For nearly 10 years that Hors contrôe swing their hymns with super efficient choruses. They were passing through Paris as part of the Antifascist weekend May 8 Unable to meet before their concert, I decided to make the interview by mail. Regis, guitarist-frontman agreed to answer to my questions.
1. How did you find the name of the band, and why did you choose it?
So at the time with Max was hesitating between the ZONE LIBRE and HORS CONTROLE. ZONE LIBRE because the split line of World War II passes right by our house and HORS CONTROLE because we will not be manipulated by anyone in our lifestyle, music etc.. So we opted for HORS CONTROLE and ZONE LIBRE is the name of our association.
2. What motivated you to create the band?
I played in bands for almost 20 years and I can not imagine my life without music so after the split of my band before I would go back alone HORS CONTROLE early as the TS 99 and then with the arrival of Max, in the current name. We had no purpose except to talk about our life and everything that affects us and above all fun.
3. For 8 years you've played with a beat box. Why this choice? A reference to the french rock alternatif scene of the 80's?
As I said just before I started all alone with a beat box so when Max joined me there continued with but still searching for any drummer in our environment, but finding nobody of motivated and interested by the kind of music we have more or less dropped the case . No homage or reference anyone so we just did with the means available at the time. But underneath the envy of a drums was still prevalent and took shape in late 2006.
4. You still frequently play songs from your first demo, why "Merci chaos" is the only title of the latter to have landed on your first real album?
Say it became more or less a hymn in our area and not put that song on our first album was an error.
5. What are your main influences aside Chaos period?
At first it true that my main influences came from tje " Chaos en France " movement now the German stage with bands like Loikaemie, stage bottle or toxpack to name a few prominently in the way I compose and I think it will feel much more in the upcoming album (planned for our 10th anniversary release in March 2010).
6. On your second album you covered a title to Criminal Damage. But in fact you only use the music and you rewrite the lyrics right?
Well no words are those of origin from a word on the last verse I think jme or plant a little but otherwise it must be the right text. (Note : There is 2 bands with the same name, i talk of the french band here)
7. What other bands would you like to cover ?
Last year we wanted to make a cover Loikaemie (wir sin die skins) but translated into French as German is unpronounceable to me but it was dropped because it did not do as they wished. Otherwise no particular desire.
8. On your third disc there are brass. It was to honor the roots of skinhead?
It was mainly to bring our music that seemed to stagnate for years and bring a little novelty.
9. On the same album there is the song "Pour Toi". In some shows you dedicated to Woody. Did you writing for it and can you tell me what happened during this concert tragedy?
It's Willy. Yeah I wrote this song the day after his death during one of our gigs (I will not dwell on the issue of respect for his family).
10. After this disk you made a split with J'Aurais Voulu and you've made another with Komptoir Chaos. How do you choose the bands with whom you share your discs?
It is mainly a matter of affinity, these two bands are part of our friends and who has often shared the stage and it is natural that the split has emerged.
11. Your skeud, "Enfants Du Charbon" there is still a song about the miners. Why this subject keeps you there so to heart?
We just come from Montceau les mines, this town was one of the largest mining town in the late 19th century and everything revolved around the mine, we come from mining family (son, grandchild or son back grand-son) and that time is embedded in our lives forever. The history of our city is rich in events either revolutionary or social, some are dead, that their descendants have a semblance of a decent life and dignity, we can not forget it and pay tribute in some songs is the least things we can do.
12. This is the first disc you record with a real drummer. Why have you changed?
As I said above, I found the beat box increasingly monotonous and I also composed and envy of drummer was this long. I knew Johan recent years but he played in a Oi! band o(Creutzfeld Jacob) and he would not to be envolved in two projects at the same time. But they split one evening and Johan said he was available then, without hesitation we took this step.
13. It seems that politics is becoming increasingly important in music of Hors Contrôle.
Yeah it's a wish on our part. We realized that there were more and more young people see a very young apos our concerts, sometimes with a little badge limits. Consideration is to reframe things with this kind of audience we are antifascists and do not accept the excesses of some, we have the same basis as other bands to "education" of the very young who may not not be included so that they do not drift gently to the dark side.
14. I also suspect that "Enfants Du Charbonl" is an album more pessimistic and nostalgic than its predecessors.
We live in difficult times, it has aged a bit too (ha ha), our concerns are no longer quite the same as ten years ago so the music evolves with us. I do not think either of pessimism but simply a transcript of our reality.
15. On the album there is the song "Rude Girls" where there are many references to old tracks of Hors Contrôle. Can you explain the concept of this title?
The rude girls are part of the scene just as the boys most of our songs are about that, but without referring to those that make us mad or all possible states. So having written the text with titles of our songs is a way to catch up and include her as 100% in our universe.
16. Everything that you say in your songs, it's stories that happened to you to you or your family? "Suicide", for example?
Just the songs speak with a few exceptions to what affects us in any way. SUICIDE is the story of a friend except that the song ended well and the story has a tragic outcome. May be a way to exorcise feelings of guilty.
17. The artwork of your disks are usually drawings but not for the last one.
Yeah it's a way to turning a page with the arrival of Johan on drums, a sort of new beginning.
18. The Present now. The new album. Where are you on that? Will there always be a real drummer? It will be released when? Has it a title? There is any change in the sound of the band?
The new album is on good work. It is entirely composed and for now we repeat with some changes, a little. Should be recorded in early August if you're completely ready. There is still no title but will be the album anniversary of our 10 years it will normally the day of the anniversary March 21, 2010. Johan officiated more than ever on the drums and took full possession of his status as a drummer and not a replacement of the beat box that actually makes some change in our sound and our style of play.
19. Can we expect you to leave a live album soon?
You think it was a lot of tracks but very few lives are exploitable because the sound is not good but would also make a dvd so I think we'll do that during 2010 such a big concert or will make every effort (gear and people) to save everything.
20. Some of your disks ( " Bières, musique et amitié " and " Ca joue ou bien ?") are exhausted. Does the project there a reissue?
Not at the moment but maybe Bières, musique et amitié because there is still demand and I still have a bunch of artwork
21. I would like to know your opinion on the free download?
I think all our albums are downloadable on the internet and seen quite a few people we bought the original after so I think it's a good way to get an idea of a front disc purchases, such as it must be remembered that the production of a disk costs money especially for those who self produced therefore must be that there have some cash coming back if bands can not even register. Get Smart!
22. Finally, where do you fit in the skinhead scene (SHARP, RASH, autonomy ...)?
We have always rejected the labels that I think that only divide a little scene. But we are very close RASH who played several times for different sections, but I think it is not essential to be this or that movement, the priority is to unity and the fight against racism and antifa. SHARP / RASH UNITED IN THE SAME BATTLE.
