhm, okay, the songs were finished and placed on the album without that we would have had any thoughts about any running order of them or whatsoever. The intros and skits give the lyrics (that aren't read by anyone anyhow) simply another more level of deepness. Then we discussed the running order and fixed it simply in a way that pleased us. The artwork was completly bought. We found it and liked it, especially the idea and it also fitted perfectly to the album.
So, okay, let us say it was a "planned chance hit", haha;-).
15.) MA: Beside this I also think this album gave you a good push ahead forward back then, right? How had been the general reactions on it back then?
2DDS/A: The reactions on 2DDS are always and had been always pretty strong diverse. Some love us, some hate us, and some just don't care about us, hahahaha...
Okay, it was our first full length album and so there was more to hear of us on it then on our debut Mini CD and surely it prooved a development of us.
Anyhow we received a lot of attention with it, and this from around the globe, because the album traveled the whole earth: U.S.A., Russia, England, Italy, Greece, and on and on and on and on...
16.) MA: Your so far newest album is the amazing split release with GIVE 'EM BLOOD. A total hitter! But one question prerecorded: Who the hell did the totally retarded cover artwork and who was responsible for it and why did you choose it, haha;-)?
2DDS/A: Toni of "BEATDOWN HARDWEAR INC." came up with it and submitted it to us. After it tends a little bit in the direction of the old SUICIDAL TENDENCIES shirts with the self-drawn artworks we celebrated it heavily.
17.) MA: Like already said, the split album is a total boomer, no doubt about it, period. How did the contact with GIVE 'EM BLOOD came to happen and who had the idea for this split album? Can one talk about a band friendship between you and GIVE 'EM BLOOD, or would this be maybe too much of the good? How were the reactions because of the split and can we maybe hope to see it one day being released on vinyl, after split release should be anyhow vinyl releases anyhow;-)?
2DDS/A: Also here, like in the case of the artwork, Toni was responsible for the contact with GEB came to happen. We had planned to do a split album and were searching for a cool partner band for it to do it that we like ourselves. So we listened to some bands and like GEB, the guys from Austria the most. Band friendship would be too much to say, because we just met only a few times, but the music rules and the guys are cool dudes as well.
The label failed in doing promotion for the album. So I think that really a lot guys didn't know that we had a new album out. Pretty soon after it was released the album went online and was then "distributed" this way.
It caused some good reactions and reviews. But honestly I think that a proper new own full length makes more sense after all.
18.) MA: Personally I think that the Death Metal influence on or in your songs is very strong on this album while at the same time your songs are maybe the most Hardcore styled songs by 2DDS so far yet, sort of a perfect combination out of 25 TA LIFE, MADBALL, and FURY OF FIVE on the one side, and MORBID ANGEL, DEEDS OF FLESH, and HATE ETERNAL on the other side, with UNIT 732, SWORN ENEMY, and HATEBREED somewhere in between it all. And this all extremly self-contained and in that typical 2DDS way done. Can you aggree on this, or is it currently going to heavily and fast up and down and around in my head;-)?
2DDS/A: Everyone has his/her own sense for music and everyone experiences it his/her own way, but with the mentioned bands I can calmly live;-).
Nah, honestly: Such thoughts aren't in our minds when we write songs, it all just happens how and when it happens.
With the result of our part we're not that happy, because of the production sound of our songs. We allowed others to tamper in our decision which recording studio we choose and we really regret this heavily. But, okay, anyhow, you learn of this bad experiences and wrong choices. Primordial we wanted to go and record in the "RAPE OF HARMONIES" studios...
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19.) MA: Once again back to your "BOUND BY HONOR" debut MCD: Will you one day use the songs of it again, in which form ever? Hm, and the album neither sounded nor looked in any way like a D.I.Y. release, did you have had some sort of a professional support on board back then? Looking back at it after all this years what do you think by yourselves of it today? Ah, and your old logo back then was extreme cool and stylish, who did it and will you maybe reuse it one day?
2DDS/A: Live we don't play any of the songs anymore, but maybe this will change again one future day. After we recorded the album in a professional studio and used to let it press the disc can easily be compared with any "label production". D.I.Y. was just the money, that we put in it;-).
The artwork was completly done by Giovanni (DOGMA IVS, DEATH WILL SCORE).
20.) MA: Okay, let us talk about your so far releases from next on untill the end of this very interview. And after this interview is now already incredible damn long let us now just talk about the from my personal subjective standpoint most stand out songs of you so far. (I know, very subjective and also pretty egoistic, I know, but okay, haha;-)...), and we go from more or less the present day starting with your split release and then back through your history to your debut disc. So we start with your split and I want to talk with you a little bit intensive about two songs of you from it, namely about "ON THE WINGS OF HERSEY" and "GOOD FRIENDS, GOOD TIMES". And with the angry and raging hate anthem "ON THE WINGS OF HERSEY" we will now begin: Hammering Death Metal, here and there also a little scandinavian flavored, perfectly combined with the devastating Hardcore, all cultivated with your very own unique character, wow, pure gold. From where you you draw your inspirations and did you used a pointedly chosen topic as the foundament for this song? Lyricwise it seems to me that it is a very harsh vendetta hymn, right? More personally or in social critical-political way? I am not so sure about it regarding this level of abstraction, so I request you at this point to enlight the readers and me;-). I also ask for this maybe pointedly chosen topic of the song because the music and the lyrics seem to me perfectly mutually agreed. So did the song come to happen in a unique way, a ''special'' way?
