If you have any reverence for the underground/grindcore scene, you've probably heard of Vii Caso, the guitarist/vocalist and sometimes drummer for New York grind/noise violators 'Hiroshima Vacation' and the one man force behind noise projects 'Eye O' and Eating Scabs for Protein. When he's not making some of the most unhinged, progressive music I've heard in months, he runs two blogs- the review based 'Operation Grindcore', and the vinyl-junkie's dream 'Built to Blast.'
On top of that, he operates his own label/distro called 'Maybe It's Art Records', that releases not only his own music, but records from up and coming bands like Sordo and +Hirs+
In short, he is a busy man.
That's why, when I asked him for this interview, I was surprised that not only was he willing, but he was so explanatory and friendly.
Alright. To start things off, could you start things off, could you introduce yourself and tell us what musical projects you are currently involved in and what you do in each?
Hello! My name is VII Caso, I currently play guitar/drums/vocals in Hiroshima Vacation, and have a power electronics/HNW project called Eating Scabs For Protein (E.S.F.P), in which I currently do everything.
I really dig the electronic element of Hiroshima Vacation, was this difficult to incorporate into the grind/powerviolence sound?
Thank you! You know, the reaction to Bubba's inclusion, the man behind the noise, has been pretty around the board positive. I really thought we would have to fight more, haha. Well it all started just as a one off for our first show with Water Torture, and then it went so well that we eventually decided to keep it permanent! At first, Tenor and I weren't all that sure how to really write for it, but we're all getting better together and I think soon we'll have really solid, structural integration of the noise, as a key instrument. It's such a schizophrenic set-up sometimes, but it's very open ended all the same, so possibilities are endless!
You guys just put out a split with Standing on the Floor of bodies, how did you approach those guys? Were they down with it immediately?
Kind of a long story with that one. I used to do video reviews on youtube, and I reviewed Thousandswilldie's 7" once, and their vocalist, Mike Stitches, got in touch with me and told me about his new project, SOAFOB. I heard the demo and was floored. I eventually reviewed that too, and we kept in contact, and eventually I asked to do a split. He agreed, and we recorded. In fact, our "s/t" EP was actually supposed to be our side for that split, but various complications caused it to be pushed back, which is what made us release the material on it's own. Flash forward a few years, new recordings, more set-backs then I can count, and the split is finally out on Lucifers Psyche Records!
On to your record label, how did it come about? You put out records by Sordo and +Hirs+. On a scale of 1 to 10, how fucking rad was that?
Yes! Maybe It's Art Records is the name. I started it basically because I just wanted to release music I liked, and to have a label to release my own recordings under. I was very inspired by all my friends releasing records too. Like Ed from DIY Noise, specifically. The Sordo tape I didn't really "release". He basically just dubbed a bunch of tapes and sent them to me to sell. Doing the +HIRS+ lathe has been a rewarding challenge. What people have to know about the music industry and working with bands, is that you should never count on plans to work. As always, there are set-backs, and releasing this record was a real learning experience. Everything came out amazing, and it all payed off though, I'm very happy to work with them.
Do you have a favorite medium of release? (Cassette, CD, Floppy Disk, etc?)
Regarding your noise projects, do you feel that noise works recordings go with or against the idea of music? In other words, is noise a part of music or is at an anti music ideological action?
All music is noise, period. But again, it's all subjective, just like any other kind of "art". I like the "anti-music" title, but I don't really care. My taste in noise is stuff that's complete violence, aggression and filth, something not very palatable to most music listeners. But yes, it still is music, in my opinion.
Finally, could you clue us in on any new projects in the pipeline for your band or label?
For HV, we have a 7" EP, splits with Sordo, The Drip, Phyllomedusa, Suffering Mind, and are contributing a couple tracks to a compilation. For E.S.F.P, I have a split cassette with Distant Relative on the horizon, and an EP. I record sporadically for that project, especially since I really need lyrics, haha. I'll probably have a hand in helping release all of these. Thank you for the interview!
http://hiroshimavacation.bandcamp.com/
http://operationgrindcore.blogspot.com/
