Entrevista a the_Network

the_Network
entrevista hecha x Floritus Maximus
(Thrash or be Thrashed Records)
www.myspace.com/thenetworkmetal
http://www.thenetworkmusic.blogspot.com/
www.thenetworkmusic.com

Aquí les dejo una entrevista super sencilla para que se familiarizen un poco con la banda.

1. When did The_Netwok get together, who are its members?

We started writing music right around 2001 and started playing out near the beginning of 2002. We didn’t release a proper full length till 2007 though. The only thing we did between 2002 and 2006 was play as much as possible (which wasn’t that much) locally, did one tour to Florida and back and released a 7inch on a now defunct label called Out of Limits Records near 2002. We didn’t want to tour until we had a full length out. So we headed into the studio near the end of 2006 and started recording every song we ever did except two. We didn’t have a label at that time and were going into it thinking we would self-release the effort, maybe start our own label. At the time the engineer that was recording us also doubled as the guitar player for a band called The Red Chord. The singer from his band came to the studio for something unrelated to us, heard what we were doing and decided to release our first full length called “this is your pigs portrait”. We always knew Guy/Blackmarket activities and were friendly over the years growing up in essentially the same scene. I remember someone saying he always wanted to work with us but never liked what he heard recorded. Guess he saw something in the “this is your pigs portrait” that he liked sonically. Looking back we should have done things different though. Essentially “this is your pigs portrait” is a discography of demos and a 7 inch from the years 2002-2006. I think that’s the main reason that disc sounds so dated to me right now. I mean some of those songs are about 7 years old now.
In 2007 after touring on “this is your pigs portrait” record we lost our original singer to things that were bigger then the band. We wrote 3 songs in between the tours and searching for a new singer and bass player. These three songs later became a split called “Notes from the turncoat campaign” which we released on a U.K label called Holyroar records in October of 2008.
Recently we entered the studio again for our next full length to be released again with blackmarket activities titled “Bishop Kent Manning” and will see a release sometime after April. This release includes…
Kev-guitar
Bones-Vocals
Bennett-Bass
Tim- Drums
Pete-guitar


2. How would you describe the sound of The Network? Influences?

This is always a hard question and I’ve used so many analogies, bands, and references, whatever to try to answer that I always feel to fall short. Every time we’ve ever got pulled over in the states while driving the van and trailer on tour we tell the police we are a metal band. They usually perk up and try and put on there “yeah I’m tough, metal is awesome” face…and always ask ”like what bands do you sound like”. Now granted usually at this point you have the general feeling of winning over the situation and hopefully allowing the officer to forget why they pulled us over in the first place. We usually say something any police officer will admit to liking…Pantera, Korn, and some bullshit metal commercial crap that we sound absolutely nothing like. Usually they’re like “awww hells yeah, well just slow down or stop smoking weed/drinking, being corrupt”. Just to make it clear we don’t sound like Korn, we don’t sound like Pantera. We sound like a band that grew up for the last 15 years in the underground hardcore/grind/metal/whatever scene and aren’t trying to sound like any other band but ourselves. The majority us grew up respecting bands like deadguy, coalesce, converge, assuck, revearsal of man, and other shit that no one has probably heard from in a long time.


3. Tell me about Notes From The Turncoat Campaign... the music, the lyrics, the recording process?

Like I was saying before this was some stuff we kind of had between touring and looking for a new singer and bass player. We wrote 2 of the songs real quick. The song “rabid electronics” we showed up to practice turned our instruments on and just played it. First time and it stuck. Nothing was planned in advance, really strange for us…we were like ok that was cool, play it again and we did it exactly the same way we played it the first time. It stuck and we were happy with it. The music was written well in advance of the vocals but things seemed to come together and make sense to release it as a split. These songs didn’t fit on the full length we were gearing up to write and since we wanted to get them out regardless we went into the studio and recorded them. At the time we didn’t really know whom the split was going to be with and it actually went back and forth with a lot of friends bands but ultimately we hooked up with a U.K band called Throats. We were about to tour the U.K and felt it was a great opportunity to work with not only a new band but also a new label. Holyroar records that are essentially two people Alex and Ellen agreed to do the release. I remember talking with Alex a little before we met in person at dudefest and we were both feeling out what we wanted to do and if he was up for releasing the “Notes…” disc. After a couple drinks and screaming over the daytime drunk dudefestivals he agreed to release it. I remember being like “dude you haven’t even head it, don’t you want to hear it first and then make up your mind if you’re into it or not”…In the best English charm he replied..”I’m sure its great, yeah I want to release it”. Alex and Ellen are great. If not for them we would have been completely lost when we went to the U.K. They went well above and beyond whatever we expected.