2DDS/A: Incredible short answer: Nah, it came to happen like every other song before;-).
21.) MA: The second song of your split about which I want to talk a little bit more intensive and precise with you is the incredible great "GOOD FRIENDS, GOOD TIMES" titled anthem. I love it, absolutely fantastic!!! Great Old School Hardcore the NYHC way in the tradition of a band like MADBALL, and also Eurocore a la BACKFIRE! seems to had been a inspiration for you, but also here you do your very own thing. How did it came to happen, what was the idea to do it, and can we hope to hear more like this from you in the future? And lyricwise, just by the way, all this trendy wankers, false friends, shittalkers, and Straight Edge pussies who feel the need to praise their gospel to everyone as the only right way to wisdom and happyness, they all aren't your best friends anyhow, right;-)?
2DDS/A: We had really a big lust to do a song like this. We really wanted to do a real punky Hardcore song without any Metal riffs, a song that we can direct fire out.
Maybe also lyricwise the so far most happy song of us to date yet so far.
I just can talk for myself, because after this interview now already has more content than my diploma work and wouldn't be anyhow possible to be answered via group discussions.
I really don't care about what people choose as their personal philosophy of life.
No matter if vegan, meat, SxE or booze, I don't care about it. But I must constantly listen to this bullshit of why and how, because all the people somehow feel the need to tell everyone, if asked for it or not, their life story and preach to everyone their beliefs. And this bullshit ticks me off drastically, especially after this all improvement of the world affairs mostly don't last longer than two or three years. And if it's for them the ultimate kick what they are doing, then for other people this don't need to be so as well.
Because of this the lyrics to this song, because we like to deal with bullshit like this in and through out our lyrics.
22.) MA: Ah, by the way, the Intro Skit to this song is totally great and damn fucking cool. From which movie you took it?
2DDS/A: The movie is originally named "STATE OF GRACE". I think the german title was "HINTERHOF ZUR HÖLLE" or some non sense like this.
23.) MA: Okay, now onwards to your "DIA DE LOS MUERTOS" masterpiece. Already the first song, "EVA MENDEZ", is surely through and through one hell of an anthem. Musicwise extremly grapping and interesting arranged, and lyricwise just pure gold. Who is this "EVA MENDEZ" for which you created this musical manifest and from where do you got the inspiration to do this track? Is there any special to tell about the creation of this song? I really hope that we will able to enjoy this hymn on and on for a long while as a part of your live set!
2DDS/A: This is also one of my our total favorites, and so I think that the song will probably be a part of our live sets forever.
The lyrics weren't read by many, and even less made up their minds about it. This song is not about the Hollywood actress of that name.
The Eva Mendez we sing about in this song is a woman for which life played out very bad cards. She was raped and was laid down on the railroads so that a train could and should override her. Her legs had been squeezed off during this, and since then she walks on her hands. But still she is strong and powerful and takes care of her children, she lives without a man in a ghetto near the railroads that lead into the city. We sense this as real power and strength. Not that kindergarden crap other bands sing about, that still live in the houses of their parents.
24.) MA: Okay, not the most spectacular song of the album (even still a strong one and especially live pure gold), but maybe the most controversial one is your collaboration with the Gangsta Rap group GOODFELLAS, the song "POR VIDA CARNAL". Lyricwise partly pretty heavy and extreme, with terms like subhuman and such stuff, and not only a few were pissed off by this, so maybe sort of a love/hate thing, but live always a true hymn. Anyhow a strong song, and would you today also do something like this and how do you see the song by yourself? Do the good contacts to the GOODFELLAS still exist and what do you think of the fact that the guys took part in some reality documentation bullshit crap in the german television and searching for an appartment on screen and buying kitchens and such stuff? Not really that much Gangsta, or...?
2DDS/A: Like already said, we don't discuss our band internas in the public. Today this topic is also pretty much through, but so much to this still here and now: There will be no other collaboration and the also don't play the song live anymore.
What the people think of it or not, what pissed them off and what not and which topic is hot this current week is not of our concern, we don't care about it.
25.) MA: Okay, and now with being on the finishing line one more time back to your debut MCD titled "BOUND BY HONOR". I know, it had been freaky fucking ages that passed us by since then. Already back then right from the start the opener, "RED TO THE PUBLIC", directly grapped me, a total bomb, still today. Lyricwise also pretty angry, aggressive, and pissed off, and also somehow pretty political, or? Anyhow incredible great! I would say that especially this song became somehow pretty marking for your style (can't say it better, sorry), would you agree on this?
2DDS/A: This song is very political, but in no way addressed to or placed in one political fraction. It's more about the fact that the people out there should better start to question what's going on, instead of just following the herd and do what they had been told. But marking for our future style, nah, I really can't agree on this.
26.) MA: Okay, last question then you've done it and this with managing to stay alive, haha;-). When will I be able to finally listen to my long demanded BIOHAZARD cover song and what covers are you maybe planning to do live on stage anyway?
