1. Who are you, what do you do, and what has been capturing your interest the most these days?
Anatomical Scarecrow: I play guitar and do vocals for Spirokëte and D-Cline. I also draw, collage, paint, screen print, write, tattoo. Lately, I've been into Disclose, Argue Damnation, Nemetona, Varukers, Doom, Excrement Of War, G-Anx.
2. Could you introduce Spirokëte to our readers? Where are you based and who’s currently in the band?
Anatomical Scarecrow: Spirokëte is Anatomical Scarecrow - Gu/Vo, Hueman - Gu, Corpse - Ba, Shadowee - Dr. We live all over the Hudson Valley in New York State.
3. Before Spirokëte, there was Unknown Liberty - was that essentially the same project under a different name, or are these two distinct bands with separate concepts?
Anatomical Scarecrow: Spirokëte grew out of Unknown Liberty. The lineup is the same except for the addition of Hueman on second guitar. Unknown Liberty was more of a peace punk band, while Spirokëte went in more of a raw punk direction.
4. Your songs tackle war, desperation, and the abuse of power—Spirokëte feels like a fitting soundtrack to today’s crumbling world. Do you see any hope for a brighter future, or are we locked into a one-way march toward dystopia?
Hueman: I think there is always hope, it seems to me that the first step in solving a problem is identifying the problem and I think that is what the goal of addressing these dark realities through art such as ours is. It seems that most of the terrible things done in this world are only able to occur in the dark or under deep layers of distraction and sensationalism in order to keep the masses from collective outrage and unrest. In a world where evil thrives in the shadows hidden behind the sensationalism of materialist popular culture I think underground radical art and music forces the light of awareness into these dark corners and forces history to be defined differently than how the dominator cultures architects intend. It's generally accepted that the exposure of the reality of the horrors committed in Vietnam which is known as the first televised war, completely changed the general population's ability to sit back and accept imperialist horrors committed abroad. When I look at the history of radical punk music I see a similar attempt to bring the reality of imperialism and occupation into sight through art, lyrics and music and therefrom instigate a conversation around popular dissent, resistance and the building of a new and more just reality.
I also find a lot of inspiration in the actions of the people of Spain in 1936 who seized not only the means of production but also self defense and created a functional alternative model of social autonomy under the oppressive circumstances they were enduring. I also find inspiration in the ways that groups like the Black Panthers identified problems and created autonomous and self actualized solutions for their communities in the face of heavy state oppression.These are just a few examples of radical hope and success no matter how temporal the victories were. Whether or not these endeavors had any long lasting existence doesn't so much speak to the integrity of their values so much as it does that it does remain that historical power simply has historical power, resources and momentum accrued through viscousness to reproduce itself time and again through force. I think this also speaks to the necessity of militant attitudes and action in this world we live in, it has been said that to appeal to the conscience of a monster with no conscience will yield no results. I don't think that there is going to be any sudden flip switched where talking about darkness and dystopia will suddenly erase it from existence but I do have deep trust in humanity and that historically darkness doesn't ever hold complete power over all that it seeks to control and that our collective power only increases through communication and participation. Like weeds through the cracking concrete I think the human will for autonomy and justice can erode at any false structure no matter how viscous and unrelenting it may seem to be.
5. What would you say to bands who already thought we were screwed 20 years ago? Has anything changed — or just gotten louder?
Hueman: As an activist and punk artist of over 20 years I now see more action and engagement and dialogue than ever. The fact that mutual aid is a household word now, that antifascism is a common term among regular people, and the fact that the liberal faith in voting has largely eroded more than ever before.
I think that if folks were hopeless 20 years ago I always understand it, but if you've really been paying attention for these 20 years we actually have gained a lot of ground and that actually means a lot. It's dark and it's always been dark but for those of us living against the grain it's never been for naught, and it may be hard to see results in our own lifetime but our efforts are fractaling out and we are indeed always gaining ground. Bands like Aus Rotten educated me as a kid reading their lyrics sheets and I've gone on to live a life of mutual aid and community building that has yielded real power both for me and my community locally and internationally.
