This interview was conducted too long ago, maybe at the beginning of this year or even the end of 2015. Kyle who was answering my questions was super nice, responsive person. Since that time Jukai released 7âłep by MassMovement Records and now they are about to release split with Recycled Earth from Hudson Valley, NY by Reconsider Records.
Introduce yourself guys. Can Euro hardcore kids can know you from different bands than Jukai?
Iâm Kyle B, I play guitar in jukai. Our other guitarist is Kyle F, on bass we have Ian, drums we have Steve, and our vocalist is named Zach. Jukai is based out of Long Island, NY. All of us have been in a ton of other projects. Zach was the bassist and backup vocalist in the final form of Cipher, and Ian played bass in Bottom Out. Both bands are hardcore/metalcore bands based out of Long Island, and both are sick so check them out if you havenât already.
You grabbed my attention after guys from Backtrack or different band mentioned you on their facebook. I checked the demo and thought âyeah, this is pretty good band. Raw, metallic, I like itâ, then I slept over your second release which is simply named MMXXIV. Can you tell couple words about this record? What influenced you during writing music and lyrics?
Wow MMXIV feels like such a long time ago, itâs crazy how focusing on a new release and playing shows can do that. The lyrics were actually written and performed by our friend and former band mate Matt. He has since left the band for personal reasons. The lyrics are pretty straight forward but I couldnât get into detail on the underlying meaning of them. As for the music on that release, we wanted to make every song have its own identity while still being Jukai. It actually took us a long time to write for that release because of the way we did it. We all have so many similar and different influences as individuals, and we bring them to the table in different ways so itâs hard to pinpoint exactly what was going through our heads for that release.
You mentioned Ian is playing in Bottom out. This is a great band. I like one of their latest records: Letters from earth. Generally I love when music is connected to wider context as it was here, where it was anchored in Mark Twainâs literature (correct me if Iâm wrong) Is there any kind of connections like this in Jukai?
Zachâs writing process for the new stuff is very personal. For the most part its very straight forward, Iâm not sure if he has any examples of that in his lyrics, but I can tell you that each song is based on a specific event in his life. Itâs not all âwah Iâm angry at the worldâ generalized. Funny we get back to Bottom Out, we actually have a new song that will not be in the ep, but is instead coming out on a flexi 1vs1 split with Bottom Out. As far as our old stuff goes, Matt sometimes wrote about personal events as well as generalized distaste for the world. Faith is a perfect example of the flatter.
So, if we are close to the subject of faith and spirituality let me ask about bands name. Jukai is a name of ritual taken from Buddhism. Are you any close to this philosophy?
I was actually not aware of that. The name is actually shortened for Kuroi Jukai which translates to black sea of trees. Kuroi Jukai is the name of a book, and also a name used for a specific region in the Aokigahara Mountains of Japan. The actual region is a place where an extremely high number of suicides take place. Some members of the band didnât like the name at first, but at this point there is no other name that could ever fit the way our music sounds and feels, at least in my opinion. As far as religion goes, we all retain our own identity as far as our beliefs and religions.
The thing which I really like about you guys is the way you sound. It is perfectly imperfect. As I said - it is raw, but still selective and reminds â90âs, somehow, however it may be funny it reminds me the way black metal bands sounds. Is there any story behind it?
Our sound was actually something we actually did by mistake, when we first started the band and jamming in 2012, we were playing around with more mainstream hardcore guitar riffs. Kyle F actually wrote the beginning riff to Jihad, which was our first song. Thatâs actually how we defined our sound, through that song. Like I said before we all have so many influences, and the way we bring them together to make music can sometimes be tough, it sometimes takes a long time for us to write. I think everyone in the band has great ideas and the best intentions but sometimes we try to make something because of an individual desire to have something sound the way we want. Like sometimes as individuals we take the music for granted and when we try to write it just ends up coming out like shit. Everyone in the band has done that before including me haha. I think Jukai kind of just writes itself. I feel like when we all stop trying so hard it becomes easy for us to just play the damn music and stop thinking about what would be a cool breakdown or fast part. And as far as black metal, the only black metal band I ever got into is Dusk, but I know Kyle F listens to more black metal than I do. Zach is now doing vocals since Matt left the band. Zach originally played bass. His lyrics are incredible, and now we have Steve and Kyle F both doing backup vocals both live and on record. So our ânewâ sound is a little more dynamic when it comes to the vocals.
Couple weeks ago MassMovement Records announce they will release your ep. What does it mean to you?
It means the absolute world to us that MassMovement is putting our newest ep on vinyl. The title to it is Devoid Of Hope, and like I said before Zachâs lyrics are incredible. We did the same style song writing for MMXIV where we wanted to have every song retain itâs own identity. We will be putting out a digital version pretty soon so keep on the look out for that. Everyone in the band is beyond excited to have a vinyl out. We got some help from our friends getting to this point as well so shout out to everyone who had a hand in this, specifically Scanlon and the boys in King Nine.
I want to ask you very general question about hardcore scene in NYC/USA in general. How do you feel about the place where hardcore is in your country now?
