Dub-O-Rama: Hello Vedran, hello Vriki, before founding
RDK you were active in the croatian HC/punk-scene. What
happened that you decide to start through into a very
new musical direction?
Vedran:
To be honest, it doesn't have much difference for me,
except for the music style which is different, and it
can't be explained as the wish to experience some other
rhythms after playing the same for a dozen years. But,
the attitude towards music, band and the life in general
didn't change much, we still do most of the things by
ourselves…
Vrki: I believe that this scene (d.i.y./A/hc/punk) has
much better and more honest roots. I prefere the idea
that everyone is equal and that the money is not the primar
thing witch runs things. In the reggae world some things
are not always like that and there is much more ego shit.
Especially you can see some artists who ask for so much
(money) as they were gods and more worth than rest. Our
music is still played in many cases to hc/punk people/friends
and its very cool cos of this way we destroy some clichés
like this in this scene. The people who are 'free' in
their heads don't bother them so much with names and forms,
they are open to experience what ever makes them move
and inspire.
Dub-O-Rama:
You named yourself RADIKAL DUB KOLEKTIV, not Radical Dub
Collective, so it's an international name with a croatian
writing. Is it a fact that you in your beginnings not
expected to become an international act, or is it a wink
for your 'croatian roots'?
Vedran:
The name of the band came spontaneously during one of
our rehearsals after we already existed for some time.
We wanted to become an international act in the very beginning,
as we had experiences from former bands, and we knew that
we can't survive if we will be forced to play only at
home. But in one way you got the point, we somehow wanted
for the name to be both original and international.
Vrki: The name itself I think is easy to understand internationally,
the c to k is somehow not the big issue. Maybe quite an
opposite effect, cos of this state and cos of the way
politics have been treaten us. Maybe that's the radical
part of name, cos we see that something is wrong with
this society and has to be corrected, this society should
go through radical changes. Of course: Start with yourself!
Dub-0-Rama:
In your beginnings you were three members, but growing
to an eight-head collective. Today you are five people.
Are all three founders just members today?
Vedran:
Yes. Jadranko (guitar), Vrki (bass) and me (drums). Beside
us there are still Vanja (keys/melodica/voice) and Damir
(sound).
Dub-O-Rama:
After your shake-ups from an eight-headed collective to
now (maternity, personal issues, differing attitudes and
the death of one member): Do you think and act into one
direction or do you get your power from inner and outer
tenses?
Vedran:
We don't have any strict plans, we are getting our power
and weakness from all what's happening in and around our
lives, and in or out of the band.
Dub-O-Rama:
Tell us about the circumstances of your meeting with the
Universal Egg-Label / DJ PERCH and how it leads to the
label contract.
Vedran:
We knew each others four years before the recording happened.
In one way, we pretty much liked what ZION TRAIN were
and are still doing, and on the other side NEIL PERCH
was spontaneously following how the band was developing
on different shows and festivals during the years mentioned.
It all started with the 1st ZION TRAIN SOUND SYSTEM visit
to Zagreb in 2002. We supported them with our first show
ever. Four years later, after one of our shows on the
first europe tour in Germany, supporting I-SHEN ROCKERS
in their hometown Augsburg, PERCH was there dj-ing and
told us that we progressed a lot and that we should visit
his studio in Cologne to record some material as a potential
Universal Egg release.
Vrki: We are really grown with ZION TRAIN in our ears,
so after when we started doing our music it was kind of
logical that probably NEIL would hear some stuff inside
that he could rely to. The absolute best thing that could
happen for us!
Dub-O-Rama:
What's to tell about making a dub-release in Cologne,
Germany? The pre-thinking about 'bass matters' and it's
result?
Vedran:
I guess we were pretty prepared as we played the recorded
songs for most than a year in different versions, on many
stages, developing them if we felt the need. More or less
we knew what to expect when talking about the recording
procedure, but we couldn't imagine the final result which
somehow turned a little bit different from our expectations.
Our sound lately is digital soundsystem steppers upbeat
dub style played with live band instruments, with a lot
of sounds and grooves that can be easily connected with
digital production, so we were expecting for the last
mix of the album to be more closely to that sound. But,
as a live band it is not a common thing on such a scene.
PERCH decided to lead more acoustic sound, bigger parts
for live instruments, overdubbing some of our midi keyboard
parts with the brass section and violin. 'Bass matters'
was recorded in four days, mixed a few times in one year.
I think we are all happy with the results: We get many
great reactions from all around the world.
Vrki: It was kind of hard to hear it the first time, cos
of knowing our tunes with either different effects, different
parts in different times, but I got used to it and the
thing that NEIL and us did a good job here. I think also
that if we would do the mix by ourselfs they would go
more to digital sound rather than a band sound, as we
listen and play out a lot of digital dubz inside of our
crew.