There is great hope in what we do. I think if you talk to folks who write music like ours that addresses these dystopian realities you'll find the majority of them are not actually nihilistic about things but that reality drives them to articulate and express these feelings for both catharsis and to create meaningful dialogue with a sense of hope underlying all of it.
6. You're from Upstate NY—how does that tie into (or set you apart from) the wider East Coast punk circuit? What’s unique about your local scene?
Hueman: I would say our local scene is strong and intimate. We put in work to support touring bands and establish a scene that touring bands can come through and play to a crowd that appreciates them and makes sure there's gas in the tank and a place to crash. We work with our friends further upstate with Crisis Isolation booking so between our two connected scenes we try to make something happen for bands in our network.
I'd say our particular local scene is special because we all really value folks coming through to share their art and we also try to support each other locally when we are sharing in art and community, we don't take it for granted maybe as much as folks in saturated areas like major cities. We have a great mix of community here who don't necessarily all ascribe to one aesthetic or identity so when we're doing diy events it's a diverse gathering of folks who really care
7. Do underground bands in North America get to tour and travel much these days? Is there still a reliable network of promoters and venues you can count on when heading out to a different city or state? And is it still possible to live like a hardcore/punk nomad—or does the lifestyle require a steady side job to stay afloat?
Hueman: We all tour when we can but everyone I know in the scene has jobs, there's no career in rock and roll out here. Even the folks I know that play in bigger bands or supporting big acts on tours half the year still have jobs and often the touring money only covers the rent while you're on the road. Most of the artists I've known my whole life have all had jobs that are their true stability, touring usually requires using vacation time and getting coverage from fellow coworkers and etc. I grew up knowing folks from bands like Agnostic Front who still worked at local Delis most of the time so they could have an income and a bit of flexibility to go on the road. I think punk has always been something you have to do because it's in your nature not because you think it'll replace the hardship and bull crap of working for a living.
That being said, there is absolutely a strong and reliable diy network that runs deep through the country and even every small town between major cities that keep this underground culture alive and in the hands of those that really care. We've been lucky to play routes through this network both in the US and internationally and are proud to also facilitate being the local hosts of the network here in our region.
8. In my recent interview with Yamazaki Helvete from Hiroshima’s Axe Helvete, he mentioned that you first came across the band while visiting Tokyo. What brought you to Japan at that time, and how did you find the experience overall? Beyond discovering Axe Helvete, were there any other memorable encounters or realizations that stood out during your trip in Japan?
Shadowee: I went to Japan with one of my other bands in 2023 to play Kappunk in Tokyo. Axe Helvete was at the same venue as us and their set totally blew me away. After a brief chat I let them know I enjoyed their set and asked if they might want to play the US sometime. We stayed in touch and the rest is history.
Playing Japan was like a dream come true. I noticed the audience was there to actually listen to the bands not just to party. The festival and shows in general seemed better organized and way more professional than what I was used to back home. It felt like there was an actual community aspect to the scene and it was just really refreshing. Also it was amazing to see so many good bands at one festival! Oh yeah and the vending machines and 7-Elevens are next level there.
9. I believe Spirokëte’s latest release is the split album with Axe Helvete. What tracks did you include on it, how do you feel about the final result, and are there still any copies left for those who’d like to grab one?
Anatomical Scarecrow: Our songs on the split LP with Axe Helvete were originally released as the 'Desert Earth' cassette, our first recording under the name Spirokëte. I like how the recording came out, it's raw and lo-fi and it captures the noise and chaos of our live sound. It was recorded by John Gill, who also recorded the Unknown Liberty demo, and mastered by Will Killingsworth. I believe there are still some copies of the LP available from a few distros and stores in the US and Japan, and there is a CD version out on Black Konflik Records in Malaysia.
