Jan Frederickx (AGATHOCLES): change must come from the base

BANDS : Agathocles

As Agathocles will play July 20, 2013 in Romania, we talked with Jan Frederickx, the group leader. Besides musical nature subjects, we approached other topics about which Jan told us his views. More details in the lines below:

Metalfan: Hi Jan and welcome back to Metalfan.ro pages! How are the things in Belgium going lately?
Jan Frederickx: Cheers amigo. All is OK over here. Lots of rain and too cold for the time of year. I think in Romania is much warmer now. Oh well, we also had a big trainaccident in Belgium some weeks ago, with a lot of toxic pollution. Scary shit for sure.

Metalfan: You've been around with Agathocles since 1985. How do you manage to still be around and release this huge amount of records?
Jan Frederickx:There is no special formula for that, I think. We have had and still have a lot of opportunities thanks to the big network of friends and like-minded people all over the world. It’s a big honour for us that many people around the world enjoy and respect the things we are doing and the way we work. For sure, without this network, we wouldn’t have that much opportunities. This is another prove that DIY really works.

Metalfan: How much space does really occupy the whole discography of Agathocles in your house? Do you have a special place for it? Which is your favourite release from Agathocles discography? Why?
Jan Frederickx:I don’t have a special favourite release. Every record is like a kid, you know. You can’t choose between them. Every recording brings back memories from the time when it was recorded. That makes every recording somewhat special. I don’t have a special place for our discography at home. They are together with my other records.

Metalfan: On 20 July 2013 Agathocles will play again in Romania. What do you remember from the previous time when you played here?
Jan Frederickx: Lots of fun, good organisation, great people at the gig. The first time we played in Romania was an excellent experience for us. We loved it ! I also remember it was so cold back then. Well, it was December, so for sure it was cold. It was excellent to meet people from different countries at the gig. We didn’t expect that. Oh yes, I also remember that our drummer Nils was really sick at the gig….some virus in stomach or something like that.

Metalfan: I remember that at your previous show from Romania there was a guy from Ukraine that was video taping the show. There where also some other cameras from the Romanian crowd. It was a rumour that the show will be released on DVD or a live album. What really happened?
Jan Frederickx:I think the recordings will be released on tape-version. But I don’t know about any DVD plans. We don’t have contact with the person from Ukraine. Ha yes, he had a big camera with him, I remember. We also did some interview for a web TV, but I haven’t see that one yet.

Metalfan: In 2012 you have released a new album titled Kanpai!! . Could you tell us more about the title of the album? What did you've tried to express through it?
Jan Frederickx: Kanpai!! was recorded in the studio of Unholy Grave in Nagoya, Japan in May 2011, when we were touring in Japan. We had a free day so we made that recording. Takaho, the singer of UNHOLY GRAVE, arranged this recording for us. He did the recording and the mixing. Thanx a lot, Takaho, for your great work. This recording is like a souvenir for us. It brings back the great memories of the tour in Japan. The title KANPAI means “cheers” or “nazdrawie” in Japanese.

Metalfan: In which way is it different Kanpai!! than your album from 2010 This Is Not a Threat, It's a Promise or other release by Agathocles?
Jan Frederickx: Kanpai!! doesn’t really have new songs on it. The songs on Kanpai!! are the songs of the setlist we played during the tour in Japan. It has a mix of old and new songs. Special on Kanpai!! album is the typical way of recording and mixing of Takaho. There’s a real Unholy Grave-feeling in the recording. That makes it something special.

