Parts and Labor: Politik ist Musik ist Politik!

Von Cathy

Der zweite Teil unserer New-York-City-Serie folgt unmittelbar auf dem Fuße. Worum es dabei geht, könnt ihr in der Einleitung zum Japanther-Interview nachlesen. Cathy hat diesmal die Band Parts & Labor aus Brooklyn mit Fragen gelöchert. Das Trio, das musikalisch irgendwo zwischen Punk und Pop umher fiept und stresst, hat seinen Sänger, Bassisten und Keyborder BJ zu einem netten Interview über die vitale Musikszene in NYC, über Gentrification und Politik vorgeschickt. Viel Spaß.

Beatpunk Webzine (KC): As a Brooklyn-based band, how do you evaluate the alternative music scene in NYC contemporarily?
BJ: I moved to NYC in 1998, and to Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in 1999. I certainly wasn’t part of the first waves of artists moving into industrial spaces along the waterfront, but it was still fairly deserted when I moved into a converted warehouse near the East River. The scene has been vibrant through it all, obviously becoming very hip (and consequently diluted) in more recent years. But there’s still tons of amazing underground rock shows and art events; you just have to go further away from Bedford Avenue to find them these days.

What changes, shifts or turning-points underwent the music scene in the past? (As far as you can remember.)
It seems like there’s a new restaurant or gallery opening up (or closing) every week. I remember old loft/show spaces like The Happy Birthday Hideout, Rubulad (now relocated in the old Happy Birthday Hideout Space), Mighty Robot (now relocated to the Monster Island warehouse and redubbed Secret Project Robot). Things hit a peak in 2002 when the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Liars broke into nationwide recognition. That was probably the big year of Williamsburg breaking out of being a neighborhood and underground focused scene. Of course TV on the Radio following a few years later. Todd P started putting on shows in tiny shitholes and dive bars around 2002, I think, and he’s since grown into something of an institution, routinely putting on events drawing 1000+ people.

The idea that subculture is totally different from popular culture and has a revolutionary moment is still alive though the times of the subcultural peak is gone long ago. And even in its heyday »subculture« never was totally independent from the music industry at all. Subculture and all its spheres are phenomena of what Adorno and Horkheimer called the culture industry. So the phenomenon subculture diminished, but what’s still topical are the political (and left) ideas that made subculture seeming so »authentic«. Independent music and labels are often dedicated to those political ideas. In how far, would you say, are music and politics related, especially concerning Indie-music in NY/USA?
That’s a difficult question to answer, and I think is different from band to band, from artist to artist. The majority of the underground scene here is definitely leaning towards leftist ideas/ideals. But you’re right in pointing out that the subculture is always dependent upon the mainstream culture it’s reacting against. And these days, with the advent of MySpace, and the ease with which it has allowed bands to develop fan bases rapidly and book tours, I’m noticing a lot more »mainstream« tactics being utilized in the underground. Lots of very young bands already have booking agents, managers, PR companies. Even the smallest of indie labels will commonly hire publicists (even to get noticed and reviewed on music blogs, which are supposedly more democratic and ground-level than print or more mainstream media!). But for all that you have still bands, Japanther would be a great example, that practice strict DIY business practices, frequently support local causes, throw benefit concerts, etc.

To me, though, politics are not a separate realm or category of thought; rather political ideology is intrinsic in all that we do and believe and practice; one’s political beliefs should inform not just music and art but also daily ritual and behaviour. The short answer is just that: my politics and music are inseparable related. My political beliefs inform my music and my music informs my political beliefs.

In how far is Parts and Labor influenced by DIY-ideas?
Crucially. We started out booking all our own shows, practicing in my tiny bedroom, producing our own albums on CDRs and packaging them by hand, putting together our own tours, promoting shows in the neighborhood for friends and out-of-town bands that we’d meet on the road. We’re heavily influenced by the early punk pioneers, especially bands like Minutemen, the early hardcore scene, SST, Ian McKaye, Black Flag, et al. Although these days, admittedly, we’re less strictly DIY. We have a booking agent, we’re represented by a label (Jagjaguwar Records) that does a large amount of publicity on our behalf. But the methodology of DIY informs everything that we do. We record most of our own music, still, and we’re extremely hands on with our bookers and label folks.

