As the filmmaker behind the Afro-Punk movie and cofounder of the Afropunk Festival, James Spooner gave a voice to Black punks everywhere. Now he's focused on telling his own story—in his own words.
Over time, despite having some of those records, the whole Ebullition thing started to rub me the wrong way. It felt very dour and joyless to me, as rigid in its own way as Hardline was (and again, I like Earth Crisis, but I definitely roll my eyes at them sometimes).
Maybe (through my very white, cishet male lens) what I appreciate so much about hardcore in this moment is that the increased visibility of all of the people who've been historically erased from this subculture feels less reactive and more like they're stepping into and claiming the space that was always theirs. I'm constantly pleasantly surprised by the apparent lack of pushback, too. Because if you look at the 90s_hardcore account on Instagram, yeah, that's a lot of photos of clean-cut white dudes looking really emotional about something.
I think it's always important to keep things in their historical context. I agree that the Ebullition thing got to be too much; the joylessness is why it was unsustainable. But as we talk about in the interview, every movement in punk is a reaction to what came before it. Ebullition was reacting to what they saw as the depoliticization of hardcore, so they were trying to overcorrect it the other way. I've often said that Texas is the Reason was a reaction to the ideology-based movements (including Krishnacore, which I played a part in, and Hardline, and others); when we started I was like, "I'm fucking exhausted of fighting all the time. Can we make a band that's not about fighting with half the scene?" So yeah. Action/Reaction in punk is real!
That's absolutely fair. When I think of "reaction," I think of something more blindly oppositional, like the sort of reasoning that leads to "if you think about it, being conservative is the most punk rock thing you can do." Which...no.
I think the political/ideological distinction you bring up is helpful - I think punk/hardcore is inherently political, either in the general sentiments or who is doing the performing, or both. Even if that's not the artist's intention. But ideology is, I think, where the rigidity and arguments start. You must care about *these* things in *this* way.
And funny enough, when I was a DJ in college radio, Angelo Moore came down to the studio because Fishbone was playing in town, and he and I chatted for a few minutes about how awesome Rock For Light was.
This interview was EXCELLENT!
This was such a good interview. I want to go watch the Afropunk movie again. RIP Matt Davis.
Might be my favorite interview yet.
Sucks what afropunk has become but glad to hear that alternatives are popping up!
Over time, despite having some of those records, the whole Ebullition thing started to rub me the wrong way. It felt very dour and joyless to me, as rigid in its own way as Hardline was (and again, I like Earth Crisis, but I definitely roll my eyes at them sometimes).
Maybe (through my very white, cishet male lens) what I appreciate so much about hardcore in this moment is that the increased visibility of all of the people who've been historically erased from this subculture feels less reactive and more like they're stepping into and claiming the space that was always theirs. I'm constantly pleasantly surprised by the apparent lack of pushback, too. Because if you look at the 90s_hardcore account on Instagram, yeah, that's a lot of photos of clean-cut white dudes looking really emotional about something.
I think it's always important to keep things in their historical context. I agree that the Ebullition thing got to be too much; the joylessness is why it was unsustainable. But as we talk about in the interview, every movement in punk is a reaction to what came before it. Ebullition was reacting to what they saw as the depoliticization of hardcore, so they were trying to overcorrect it the other way. I've often said that Texas is the Reason was a reaction to the ideology-based movements (including Krishnacore, which I played a part in, and Hardline, and others); when we started I was like, "I'm fucking exhausted of fighting all the time. Can we make a band that's not about fighting with half the scene?" So yeah. Action/Reaction in punk is real!
That's absolutely fair. When I think of "reaction," I think of something more blindly oppositional, like the sort of reasoning that leads to "if you think about it, being conservative is the most punk rock thing you can do." Which...no.
I think the political/ideological distinction you bring up is helpful - I think punk/hardcore is inherently political, either in the general sentiments or who is doing the performing, or both. Even if that's not the artist's intention. But ideology is, I think, where the rigidity and arguments start. You must care about *these* things in *this* way.
And funny enough, when I was a DJ in college radio, Angelo Moore came down to the studio because Fishbone was playing in town, and he and I chatted for a few minutes about how awesome Rock For Light was.