It was my inaugural Obscene Extreme.
After mooching about for a couple hours setting up shop and guzzling plenty of delicious and delightfully cheap Czech beers (as you do), several colleagues insisted we hit the pit pronto for local goregrind heroes Jig-Ai. Side stage we rocked up behind an unsually chatty Dan Lilker who lit up like a little kid at Christmas saying he was about to join the band on stage for a Brutal Truth cover. When the normally straight-faced Lilker gets excited about anything you listen, and you listen hard. From the moment they hit the stage Jig-Ai went bananas. They had enough energy to power a small village, running back and forth, jumping around like tweaked out acid monkeys whilst delivering tasty jam after tasty jam. Think Rompeprop does Hentai with better production. Needless to say, I fell hard, and when all was done and dusted, they stood out as one of the weekend’s best amongst company like Blood Duster and Napalm Death. After an extended break Czech’s favourite twisted grinders are back and guitarist Brain spoke to Zero Tolerance about all things Jig-Ai.
ZT: Were there any other factors contributing to your 2 year break or was it just because of the drummer situation?
B: The drummer situation was not the main reason. Actually, I moved to Ireland for 2 years and then I went to travel South and Central America for seven months so we had to stop live shows for some time.
ZT: How do you think Kaspy’s drumming and personal influences have changed the band/made your music better?
B: He´s got a bit of a different style of drumming than Stefy, same as every drummer, but we are still tuned in to the Jig-Ai note and that’s the most important thing.
ZT: You’ve said before that the gory and violent subject matter, including rape, is just for fun. I understand that it’s part of goregrind and I definitely get a laugh out of ridiculous song titles but what would you say to people who do take this subject matter seriously and find it offensive/misogynist?
B: You can not take us too seriously. What we do and how we present the band is just for fun. It is the same as watching horror movies. I personally love horror, same as millions people all over the world and that does not mean that I am cutting my neighbours’ wives heads off, raping them and eating their brains during cold winter nights. People like this stuff, that’s how it is. Of course another side is reality. People who take this seriously and do that in real life are sick and they need treatment.
ZT: Saw you at OEF 2009 and you had Dan Lilker to sing on a song. How did that happen and how crazy was it to have a metal/grind legend join you on stage?
B: First time he sang with us was in New York. We just mentioned to him about playing Brutal Truth cover and ask if he was interested in hitting the stage with us. He said yes and that’s how it happend. Dan is really cool guy and OEF show was kind of automatic thing. He was there, we were too, so we did it. For me as an old fan of BT it was a big pleasure to play their cover with a band member on stage.
ZT: Who are you looking forward to seeing at OEF this year?
B: I´ve already seen most of the bands that are playing and there are plenty of big names this year so it is gonna be the perfect party! Personally I am looking forward to Nasum. I saw them with Mieszko a long time ago and it was a really good gig, so let´s see how it is gonna be with the new line up.
ZT: You’d played MDF a couple years back as well, which must have been a pretty big moment considering you hadn’t left Europe as a band before. It’s generally known as more of a straight up metal fest, though there’s always some grind thrown in for good measure. What was the reception like and how did you find it as a festival over all after having only experienced playing them in Europe?
B: Ryan, one of the organizers lived in Czech at that time. We knew him from previous shows and he had seen Jig-ai few times so that’s how we got there. The reception was nice. MDF is the most extreme fest in the States, which means there were many grind/gore heads. Also it is an interesting venue because it is in the middle of the city.
ZT: Eastern Europe is known for loads of grind, both of the crusty/political nature and the gore/death variety, with the Czech scene being especially strong. Which would you say is more prominent and why do you think that is?
B: People usually ask a similar question and I can not give you a straight answer because I do not know which kind is more prominent. I do not care so much about pigeon-holing the music. For me the most important thing is if the band itself is good or not. No matter if it is grind, crust, gore, hardcore, brutal death, or anything else. So the scene in general is strong maybe because a lot of people see it the same way and are more open, or maybe because organizers mix bands from different styles together to bring more people. If you want to see your favourite band you have to come. Maybe it is because, as they say, “pick a Czech and find a musician“.
ZT: What’s next tour wise?
B: We have not planned any European tours for 2012, just few gigs and fests mostly during the weekends. If everything goes well we will do a few shows in Mexico probably next year. Anyways stay tuned on the Jig-Ai note, check our sites time to time and everything important about band and shows will be there. Stay GORE maniacs!
You can catch them in The Promised Land, also known as Obscene Extreme, taking place July 11-14 in Trutnov, Czech Republic and at Bloodshed Fest in Eindhoven October 13-14. Their most recent split LP with Poland’s Ass To Mouth is out on Bizarre Leprous Productions.
Jig Ai: www.facebook.com/jigaigore
Bloodshed Fest: www.bloodshed.nl