Metalfan: NASA have discovered two planets that could be populated Kepler-62 e and Kepler-62 f. What do you think about this subject in general? Do you think that we are alone in the Universe?
Jan Frederickx: Yes, I do think there’s a big possibility that we are NOT alone in the universe. But I find it quite wrong to spend so much money on expensive spaceprograms while on earth, people are starving. Just read our lyrics of this song from 2008 (from the album “Obey their rules”)

SHOOTING METAL UP THE SKY
shooting metal up the sky
another way to prove their might
spending money on sci-fi flights
while a mass of earthlings fucking die

space travelling programs
fucking capitalist arrogance

space funds for fucking what?
spend it first on our earth’s crap
intelligent life in fucking space?
no doubt, compared to our stupid race

space travelling programs
fucking capitalist arrogance

Metalfan: Would you like to release an album with a theme about other civilizations? What do you think about the word and the concept of civilization?
Jan Frederickx: Our planet is based on diversity, so to survive and to protect our earth, we must find a way to handle this diversity. I don’t have any plans to make “concept” albums about other civilisations. But something that has to do with diversity, is the fact that with Agathocles, we have written songs or made songtitles in other languages like Japanese, Finish, German, Spanish… and maybe soon a lyric in Indonesian language.

Metalfan: What is your view regarding capitalism, communism and nazism? Are there any common points between this three regimes?
Jan Frederickx: Common point between these three ideologies is that they all have governments. Big difference is that capitalism and nazism have the goal to make the strong more stronger and the weak more weaker or even exterminated. Initial communist ideology was about re-dividing goods/tools/education/leisuretime to everyone, not only the rich (like in capitalism), to give all people more quality of life. It is a good ideology, I think. But it got fucked up by corrupt and greedy governments. Politicians are the problem, not the ideology. And that goes for all ideologies.

Metalfan: What would you change in the world or at least in Belgium if you would have the power?
Jan Frederickx: Establish some important communist values. Cut the wages of politicians, CEO’s, bankmanagers,…. Make health care and social security more strong, make public transport more strong and more accessible for people with handicap/older people, minimalize the power of banks and multinationals who have now more power than local governments,….. Many things, as you can see. Maybe I have offended some readers from Romania now, when I used the word “communism” instead of “socialism”, but in Belgium, “socialism” is like an elite-politicians club drinking expensive wine in their ivory tower and talking about how they can help “the poor proletariat”. Change must come from the base, not their tower. Anyway, I hope I have not offended anyone.

Metalfan: Did you've listened to the new Napalm Death album titled Utilitarian? What do you think about it and about Napalm Death in general? Would you like to make a tour in the near future with them?
Jan Frederickx: I grew up with Napalm Death in the ‘80s and their Scum album is such a classic. In 1987, I organised a gig for them in my hometown. That was one of the best gigs ever that I have seen. I haven’t heard their new album yet. I must check it out, I guess.

Metalfan: Black Sabbath will release a new album in this summer - 13. What do you think about Black Sabbath and what do you expect from this record? Which are your favourite albums from them?
Jan Frederickx: When I was 8 years old, my uncle, who was (he died some years ago sadly) a recordcollector of rock'n'roll music, gave me this Black Sabbath We Sold Our Soul To Rock'n'Roll double LP, with Black Sabbath recordings from 1969-1975. All with Ozzy, all their best and most scary songs. That was a beautiful double LP with a scary poster in the middle of a dead woman lying in a coffin holding a glass cross. That freaked me out as well as the scary music. That’s how it started, I think. I loved that sound. When they record a new album now, for sure they can’t have that scary sound from their early period, because of all the technology and all. But yes, I will give it a listen. My fave Black Sabbath songs are N.I.B., Iron Man, Sweet Leaf…

Metalfan: Than you Jan! It was nice to talk again with you! In the end would you like to add something or to send few words to our readers?
Jan Frederickx: Good luck with the zine and thanx for giving us some space in it. It will be lovely for us to play again in Romania, so we can meet up with new and old friends. At the moment, we still have many unfinished recordings laying on the recordingmachine which we need to finish. There still needs to be some guitars on it and vocals. We don’t know yet when we will finish that. In the near future, Agathocles Bastard Breed 7“EP, Agathocles Razor Sharp Daggers double LP, AG/GALE split CD, AG/FUCK split CD and some more stuff will be released. MINCE ON !!!

Autor: H.

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May 23, 2013 | 0 Comments | 6016 Views « BACK