10. You had Axe Helvete join you for a West Coast tour in the States—how many gigs did you do together, where did you play, and what moments from the trip stand out most?
Corpse: For our West Coast tour we played 7 shows: Tower Bar - San Diego CA at Fear Of Noise Fest, Monty Bar - Los Angeles CA, Stay Gold Deli - Oakland CA, NWP Ranch - Sprague River OR, Blackwater - Portland OR, Lucky Liquor - Seattle WA, and Vancouver BC at the Have A Good Laugh Fest.
There are so many memories from this trip, but some that stand out are first meeting Axe Helvete (plus Teppei from Dissipated) outside of the San Diego Airport. Only our drummer had met them before so for the rest of us, we didn't really know what to expect. Once finding each other (which is pretty easy between crusties) we quickly hit it off and headed to a hotel to let everyone get rest after a long trip. Beer drinking and crude jokes ensued and I knew we were going to be a great match.
Another memorable moment was hanging out at the NWP Ranch. It's essentially a crust punk homestead/encampment? in rural Oregon where we played in front of a boxcar, which some of us then slept in. This part of the tour was so memorable to me because I felt that it was truly a unique experience for Axe Helvete, as I don't think anything like this exists in Japan.
11. How challenging is it to record and release physical formats these days? Are there DIY labels that help support these efforts, or do you prefer to handle everything entirely on your own?
Anatomical Scarecrow: We've put out our own releases in small runs on vinyl and cassette but it always helps to have the support of a label. We've had some great labels re-release our recordings in other parts of the world, like Iniquity Records in Germany and the above mentioned Black Konflik Records. Also, our new demo 'Song Of Spirokëte' will soon be out on cassette from Distorted Sedition Tapes in the US
12. What are some of your favorite recent releases on vinyl, CD, or cassette?
Anatomical Scarecrow: Depravity - Demo 2025 CD (featuring Mai of Axe Helvete on drums), Atomic Throat - 'Future Crust' demo comp. CD on Black Konflik, Frigöra - Fullständig Frigörelse studio discography LP, Alambre de Puas - Que Mierda Esperan De Mi? cassette
13. A music album, book, film, TV series and video clip that you recommend.
Corpse: Exit Hippies/Stagnation split, Clans of the Alphane Moon by Phillip K. Dick, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The only video clip I can currently think of is "We're the rats" on Youtube...
14. Is there someone with whom you’d like to read an interview on Jablká ďaleko od stromu?
Anatomical Scarecrow: We'd like to see an interview with our good friends Schenectavoidz (ex - Devoid Of Faith, Death Is Easy), they're great guys and historians of the Upstate NY punk scene. I'm sure they have a lot of interesting stories from over the years.
15. (thank you for the interview) - what’s one last piece of advice you’d like to leave for our readers?
You're welcome, thank you Tom/EZR for your interest! Free Palestine, free the world! Anarchy and peace - ♥ Spirokëte
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Links:
BANDCAMP: https://spirokete.bandcamp.com/album/desert-earth
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/spirokete_rawpunk/
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1. Kto si, čo robíš a čo ťa v poslednej dobe najviac zaujíma?
Anatomical Scarecrow: Hrám na gitaru a spievam v Spirokëte a D-Cline. Tiež kreslím, robím koláže, maľujem, sieťotlačím, píšem, tetujem. Poslednú dobu ma baví Disclose, Argue Damnation, Nemetona, Varukers, Doom, Excrement Of War, G-Anx.
2. Mohol by si predstaviť Spirokëte našim čitateľom? Kde pôsobíte a kto je momentálne v kapele?
Anatomical Scarecrow: Spirokëte je Anatomical Scarecrow – Gu/Vo, Hueman – Gu, Corpse – Ba, Shadowee – Dr. Žijeme roztrúsení po Hudson Valley v štáte New York.
3. Pred Spirokëte existovala Unknown Liberty – bol to v podstate ten istý projekt pod iným názvom, alebo ide o dve odlišné kapely s vlastnými konceptmi?
