5 years ago, shortly after I met Victor from Rearranged, he sent me an mp3 demo of this Chilean band that sounded like Insted and No For An Answer. I dug it. Later they released a seven inch that I immediately got from Vic, again, and loved it to the core. The band was called Remains To Be Seen and few years later morphed into Remission. That’s how I learned about Philippe, their singer. He seemed to be one of the most active hardcore punk figures on the world wide web (you know these guys that you will meet at any good message board) and still seems to be one of the kindest ones. This dude is one of those pen pals I’m always cheered to hear from. So I decided to make this fan to band interview for the React! website, since I’m a huge Remission fan from the very beginning.

 
Some people may know that Remission began when the guys from Remains To Be Seen grew up and went through another line up change. It seems to me that both bands constantly changed their line ups and I guess there were more people involved than in Shelter. Is it easy to find the substitution for a band member in Chile? Is there anybody else left who played in both bands?
Daniel and myself are all that’s left of that old memory. Sebastian our bass player did fill in one time Daniel got sick and couldn’t leave his bed. Finding drummers is almost impossible, bass players it’s hard and there will always be tons of guitar players everywhere. I thinking finding members in any case will have its level of difficulty considering you don’t just want someone in your band who can rock out. Hopefully it’s a friend or someone you can assure is a good person and won’t be complicated to play with.

Remains To Be Seen’s got only 250 listeners on last.fm. Did you fight the mp3-pirates for people to buy vinyls? Cause the band was REALLY good.
In ’06-’07 the problem wasn’t very big. We streamed all the songs off myspace (rip) and released that 7” on two different colors which people seemed to be into and support. This was a big step for the Santiago scene since a band hadn’t released their music on vinyl in over 5 years. Thanks for liking the old band.

Was that name taken from 7 Seconds or Fuel?
7 Seconds of course.

Anybody calls you Phil TBS still?
Maybe one person to joke around with me. He knows I find it silly.​

So now you took the name Remission. Was there any other options? Maybe you could’ve been called Scared or Exile?
We tossed a few names around like Closure and three more I think which all got ditched. Remission was perfect since we’d be evolving but keeping the initial “rem” part of the word and it’d be named after a band’s ep we were very much into (O.S.A).

I see Remission usually compared to three bands: One Step Ahead, Verbal Assault and 411. Would you compare Remission to any other ones?
I would also compare it to Headfirst, Endpoint and Dag Nasty though the word “compare” should be taken into context of influence, especially with Dag. No band has been able to sound like them really.

Tell me more about the magic between Remission and post-soviet countries. Do you realize that you’ve got a pretty big fan base around here? People might not be aware of Verbal Assault, but everybody likes Remission here. What’s the deal and why don’t you have a Euro tour booked still?
I have no idea but the soviet following is awesome and hopefully we get to meet as many of them possible for a euro tour next year 2012. We have nothing booked because we don’t have time, money or offers for that matter.

Hope you’ll make it! Can’t wait to see you guys. Did you ever play outside of Chile?
We will next week for the first time. We have a U.S tour lined up where we’ll invade the East and West coast playing a total of 13 shows from Sept. 14th to the 28th. The biggest one of all is the React! Showcase and the main reason we’re flying to the north.

You had some releases before the React! one, didn’t you?
Before the Winds Of Promise 7” came out, we had a Demo 7” and the Accept LP come out through Amendment records. We also have a song on a Chain tribute compilation done by 1124 records. After WOP came a split 7” with Police & Thieves.

I think your seven inch on React! records is absolutely flawless. What do you personally think about this release and being on React!? 
Thanks man. We like the record a lot because it represents variety and it was a big step into the global hardcore community. We love being on React! and that requires no explanation.
 
Name your top 3 React! records releases so far.
Betrayed – Suffering 7”, Mindset – T&P 7” and Rearranged’s 7”.

You said before that the song “Isolation” is about the feelings that your father went through while being in prison. Can you tell us more, what was he sentenced for?
His three month sentence was on account of the investigation process of a scandal to have no contact with the outside. This scandal had to do with the sale of a legal substance used for different medications that his laboratory was selling to some people in unusual large quantities. In the end he was liberated because he had nothing to do with the activities of those buyers which was selling it off to people abroad to make speed as it is one of the ingredients.

Let’s talk about Chilean hardcore scene. Smaller countries usually got some locally big hardcore bands. Which are the main ones in Chile nowadays?
The bigger and at the same time better bands here in Chile are: Contra Todos Mis Miedos, En Mi Defensa, Entrefuego and 562 (the postal code of Santiago).

