Interviewed by: Atandistorted (May 7th, 2020)
Answered by: Aristodemo (drummer) & Valentino (singer)
Contributed to: Fast As Fuck zine issue #2
(1) Brief us the band history & current line-up? What does the name TSUBO stand for?
Aristodemo: The band was born around 2003 but really started with a stable line up in 2005, putting out the first self released Demo. The name derives from the pressure points of Chinese medicine which are placed on the body on energy lines. The name, however, was taken from the cartoon Ken the warrior who precisely hit certain pressure points and literally blew up opponents… those points are TSUBO!
(2) Psychotic Adrenalinic Grind. What is your base in defining your music and sound?
Aristodemo: There is no specific basis, the term Psychotic Adrenalinic Grind was born kinda casually. We play an angry, furious and fast music that puts us adrenaline and makes us shake like crazy. It comes from the fusion of many things we listen to and has evolved a little over the years even if it maintains the standard that sets old school grindcore apart. Songs most of the time short, fast, specific lyrics and tight rhythms that sweep you away!
(3) How do you see the band progress both musical (compositions & recordings) and live performances since the early years until now?
Aristodemo: As I said above, on a compositional level, there have been some changes in the life of the TSUBO, due a little to the line-up changes and a little to the stylistic maturity of each of us. For example, before in some parts there is more DEATH METAL now maybe there is, in the broad sense of the term, some more PROGRESSIVE… but the original matrix remains of the healthy and old IMPACT GRID CORE with some staff madness to make everything less monothematic! Live shows are always fun and we are always happy to do them, there are no better or worse, of course some situations or audience are favorable or not but in essence when you go on stage we just think to DESTROY EVERYTHING, HAVE FUN, Give a message!
(4) What are the best (or your personal favourite to say the least) releases from TSUBO so far?
Aristodemo: Personally the album called “Con Cognizione di Causa” is the most complete. Even if the 2005 demo is a blast… maybe it depends from the recording in direct!
(5) Tell us more about your latest recordings and next releases / future plans?
Aristodemo: Future plans were decided, many tracks just to end and change in better before the recording sessions… but our old bass player Manuel decided to quit everything and this had been disappointed. Then we’ve found a new one, Marco. He’s a great guy and musician, so we decided it was time to make some live shows to restart with him. Now with this goddamn quarantine due to Covid-19 we’re forced to stop everything and wait. We hope to record all the new songs at the end of 2020 and put out a new album as soon as we can!
(6) What have been shouted from your lyrics?
Valentino: Our lyrics are written by me and the drummer Aristodemo. They talk about both inner issues / introspective stuff and social struggle / the insane world we live in. I personally have an hardcore punk approach, so I love to think that grind is protest and resistence ,it’s something that allows me to share an independent message, far from profit and success logics.
(7) Your opinions about nowadays’ grindcore scene worldwide and your pick for new grind bands?
Valentino: Grindcore today is still something interesting and a good network of friends despite everything. During the last 2 decades we had a bunch of rotten-sound-like bands and this is not always cool for me, because I see a loss of ideas and proposals. Grind at the beginning was something totally unpredictable and aggressive, now you see many many bands with nothing to say. It’s ok having fun with music, but I think we could never forget what this means and our roots. Many grindcore gigs are just discoparties with a different music, is this what we really want? How’s the situation evolving? We have to admit that time has passed and today this music has lost the extreme impact of the past and many people without any awareness are playing grindcore just simply to go on tour, playing the part and feeling important for some fuckers. Cool bands (Grind and PV) that I like and maybe you’ll find interesting are Hello Bastards, Farsas, Nak'ay, Pizza Hi-Five, Nashgul, Warning Fog, Shitstorm Trooper, Expurgo… Shitstorm Trooper.
(8) Thanks for your time. Last words?
First of all we want to thank you Atan for this interview and your great patience waiting our answers!!! Then we want to say thanks to all our friends around the world, we hope to see you soon on the stage after the global fucking quarantine!! hugs!
