You may recognize PESADILLA DISTOPIKA from one of my previous posts (which you can find here). They are one of the newest bands playing raw hardcore in So Cal at the moment. Their shows are fast and intense, so if you ever get a chance to see them play, so yourself a favor and check them out. You won't be disappointed...
1. So, you guys are a fairly new band. Tell us how you came about the idea of starting this band. Is this the first band you guys have ever been in? How did you come up with the name “Pesadilla Distopika”?
This isn’t the first band we’ve been in. We have all been in different bands but I got bored with the old stuff I was doing. I wanted to do something that I felt more passionate about and have songs that I felt had some meaning to me. There is a lot of apathy right now in punk (bands singing about how their life sucks, drugs, not giving a fuck about anything) and that’s fine if you want to be a band and do that because I like a lot of those bands but I don’t feel like that’s my thing because I grew up listening to bands like Tragatelo, Los Crudos, Sin Dios, and other bands that had a message about social change. I came up with the band name (means Dystopic Nightmare) because that’s how I was feeling about a lot of things in society. That the power and institutions that make up society have just placed us in this big inescapable nightmare.
2. Your sound is dark and heavy, similar to what a lot of hardcore bands are doing these days. What sets you guys apart from the rest of the hardcore crowd (in your opinion)? Do you think there is anything new or unique that can be brought to the scene? I Know a lot of bands play around with reverb vocal pedals, super fuzzed out guitars, etc…
I think there isn’t a similar sound like we have in Southern California right now. Maybe in Spain there are bands with a similar sound that we have but I think we have incorporated elements of hardcore into loud punk songs. I always think bands can bring something unique to the scene. I am not sure if we are bringing something really unique or not soundwise. I’m not sure if bringing a new unique sound to punk is really our objective with this band. At the end of the day, if they’re just cool songs then people will dig them.
3. You guys are coming from San Bernardino. Correct me if I’m wrong, but as far as I know, there’s not much of a scene on that side of So Cal. Is it difficult to be a band on that side of town? How is the scene in SB?
You’re pretty much right. There isn’t much of a punk scene out here aside from the Mentone/Loko Lounge Punks and some scattered smaller scenes in Colton and Riverside. I think it is pretty difficult to be in a band that is from San Bernardino or this part of the Inland Empire. Mostly because if you’re in a band from L.A. or Orange County, you have a pretty strong scene you can be a part of from the beginning and jump on shows and help set up shows. If you’re from the Inland Empire, you don’t have that visibility or network like you do in bigger cities like L.A. or Orange County. You also have to drive an hour or so for shows. Smaller things like that make it harder to be in a band from the Inland Empire. It would be cool to try and build up the scene in the Inland Empire a bit more.
4. You’re tape was released to much buzz and your live shows are short and intense. What’s next for you guys? Are you touring or traveling anytime soon? Are there any more releases in the works?
We are going to take a break from shows after July to practice some more songs and record a 12”. I am most likely going to start releasing records and that will include the Pesadilla Distopika 12”, the Ekolalia 7”, and our other band Abortion Reels’ 7”. We want to do an Abortion Reels/Pesadilla Distopika tour in the winter.
5. I know that at least one of you has a degree from a University. What are your thoughts on punks and education? Do you think that education should be valued more in the punk culture?
This is a funny because I just got done writing an entry for my friend Salvador’s zine called “Nameless in Life, Faceless in Death” about punks and education about a week ago. Anyway, I am the one who is really entrenched in academics right now. I got my bachelor’s degree in 2010 in history and I am entering my fourth year in a Ph.D. program in history right now at UC Irvine. I have a lot of mixed feelings about the academy. There are positive aspects to it and negative aspects to it. Basically, in what I wrote for Sal’s zine, I talk about white privilege, my frustrations with higher education, and how all that relates to punk. If anyone is interested in it, you should hit up Sal for a copy of the zine at sal_hernandez1@yahoo.com
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