A.R. stands for AntiRepresivo. 3 people from Bilbao (capital of the Bask province Bizkaia) are mentioned as contact: Oska, Patxi & Gorka. This first issue dates from 1987. I have no idea how it ended up in my archive…
Brob
The zine is from the Basque Country. One of the editors was Gorka who used to play in a band called ‘Txäcoly Conflict‘ [guitar/vocals; Iñaki was the drummer, guitarist Javi MRHC (Mundanal Ruido HC tape-/record-label; R.I.P.)].
Luis Andrades
The people of A.R. were good friends and very active people. Sadly two of them (members of ‘Txäcoly Conflict’) died in 2018. Their friends released the discography of the band as a tribute… We worked together frequently for distribution, releases, etc.
Ángel Andrés
The interview below with Ángel Andrés of the Fobia collective in Madrid was done in 1987. He was the bassist of ‘Olor A Sobaco’ (together with drummer Canino, who went on to play in ‘Sin Dios‘) and later also ran the D.I.Y. HC/punk label & distribution Victimas Del Progreso – Crímenes De Estado (“victims of progress – state crimes”). From 1989 on he released records under the name Fobia – Duros Sentimientos (“phobia – hard feelings”).
[Translation below; with help of Spanish-speaking friends]
The questions to this interview have been answered by mail by Angel, one of the collective, also bassist of the bands OLOR A SOBACO & FOBIA.
Tell us someting about the history of FOBIA as a collective (how many people, for what purpose, etc.)
FOBIA was formed at the end of 1984; after a dissolution with the old group from Madrid for a while in 1985. Myself, Angel, contacted them in 1985 and after collaborating with them for a while, the relations deteriorated and I left with some members and formed FOBIA. It was set up as a collective for anti-utopia and creation, of unity and fun, of radical struggle, of an anarchist nature, of attack and also as a musical group where we tried to express all this. As a collective, things went well, we contacted a lot of people who had similar ideas and in Madrid there were several movements that we organised, although we always used to engage ourselves in all the projects that seemed positive to us, collaborating from within, not starting as FOBIA. Musically we play sometimes but the difficulty of finding a person to sing that shares our ideas, gave us a lot of problems. After a while, in September 1985, FOBIA dissolved, as all its members decided to study and needed time off. Myself, Angel, was the only one who remained. In November I joined Nemesis and we started to contact our friends with which we were corresponding, and in May 1986 we got out a pamphlet out where we defined ourselves and explained our path a bit. After searching for someone similar to us, to get involved in the collective and doubts about some people, the collective was established, as a collective aswell as a band: Nemesis on guitar, Javi Canino on drums and Angel doing vocals. Javi is not very involved in the FOBIA collective, so it was up to ‘Neme’ and me, but we were joined by Josebaldo, former bassplayer of ‘S.D.O.’ [Ese De O or S.D.O. (Servicio Del Orden) 100% Vegetal] and Fernando Márquez; and distributed all kinds of self-produced material, especially through our position that we had established in the Madrid scene for 2 years. Now located at Tirso de Molina square, next to metro-station. The purpose of all this is to fight for freedom, both ours and that of other people, and all that this implies; some examples may be to end the privatisation of the world, with the current police, the borders or repression, etc. The purpose of the band is the same, a front for demonstrations, direct action, pamphlets, etc. As well as performing musically; since we like to play, we also look for fun but for me this is the last reason that I play in FOBIA. In FOBIA’s music the most important thing is the ideas. The purpose of the FOBIA collective for distribution of self-produced material is to support other collectives and individuals, meet people, expand a countercultural and therefore cultural movement, and disseminate certain ideas. Mainly to help the collective develop.
Members of the band FOBIA, type of music, etc.
Nemesis guitar, Javi Canino drums and Angel bass/vocals. We have been rehearsing for a few days and we more or less got started. Our music is still not very defined although it’s fast music, more or less Hardcore. So far of the 6 or 7 songs that we have, none resembles another. The most important thing is the message but we seek to make what in our opinion is the best music. We still have to learn to play well in order to do what we want and rehearse a lot. We still can’t perform musically but we are working on it and we hope to be prepared as soon as possible.
How about the alternative scene for Madrid?
