Emigration
We continue our Sunday evening with music. This time we’re introducing you to the nomadic musician Stas [ALIEN|STATE] and MOFX. Stas has traveled through countries like Latvia, Lithuania, France, Spain, and the USA, and we’ve almost forgotten where he’s originally from. In this interview, we talked about nomadism and about how his music sounds in different countries.
Nomadic Fear
— In which country (Lithuania, Latvia, France, Spain, the USA) did you feel the strongest sense of loneliness? Is nomadism freedom, or just a legal way to avoid putting down roots anywhere?
— Latvia is a sad country! I never feel lonely anywhere there’s a punk underground. Punk rock connects people! And Lithuania should be crossed off this list altogether so as not to confuse the reader!
— Where was it easiest to “drop off the radar”? In which country did the police turn a blind eye to your lifestyle, and where did you feel like a target?
— I think it’s easiest to disappear off the radar in a sad country. Latvian police, in my opinion, still aren’t familiar with this kind of lifestyle! But in France, for example, a white van is already a moving target for the cops. Especially if the driver is also a punk!
— Texas roadside holes and European station crash-spots are different kinds of pleasure. Where does everyday hardcore survival feel more organic to you?
— Definitely in southern Europe! Especially along the Mediterranean. I’m basically a climate refugee. The very first time I saw a blooming dandelion in January in a Barcelona park, I decided that this was my place! Why freeze for half the year, wander through slush and puddles under a concrete sky, soaking up all that gloom and sadness, if you don’t have to and can just enjoy the sun? The choice is pretty obvious!
— What keeps you moving when the money runs out? Is it the thrill, or simply an unwillingness to return to a “normal” life?
— For the last 10 years, it’s been my music that keeps me going. Back when I played in my first punk bands (and not only punk) in Latvia, I realized I didn’t want to constantly play shows at the same two spots in Riga. I wanted to travel, play my music wherever possible, and discover other musicians. As a kid, I often listened to a Soviet vinyl record with the fairy tale “The Bremen Town Musicians.” There was a song about travel, music, friendship, and adventure. I think I built my life according to that song! Ha-ha-ha!
Geographical Hatred
— Do you feel that cold, post-Soviet nihilism in Baltic raves? How does your happy hardcore sound among panel housing blocks?
— Happy hardcore was basically made for panel housing and concrete skies. It exists to color gray everyday life! I lived “in the neighborhood” in a concrete ten-story block from the age of five. My neighbors were very familiar with my musical repertoire. My friends and I even held the first rehearsals of my old electro-punk project Beyond the Borders at my place. Looking back now, I’m amazed my neighbors didn’t stab me in the stairwell for all that hellish noise… The worst thing that happened was that once they unscrewed the fuses and took them with them. That was a sign I needed to play quieter. Be more modest…
— Are there places in Riga or Vilnius that haven’t been “polished up,” where it doesn’t smell like money?
— Yes! There are DIY spots! In Vilnius, XI20 has existed for at least 10 years — a spot where punk shows are actively held. It used to be a squat. And in Riga, not so long ago (since Latvia is the most backward Baltic country), a spot called A4, or Ādmiņu4, appeared. It’s an industrial area where many rehearsal spaces have long settled. The guys there cleared out a huge hall, brought in electricity, built a stage, and for the last three years have been actively hosting concerts. Interestingly, among all the people rehearsing there, something like a commune has formed. You don’t even have to play music — you can just come hang out. And in Tallinn, Ülase12 has existed for a long time. Also an industrial area, also rehearsal rooms and concerts. Locals call Ülase12 a social center!
— France is hardcore techno highways and tear gas at protests. Spain is fiesta and mañana. Where was it hardest to keep the 170 BPM tempo when everyone around you was either striking or sleeping?
— I’d definitely crank the tempo up to at least 185 BPM! It’s more fun that way! I’m used to relying only on myself and not depending on others or on “mañana”! Mañana never comes! That’s why I’ve been performing solo for about 10 years now — it’s hard to find like-minded people who are on the same wavelength as me!
— In Spain everything feels relaxed, in France — underground. Where was the line between a “party” and “trouble with the law” the thinnest?
— Basically, it’s the same thing! Again, “trouble with the law” has a completely different character here in the south compared to the Baltics. Meaning, there aren’t really any problems here if you don’t do stupid things. As one friend of mine used to say: “If you break the rules and the law, do it elegantly!” That is, don’t go for a head-on collision with the law. Very little chance of winning!
— After Europe, didn’t America feel too decorative? How does your rave-punk survive in a country where everything — from food to emotions — is wrapped in bright packaging?
— Yes! The USA is a plastic world. A stage set. I was pretty surprised to see with my own eyes everything that Hollywood movies showed me as a kid. Except for beautiful girls… they’re apparently only in the movies! Overall, it was fun. Lots of new impressions. Many hours on the road. Huge distances between cities. Clubs and house parties. People generally liked my music. But I personally didn’t see many interesting artists for myself. And I didn’t really see the cities themselves, since the touring schedule didn’t allow much time to relax. I spent a month in the US but saw nothing except the underground! Probably need to go again someday! Although, honestly, Europe is more to my taste!
— The USA is famous for crazies and freaks. Tell us about the strangest character you met on the road at a “gas station in the middle of nowhere”?
— I can’t immediately recall a freak worthy of a story, but I do have a story about one spot. A house in Barcelona that could put even the crustiest squat to shame! I’ll never forget how we were led into the basement where the concert was supposed to be. It was dark, and we followed the organizer by touch, searching for the light switch. Everything crunched and rustled underfoot. When the lights came on, I saw that the entire floor was covered with cans, bottles, cups, and broken glass! The floor was buried in trash like autumn leaves! The organizer said it was all left over from the previous show. He grabbed a broom and just swept everything into a corner. Done! The kitchen was piled with disposable dishes covered in mold, the couch was soaked in who-knows-what, trash was scattered throughout all the rooms. Someone had kicked in the bathroom door, apparently for light, since there was no bulb in there! The sink was decorated with a century-old crust and a thick layer of shaved hair! Well, you get the picture. I’m not squeamish, but when I went to sleep on the couch, I put cardboard on top, and my buddy flipped over the mattress he slept on!
The End. Where to find “Joe”?
— What’s the next location on your map where people can hear you?
— No idea! Wherever the wind blows! Follow my movements on my Telegram channel!