There have been a lot of turning-points in the NY city politics towards alternative living or politics, as in the 1980s the violent smashing of the squatter scene and the squats (Tompkins Square Park riots e.g.) which was part of the »gentrification« process. Further, the interaction of the (alternative) art scene in that process and the following »journey« of the art‑ and music scene from quarter to quarter, now »arrived« in Williamsburg. What are the changes in the NY city politics in the last 10 years concerning (alternative) art, social issues, cultural issues and alternative projects?
Rudy Giuliani (mayor of New York City, 1994–2001) did a lot to clamp down on the art and music scene. One of the biggest, and most draconian measures, was his enforcement of the »cabaret laws«, which made it illegal to dance in bars and clubs that didn’t have a cabaret license. His main goal was to hurt strip clubs, but the law and its ruthless enforcement definitely hurt legal nightlife as well. His cultural clean-up of the city has been continued by the Bloomberg administration, and it’s been during the past 10 years that the East Village has turned into a Disneyland of gentrified businesses and cafes taking the place of a once vibrant punk/squatter community.

Speaking about Williamsburg, there’s been a similar pattern of gentrification. Artists moved into the neighborhood, living in converted warehouses and factories, and generally making the area both safer and fashionable, paving the way for development and profit seekers. Personally, I was evicted from my loft space (then a commercial space, since rezoned for mixed use and ostensibly residential) by the buildings and fire departments in 1999. A few weeks, the residents of another commercial warehouse in the Southside of Williamsburg have been evicted for building code violations. This sort of thing is continually happening in an area where artists are seeking cheaper living situations and landlords are shady enough to provide them illegally.

I think the large scale residential rezoning of Williamsburg has been extremely detrimental. It’s as if the city flipped a light switch and changed a large swathe of land from industrial to residential. It has invited a massive real estate gold rush; you can’t walk a block in the neighborhood without seeing either a new condominium springing up or an old factory building being torn down. It’s had the ironic result, of course, of pushing out the creative and artistic members of the community who can no longer afford the skyrocketing rents – the same old story. Meanwhile most of these building have yet to be opened, so it’s often like walking around a ghost-city of occasional skyscrapers in what’s generally an area of 5 to 6 story homes and apartments. Plus, the infrastructure of the neighborhood can’t support such a massive increase in population density; there’s no fire station, no nearby hospital, and already severely stressed public transportation system. I wish the city had gone for a longer and more organic approach to the rezoning, rather than cutting for the quick profiteering over preserving the culture and architecture of a beautiful and historic neighborhood.

What’s the deal with music and art in NY? And what are current developments in that field?
The deal? It’s as vibrant and chaotic and oversaturated as it’s ever been. Perhaps more so now more than ever, but it’s always difficult to say. A lot of people think there are more bands now with the internet and such making it easier; I think there’s probably about the same number of people making music and art but it’s just more available to others. There’s a ton of great promoters in Brooklyn, notably Todd Patrick (toddpnyc.com), The Secret Project Robot, and a variety of DIY spaces like Death By Audio, Silent Barn, etc. It’s exciting to live here, often overwhelming, but it’s still the case that whatever your artistic or social niche you’ll probably find a community here.

What would you say does »political« and »politics« mean in the US in general and concerning issues as direct action, anarchist, left or radical ideas?
This is a vague question. I’d say that with our upcoming presidential election we’re either going to see a woman (Clinton) or an African American (Obama) presidential candidate; any left-leaning politico should be psyched about that progressive development. But the country is still caught pretty much in a 50/50 tug-of-war between conservatives and progressives; I also believe that while it’s useful to break down the major political debates into binary options (red state vs. blue state, Democrat vs. Rebulican, pro-choice vs pro-life, etc.) does a disservice to the ideal democratic state. As far as direct action, protesting, anarchist ideals, I’ve participated in many protests and marches and I can honestly say that, while empowering, they do little to change the status quo. Our country is run by large, very rich, very powerful corporations and corporate interests, and it’s through the unfortunately slow political system that any progress will be made.

And in how far is there an interaction between the »alternative« or »indie«-music scene and political issues?
During the Bush Administration it’s been pretty intertwined, thankfully. Probably just because Bush and Co. are pretty much universally reviled in the artist communities. Lots of bands (even from mainstream acts like Dixie Chicks to large indie bands like TV on the Radio) are speaking out politically, and it’s great to see.

Thanks for participating!

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