With the arrival of summer and with the students moving, everything is very quiet. We, Klesa [collective; libertarian group of highschool-students from CNT-CGT], have organised alternative concerts where bands such as ‘Olor A Sobaco’ [“armpit smell”], ‘Tarzán Y Su Puta Madre Ocupando Piso En Alcobendas’ and ‘Andanada 7’ played.We got things on the track. These things took place on April 30th, especially targeting banks and fur-shops. The F.L.A. [???] is currently inactive. The squats have been evicted and what we actually need is a space where the alternative movement can develop in Madrid, a place where we can organise all kinds of activities together, set up a bar, interact, etc. As long as this doesn’t exist, the alternative movement will go slow. After the summer we will try again. We will do what can be done. But only if there are more and more groups, the alternative movement (to give it a name) will expand. There’s no place in Madrid where anti-commercial and self-produced music is played. Madrid is big business, everything you find is designed to make money. There are several fanzines such as Sabotaje El Molotov & El Tetuan, the latter being done by people from the Tetuan [district of Madrid] libertarian atheneum. On the outskirts of Madrid there’s another collective, Afrika, who edit a zine under the same name, and in the village Légañas there is a band ‘Alta Suciedad’ [“extreme dirt”] but they don’t rehearse. The only store where you can find self-produced material is Totem in Lavapiés [historic neighbourhood in Madrid]. There’s another zine called Waldemoro Y Su Gente [“waldemoro and his people”].
You do a zine, other activities (M.O.C., A.L.A.)?
We have a zine-project Victimas Del Progresso – Crimenes De Estado for a year and a half, and after preparing some articles we had it ready. Now we want to get it out but don’t have anyone to publish it. I think we will be able to do it in a while, it’s one of the projects that intrests us the most. We’ve put a lot into it. Regarding M.O.C. [Movimiento de Objetores de Conciencia]: Javi and myself are conscientious objectors, and we have also protested the law. We have collaborated in collecting signatures and in some acts of protest, spreading their pamphlets, and that’s it. About A.L.A. [Alternativa para la Liberación Animal]: it’s a pity because before we worked together well, we got along well and we were very active. Now we’ve left it all behind because one person takes all decisions, but we continue and will continue fighting for animal liberation. I’m an ovo-lacto-vegetarian.
Tell us a little about the occupation and subsequent eviction of Amporo 83 by the police.
Amparo 83 is already a bit far away. [calle (street) Amparo 83. was the first squatted Social Centre in Madrid] It was our first occupation: 11 days of activity, of meeting people, of movement. A great experience followed by a brutal eviction by the GEOs [Grupo Especial de Operaciones = Special Group for Operations; tactical unit of the Spanish National Police]. They put us half-dressed against the wall, with a bunch of rubber-bullet riffles and cans of tear-gas behind our backs, and a large deployment of police. There were nothing but policemen 200 meters around us. They handcuffed us and put us in a van. From there on, everything was fun. We reacted after the unexpected eviction and laughed at all types of police and guardia civil [military police].
After that bitter pill, it was fucked up. The place remains unused. Disgusting. Recently we squatted two more times: first Atocha 35 and then Argamosa 41. The first place was old and very delapidated. The eviction after three days was silly. They entered through the locked door. They took our ID and then put us on the street. Illegal eviction. The second, the best of all: barricades, a lot of security, expulsion by three secrete policemen, a lot of activity. On the third day, the eviction, but they had to face the barricades, were unable to enter anywhere and after not being able to knock down the door, they got up on the roof and sneaked in. Great rocket-launch and an alarm that showed a fist to the cops. All neighbours got up. Illegal eviction. After the eviction we opened Ronda 35 (in Atocha) and the law-inforcers entered guns in hand. Then the riot-police tried to catch us but they couldn’t. Fuck them! During the eviction of Argamosa 41 several police-officers were slightly injured, which we were very happy about. They came after three of us and a dog, material was stolen, a cop lost his watch, in short, chaos.
Do you have contacts with people from Euskadi? And from other places?
We keep in touch with a lot of people from Euskadi, from Spain, and we have some contacts in Germany, Italy and Colombia. Thanks to all of them for their collaboration and friendship. Too many to mention. But if we want to answer all the letters, we will need several months; and we will be out of money and we rather eat then going to the post-office. Forgive us for delays (only sometimes) but there are times when we don’t have any money.
Do you know anything about the scene in Euskadi; bands that you like, national and international?
Thanks to our contacts, we’re acquainted with the scene in Euskadi quite well. Besides that we’ve been in the gaztetxe [autonomous social centres in Euskadi (Basque Country)] and everything that surrounds them. We like bands like the ones from the gaztetxes, ‘Radikal H.C.’ [band from Bizkaia], ‘Mendeku’ [“revenge”], the majority of the squaters from around the world, ‘F.L.A.’, ‘Disorder’, the Vancouver 5, Klesa, ‘Andanda 7’, ‘A.F.P.P.’ [???], ‘Ataque de Caspa’ [Spanish pop band], groups that fight for their expropriated land, the Corsicans, the Kurds, the Kanaks, indegenous people from North and South America, etc., ‘Amebix’, ‘Razzia’, ‘Conflict’, ‘Crass’, ‘Zyklome-A’, ‘D.R.I.’, ‘G.R.B.’ [band from Barcelona], all those who’re engaged and haven’t sold out. They are many and that’s why we’re happy.