2DDS/A: Let yourself be suprised, dude;-).
27.) MA: Angelo, that's it, haha, you did it, haha;-)!!! Once again THANKS for doing this (über-long) interview, for your interest in doing so, and for your time and effort you put in it. Great man!!! I think it's sort of the most longest interview up here so far, much respect for putting yourself through it all!!! Now the last words are up to you, and I really hope we finally see us soon face to face again one soon day!!! Cheers man!!!
2DDS/A:
Andy, you old damn bastard... this was really hard work!!!
Thanks that you are supporting us since years and that you spend your time and effort in doing so!!!
It's cool to see that there are still really people out there which work themselves through music and create their own attitude to it!!!
Cheers!!!
Angelo/2DDS
Yeahr, so folks, okay, that's it. It took me a little bit longer to get it done with the translation work and so on, but anyhow, it's done, it's up, and I really think that it's a damn great interview due to Angelo's work. No I think I will close this post that's already long enough, and so, to you, the readers thanks for your interest and support the amazing 2 DIAS DE SANGRE!!! Have a open eye and ear on them, their new album will be released some time in 2013!!! Cheers guys!!!
(https://www.facebook.com/dosdiasdesangre?ref=ts&fref=ts)
(PS: I still must correct the mistakes, and will take care of it the next few days or so.)
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2DDS/A: Hi Andy, thanks for the interview and sorry for the long time you have had to wait for it. But in the ranks of 2DDS and in our private lifes a lot happened and we needed to take care of it all first.
02.) MA: No problem man. Okay, to beginn this interview we will start in the here and now of today. So, please tell us what's going currently on in the 2DDS camp and all about the news that happened and are happening. And maybe you can also give us some informations about what to expect next in the future by 2DDS. Let's go.
2DDS/A: Oh, a lot happened and there are a lot of news to be announced. Denis is not longer a active member of 2DDS. Due to his work he house moved to Frankfurt on the Main and he also became father. Vocal duties had been taken over by Chris, who was anyhow already over all the years sort of our fifth bandmember and travelled together with us through the lands. New members had been anyhow never really a topic for us, because we're a very conspired troop and friendship is very important for us. That's also the reason why after back then years ago Toni left the band we never introduced a second guitar player to our ranks. Due to our jobs Hajo and I by myself as well house moved to Hamburg, while Chris and Jan live in Hanover. That's also the reason why we closed our rehearsal room in the Harz Mountains area and searched and found a new one in Hanover, while all of this and especially the long distance between the places where we live isn't making anything easier for us as a band and in our band's life.
Since the end of 2012/the early beginning of 2013 with Marcus Rost (former DOL and the singer of WARHEAD PROJECT) we have finally recruited a new second guitar player to our ranks today.
Currently we are working hard on our new stuff, and we want to release a new album at the end of 2013 via "ONE LIFE, ONE CREW RECORDS".
03.) MA: Looking at it currently then you have already released three albums at all so far, and right from the get go with your debut release, the "BOUND BY HONOR" MCD, you started it full impact at once with recording the album in the studio and with the well-known Andy Claasen. Fat way to start things off! And looking back at it then it payed off pretty quick for you. So I would say that you have done all right and correct. How did the decision of you back then came to happen, to kick it all off that big which means proffessional? I mean, it had been or could had been a big especially financial risk for you all and could hace backfired instead of paying off with bringing you ahead. Was there right from the start the aim or the masterplan to go on stronger with 2DDS than just being another local band around band that's mainly sot of a regional outlived hobby?
2DDS/A: Yeahr, of course, right, we wanted to be our music as good as anyhow possible right from the start. But the financial aspects had been more dramatic. We payed our ass' off for it back then and the most of us spend their ''last money'' on it and financially we all had to pay extra heavily. ;-)
It was a great experience to record right at the beginning in such a big and proffessional studio, even we all were very unexperienced back then. But it was anyhow definitely a experience we learned a lot from. And no, such thing like a masterplan had been existing, but a personal pretension.
Especially or at least for me music had always been more than just a hobby... far more. I couldn't imagine how it would be if I should have to abandon from making and creating music. I don't think that I would be a happy person in this case.
04.) MA: Like already mentioned you are around for quite a while now already, but after I have not a single clou about if and when so how many and how long my readers may now you already or not, hm, I can't spare you the question about your bandhistory so far, from the early beginnings to the present day. Okay, then now the word's up to you.
2DDS/A: I'm not that much of a fan of this whole questions about the whole ''primitive-times-mucus'', so I will just give ya short overview about our bandhistory and then that's it.
In 2005 we recorded and released our first MCD "BOUND BY HONOR" all the D.I.Y. way. Soon after this we have had some changes of bandmembers and from 2007 2DDS had been consisting of: Denis (Vox), Jan (bass), Hajo (drums), and Angelo (guitar). In this constellation we recorded and released two albums, "DIA DE LOS MUERTOS" and our "SPLIT" together with GIVE 'EM BLOOD, and played many, many gigs. Since 2012 now Chris took over vocal duties and Marcus joined us at the second guitar. Denis will still be around supporting us when we are in the studio.