4. Does The Network have any other records besides Notes... and what are you guys planning to do next?

Yeah I guess the discography up to now goes like this…
2002 7” on Out of Limits records

2006 CD/Digital “This is your Pig’s Portrait” Black Market Activities

2008 CD Split with Throats “Notes from the Turncoat Campaign” Holy Roar Records (U.K VERSION)

2009 CD Split with Throats “Notes from the Turncoat Campaign” Black Market Activities (U.S VERSION)

2009 CD/Digital “Bishop Kent Manning” Black Market Activities (UNRELEASED)

2009 12” LP “Bishop Kent Manning” Closed Casket Activities (UNRELEASED)


6. Why coming down here to Puerto Rico? Who told you about this non-existent island for most touring bands?

In the last few years we have toured the main land states so much that it got to the point where I was seeing the same rest stop over and over. Not sure what it was but we kept stopping the same places over and over. In all honesty we’ve been looking for a way to keep us interested in touring and seeing new faces. Right before the New Year we made our way over the pond and hit England, Wales and Scotland. This was something that we collectively needed to feel like touring was something we wanted to pursue still. From there we were kind of like hey if the opportunity arises and people want us to travel many miles to see them and play music for them we should jump at it. Simply put we got offered to come to Puerto Rico and we said yes. Puerto Rico is a place that I would probably never go for a un-band related vacation to be honest. I’m not one for resorts or the “normal” vacation getaway. Not to say that Puerto Rico is all resorts but that it is the stereotype that a lot of people hold on the mainland. When we travel as a band to these faraway places we start to see the culture in a very unique light. We get to be immersed in the every day, and common folk. We meet people that are similar and very different and that is always a good way to feel excited about your art and music again. I guess our only goal with going to Puerto Rico is that, meet new people and share something that we have spent a lot of time and energy on...our band the_Network.

7. I saw an upcoming tour on Australia with Robotosaurus, is this the first time you guys do something this big?

Yeah, I mean I guess the word “big” is something to be defined though. It’s not like we’re going over there playing for thousands of people or anything. Its most likely going to be a pretty normal tour for us, playing floors, maybe a hundred people at the shows and a lot of broken equipment in the end. But as far as referring to it as big as in travel distance and preparations I would say yeah. We’re using a fill in drummer for that tour, which is the first time we have ever done that. Financially it is going to break us, with no help from anyone but ourselves. We have never asked our label for any type of money and we plan to stay true to this. So it’s a lot of planning on our parts, getting tickets, making sure our passports are in check and we have the proper visas. But when’s it all done and we’re able to hop in the van there it’s going to be a wild time I’m sure.

8. Is The Network going to play at the Dude Fest 2009? How was last year?

Not sure, we weren’t asked this year. Last year was a blast though. Broken pedal boards, broken faces…really everything just broke by the end of the set. I’m thinking about going this year though. Playing was fun and all but it was just so much more relaxing hanging out the day we weren’t playing. Didn’t have to worry about anything, just showed up and hung out with friends. By far the best fest we have ever played and put together really well by Derrick.

9. What do you guys do besides playing music?
A lot of tossing and turning! Since we haven’t toured so much in the last few months in the states we’ve tried to get jobs to be able to fund some of the trips we have been doing. Not really an ideal time to find jobs though and some of us have had better luck then others. Personally I work in the medical device field making orthobiological products that will be implanted in the upper spinal area of humans for bone growth. Basically work in a lab all day making material for spinal implants.
Kev smokes weed and play’s video games and basically try’s to calm his sleepless mind.
Bones lives in providence, Rhode Island and I think goes out every night till the sun comes out and does things only people awake at that those ungodly hours do.
Tim paints houses, smokes weed and tends to his girlfriend and house obligations.
Bennett trolls the Internet for any type of music that is un-released. He’s that guy, the first to have every bands latest release. He’s also constantly researching the best way to “blow shit up” then “make it nice”.

10. Any last word to the people that's NOT going to be at the shows in Puerto Rico?
No not really, but for the people that are coming out please introduce ourselves we know absolutely no one in Puerto Rico and want to meet as many new faces as possible. Hope to see everyone soon.

Bonus:

11. Do you know what are the Yambuka, La Motora, and Morcilla Rabiosa? (Google won't help)

haha, yeah man…this shit is too funny. Rabid blood sausage…I’m sure that has something to do with my dick in your ass.
La Motora…lets just say I’m going to run this shit all over your backside. The Yambuka one I’m not sure of but I’m sure it has something to do with a messy batch and baby braces, hahah…awesomeness!