Tell us more about Invierno. Such kind of band should be really successful in its homeland. 
Invierno (“winter” in spanish) is the emo band that 3 of us in Remission have. It is very popular because the style of music (think Texas Is The Reason, Sense Field) is more popular and easy to enjoy. Our following is mainly teenagers out of which there are plenty of girls. The band just recorded 9 songs for an LP to come out at the end of this year and it’s coming along well.

Did you leave Approach cause the music was too heavy for you? Did they break up because you left them?
Those guys broke up because they lacked direction as their drummer went crazier than he already was. I liked playing bass there not so much for the music but to play an instrument and get to hang out with friends. I left because I no longer wanted to play in 2 bands and carry out school and a serious girlfriend.

I know you love the older bands like 7 Seconds, NFAA and Dag Nasty. Are there any current bands that you enjoy as much?
I won’t say as much but certainly there are bands now I like a lot. Give, Rearranged, Betrayed, Mindset, Lion Of Judah and Memorial are some that come to mind.

What do you prefer: to scream for change or to stare into the sun?
Scream into the sun.

Insted or Youth Of Today?
Insted.

Integrity or Hatebreed?
Next.

Nikes or Vans?
Vans authentics all black or black old skools please.

Do you still skate? What about the other guys in Remission?
The four of us have skateboarded at some point in our lives. I have a board I almost never take out but still like it a lot. Sebastian ocasionally skates on weekends and Daniel quit for good.

Tell us a random fact about Chile that you think would surprise us all.
Second country to abolish slavery in the world; we have it all from deserts, to regions of ice. Come check it out, it’s beautiful.

I saw you’ve got a Waterglass test press. Where the hell are the regular ones?
A few flexi tests were made to see how their recording would sound on vinyl. That band was talented, too bad they slacked hard.

Will google translate add Chilean to their list of languages, since it’s pretty different from spanish, isn’t it?
Haha, people in Chile speak SPANISH, there is no such thing as speaking chilean, HOWEVER, different latin countries have different accents, and to speak chilean has become an expression to represent how we talk very fast, sometimes you can’t understand a thing.

Thank you for the answers!
Thanks for the interview Klane. Hugs to you and all the readers of this. Check out the U.S tour dates on our FB page, listen to all the songs on bandcamp, buy a record and support current hardcore!
 
You can also come see Remission at the React! Showcase this month!

In case you’re not on the email list, you may have missed our download for a free sampler, including 14 songs from our bands playing our Showcase!

1. If you’re not on the email list, go here to sign up: http://reactrecords.fanbridge.com

2. Before you forget, go buy your tickets for the showcase: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/188200

3. To get stoked on some new bands, go download the sampler: http://www.mediafire.com/?s7va4glw5687uzv

4. Don’t forget to share 1-3 above with your friends. You wouldn’t really be a good friend if you didn’t!

Get The Most (Showcase will be their last show!)

Bands featured on the sampler:

Get the Most (It’s their last show at the Showcase!)
Skin Like Iron
Remission
Praise
Give
Mindset
ON
Peace
Not Sorry
Noose
Fell To Low
Dead Weight

Sept 23-24
6pm
Gilman St.
Berkeley CA

Tickets are $26 for the whole weekend – please purchase your weekend pass here.
(If you can only make it to one day of the showcase, you can purchase single day tickets at the door for $15 each day.)

Day-by-day line up below. Click on a band name for more info!

FRIDAY
Get the Most (LAST SHOW!!!)
NAILS
ON
Give
Not Sorry
Growing Stronger

SATURDAY
Mindset
Remission
Skin Like Iron
Praise
Noose
Peace
Police & Thieves
Fell To Low
Dead Weight

We’ll see you there!

The line-up features many of the bands on the label, as well as friend’s bands who wanted to be part of the weekend!

Sadly, it’s also Get The Most’s last show, so make sure to grab tickets here so you don’t miss out!

Big thanks to both Chris and Klane for putting this together for us!

When I think of youth crew in Europe I wouldn’t usually think to look to the east side of the continent, let alone the Ukraine. Thankfully the REACT! crew are always looking out for you and this time they’re bringing you Clearsight from Kiev.
A hardworking, hardplaying bunch of dudes that after a bit of a hiatus are back to spread a positive message to the rest of Europe and beyond thanks to REACT! pressing their demo onto vinyl.
Along with Rearranged from Moscow Clearsight are keeping the spirit alive. I asked vocalist Klane a few questions about life on REACT!, record collecting and what makes a positive scene. Bust.

