INTERVIEW: Indian powerviolence act False Flag and Nepalese hardcore band Neck Deep in Filth

INTERVIEW | Neck Deep in Filth (Nepal) AND False Flag (India)
Hardcore VS. Powerviolence
Conducted by Trendcrusher

False Flag and Neck Deep in Filth are two of the most politically outspoken acts from the Indian subcontinent, hence it would make sense for them to team up and put out a split. We were quite excited when the split was announced and the singles released from it so far sound great ( https://uniteasia.org/emoviolence-band-false-flag-release-second-track-upcoming-split-india/ )
Find out more about the split, the inspiration behind their tracks in the interview with Shaunak Phadnis (False Flag) and Vishal Rai (Neck Deep in Filth) below.

With less than a week left for the release of you split, how does it feel?
False Flag (Shaunak Phadnis): Quite Excited tbh!! This split is quite important for us because the sonic and lyrical scope of the band is expanding quite a bit. We are definitely more upfront regarding the topics we are addressing with the lyrics

Neck Deep in Filth (Vishal Rai): Relieved more than anything since we’ve been planning this for way too long haha

How did you discover each other’s band/music?
FF: Oh! I have been following all the projects Vishal da has been a part of since Jugaa/Sangharsha split!!

NDIF: Over social media. We have a lot of mutual friends and with what False Flag is doing, which is unique for the subcontinent, I had to check the band out.

How did the idea to do a split release come about?
FF: It all actually happened because of Hassan from Multinational Corporations/Daranti Group (Pakistan) right after we released our FIRST EP in December.

NDIF: Initially, this was planned to be a split between us and Dead Bhuttos (from Pakistan), way back in 2016. Later, with False Flag coming in, we decided to make it a 3-way. Then Dead Bhuttos dropped out and here we are.

Politics is common inspiration for both your bands. Do tell us more about your tracks on the split.
FF: These tracks are about the body seen through the lens of media, surveillance and politics. A lot of inspiration for these songs came from the stuff I was reading at that time. Horkheimer’s “Rise and decline of the individual” is one. Rick Roderick’s lecture series “Self under siege” has had a huge impact in the same sense. “Docile body” is a direct product of that. Counterfeit is the most important track for me on this record from FF because it reflects directly on the factors that are motivating the change that occurred in this country’s consciousness. “Flesh..” is about the female body seen through our culture’s narrative. It’s quite obvious that the late 90’s “blockbusters”(DDLJ for example) directly influenced how the female & Romance came to be viewed /Perceived by the general Indian Man. Its disgusting. Absolutely disgusting. “मन की बात” is a quite self explanatory!

NDIF: Over the past decade, Nepal has transitioned from a monarchy to a republic, but mindsets majorly remain the same. And this is true especially for Kathmandu, the capital city. Kathmandu is still where all the power in Nepal lies. It lives in its own bubble; no tragedy outside the valley fazes it. This is what “Bastion of Bigotry” is about.

“Gift from the State (A Bullet for Your Head)” is about the parallels between the Madhesi/Tharu people of the Southern plains of Nepal and the Nepali-speaking Gorkha population of the Darjeeling hills across the border in West Bengal, India, both of whom have gone through several violent protests against the power centers in Kathmandu and Kolkata, respectively. Marginalized and neglected for decades, these people have endured brutal, bloody movements in order to be heard, and every single time protestors have been slaughtered by the state. While all this takes place, the privileged living in Kathmandu and Kolkata fail to understand what they’re fighting for, instead dismissing the agitators as “foreigners” – referring to the Madhesis as “Indians” and the Gorkhas as “invaders from Nepal.”

“The idea was to write songs that would sound as if Orchid was playing Neil Perry songs with a dash of modern bands like Letters to Catalonia!”

You’ve both released an EP less than a year ago. What was the writing process for the tracks on the split ?
FF: We started writing this immediately after the release of the first EP. In fact currently we have almost finished writing for the next split as well (HYPE). We had been listening to a lot of Screamo/Emoviolence around the time following the release of the first EP. This change in sound is a direct product of that. The idea was to write songs that would sound as if Orchid was playing Neil Perry songs with a dash of modern bands like Letters to Catalonia!

NDIF: The two tracks on this split (three originally, but we decided that one sucked so we dropped it) were actually recorded during the EP sessions. Fact is, these were the first tracks we wrote when we formed the band in 2016. Needless to say, our sound has gone through quite a change since then, so our future releases will definitely differ from what we’ve put out so far.

What’s currently on your playlist?
FF: Aah, The new Birds in Row record “we already lost the world”! I’ve been listening to Don Caballero for a bit. Propagandhi, Neil Perry and Louise Cyphre are constants. I’ve been especially obsessed again with “Moon is a Dead world” Gospel. What. A. RECORD. 2000’s screamo/Post-HxC with 70s Prog rock like Yes and King Crimson (*wooot*). Apart from that I keep checking out newer bands from around the globe for the #NotesFromTheUnderground segment at Haramcore Inc. Haramcoreposting is the place to be at on facebook right now!

NDIF: Jesus Piece – Only Self
Innumerable Forms – Punishment In Flesh
Julien Baker – Turn Out The Lights

Also, later Unbroken, along with Modern Day Collapse, Beast Jesus, and Stillife from the Philippines. You need to check these bands out.

Stilllife plays emo/melodic hardcore:

Modern Day Collapse sound like a cross between Shai Hulud and Misery Signals.

Beast Jesus is Beast Jesus

[Editor’s Note: Big up to Neck Deep In Filth keeping themselves abreast on Asian releases and not just naming the typical Western/US bands!]

Do you have any shows planned in support of the release?
FF: Not really, the band is kind of on DL since I recently moved to Hyderabad & Aryaman is going abroad for tour with his other project. But we hope to get back into it by October! Would love to play in Hyderabad!

NDIF: Nothing so far.

Thanks for answering all our questions. Do you have any final words?
FF: Thank you for doing this interview! Record comes out on 3rd September followed by tapes on Callous Records, UK and Le Blast Records, Ca. For those who are interested, tapes will soon be available in India and Nepal as well!

I’d like to say that, it’s way past our time to be inattentive towards what’s happening in our country. Don’t be that idiot, please. The label “apolitical” doesn’t exist. You don’t get to be that. It only speaks of our privilege and ignorance. Try not to be the shit head that won’t vote in 2019 or one that thinks “le feminsm is not about equalit”. Eat watermelons, stay hydrated. Also,
less memes, more ideas lol.

NDIF: Pre-order the split. I think it’s decent.

Neck Deep in Filth: https://www.facebook.com/neckdeepinfilth/

False Flag: https://www.facebook.com/falseflagindia

[EDITOR’S NOTE: Interview conducted by none other than Peter K aka Trendcrusher. He, much like the rest of us, is someone who has an insatiable desire to discover the most obscure bands from around the world, and is an active supporter of bands from the region. He also runs his own blog called Trendcrusher. We can’t thank him enough for sending in interviews to help continue to build the content of our site.]

https://trendcrusher.wordpress.com