Your opinion on: the military, multinationals, machismo, war, security-forces (heh, heh)?
Therer’s is no bigger thing to hate than the military. I don’t know how they think I’m going to want to do that. I’m not willing to submit to anyone or fight for the interests of anyone in a war that creates a person or a state that is neither my friends nor I recognize their power, and who try to crush me day by day, having created a reality as the one we all live in and is bullshit. I don’t want to have anything to do with them if it’s not to destroy them.
Multinationals are economic states that crush villages, destroy ecological areas, create pollution, etc. The difference with governments is that they are directed by politics, and multinationals by money, although in reality they both act for the same power and money, like McDonalds, a case of a daily reality. Destroying all multinationals and large companies would be a great step to achieve a better world.
Machismo is a reality in which we live and that the state promotes for economic interests, discrimination and to keep people submitted while they think about sex. Many women are guilty of this too because they have assumed their role as objectified women, and when men or boys go on their hunt, they’re allowed to hunt. The use of sex, is the most natural and human thing, along with eating and some other things, but, since you get pleasure our of it, it’s more exploitable and it fits a society based on buying pleasure of any kind. A pity. Rape is another cause of all the corruption that surrounds sex-machismo, together with prostitution, etc.
Wars only mean death, misery, suffering and destruction for the people. Others take them as interests, money, honor, power. But there are many types of war. The whole world is at war because there is oppression throughout the world.
The security-forces are like this: keeping the bastards, kings, businessmen safe, and control and crush those who don’t submit. The law is unfair, whoever enforces it is unjust and moreover it tortures, represses and kills, as it usually does. It’s one of our main enemies, whatever its color.
Talk a bit about other bands in Madrid (‘Alta Suciedad’, etc.).
‘Alta Suciedad’ is a band from the south of Madrid with whom we get along very well. They don’t have a lot of money and therefore don’t have the possibility of doing many things. We’re in permanent contact with them and we have plans to do things together, although we will have to see how this ends up. People that we trust, sincere and authentic, but with the serious problem of not being able to catch the bus that takes them from their area to Madrid some days. Positive rock.
‘Andanda 7’: Very funky rock. We like them very much, although each one has his history, and most of them have a lot of violence in them. Lately they are a bit left out when it comes to playing, something that makes us angry. Their ideas don’t have much to do with ours and in many cases they are adverse, as with bullfights. I don’t know how it is lately but right now I’ll support them in whatever I can.
GREETINGS TO ALL THE GROUPS WHO READ THIS!
A.R. PUNK – We believe that this collective deserves everyone’s support so if you’re interested in contacting them write to FOBIA apdo c. 46443 20080 MADRID; include a stamp for response. It’s likely (although not yet sure) that we distribute some FOBIA material (tapes) in late summer.
AGAINST SPECULATION
OCCUPATION
The young citizen of Madrid suffers under a model of society that makes it unbearable for us. We’re fed up with the police and working our but off. Tired of surviving and aware that only by uniting and fighting it, we will be able to change this dirty horizon; one of the first requirements is to have our own premises and therefore we need to occupy spaces. With the squatting we intend to:
- Stop the brutal speculation under which Madrid is suffering. Urban spaces shouldn’t be a commodity in the hands of speculators. We don’t want skyscrapers That dehumanizes the city, and we claim the non-negotiable right for housing.
- Create spaces other than those established, stop leisure, work and everyday life; spaces of solidarity, creativity and self-management to develop our culture and our life in the margin of what the state imposes on us.
- Break the isolation that the state wants to impose on us, isolation that forces us to integrate and accept the current way of life. Those of us who refuse to have our happiness identified with consumerism, that refuse to go to the army, or wear clothes from El Corte Inglés [big department-store chain], in short, we still refuse to obey, we have to unite to move projects foreward for work, struggle and leisure.
Stop saying that while the youths are denied their rights for housing (without money, with very high rent…) Today in Madrid there are thousands of flats and houses abandoned, some of them waiting peacefully until they’re declared ruined. Then to be demolished and replaced by a skyscraper so that the bank-accounts of the speculation-pigs are greased.
If you are not an idiot, be aware of the next announcements and occupations.
People who understand Spanish and want to read about the history of squatting in Madrid, there’s the book Okupa Madrid.
Brob Tilt's zine-world 