I’m always curious as to how scenes start and prosper in certain areas/countries given youth crew isn’t as widely popular as other types of hardcore. How is it in Kiev? How did it get started? Was there a specific band (local or touring) that got people motivated to start bands?

Ukrainian scene is probably the youngest in the world. First band that may be considered hardcore appeared just in 2002, they were called “Ы” (russian letter “Y” pronounced like “i” in “sick”). I would say they sounded something like Infest + Charles Bronson. And the very first hardcore show happened just in 2004, it was Lithuanian band called BORA which toured Eastern Europe. That show meant pretty much for the scene and for few years BORA stayed a band that everyone loved. Until the Internet in Ukraine grew from dial-up to broadband haha. Around 2005 some more local start to appear. Some were really nice but never had anything recorded. First records that wouldn’t be a practice ones were made just in 2007. Main acts were Kiev’s band Humble Opinion (imagine if Have Heart were from Ukraine) and Keep On Fighting from Sevastopol (imagine the same with 7 Seconds and Cut The Shit). Youth crew-ish style here is pretty popular now, thanks to Clearsight, Still, Rearranged and High x Hopes, a wave of bands that appeared in 2008 to celebrate 20 years of 88 style haha. But back then, by the end of 2007, we had this “hardline” boom brought from Russia. That shit was crap and we felt we must have a “posi” band. Not that we just wanted to have it as a tool against this “hardline” thing it just came out natural that we made this band together.

Is it still active and producing bands today?

The scene is really nice in Ukraine nowadays. Lots of good bands and kids supporting them. We have two Ukrainian labels that put out the very first Ukrainian vinyls this year!
Check out Bluesbreaker, Set Adrift, Still, Aspire and Woundead if you didn’t yet. Those bands rock!

You guys called it quits in 2008 but recorded a new EP this last January, what’s happening with that? What was the reaction to you recording new jams?

Calling it quits caused lots of misinformation, shouldn’t have done it haha. Finally I have a great chance to make everything clear.
We started sometime in spring 2008, had some 7 shows in Ukraine and Russia and played our last one in January 2009.
The only record we did for now is Demo, recorded in May 2008 and remixed later that year. It was released on CDs and tapes on our guitarist’s label and later on I Drink Milk tapes. That’s all for now.
We came back as a band in January 2011 after two years of downtime. We had an unreleased song from 2008 and decided to record it. Then we wrote few more songs which are going to be recorded as well, sometime later this year, and will come out as a new EP.

Has not playing shows for two years provided you with fresh stuff to write about?

Oh yeah, haha. We had some bad mouths talking that we got back together just “for the React! seven inches”. I’m not sure if I even know what does that mean haha. Some other shit was happening. And I was pissed off so that our first new song, “Not Ashamed” turned out to be angry, more like the songs from the demo. We’re not faultless but we never do anything we’d regret about later, and that some silly shittalking won’t ever bring us down. Other songs mostly are not that angry so far. I’m a pretty kind dude usually haha. But seems like that song is gonna be my personal highlight of the upcoming record.

How did the 7″ coming out on REACT! come about?

So the React! 7” is a vinyl edition of our demo. In 2008 (as well as the two following years) no one in Ukraine was able to release vinyl. We were really young (we still are, but then we were even younger haha) and poor, so I guess Aram just felt sympathy for us. I still don’t think we’re that good to be in line with those bands on React! Man, I enjoyed Betrayed and Champion when I was 16 and now we’re on Aram’s label. Should I say my hands were shaking like I don’t know what. Haha, just can’t find a thing to compare it to. So just trust me. When we recorded those songs, if someone would tell us we’re going to be on the same label with Carry On, Betrayed, Common Cause and open for YOT we would consider that a nice joke. I’m wearing a Carry On shirt now! I think Jeff Hess was the first in the US to pay attention to us, then Aram wrote us that he liked the songs and Paco from True Colors wrote just one word… “Respect.” haha. We were happy enough with that! Really. Then in few months Aram told that he would put the demo out on vinyl and it’s happened recently.

I was sure I’d heard you guys before and sure enough I looked and had your tape on I Drink Milk. Atti is such a crucial dude. How did you hook up with him?

Atti is a really kind dude. Huge pleasure to have any kind of business with him. I love people who do more than collecting records or shirts like me.

You have a positive message in your songs. How was that received when you started playing?