05.) MA: Like you know and like it's pretty much nearly everywhere well known I was a huge fan of you right from the start and you took me already with your "BOUND BY HONOR" debut MCD album by storm. And also back then all you guys in the band had been damn good musicians and songwriters. But something that I always wanted to know and always wanted to ask you is how did it came to happen or what did happen that your back then and nowadays former drummer and second guitar man left the band? Ah, and did you ever thought about picking up and adding a new second guitar player to the roster of 2DDS?
2DDS/A: Oh, the question about a second guitar man I've already answered before, so just read it above. Hm, and the other part: We don't discuss band internal elements of the band in the public and we don't wash our "dirty clothes" in the public as well. But if you are really desperately interested in it then check out our song "SO CALLED FRIENDSHIP" from our "DIA DE LOS MUERTOS" album. We "dealed" with this topic in this song musically.
06.) MA: Since your second album "DIA DE LOS MUERTOS" you are on the Ruhr Valley based label "BEATDOWN HARDWEAR INC.", just by looking at the name of the label one could think that it would be sort of a clothing company and no record label. So was it once just a clothing company? How did the contact came to happen and did you need to do a lot for it with sending off thousands of promo discs to countless labels and all this stuff? I could imagine that you have a good friendly contact with the guys from the label anyhow as well, because if my memory isn't now leading me in the totally wrong direction then I think that you, Angelo, once used to work for the label, right? Are you still doing it, and if so how and why and what, or not anymore? And are you still satisfied with the work of the label or are you planning a change or expansion?
2DDS/A: Yes, back then the label was clothing affair, from Brandenburg. Toni of SCREAMIN' SILENCE then took it over and moved it to Münster, hm, so not really a Ruhr Valley affair. After we recorded "DIA DE LOS MUERTOS" we looked and searched for a label to release our stuff in a proper way, and Toni was one of the guys that checked our stuff out. This led him to the idea that he could release music as well and so we then discussed it and finally did it together. So our first full length album is also the first album ever that the label "BEATDOWN HARDWEAR INC." used to release.
Together we used to improvise a lot and we all achieved it in a more friendly way. Back then Toni had no experience with producing, pressing, and releasing albums, GEMA formulars, etc. pp. In cases like this I was able to help him because of the experiences I made when we released our first MCD all the D.I.Y. way.
So I helped him out when he started the label, I accompanied all releases in the first phase of the beginning of "BEATDOWN HARDWEAR INC.", rehashed the artworks and made them ready for press, invited offers for pressing the CD's, charged the chosen plants with pressing the CD's, and made the GEMA formulars ready. Toni then finally overtook all this duties after the phase of the beginning of the label. It was simply helping out a friend.
Our new album CD won't be released via "BEATDOWN HARDWEAR INC.", but instead of this we now work together with Marcus of "ONE LIFE, ONE CREW" (/"OLOC") who will release our new one. He supports us now for years with booking gigs with us, merchandising, reviews, promotion, etc. pp. He simply helped us far more than anyone else and we also used to have and still have far more good contact with him than with anyone else.
07.) MA: You had also been very busy with playing damn a lot of live shows over all the years of your existence as a band so far, in Germany as well as in Europe respectively in other european countries. Do you have any weird tourlifestories in store for us that you can tell here and now to us? And is there maybe anything you can tell us about the regional different and specific scenes about differences and stuff like this you can tell us, and where are the best concerts to kick off? And are there any bands that you have kept in your memories as just simply great, no matter if humanly or musically, and what are bands with which you just would love to play again a gig or two?
2DDS/A: Through Europe we didn't toured that much so far. We had been in Holland and in Austria, beside this only in Germany. But in germany from Usedom to Ulm, and from the Polish border to Münster. For sure there are a lot of great stories that I could tell, but honestly I can't say anything about them in the public, because in this case we would have a lot of trouble to deal with, hahahaha. ;-)
Highlights had been for example our weekend tour, the show at the "HEADBANGER WEEKEND", and many small club shows where you didn't expect much but then all hell broke loose.
In general we have noticed that we had been more often disappointed by club or festival shows when we went to play them with certain expectations on them in our minds. Then in contrast to this there had been several small club shows which we didn't want to play after we arised and saw the club and the state it was in but then the shows itself turned out to be incredible damn fucking great shit.
08.) MA: Already "just" by looking at your music one have to say that already right up directly from the start you totally did your very own thing and this without any compromises at all. Okay, for sure Hardcore, Metalcore, Death Metal and Thrash Metal hell of a lot bands outta there try to mix together and even far more then also try to cook it up and mix it through with Beatdowns, and a lot manage to succeed in doing so, while even more to fail with it. You are definitely one of those bands where it works out and even by far better than most of the rest does, and this all also damn stand alone and pretty unique, a really fantastic job of you guys, my compliment for this goes out to you. The most noteable thing is that you really managed to somehow create a way and style of guitar playing and guitar tone that's something totally of your very own and definitely damn fucking totally self-contained, amazing, you really associate that specific tone with 2DDS. Much respect for this! Is this something that you are aware of by yourself and would or could you agree on it? And if so, could you draw us the picture of this development from back then up to now? Ah, and by the way: Which were and are your founts of inspiration and what influences you the most on a musical level, and did the influences and origins of inspiration drastically change over the years?
