Your name, as you say, symbolizes the natural cycle of life and the succession of things. How do you consider the historic (?) human habit of thinking “circularly”? That opinion that life makes circles, history repeats itself? The repeatability is something that condemns things, or allows them to continue? Circle or an endless straight road with branches?
The cycle, for us, symbolizes the succession of conditions. From our birth, to the pain and the joys of life and from there to the unknown. A story that is repeated and will be repeated for ever from human to human. There is magic and joy in this journey and equally there is unhappiness. There is the birth of a child and there is also the experience of a cancer. We are not fatalists so as for us there is not even at least the interpretation of destiny, however allegorical our name [“Αρχή του Τέλους” – sounds: Archi tou Telous – meaning: End’s Beginning] sounds. From the depth of human history there are examples that are repeated during the course, with rules that unfortunately continue to have effect, such as the exploitation of the small by the large one. It is in our hands to change it. After all, humanity has written only fifteen seconds in the 24-hour clock of the earth, future will show.
In an earlier review (somewhere in 2013) referring to you, I saw among other things saying: “First of all we are dealing with 13 historic complete years in the space of the independent greek scene, countless live concerts in self-organised spaces, eight releases with six demos and two full lengths and the tide of things going on.” Do you use to look back with nostalgia to what you have done so far? Or you go ahead, but having your experiences turned on in your memory? How do you function in this matter?
No nostalgia and no “yokarinism” [yiannis yokarinis: a nice and hairy oldie (1970’s) rocker guy that as time went by, he is still repeating himself (in music terms), without anything new to say]. Every era has its heroes. By the time we will feel pressured by time, or repeat ourselves musically or lyrically, we will stop playing. Now we complete 17 years from our first rehearsal. Then, we were a group of (try-to)thinking adolescents, now we are a company of 30ers – 35ers buried/drowned into bills and anxiety. Currently we continue this way, we continue exploring our own selves.
Can 2-3-4-5 people set up a band exploring from scratch strings, sticks, keyboards, etc? Or is it a necessary prerequisite to know in advance music.
Of course they can, it is called punk and it started in the mid 70’s. Appetite for work, study and many sound hearings. All other things follow with patience and persistence.
Is there anything that is lost nowadays from the “shine” of 2000 in the self-organised music scene?
We do not believe that there was any kind of “shine” in 2000’s scene. In contrast from the late 2000’s until today, we see bands working hard, emphasizing into the sound. Since then we have seen several releases standing with more than dignity to the abroad standards. More bands going abroad, productions standing their ground in front of large professional studios. The current decade, the scene meets the biggest boom it ever had, stopping to be the “native poor relative”.
Why posters, since there is fb? Why live concerts, since there are studio sessions?
The direct is always better. Think of the difference that a release has in its natural format (visual, audio) from the soul-less and non-material mp3 one that we many times listen to. A concert often represents very closely the atmosphere that a band wants to create with a release. Let’s not sell out everything on the altar of fb. There are musical movements we loved because of their “resistance” character. Let’s keep them as they are and let’s develop them if we can.
Pink floyd, Rage against the machine etc. Bands with huge impact that occasionally opened to the public wide audience a number of political issues, by a clearly competitive perspective to the existing system. What is your opinion about this kind of action?
Certainly significant bands the ones you mention, some of them, a few decades ago did the blood in our veins flowing radically. They awakened, if you want, the energy of youth as the hardcore bands of the 80’s used to say. I am not sure, however, that is by a clearly competitive perspective to the system, since some of their albums are among the most commercial of all time. However the issue of “the purpose that hallowes the means”, deserves a more extensive discussion.
What is the responsibility of the self-organised music scene against the suffocation of the times we live in?
Our responsibility is to counter-propose real, logical and functional models through assemblies, with divided roles and responsibilities. No one is useless and everyone can offer their own way.
“DIY and bullshit! But in DIY live concerts, we drink Amstel and other brands of capitalist giants.” How do you comment this opinion?
Each space through assemblies has decided how to function and subsist. Both functioning ways of these places are respectable. The one with the free contribution in the (entrance) economic reinforcement’s box and at the same time bar for costs cover, but also the proposed entrance and no bar or minimum contribution at the bar. As for the capitalist giants you mention, I should add Adidas shoes, Lonsdale clothing etc etc.. Everything starts from our daily choices. Let’s leave a little more money into the box and let’s drink orange juice squeezed from home.
How do you consider someone’s choice to make a living from music?
We agree with the painter who makes a living from his paintings, we agree with the filmmaker who makes a living from his films, we agree with the photographer who makes a living from his photos.
Power and a good continuity to you. Say whatever you want for closure.
The times we live in, are difficult, we would like to wish to all of us, strength, patience and persistence.