As I told before, we had this fake “hardline” boom around when we started, I think that reflected in our lyrics pretty much, esp. the song “Enough” is totally about that thing. Grown up kids playing childish games, “saving Mother Nature” via the myspace vegan dictate statements. You know the deal. So in the beginning the band itself wasn’t really welcomed by many.
But heavy rain ends faster, so we don’t have it in Ukraine anymore. There are maybe few hardline kids somewhere in smaller Russian cities (probably they’re still using dial-up haha).

I guess I was unaware of the “hardline” shit that happened out your way. I get more from listening to ‘enough’ now. Did you guys play shows with those bands?

The scene is not that big, so indirectly we’d be on the same family tree on bandtoband, haha. We used to play with the bands that share members with bands that share members etc. But we will always decidedly refuse to play with any bands that are considered “hardline”, sexist or homophobic.

That’s a stance I can get behind. I can hear elements of Warzone and Turning Point in your sound. Would you say that’s a true statement?

We love both bands, so maybe their sounds mixed in somewhere along with all the others we enjoy. When we began, we wanted to sound like raw and hard bands – Crippled Youth, The Abused, AF mixed with the melodic ones like Underdog and Beyond. We were totally into Belgian Loud And Clear when their record came out. I would say though that our newer songs sound slightly different and would compare them to Orange County style with some Youth Of Today (and maybe even Oslo-city style) mixed in. I love comparings, haha.

Was it important that you sang in English when you started out?

It’s important for me personally. We live in 21st century and communicate internationally, having friends all over the world via English. Most of bands I listen to sing in English. I really enjoy some local bands singing in Russian, but I doubtfully would listen to that much of Belgian or Chilean bands without understanding. There are very few bands I enjoy without knowing the language (and have to translate the lyrics). They are Silencio Absoluto and Contra Todos Mis Miedos from Chile, Hårda Tider from Sweden and XAXAXA from Bosnia. So since the language barrier interferes me I didn’t want it happen to my band. Again I listen mostly to English-speaking bands so English feels more natural music language for me at all.

Did you guys tour out much? I know touring is expensive buy will you be playing out more now?

We were never much active, since we live in different parts of Ukraine and meet together not that often at all. Anyways we played in different cities of Ukraine, Russia and Belorussia. That’s ok for a Ukrainian band. I’d love to have a proper tour someday. Not that it’s too expensive, but it’s really hard to cut out some time. We all live too far from each other and we’re all really busy with our jobs and schools and girlfriends. You know the deal. I personally work almost 24/7. And all of us got some other bands going, so no tours yet. Maybe next year to support the new record. For now we’re thinking about the third Russian trip in August. We’ve got one show booked, maybe we’ll add few more. We’ll see. And then probably we’re gonna think over the trip to the recording studio. That’s almost as hard timewise haha.

I saw a video of you covering Alone In A Crowd into ‘Clearsight’ and just wanted to be there. It looked like the best show ever. There were equal amounts of people Singing along to your own song as well as the cover. How does it make you feel to have people song your words back at you?

It was really a great show. That was our comeback after two years. But that’s not the reason it was that cool. The reason is that Rearranged came to visit Kiev and all the best local bands played as well. I wouldn’t agree there were equal amounts haha, but I believe it’s cause “Clear Sight” isn’t recorded yet. The audience in post-soviet countries is really great, since people are hungry for good music. Bands that tour Europe usually turn around somewhere in Hungary or Checz Republic, so those few that do not avoid Ukraine and Russia always get some really great support! Ask guys from ON, Wait In Vain and No Turning Back.
And check out Kiev’s finest – Bluesbreaker – from that same show here.
This band should be on Lockin Out, haha.

What bands or people make you want to make music?

Well there are no specific bands or people. It’s just music itself. I can’t imagine my life without music. It just happened accidentally that I start playing, and once I tried I just can’t live without having a band. It’s one of the best feelings to create something that other people would enjoy as much as you. It’s compared to a feeling of enjoying some favorite band live.

If you guys could do a split with any band,past or present,who would it be?

Rearranged for sure. The closest band ever for me. We are friends with Vic for pretty long time and we shared our wishes and efforts to put the band together with each other. And then finally succeeded at the same time. I always felt Clearsight and Rearranged were kind of brother-bands. And I’m really happy and proud I was lucky enough to fill in on bass for them few times. Their first show was with Clearsight, and our “last” show was with Rearranged, and our comeback show was with Rearranged, and we opened for YOT together, and I’m sure we’ll play our last shows together haha. I’ll definitely cry at theirs. I’m an emotional dude haha.

Hardcore has a habit of turning people into record fiends. Has this affected you? If so is there a band you collect?