2DDS/A: Wow, that many questions in only one passage! ;-)
So, first of all thanks a lot. We definitely try and want to do our very own thing and we don't want to sound like any other band else outta there.
That with that specific guitar tone is something I heard a lot at last, but I wasn't aware of it before and it surely wasn't planned. It's simply just my way of playing and that tone used to develop more and more over the years, after I worked on cultivating it more and more for some years, so that I am satisfied with it, I want a fat tone.
Oh, there are many bands that we cheer up to, no matter out of which specific musical genre.
And it is surely pretty different with everyone in the band.
But here some names as examples:
IRON MAIDEN, BIOHAZARD, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, MADBALL, NAPALM DEATH, MACHINE HEAD, SLAYER, MERAUDER, CROWBAR, KATAKLYSM, GOREFEST, CANNIBAL CORPSE, DYING FETUS, STAMPIN' GROUND, BACKFIRE!, ALL OUT WAR, BORN FROM PAIN, HATEBREED, ... etc. pp. ...
But it's pretty different, for example Hajo also likes to listen to Hip Hop, Electronical Music, and Reggea.
I think everyone lives through a musical development over the years, and this development influences one maybe unconsciously.
09.) MA: All of you guys in the band are already around for quite a long while now and also before 2DDS you all made your experiences in making music all across the harder and heavier departments of subcultural underground music. Do you see any similarities between your older bands and projects with 2DDS today, and what did changed looking at the importance of 2DDS for you between older bands/projects of you and 2DDS? And what significance earns 2DDS in your whole private life? By the way, what had been your first impulses back then to start to create your own music? I mean, that you are today damn skilled and good musicians, much respect for that, I just say here for the record.
2DDS/A: 2DDS is the by far most serious thing anyone of us had ever done in the case of making and creating music. Our earlier bands and projects surely had their impacts on us, but we never did anything of it so persistent like 2DDS today. I think that for everyone of us 2DDS earns its very own significance, but it's anyhow very important for every single one of us. I put hell a lot into it so far and let other things beside 2DDS more or less unheeded, because it's by far more than just a hobby for me. And I think for the other guys in the band it's pretty much the same, pretty sure about it.
How all of us came to this music I honestly can't say, I mean every single one of us celebrated Hardcore and Metal heavily and we attended ''some'' concerts. And we are all also all a little bit older nowadays and the first shows had been taken place eighteen years ago or so. But I think it was especially the energy at the live shows that grabbed us and hold us tight.
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| 2DDS today, from left to right: Hajo, Angelo, Chris, and Jan. |
10.) MA: Some of you and I we know each other now for already more than a decade and you guys in the band know each other also for a time like this now already. So, how was it, how everyone of you used to fell in love with Hardcore, what bands/records/styles were into play? And what means Hardcore for you (if one can anyhow say this), and what do you think of the development of the Hardcore genre, the style, the scene, the music, the way of doing slam dancing, etc. pp., and do you like to name yourself proudly as a part of the Hardcore scene?
2DDS/A: Man, uh, what a long-range-question...
I think the answers to the question eight and nine already answered this one here quite a bit as well. Okay, I think everyone defines for his-/herself what "Hardcore" is or means and what not. But especially in the "Underground" I think the current development hard shocking. This situation is nothing new, but it gets more bitter day by day. Music is for a lot of bands not that important anymore. It's by far more important to catch attention. Catch attention with and through shitty music, shitty lyrics, and a ostensible image.
I don't follow the development of the scene anymore, for quite a while now already. We all focuss on the music at first, not all the other stuff around, and we all also cheer up to bands in a ''scene-overlapping'' way, as long we like their music, that matters most.
We are just annoyed and get pissed if someone wants to label us solely as being ''Beatdown'' Hardcore.
11.) MA: With 2DDS you have a pretty militant and Gang-like appearance, and with your accent on Latin-American influences you add up to this some sort of a harsh macho-like attitude. So, now honest and serious: Is it just fashion, style, and show or is it a real heartfelt show or proof of attitude, haha;-)? But, how-ever, a little bit of irony added up to it all won't hurt anyone anyhow, right? Did you had to deal with hostilities maybe because of this (or why ever else) so far or not? Ah, and by the way, what is the story behind respectively the meaning of your bandname and why did you choose this one? (Okay, I know, why not, haha;-)...)
2DDS/A: Hm, "militant" and "Gang-like appearance" I can't understand nor can I aggree on it anyway. We're simply just a bunch of good friends that make together music and that have always other good friends with and around them who help us out where ever they can with helping us doing shows, selling our merch, and such stuff, and who also support us heavily and enthusiastically how-, when-, and whereever they can. We do this all very purposeful and results oriented. Maybe this is the reason why the "militant" and "Gang-like appearance" impressions do come from. No, we definitely mean what we say and do, no irony behind it. I hate it when Hardcore bands see themselves as fun-bands and want to be very ironically with what they are doing. It's simply something that short and simple just don't fit with and into Hardcore, this ironic fun and joke stuff. For us the band and the 2DDS circle of friends savor a high reputation and a strong significance. The way how we write and create our music, the way how we haul our music and lyrics follows no sort of a masterplan or something like this, we don't write it for the big masses outta there. We just do what WE like to do, we just do what WE want to do..
