1. At first can you introduce your band, members (age, work, hobbies...) and tell us how you met each other...
My name is Luis, I'm 40 years old (already...!) and I worked in an office. I am looking for work (damn crisis ...) and I have wife and a 2 year old son. My hobbies, apart from the family, are music and my Country. Now I live in a town near Barcelona, but I lived in Lleida for 15 years and I get involved enough in the skinhead movement from the area, so it was about time to know the local skins.
Dani is the singer, is 27 years old and his hobbys are the music, football and skying. He was born in the mountain, but arrived in Lleida when he was 15. Since them hanged around with friends and founded Rudes, which now is the local football firm.
Joni is the drummer of the band. His hobby has always been playing drums. He used to cook in restaurants in Lleida. Now he's a full time drummer 'cause of an scooter accident (he's retired from the laboral circle). He knew the other members long years ago.
Luciano is 37 years old, and he's a full-time guitarrist (he's unemployed right now...). He started on Codi one year ago, because of a change in the band.
Pep plays the guitar and is 22 years old. He's unemployed too, and his hobbies are football local tea (Lleida Esportiu), going around with friends and the music.
2. When and why came decission to start a band and why the name Codi de Silenci?
The idea of the band was born together with Dani, the singer, when we played together in Opinió Pública, the first Rock'n'Oi band from Lleida, around 2010. He played bass and I played the guitar, but I've always preferred the bass and he wanted to try singing. In addition, the style we did was more streetpunk, and we wanted to try something heavier. When Opinió Pública folded, we stopped for a while, but after about a year, we came back to take the idea of setting something where he sang and I played the bass. We found a couple of guitars and drums, and after some changes, there is now a stable band, which we recorded the album.
The name "Code of Silence" is a bit an allegory of the fidelity which, in our opinion, should govern the "way of life". We were deciding between a few names, including Omertà, but we wanted the name of the band was in our language, so we decided to Codi de Silenci.
3. Have your members some previous experience with playing in a band?
As I said, Dani and me played together on Opinió Pública, where we published a 8-track demo. I’ve played in bands since I was 16, as a singer, bassist and guitar player, though where I feel most comfortable is playing the bass. I also played for some time as a guitarrist in Reconquesta, until the end of the recording of the album, when I got kicked out because they needed someone with more technical than me. The truth is that I enjoy more bass (the guitar strings are too small for my hands and I can’t do whatever I want).
Joni played in a couple of bands before Codi, one that played punk oi! and the other one rock'n'roll. Luciano played the guitar in Up Yours, band that played classic oi! Pep has never been in any band before Codi.
4. Your debut was just released on Shout Proud Records, can you introduce your debut 12´´ EP to our readers, songs topics, etc...
As you say, our debut is a 12''. The first idea was to publish a 7'', but in the end it turned out that the length of the songs made it impossible to fit them in a 7'', so Dirk told us the possibility of a one-sided 12'' and we said yes. The album contains 4 tracks, "Surt Al Carrer" ("To the Streets"), "És el moment" ("Now it's the time"), "Estelada" ("Starry" in reference to the star on the top of the separatist Catalan flag) and "Som un Poble" ("We Are a Nation"). The songs have as a theme a clear patriotic vocation: we are an oppressed nation and we want the world to know our situation, that our country has nothing to do with bullfighting and sevillanas, and that the beer is good and cheap, but there are many other interesting things to see here apart from the beach and beautiful girls.
The 4 songs are a cry of struggle for the resistance and pride of our land, our language, our traditions and identity. We have no problem with people who come to our country to earn a living and improve, as long as they are respectful and come to work positively. Catalonia has always been a land of welcome (in fact, both my wife and the drummers’ wife are not born here, nor one of our guitarrists), but also we can’t forget that we are a country submitted after a military defeat and colonized, and where our language and customs have been persecuted and banned during the last 300 years, so we have a strong appreciation for our traditions. We already have enough thieves and traitors at home, no need to come in from outside.
5. Can you also told us anything about cooperation with the label? How you get in touch with Dirk?
We sent a couple of songs to different European labels, and some of them told us their interest in editing. Our idea was to release a vinyl, and Shout Proud showed a maximum co-operation from the beginning. Because of the issue of the length of the songs we were thinking of editing 2 7'' with two songs each one, with two different labels, but in the end Dirk convinced us that it was better to release them all together in a 12'', that it would give a much more powerful image and that the result would be rounder, as indeed it has been.
Dirk has been very involved in the editing of the record, and made us feel very comfortable. He had some very good ideas, like the open cover and the edition of the MCD. The blue color was also a success, because some band members follow Lleida Esportiu, the home team that militates in the second division, and they wear blue dress, so it has been very good.
