Kultur Shock – The Balkan Blues and Punk Generation!

1.Can you describe the creative process behind your new single “King and Country Mohammed” and how it fits into your overall discography?

The 7” single on Alternative Tentacles is kind of a celebration- a celebration of the fact that the label and the band have finally joined creative forces. It’s also a celebration of two of our songs that have been part of every live show of ours since they were released on our Integration record in 2009. Jello Biafra intuitively asked if we’d be into releasing these two, and we were- of course, we are playing them all the time anyways!

2. Your music is often described as a mix of Balkan folk melodies and punk rock. How did you come up with this unique sound and how has it evolved over the years?

No special plan, no special intent, our style evolved slowly into what it is over the years. It’s actually a pretty chaotic creative process where we have absolutely no idea what kind of mixture of Balkan ethnic sounds, melodies, or rhythms are gonna mix with rock riffs, punk rock beats, or even some hip hop. The beauty of self producing and self releasing is that you can do whatever the fuck you want, literally. With not being beholden to somebody else’s financial interest, or their notion as to what your music should sound. It’s kind of really liberating.

3. Your new single is being released on Alternative Tentacles, which is run by Jello Biafra. Can you tell us about your working relationship with him and how it came about?

The communication with Jello has been going on since the late 90s when Krist Novoselic gave him our first, self produced record, and since he couldn’t quite tell how band’s sound back then will fit into the Alternative Tentacles family, recommended the band to Bill Gould. Bill was totally into crossover bands, producing and releasing stuff like Puya, 7 Notas 7 Colores, Tad, and he picked us up too. We did 3 records with Koolarrow. And now that the band is defined and is what it is, it came full circle with Jello. Life is an amazing thing…

4. “Sevdah” is a term you use to describe the emotional aspect of your music. Can you elaborate on what that means and how it influences your songwriting?

It’s basically Balkan blues, or as somebody described it- what music is when a good man feels bad. It sneaks up on you and when an idea for a balladic number like this sprouts out, we are always excited, cause there is a lot of passion into writing, arranging and performing our version of sevdah.

5. You’ve played over a thousand shows around the world. What has been your most memorable performance and why?

For me personally, the club shows are where the real deal is. Festivals with small exceptions are fun to play, complicated to navigate, and always not as easy to connect with the audience- you’re always meters upon meters apart. In the club is where the character is built, that’s where the sweat is being shed, where the connection and the face to face experience matter the most. We feed from the audience energy which feeds off of our performance energy, it’s an amazing loop. You can literally get high from this nonverbal communication.

6. You’ve been active for over two decades now. How have you managed to stay relevant and maintain your creative edge over the years?

We just don’t do stuff we don’t believe in and don’t release songs that we don’t like. As Obama once said- don’t do stupid shit. We are trying not to do stupid shit and it’s been kinda working, I think. 

7. Your music often features political themes and commentary. Can you talk about how you approach integrating politics into your art?

Just like the basic songwriting, we do not plan any of it. If there is world or societal event that inspires lyrical commentary, that’s great. Once we know what the commentary is, the fun part of creating the necessary musical match to the lyrical message begins, and experimenting till we are satisfied with the blend is really fun. Whatever it is, lyrics or music, we work on the principal that we have to be able to look ourselves in the mirror. There is no shame or hesitation in sharing your believes and ideas with the world, as long as they are not contrived. We don’t do contrived…

8. Your new single is being released on vinyl. As musicians who have been around since the era of CDs and digital downloads, how do you feel about the resurgence of vinyl in recent years?

Good god, vinyl sounds amazing, but it is very impractical, so I don’t think it will last long. I really care how music sounds, and over the years grew to inevitably embrace digital formats, even though some of them are abysmally sounding. Well, don’t know what the future holds, but doubt that is vinyl. 

9. Your music has been described as “gipsy punk.” What does that term mean to you and how do you feel about being seen as pioneers of this subgenre?

Honestly, it means absolutely nothing, but captured in the early 2000s people’s curiosity for the music behind the fallen iron curtain, and the “wild and crazy guys” that are performing that shit. And it stuck, and it’s descriptive enough for people to kind of understand. And it’s a racist term, we do not like it at all. If you ask me, we are playing ethno- prog- punk, but that is too complicated to explain anything! Some things should be left unexplained I guess…

10. Your music is known for its high-energy live performances. How do you prepare for shows and what can audiences expect from a Kultur Shock concert?

If the audience does not actively participate in our show, that means we are not doing our job. We all have different things we do to stay sane on the road while playing nightly. That said, the whole focus of the day, every day, is to have the best possible performance we can deliver to ourselves and our audience. We absolutely do not compromise with that. Whatever works for whomever to achieve that- for some is yoga backstage, for another technical warm up, for me it’s a shot of whiskey and a cigarette right before stage time. Helps me really focus.

11. What can fans expect from your upcoming live shows in Greece?

100% delivery.

12. What can fans expect from your upcoming vinyl release of your 2019 album “D.R.E.A.M.” and how does it differ from your previous releases?

DREAM touring cycle got completely fucked by the pandemic, so we feel like we owe the record more than it got. And Biafra calls it The Blue Record and likes it the most. So, we’re gonna re release it with the idea to give it the life it deserved from the get go and the chance that never was.

Information: http://www.kulturshock.com/

About Author