By the way: We are in no crew and we never cared about it. We're simply just in it for the music. Scene-thrashtalk, Hardcore-Internet/Online-Discussions, sucking up to somebody, hailing music that is utter garbage just to brownnose with certain people, and all shit like this, nah, this all had been perfected by others and then let them all by themselves out-live their bullshit.
Hostilities had been and still are surely there, in masses, but I can calmly live with it.
12.) MA: Lyricwise you are covering a pretty wide distance of different topics you deal with, from political and critical on society lyrics to personal issues you deal with in your lyrics, as well as with Unity anthems, Hardcore hymns, and Tough Guy lyrics one can find in your rich and first class lyrical repertoire. Who of you guys in the band writes your lyrics and what moves him, from where do he or you get his/your inspirations?
2DDS/A: Hm, so far yet we haven't been asked that much about our lyrics, I think this is again another proof that today most guys just don't care about what bands have to say. Except one song ("POR VIDA CARNAL") so far Denis and I wrote all our lyrics.
We think it's important that each single song has a certain message and a meaning of its own. Hm, inspiration, that's something that's hard to describe. I mean, a idea poppes up and then this certain idea gets worked out by us. So far all the topics popped up spontaneous without any lyrical concept for an album behind it all.
A critical view on what's going on today is something we all should have, with all that bullshit going on and happening around us all. And for sure we deal with personal issues in our lyrics, this personal issues make your head go round and need to be worked up by you. But what you mean with Tough Guy lyrics I can't understand....
13.) MA: Today you all live widely dispersed about Lower Saxony and the city of Hamburg, so I think that the organisation of band rehearsal sessions are a little bit elaborated and need to be planned out more precisely these days then back then when you started with 2DDS, so I would say that you handle it all in a pretty professional way, right? So no heavy boozing and hard partying, but focussed working on old and new songs, right? And how does the songwriting in the camp 2DDS works out anyhow, especially today if we keep the pretty wide distance between the places where you live in mind, and who does what, when, why, and how when you are writing new songs?
2DDS/A: Yes, two of us live in Hamburg, and two of us in Hanover. So when all fits together and we all can find the time to do so then today we meet once a week in our new rehearsal room in Hanover. Heavy boozing and partying are nowadays already for a pretty long while history, because we must drive 300km for one rehearsal session. But we worked anyhow over all the time very focussed on our music, the boozing came then after it;-)...
Most of our ideas came up when we are jamming together in our room. There's a riff or a beat as the beginning and then it all starts off. Back then we worked on it week by week untill we were satisfied with the result. But today it's not that simple and uncomplicated anymore, because it can easily happen that we simply can't jam together for a month or so. So I set up my own little home studio here in Hamburg. So today it's pretty often so that Hajo comes around and we hang together infront of my PC, together he and I then start to write and work on our new songs. This new song material we then send via E-Mail to Jan and Chris and discuss the output. He then programs the "digital" drums and I tuck in the guitar into the PC. When we then have the chance and find the time again to jam and play together in our room we work it all more out untill we finally have our own new proper song.
It's definitely a different songwriting process then back then when we started and our rehearsal sessions are used more intensive by us, not at least because the long ride to get there should be disbursive. Over the week days Chris often practises alone in our room to the old songs of us and to our new demos. Jan takes part in this from time to time as well.
14.) MA: Your second album, "DIA DE LOS MUERTOS", already showed and proofed a impressive development and you really made a huge step forward and you raised the (also already before very high) mquality standard of your music enormously with it. Do you still like the album by yourselves today? And especially I really like the whole conception of it, starting with the perfect fitting intro and skits, over the great music and perfect running order of the songs, the diverse and great lyrics, to the brilliant and intense atmospheric artwork. First class, amazing! Who did the artwork? And in how far (if anyhow) was the, how I called it, ''whole conception'' of it in anyway aimed? Or was it more sort of a chance shell?
2DDS/A: Uhm, okay, the songs were finished and placed on the album without that we would have had any thoughts about any running order of them or whatsoever. The intros and skits give the lyrics (that aren't read by anyone anyhow) simply another more level of deepness. Then we discussed the running order and fixed it simply in a way that pleased us. The artwork was completly bought. We found it and liked it, especially the idea and it also fitted perfectly to the album.
So, okay, let us say it was a "planned chance hit", haha;-).
15.) MA: Beside this I also think this album gave you a good push ahead forward back then, right? How had been the general reactions on it back then?
2DDS/A: The reactions on 2DDS are always and had been always pretty strong diverse. Some love us, some hate us, and some just don't care about us, hahahaha...
Okay, it was our first full length album and so there was more to hear of us on it then on our debut Mini CD and surely it prooved a development of us.
Anyhow we received a lot of attention with it, and this from around the globe, because the album traveled the whole earth: U.S.A., Russia, England, Italy, Greece, and on and on and on and on...
16.) MA: Your so far newest album is the amazing split release with GIVE 'EM BLOOD. A total hitter! But one question prerecorded: Who the hell did the totally retarded cover artwork and who was responsible for it and why did you choose it, haha;-)?
2DDS/A: Toni of "BEATDOWN HARDWEAR INC." came up with it and submitted it to us. After it tends a little bit in the direction of the old SUICIDAL TENDENCIES shirts with the self-drawn artworks we celebrated it heavily.