Anatomical Scarecrow: Spirokëte vyrástlo z Unknown Liberty. Zostava je rovnaká, len pribudol Hueman na druhej gitare. Unknown Liberty bola viac peace-punková kapela, zatiaľ čo Spirokëte išlo skôr surovejším punkovým smerom.
4. Vaše piesne sa zaoberajú vojnou, zúfalstvom a zneužívaním moci – Spirokëte pôsobí ako vhodný soundtrack k dnešnému rozpadajúcemu sa svetu. Vidíš nejakú nádej na lepšiu budúcnosť, alebo sme odsúdení na jednosmerný pochod do dystópie?
Hueman: Myslím, že nádej tu je vždy. Prvým krokom k riešeniu problému je jeho pomenovanie a práve to je cieľom umenia, akým je aj naše – upozorniť na temnú realitu. Zdá sa, že väčšina hrozných vecí vo svete sa môže diať iba v tme alebo pod vrstvami rozptýlenia a senzácie, aby sa predišlo kolektívnemu odporu. V svete, kde sa zlo darí v tieni populárnej konzumeristickej kultúry, radikálne undergroundové umenie a hudba prinášajú svetlo uvedomenia do týchto kútov a nútia históriu byť chápanú inak, než to plánujú architekti dominantnej kultúry. Je všeobecne prijaté, že odhalenie hrôz vo Vietname – prvej „televíznej vojny“ – úplne zmenilo schopnosť verejnosti mlčky tolerovať imperialistické zverstvá. A podobne vidím aj dejiny radikálneho punku – ako pokus dostať realitu imperializmu a okupácie do povedomia a podnietiť dialóg o odpore a budovaní spravodlivejšej reality.
Inšpiráciou sú pre mňa aj Španieli v roku 1936, ktorí si vzali nielen výrobné prostriedky, ale aj obranu do vlastných rúk a vytvorili alternatívny model autonómie. Inšpirujú ma aj Black Panthers, ktorí pomenovali problémy a vytvárali autonómne riešenia pre svoje komunity napriek tvrdým represiám. To všetko sú príklady radikálnej nádeje, aj keď boli ich víťazstvá dočasné. Ukazujú, že moc sa neudržiava hodnotami, ale zdrojmi a brutalitou, ktorými sa dokáže reprodukovať. Aj preto je potrebný militantný prístup – hovoriť k svedomiu monštra bez svedomia neprinesie výsledok. Nemyslím si, že existuje nejaký magický moment, kedy zmienka o temnote a dystópii zrazu zmaže ich existenciu. Ale mám hlbokú dôveru v ľudstvo a v to, že temnota nikdy nedokáže úplne ovládnuť všetko, čo chce, a že naša kolektívna sila rastie cez komunikáciu a participáciu. Ako burina cez praskajúci betón, aj ľudská vôľa po autonómii a spravodlivosti dokáže nahlodať každú falošnú štruktúru, akokoľvek brutálna a neúprosná sa zdá byť.
5. Čo by si povedal kapelám, ktoré si už pred 20 rokmi mysleli, že sme v koncoch? Zmenilo sa niečo – alebo je to len hlasnejšie?
Hueman: Ako aktivista a punkový umelec viac než 20 rokov teraz vidím viac aktivity, angažovanosti a dialógu než kedykoľvek predtým. Fakt, že „mutual aid“ je dnes bežný pojem, že „antifašizmus“ poznajú aj bežní ľudia a že viera v liberálne voľby je erodovaná viac než kedykoľvek predtým. Ak boli ľudia pred 20 rokmi beznádejní, vždy som to chápal. Ale ak si naozaj sledoval dianie, za tie roky sa veľa dosiahlo. Je temno a vždy bolo, ale pre tých, čo žijú proti prúdu, to nikdy nebolo márne. Možno neuvidíme výsledky v našom živote, ale naše úsilie sa rozvetvuje a získavame pôdu. Kapely ako Aus Rotten ma vzdelávali už ako decko, keď som čítal ich texty, a viedlo ma to k životu zameranému na komunitu a vzájomnú pomoc – a to prinieslo skutočnú silu mne aj mojej komunite doma aj medzinárodne. Je v tom veľká nádej. Myslím, že keď sa porozprávaš s kapelami, ktoré robia hudbu o dystopickej realite, väčšina z nich nie je nihilistická. Realita ich núti tieto pocity artikulovať a vyjadriť – ako katarziu aj ako spôsob vytvárania zmysluplného dialógu, kde vždy v pozadí zostáva nádej.