6. Choosing Shout Proud for release I think that you are more into vinyl....is it true and why?
As I said before, I'm a vinyl fanatic, but apart from fellow collector, I think it is a way to keep the original spirit of music. The entire liturgy that surrounds put a vinyl in the plate has nothing to do with a CD, much less an MP3. Releasing a vinyl record has nothing to do, for us, with the current madness with vinyl, this kind of second youth, but well, working with a DIY label Shout Proud is an honor for us and a way to stay true to the original spirit of Oi!
7. What are your musical influences? I saw playing Enharjarna cover on youtube...do you like viking rock style?
Codi de Silenci has not only one influence, but an amalgam of ideas. Each member listens to different groups, but we have in common the love of original Oi! and Swedish groups. Sometimes we play live "Moder Svea" of Enharjarna, as you say, although our song is dedicated to a brother who is no longer with us. We titled it "Records" ("Memories"). We also played "Ny Tid" from Midgard Soner as "El Futur" (“Future”). The lyrics are mine and have nothing to do with the original content (I guess, because we do not speak Swedish). They talk about our reality and that’s all. However, as a sound, this is another matter, because we like a lot the epic that get the viking rock groups with their melodies. Just a little like the Japanese SSS bands, although the issues are faster. However, we also have songs away from the epic sound, more raw and direct.
Joni listens to oi!, classic and modern, and punk, hardcore and even metal. He doesn't agree with viking rock politics. Dani says that Ultima Thule are God. Luciano listens to other genres besides oi! music, but to list some Ramones, Sham 69, Angelic Upstarts, Cock Sparrer, Komintern Sect, Blitz... The Swedish scene is a clear reference to most of the group and the 80s French too.
8. Do you prefer older or new breed bands?
I think there are good bands at all times, and bad bands too, but currently, the main problem is the lack of imagination, the will that everything sounds the same. I think it’s lost a little the freshness of the early days. You can hear the legendary groups, Condemned, Combat, 4 Skins, Angelic, Böhse, Blitz, Cockney, Snix, Oppressed, Skinkorps ... and none of them sounds like the other. Even Templars and Evil Conduct. Each had their own sound and you could differentiate with eyes closed. Maybe it was because it was difficult to find bands that sounded like he wanted, and everyone rode with his band sound. Now this originality has been lost a little. There are 4 bands that seem to now be the leading and the other groups just copied. This is pretty boring.
Fortunately, groups like the Swedes Sabotage, the Basque Hawkins Thugs, Hard Evidence, Crown Court, or even Bishops Green in his own way, reinterpreting the music and get different sounds in the same style. Grade 2, Projekt 9 and Seaside Rebels are some other new bands that are working good for us.
9. You come from Lleida city...can you tell us anything about life in your area? And what do you recommend for tourist and skinhead tourist who will be in your city?
Lleida is a city of about 150,000 inhabitants, located 150 km west of Barcelona, in a semi rural area. Since the early '80s there has been a strong punk move, and when I got there it had many bars, concerts and some bands. There was also strong mod movement, and since the early 90s a skinhead crew. The climate is tough, both in summer (when we go to 40 degrees during the day) and winter with periods of ice and fog that can last for weeks. Most towns, even the smallest ones of the area, had their punk bands, although most of them do not pass from playing covers of Eskorbuto or La Polla Records. During the summer there was 3 and 4 punk-core venues a week. In the north, the Pyrenees, there is also a small crew of skinheads that organized festivals.
Lleida had an Old Town full and busy bars, where you could find all young alternative people in the area (we're talking 15 or 20 bars putting punk, ska, oi and mod music). Currently there are only a couple of bars where they put hard rock, because of the city council, which left degrade the area (left houses in such disrepair that there was a time when twice a week they falling on the ground, then emptied the site and then abandoned). With the excuse of the degradation of the area there was an increasing of police patrols, fighting, raids, fines ... In the end luxury apartments have been built on the land where houses once stood, although the economic crisis stopped the project, which still gives a more chaotic zone.
As I said, Lleida has always been an area of punk (the first band were Droguerías Associadas, then El Ruso Y El Batallón De Castigo, around 1983), and there is a good band of traditional ska, such as La Família Torelli. There is also the firm of Lleida Esportiu, the home team that militates in Second Division B, the Rudes Lleida, which this year celebrated its 12th anniversary.
For tourists, apart from beer and food, there are historical areas such as Gardeny Templar Castle and the Old Cathedral (the “Seu Vella”), the Old Town (what remains), the mountain (the Pyrenees are very close), or simply to wander around the rural areas. It is a quiet area, without the stress of big cities.