17.) MA: Like already said, the split album is a total boomer, no doubt about it, period. How did the contact with GIVE 'EM BLOOD came to happen and who had the idea for this split album? Can one talk about a band friendship between you and GIVE 'EM BLOOD, or would this be maybe too much of the good? How were the reactions because of the split and can we maybe hope to see it one day being released on vinyl, after split release should be anyhow vinyl releases anyhow;-)?
2DDS/A: Also here, like in the case of the artwork, Toni was responsible for the contact with GEB came to happen. We had planned to do a split album and were searching for a cool partner band for it to do it that we like ourselves. So we listened to some bands and like GEB, the guys from Austria the most. Band friendship would be too much to say, because we just met only a few times, but the music rules and the guys are cool dudes as well.
The label failed in doing promotion for the album. So I think that really a lot guys didn't know that we had a new album out. Pretty soon after it was released the album went online and was then "distributed" this way.
It caused some good reactions and reviews. But honestly I think that a proper new own full length makes more sense after all.
18.) MA: Personally I think that the Death Metal influence on or in your songs is very strong on this album while at the same time your songs are maybe the most Hardcore styled songs by 2DDS so far yet, sort of a perfect combination out of 25 TA LIFE, MADBALL, and FURY OF FIVE on the one side, and MORBID ANGEL, DEEDS OF FLESH, and HATE ETERNAL on the other side, with UNIT 732, SWORN ENEMY, and HATEBREED somewhere in between it all. And this all extremly self-contained and in that typical 2DDS way done. Can you aggree on this, or is it currently going to heavily and fast up and down and around in my head;-)?
2DDS/A: Everyone has his/her own sense for music and everyone experiences it his/her own way, but with the mentioned bands I can calmly live;-).
Nah, honestly: Such thoughts aren't in our minds when we write songs, it all just happens how and when it happens.
With the result of our part we're not that happy, because of the production sound of our songs. We allowed others to tamper in our decision which recording studio we choose and we really regret this heavily. But, okay, anyhow, you learn of this bad experiences and wrong choices. Primordial we wanted to go and record in the "RAPE OF HARMONIES" studios...
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19.) MA: Once again back to your "BOUND BY HONOR" debut MCD: Will you one day use the songs of it again, in which form ever? Hm, and the album neither sounded nor looked in any way like a D.I.Y. release, did you have had some sort of a professional support on board back then? Looking back at it after all this years what do you think by yourselves of it today? Ah, and your old logo back then was extreme cool and stylish, who did it and will you maybe reuse it one day?
2DDS/A: Live we don't play any of the songs anymore, but maybe this will change again one future day. After we recorded the album in a professional studio and used to let it press the disc can easily be compared with any "label production". D.I.Y. was just the money, that we put in it;-).
The artwork was completly done by Giovanni (DOGMA IVS, DEATH WILL SCORE).
20.) MA: Okay, let us talk about your so far releases from next on untill the end of this very interview. And after this interview is now already incredible damn long let us now just talk about the from my personal subjective standpoint most stand out songs of you so far. (I know, very subjective and also pretty egoistic, I know, but okay, haha;-)...), and we go from more or less the present day starting with your split release and then back through your history to your debut disc. So we start with your split and I want to talk with you a little bit intensive about two songs of you from it, namely about "ON THE WINGS OF HERSEY" and "GOOD FRIENDS, GOOD TIMES". And with the angry and raging hate anthem "ON THE WINGS OF HERSEY" we will now begin: Hammering Death Metal, here and there also a little scandinavian flavored, perfectly combined with the devastating Hardcore, all cultivated with your very own unique character, wow, pure gold. From where you you draw your inspirations and did you used a pointedly chosen topic as the foundament for this song? Lyricwise it seems to me that it is a very harsh vendetta hymn, right? More personally or in social critical-political way? I am not so sure about it regarding this level of abstraction, so I request you at this point to enlight the readers and me;-). I also ask for this maybe pointedly chosen topic of the song because the music and the lyrics seem to me perfectly mutually agreed. So did the song come to happen in a unique way, a ''special'' way?
2DDS/A: Incredible short answer: Nah, it came to happen like every other song before;-).
21.) MA: The second song of your split about which I want to talk a little bit more intensive and precise with you is the incredible great "GOOD FRIENDS, GOOD TIMES" titled anthem. I love it, absolutely fantastic!!! Great Old School Hardcore the NYHC way in the tradition of a band like MADBALL, and also Eurocore a la BACKFIRE! seems to had been a inspiration for you, but also here you do your very own thing. How did it came to happen, what was the idea to do it, and can we hope to hear more like this from you in the future? And lyricwise, just by the way, all this trendy wankers, false friends, shittalkers, and Straight Edge pussies who feel the need to praise their gospel to everyone as the only right way to wisdom and happyness, they all aren't your best friends anyhow, right;-)?
2DDS/A: We had really a big lust to do a song like this. We really wanted to do a real punky Hardcore song without any Metal riffs, a song that we can direct fire out.
Maybe also lyricwise the so far most happy song of us to date yet so far.
I just can talk for myself, because after this interview now already has more content than my diploma work and wouldn't be anyhow possible to be answered via group discussions.