6. Ste z Upstate NY – ako vás to spája alebo odlišuje od širšej východokrajinskej punkovej scény? Čo je špecifické pre vašu lokálnu scénu?
Hueman: Naša lokálna scéna je silná a intímna. Podporujeme turné kapiel, aby tu mali publikum, benzín a miesto na prespanie. Spolupracujeme s kamarátmi z Crisis Isolation booking a snažíme sa vytvárať priestor pre kapely z našej siete. Naša scéna je špeciálna tým, že si veľmi vážime, keď k nám niekto príde zdieľať svoje umenie, a aj lokálne sa navzájom podporujeme. Neberieme to ako samozrejmosť tak ako ľudia vo veľkých mestách. Navyše je tu pestrá komunita, ktorá sa neprikláňa len k jednému štýlu alebo identite, takže DIY akcie sú rôznorodé a skutočne zmysluplné.
7. Dostávajú sa dnes undergroundové kapely v Severnej Amerike ešte na turné? Existuje stále spoľahlivá sieť promotérov a miest, na ktorú sa dá spoľahnúť? A je ešte možné žiť ako hardcore/punk nomád – alebo je nevyhnutné mať stabilnú prácu popri tom?
Hueman: Všetci chodíme na turné, keď môžeme, ale každý má prácu – z rock’n’rollu sa tu žiť nedá. Aj ľudia z väčších kapiel často pracujú, a peniaze z turné ledva pokryjú nájom. Väčšina umelcov, ktorých poznám, mala vždy prácu ako základ istoty, turné si riešia cez dovolenky a výmeny so spolupracovníkmi. Poznal som ľudí z kapiel ako Agnostic Front, čo popri tom pracovali v miestnych potravinách, aby mali príjem a trochu flexibility. Punk je niečo, čo robíš preto, lebo to máš v krvi, nie preto, že ti to nahradí ťažkosti každodennej práce. Ale zároveň je tu silná a spoľahlivá DIY sieť po celej krajine, aj v malých mestách medzi veľkými, ktorá drží túto kultúru nažive. Mali sme šťastie hrať cez túto sieť v USA aj medzinárodne a sme hrdí, že sme jej lokálnou súčasťou v našom regióne.
8. V mojom nedávnom rozhovore s Yamazakim Helvetom z hirošimskej Axe Helvete spomínal, že ste ich po prvýkrát stretli počas tvojej návštevy Tokia. Čo ťa priviedlo do Japonska a aká bola celková skúsenosť?
Shadowee: Do Japonska som šiel s jednou z mojich ďalších kapiel v roku 2023 hrať na Kappunk v Tokiu. Axe Helvete hrali v rovnakom klube a ich set ma úplne odrovnal. Po krátkom rozhovore som im povedal, že sa mi páčilo, a spýtal sa, či by nechceli niekedy zahrať v USA. Zostali sme v kontakte a zvyšok je história.
Hrať v Japonsku bol splnený sen. Publikum tam naozaj počúvalo kapely, nešlo len o párty. Festival aj koncerty boli oveľa lepšie zorganizované a profesionálnejšie než doma. Bolo cítiť komunitu a bolo to veľmi osviežujúce. A samozrejme, množstvo skvelých kapiel na jednom festivale! A áno – automaty a 7-Eleveny sú tam úplne iný level.