Dub-O-Rama:
The contrasts of the two PERCH-mixes to the two RDK-Soundsystem
mixes on the 10inch ep 'a brighter future' demonstrate
this tense really. You made a small tour in Germany. What's
about your experiences?
Vedran:
More than good. Some cities in eastern Germany we played
for the second time and we had great reactions with more
people at the shows already. We still know many places
to play in Germany, we played to this time only in ten
cities so far and we'll see what will happen in the future…
Vrki: Some places we made strong connections to organising
people, so it went to a love thing and we love it cos
of this. Leipzig, Jena, Eisenberg, Bielefeld, Rostock
were places we want to come back because of the audience!
If anyone of those people should read this interview they
know that they get our full love and respect!
Dub-O-Rama:
The opener of 'bass matters', 'U.N.I.T.Y.', features OMAR
PERRY who spreads out the d.i.y. principles of the RDK-ideology?
Vedran:
To be honest, I don’t understand everything he sings in
this song. Originally it was recorded as instrumental
named 'pirate trap'. After the first mixes, PERCH and
OMAR in the studio, he asked him to sing some lyrics on
our music. It turned out to be very good, so at the end
the song was named 'U.N.I.T.Y.' because of the lyrics
that Omar sings on it, and it is the only full vocal song
on the album.
Vrki: We are happy how this turn came out in the end.
Dub-O-Rama:
In contrast to PERRY german guest singer LUA gave 'a brighter
future' such a pretty face. I think she was the perfect
choice for this song.
Vedran:
You must ask PERCH about that. It was also his idea and
some kind of surprise for us.
Vrki: It comes out excellent as the lyrics have strong
lines, and her voice is warm and easy to get in the head.
Dub-O-Rama:
'Bosnia by bus' as a very great instrumental track of
your album seem to go back on own experiences. I wrote
in my review about an anxious insecureness by driving
through your neighbourland.
Vedran:
Yeah, that song was the last named on the album. Originally
it was called 'chello', what was stupid to leave after
PERCH overdubbed live violin on the album that sounded
different. The decision for that name of the song came
after our concert in Trieste/Italy, when one of our friends,
who was working in Bosnia as a volunteer in a peace-camp
during the war, came and said that nothing goes well at
the moment in her life, explaining furtherly that situation
as similar to driving through 'Bosnia by bus' (who doesn't
know, the roads there are really bad), and that was how
our song was named at the end.
Vrki: We have strong connections with Bosnia, as JADRANKO
and VANJA were born and lived in Bosnia, but cos of war
they had to go from there. Also half of my family is Bosnian,
the country is a really beautiful piece of mother earth!
Dub-O-Rama:
You seem to be 'workaholics' in the Zagreb music scene.
You are playing, too, in other bands of your town, you
make as RADIKAL DUB SOUND SYSTEM big waves in your city,
you organize and work in your area for reggae, dub and
trance-festivals.
Vedran:
All of us are involved in many different things, connected
with the music scene, or working, or studying, etc. For
me, besides the band (with a lot of work involved besides
the playing itself; booking, promotion, correspondence,
releases, merchandise, distribution, etc.), there are
a lot of other activities, organized shows, parties and
festivals. Seasplash festival is probably the biggest
project, this year we have the 5th jubilee (Pula, Croatia,
19.-21.07., check >www.seasplash.net<). I also work
with Kingston shop, label and distribution, visit us if
you are ever in Zagreb, and check >www.kingston.hr<.
I help with booking shows for one of the best Croatian
(and internationally known) punkrock acts OVERFLOW (check
>www.overflow-tv.com<). The most of us from the
band are also DJ-ing, occasionally playing with other
people and many more things. For example, at the moment
I am booking many artists for different events in Croatia
and the surrounding area for the summer festival season,
and it seems that we'll also be on the road the most of
the summer.
Vrki: Yes, we try to escape senseless. If you don't do
things, no-one will do them for you. If you choose to
spend your life as a consumer you won´t get very
far around. We believe that it's a big thing to make something
new at a place were it never happen, than to do the same
things over and over. This is why we do most of things,
to show that theres more to all…
Dub-O-Rama:
Do you like your new and more western town Zagreb?
Vedran:
Not very much of course, but anyway it’s the city where
you cannot enjoy life in full.
Vrki: I just like the ghetto of Zagreb, I don't like everydays
drivebys, but you get used to it after the first ten bullets
that you survive... yeah...
Dub-O-Rama:
Is the drummer the biggest dub fan of the band?
Vedran:
That's me and the answer is no. I like dub, but not only
dub, and I think the soundsystem crew is much more into
it at the moment.
Vrki: If you listen to only one kind of music I believe
its a ghetto for your mind. You have to listen to all
kinds of different riddims, of melodies all sides of world.
That’s when you will realize that you have to listen dub
more! Combine everything but let the dub run first place!
Interview:
Bernhard Groha (05/2007)
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