I really don't care about what people choose as their personal philosophy of life.
No matter if vegan, meat, SxE or booze, I don't care about it. But I must constantly listen to this bullshit of why and how, because all the people somehow feel the need to tell everyone, if asked for it or not, their life story and preach to everyone their beliefs. And this bullshit ticks me off drastically, especially after this all improvement of the world affairs mostly don't last longer than two or three years. And if it's for them the ultimate kick what they are doing, then for other people this don't need to be so as well.
Because of this the lyrics to this song, because we like to deal with bullshit like this in and through out our lyrics.
22.) MA: Ah, by the way, the Intro Skit to this song is totally great and damn fucking cool. From which movie you took it?
2DDS/A: The movie is originally named "STATE OF GRACE". I think the german title was "HINTERHOF ZUR HÖLLE" or some non sense like this.
23.) MA: Okay, now onwards to your "DIA DE LOS MUERTOS" masterpiece. Already the first song, "EVA MENDEZ", is surely through and through one hell of an anthem. Musicwise extremly grapping and interesting arranged, and lyricwise just pure gold. Who is this "EVA MENDEZ" for which you created this musical manifest and from where do you got the inspiration to do this track? Is there any special to tell about the creation of this song? I really hope that we will able to enjoy this hymn on and on for a long while as a part of your live set!
2DDS/A: This is also one of my our total favorites, and so I think that the song will probably be a part of our live sets forever.
The lyrics weren't read by many, and even less made up their minds about it. This song is not about the Hollywood actress of that name.
The Eva Mendez we sing about in this song is a woman for which life played out very bad cards. She was raped and was laid down on the railroads so that a train could and should override her. Her legs had been squeezed off during this, and since then she walks on her hands. But still she is strong and powerful and takes care of her children, she lives without a man in a ghetto near the railroads that lead into the city. We sense this as real power and strength. Not that kindergarden crap other bands sing about, that still live in the houses of their parents.
24.) MA: Okay, not the most spectacular song of the album (even still a strong one and especially live pure gold), but maybe the most controversial one is your collaboration with the Gangsta Rap group GOODFELLAS, the song "POR VIDA CARNAL". Lyricwise partly pretty heavy and extreme, with terms like subhuman and such stuff, and not only a few were pissed off by this, so maybe sort of a love/hate thing, but live always a true hymn. Anyhow a strong song, and would you today also do something like this and how do you see the song by yourself? Do the good contacts to the GOODFELLAS still exist and what do you think of the fact that the guys took part in some reality documentation bullshit crap in the german television and searching for an appartment on screen and buying kitchens and such stuff? Not really that much Gangsta, or...?
2DDS/A: Like already said, we don't discuss our band internas in the public. Today this topic is also pretty much through, but so much to this still here and now: There will be no other collaboration and the also don't play the song live anymore.
What the people think of it or not, what pissed them off and what not and which topic is hot this current week is not of our concern, we don't care about it.
25.) MA: Okay, and now with being on the finishing line one more time back to your debut MCD titled "BOUND BY HONOR". I know, it had been freaky fucking ages that passed us by since then. Already back then right from the start the opener, "RED TO THE PUBLIC", directly grapped me, a total bomb, still today. Lyricwise also pretty angry, aggressive, and pissed off, and also somehow pretty political, or? Anyhow incredible great! I would say that especially this song became somehow pretty marking for your style (can't say it better, sorry), would you agree on this?
2DDS/A: This song is very political, but in no way addressed to or placed in one political fraction. It's more about the fact that the people out there should better start to question what's going on, instead of just following the herd and do what they had been told. But marking for our future style, nah, I really can't agree on this.
26.) MA: Okay, last question then you've done it and this with managing to stay alive, haha;-). When will I be able to finally listen to my long demanded BIOHAZARD cover song and what covers are you maybe planning to do live on stage anyway?
2DDS/A: Let yourself be suprised, dude;-).
27.) MA: Angelo, that's it, haha, you did it, haha;-)!!! Once again THANKS for doing this (über-long) interview, for your interest in doing so, and for your time and effort you put in it. Great man!!! I think it's sort of the most longest interview up here so far, much respect for putting yourself through it all!!! Now the last words are up to you, and I really hope we finally see us soon face to face again one soon day!!! Cheers man!!!
2DDS/A:
Andy, you old damn bastard... this was really hard work!!!
Thanks that you are supporting us since years and that you spend your time and effort in doing so!!!
It's cool to see that there are still really people out there which work themselves through music and create their own attitude to it!!!
Cheers!!!
Angelo/2DDS
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| 2DDS back in the days: Angelo, Jan, Hajo, Denis (f.l.t.r.) |
Yeahr, so folks, okay, that's it. It took me a little bit longer to get it done with the translation work and so on, but anyhow, it's done, it's up, and I really think that it's a damn great interview due to Angelo's work. No I think I will close this post that's already long enough, and so, to you, the readers thanks for your interest and support the amazing 2 DIAS DE SANGRE!!! Have a open eye and ear on them, their new album will be released some time in 2013!!! Cheers guys!!!
(https://www.facebook.com/dosdiasdesangre?ref=ts&fref=ts)
(PS: I still must correct the mistakes, and will take care of it the next few days or so.)
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