9. Myslím, že posledným vydaním Spirokëte je split album s Axe Helvete. Aké skladby ste naň zaradili, ako ste spokojní s výsledkom a sú ešte kópie dostupné?
Anatomical Scarecrow: Naša časť split LP s Axe Helvete bola pôvodne vydaná ako kazeta Desert Earth – naše prvé nahrávky pod menom Spirokëte. Nahrávka sa mi páči, je surová a lo-fi a zachytáva hluk a chaos našich koncertov. Nahral ju John Gill (nahrával aj demo Unknown Liberty) a masteroval Will Killingsworth. Myslím, že stále sú nejaké kusy LP v distribúciách v USA a Japonsku a vyšla aj CD verzia na Black Konflik Records v Malajzii.
10. Mali ste Axe Helvete so sebou na turné po Západnom pobreží USA – koľko koncertov ste spolu odohrali, kde všade a ktoré momenty zostali v pamäti?
Corpse: Odohrali sme spolu 7 koncertov: Tower Bar – San Diego CA na Fear Of Noise Fest, Monty Bar – Los Angeles CA, Stay Gold Deli – Oakland CA, NWP Ranch – Sprague River OR, Blackwater – Portland OR, Lucky Liquor – Seattle WA a vo Vancouveri BC na Have A Good Laugh Fest.
Spomienok je veľa, ale pamätám si, keď sme sa prvýkrát stretli s Axe Helvete (plus Teppei z Dissipated) pred letiskom v San Diegu. Iba náš bubeník ich poznal, my ostatní nie. Ale rýchlo sme sa našli (crusties sa spoznajú ľahko), hneď si sadli a bolo jasné, že budeme dobrá partia.
Ďalšia nezabudnuteľná chvíľa bola na NWP Ranch – crust punková osada v Oregone, kde sme hrali pred nákladným vagónom a niektorí z nás v ňom spali. Myslím, že pre Axe Helvete to bol jedinečný zážitok, aký v Japonsku asi neexistuje.
11. Aké ťažké je dnes nahrávať a vydávať fyzické nosiče? Pomáhajú DIY labely alebo si všetko radšej riešite sami?
Anatomical Scarecrow: Vydali sme si vlastné veci v malých nákladoch na vinyle a kazetách, ale vždy pomôže podpora labelu. Mali sme šťastie na labely, ktoré naše nahrávky znovu vydali inde vo svete – napríklad Iniquity Records v Nemecku a spomínané Black Konflik Records. Čoskoro vyjde náš nový demo Song Of Spirokëte na kazete u Distorted Sedition Tapes v USA.
12. Aké sú tvoje obľúbené nedávne vydania na vinyle, CD alebo kazete?
Anatomical Scarecrow: Depravity – Demo 2025 CD (Mai z Axe Helvete na bicích), Atomic Throat – Future Crust demo comp. CD na Black Konflik, Frigöra – Fullständig Frigörelse LP, Alambre de Puas – Que Mierda Esperan De Mi? kazeta.
13. Album, kniha, film, seriál a videoklip, ktoré odporúčaš.
Corpse: Exit Hippies/Stagnation split, Clans of the Alphane Moon od Phillipa K. Dicka, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. A jediný videoklip, čo ma hneď napadá, je „We’re the rats“ na YouTube.
14. Je niekto, s kým by ste si radi prečítali rozhovor na Jablká ďaleko od stromu?
Anatomical Scarecrow: Radi by sme si prečítali rozhovor s našimi dobrými kamarátmi Schenectavoidz (ex-Devoid Of Faith, Death Is Easy). Sú skvelí chalani a historici upstate NY punkovej scény. Určite by mali veľa zaujímavých príbehov.
15. (ďakujeme za rozhovor) – akú poslednú radu by ste chceli zanechať našim čitateľom?
Nemáte za čo, ďakujeme Tom/EZR za váš záujem! Slobodu Palestíne, slobodu svetu! Anarchia a mier – ♥ Spirokëte