Oh yeah, I started to collect records once and realized that’s a terrible addiction shortly after. I once owed my dad some 400 bucks (and my monthly pay was 350) and caught myself thinking of where to get some more money for a Realpower 7”. And then I thought “fuck it”, sold out almost everything I had (not that much though, haha) and got out of my debt. Since then I decided I won’t succumb to that temptation and only buy the records of my friends and some bands I love too much. I’ve got every record ever released by the legendary Russian band Ray (excl. the test presses) and almost everything from Rearranged.

I’m in Kiev for a couple of days. What do I have to see/do?

First of all you should prolong your stay.
Then, after having lots of fun with some kindest and craziest dudes from Love Pills & Whiskey crew, you should see Bluesbreaker live and then go to visit Victor in Moscow once you got that close haha. Actually Kiev is a pretty beautiful and cozy European city as long as you don’t live here.

You know it’s Summer when all the new music comes out! That’s because labels know you can’t listen to old music with your windows down driving to the beach!

I noticed a lot of good free samplers coming out recently and thought it would be good to compile them all in one place for you, make sure you don’t moss any:

React! Records Spring Sampler:
http://toxicbreedsfunhouse.blogspot.com/2011/05/react-records-summer-2011-sampler.html

Revelation Records: http://mp3.revhq.com/summer/

Glory Kid: http://glorykid.bandcamp.com/album/summer-2011-sampler

Panic Records: http://www.panicrecords.net/sampler

Law and Order: http://www.swehc.com/sampler-2010/
(free to stream, not download. Also, has a song from Anchor, our newest band!)

Holy Roar: http://holyroarrecords.com/#http://holyroarrecords.com/#/album.php?id=965

This is Hardcore Fest Sampler: http://www.thisishardcorefest.com

See one I’m missing? Email me at press@itstimetoreact.com and I’ll add it in!

Of course, if you need to prepare for the sing-along, then you should pick up their newsest record “Two Songs” at our store !

One of our newest bands, Anchor is hitting the road today with No Omega.

If you’re in Europe, then you’ll be fortunate enough to be able to check them out at one of these dates:

22.06 SWEDEN Stockholm – Klubb 43 w/ TERROR, VICTIMS
23.06 NORWAY Oslo – Humla w/ PROBLEMS, EVOLVE
…24.06 GERMANY Hamburg – Rota flora
25.06 GERMANY Karlsruhe – New Noise Festival 6 w/ SHAI HULUD, AMEN RA, PUNCH +++
26.06 GERMANY Munster – Lorenz Süd w/ ENDBRINGER, CORNERED +++
27.06 GERMANY Solingen – Waldmeister
28.06 BELGIUM Ieper – Vort’n Vis
29.06 FRANCE Paris – Café de Paris w/ HOURVARI
30.06 FRANCE Lorient – Le Galion w/ BLACK PAGE, NO SOLUTION
01.07 SPAIN Bilbao
02.07 SPAIN Vigo
03.07 SPAIN WE NEED A SHOW
04.07 SPAIN Madrid
05.07 PORTUGAL WE NEED A SHOW
06.07 PORTUGAL Faro w/ RECONCILE
07.07 SPAIN Sevilla – Sala Kilombo w/ RECONCILE
08.07 SPAIN Barcelona – Casal Joves Roquetes w/ RECONCILE
09.07 FRANCE Toulouse – La dynamo w/ A BRIDGE TO MANY
10.07 ITALY Milano – Villa Vegan w/ PUNCH
11.07 ITALY Rome – Sinister Noise w/ RECONCILE
12.07 CROATIA Zagreb – Močvara w/ PARKWAY DRIVE
13.07 TBA
14.07 GERMANY Munchen – Sunny Red w/ UNRESTRAINED, DANGERS
15.07 AUSTRIA Höchst – JUZ Chilloutw/ UNVEIL, OUT OF HOPE, HIGH HOPES
16.07 GERMANY Trier – Summerblast Festival w/ FIRST BLOOD, NO TURNING BACK, THE GHOST INSIDE +++
17.07 AUSTRIA Graz, sUb
18.07 SLOVAKIA Bratislava – Obluda w/ YOUR FUCKING NIGHTMARE
19.07 HUNGARY Budapest w/ YOUR FUCKING NIGHTMARE
20.07 GERMANY Chemnitz – AJZ w/ PUNCH, RECONCILE, NO GUTS NO GLORY
21.07 CZECH REPUBLIC Praha – Café na půl cesty w/ STAY HUNGRY, NO GUTS NO GLORY, COL.LAPSE

For more info visit:

http://www.swehc.com/2011/06/21/anchorno-omega-euro-tour/