Joni lives in the downtown of the city, so he says he can go everywhere on walk. Pep says he likes the quiet life... We don't change Lleida for anything!
10. What is the scene in your area (new bands, crews, pubs, venues....)? I like Reconquesta from the new breed bands in your area...
First of all, I have to say that the comment about the scene is reduced to only part of Catalonia which is the Principality of Catalonia. I won’t comment the situation in the rest of the cultural community that is our Nation, Valencia, Balearic Islands and Northern Catalonia, because this is an interview about music, not about politics.
In Lleida area, now there are some punk bands, but we are the only one that plays Oi! music. There are some concerts (lately have played here Warrior Kids, Jenny Woo, Crack and Secret Army), but there is no room conditions (there was a place 25 km far from Lleida, where they did concerts every week, but closed recently). As in most places, the scene is limited to a few bars where you can go for a beer and making trips to interesting concerts and football. Years ago there had organized festivals quite crowded, as Dr. Martens Ska Festival, where thousands of people had gathered. At the Country level, the scene is giving a step beyond. We come from a past based on ska and reggae bands such as Dr. Calypso, Skatalà, Knockouts, Komando Moriles, etc. and some decent Oi! bands (Decibelios, of course, but also Pisando Fuerte, Desperdicis Clínics, Frontpilsen ...). Since the mid '90s bands have returned to use our language in the songs (previously punk were mainly, though not all, in Spanish), and thus emerged bands as Pilseners, Opció K-95 Bulldog Firm, etc. There was also Suburban Rebels, Último Asalto, Área De Combate, and others, but the skinhead movement was basically something on the orbit of Barcelona. With the twenty-first century there have appeared bands (and disappearing, of course) in other cities far from the capital, as Rebelion in Tarragona, Guinness Boys in Girona, The Demecials in Vic, etc. Now there's a good streetpunk scene with Secret Army and The Upset (Barcelona), The Gundown, Crim and Von Dänikens (Tarragona), and punks like The Anti-Patiks from Sabadell. The bands started to sing either in Catalan and English, and has entered fully into the European scene.
Regarding the patriotic content of bands, mostly in greater or lesser extent deal with the issue as we are an oppressed Nation. We come from a past in which all the patriotic bands were leftist, direct result of the right bands have always positioned in the Spanish band, cursing our language and imposing their customs. I have been part of Reconquesta for two years, and while there are many things in which I personally do not agree with them, musically they records will help Catalonia and its cause to be known outside our borders. We do not make policy advocacy, but we are in favor of social change that favors the majority of the working class and destroy the advantages of the always-privileged minority, and our lyrics speakof that, but of course we also try other things in our lyrics.
11. Do you know anything about Czech republic?
We know that it is a small country in central Europe, famous for its beer and its beautiful cities. The skinhead scene in the country I know are Orlik and Zona A from gthe '90s, and Vlad and the people of the Bulldog Shop, although I could never go there. I also know Pilsen Oiquell and the Czech And Slovak Street Kids compilation, where there were some really good bands. We have also been in contact with Michal from Vinyl 4 Bootboys and I know you organize good enough festivals where gladly would come to play (LOL).
Pep says he only knows Pavel Nedved, who is one of his favorite football players.
12. Where can we order your stuff and do you plan some kind of t-shirts?
We got a model of shirt with the cross of St. George and Indíbil and Mandoni, two heroes ilergetes who fought against the Roman invasion by the 200 BC The discs are already sold out, but if you want to know more about us please contact us on facebook or to codidesilenci@gmail.com. The intention is to have new shirts with a new design before summer.
13. Who is responsible for your logo (wolf with some kind of celtic sign)? What does it mean?
The logo was a joint idea of the whole band, although the perpetrator is our friend Ramon Gironès, singer of The Upset and renowned graphic designer. It is in part a tribute to our country, the wolf from the mountains, which also represents us as a city wolves’ who are loyal to the community. Regarding the Celtic symbol, is an adaptation of one of the pictures that are in the keys of the Gothic vaults of the Templar castle tower of Gardeny. It is also a tribute to our past, our history, and reminds us that we are in a border area and we have to be alert.
14. Plans for the future....
Keep working and improving, making more songs, meet more people and travel to more places. Our idea is to record 2 or 3 new songs before the summer and to edit them in a 7''. Issues will be a little faster, but we will keep the epic. After that, continue playing and prepare us to record an LP.
15. Last words
Thank you for your interest in our band, and many thanks for the favorable comments about the disc. We hope to see you soon (and if it’s possible in the Czech Republic, the better!).