So Long Island is a relatively small island east of NYC, we are lucky enough to have our own scene here which is for the most part independent of NYC and the rest of NY. We have so many good people and bands based out of Long Island, and its not just hardcore, itâs also pop punk, alternative rock, hip hop, and even some shoegaze just to name a few. We also have a bunch of guys and girls who do visual art, as well for things like tattoos, show flyers, band artwork, graffiti, and such. The people involved really care because itâs what they love. The only thing that kind of sucks is that, we have a lack of venues, itâs largely due to the fact that property here is so expensive so no one wants to risk a bunch of crazy kids hurting each other in their establishment. Thatâs also why itâs so hard to get DIY venues here. The actual NYC scene is a little different, the face of Brooklyn has changed drastically. A lot of places have been shut down and itâs not as common to see hardcore shows there anymore. We have a couple of friends upstate and in the northeast area who kick some serious ass. Recycled Earth just dropped their new release called Act Of Devotion and itâs sick. Theyâre from the Hudson Valley area just upstate from us. Vein is another great band from Boston. Floods from Massachusetts, and Jagged Visions from Connecticut. I could go on for hours about bands coming up and this new era of sound that theyâre all bringing. We have been lucky enough to play out at places upstate NY, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. Everyone has been so nice and receptive to us. I think the music in general is changing but thatâs what music does, it evolves and moves forward as people try new things and also go back to their roots. I can really only speak for the places Iâve been but the people involved in the music, and the people who go to shows make hardcore great. Iâm sure itâs also like that in Europe, Asia, Canada, all over really. Especially now when people from all over can communicate, like how we are right now. We are both from very different places on the other side of the planet, and yet we both have hardcore in common, and the distance between us doesnât even matter.
Fact, the thing we are able to communicate and change our minds despite we are so far away is great thing, but on the other hand the connections between people are getting shallow and simple, but lets stay on Long Island. Does growing up in a place from bands like VOD, Kill Your Idols or Neglect was has an impact on you? Do the streets âliveâ with the legend of these bands?
Growing up on Long Island, there is that constant reminder of these bands that came before us, and weâre grateful for that. Our friendâs practice space is where Kill Your Idols had their infamous last parking lot show. Perhaps the band that had the greatest influence on us is Cipher. Iâm not sure if youâre aware of them but Zach played with them for a bit towards the end, and they really embody what we try to not only sound like but present ourselves as unfortunately though, things change and move on. The venue where Neglect had their last show is now a restaurant. Many of the legendary venues are now closed, or not doing hardcore shows anymore. So while itâs important to respect the past and those who came before, weâre also putting focus on today.
While Jukai is still more local-widely known band, there are couple bands from Long Island known worldwide like for example already mentioned Backtrack or Incendiary. Do you know each other, hang around or is the scene that big that you have nothing in common? I know this could sound cliché, but contrary, here in Poland, or in Europe generally speaking most of people who are into hardcore knows each other.
Well I mean when youâve been to shows for years with pretty much the same people, youâre eventually going to have to communicate with them and be friendly. Both Backtrack and Incendiary are friends of ours, and have helped us out in one way or another. We donât really hang out outside of shows, but they have been our supporters since day one. The biggest band that has helped us out in terms of what weâre doing now, specifically the record is King Nine.
Let me ask you couple quick hardcore and pop culture related questions. Can you name your top 3 NYHC bands all time?
Agnostic Front has been doing it the longest, I donât know if theyâre the first band but they still have been going strong year after.The first band I think about with NYHC is the Cro Mags. Age of quarrel is a perfect record start to finish, and even today, with their current lineup, they are so much fun to see live and I enjoy them.When I first started checking out hardcore in general, Gorilla Biscuits was up there with bands like Black Flag and Bad Brains, their music is fast, and more importantly has a strong message attached to it, and they were probably one of the first bands to have an earnest message about things like vegetarianism, gender equality, and straight edge. While Iâm neither vegetarian nor straight edge, I canât deny Gorilla Biscuits determination and overall positive message.Sheer Terror to me is the polar opposite of Gorilla Biscuits. A lot of people might look at me funny for picking Sheer Terror over bands like Judge or Youth Of Today, but Sheer Terror to me is reality. Theyâre not a band about concepts, or ideals, as much as they are about the bitterness of everyday life. The best word to describe their lyrical content is ugly, and I think based on that, they would get my vote. They are a real band singing about real things.Indecision helped shape the sound of 90âs hardcore and are one of Jukaiâs biggest influences. Without their sound, we wouldnât even be close to the band we are today. Based on that fact, Indecision is so vital to NYHC in the sense that they popularized that style in New York.
Cro mags âAge of quarrelâ
Leeway âBorn to expire"
Merauder âMaster killer"
Everybody Gets Hurt âThe dark seeds of man"
Antidote âThou shalt not killâ 7 inch
Meruader âMaster killerâ
Biohazard âUrban Disciplineâ
Crown of Thornz âMentally Vexedâ
Cro Mags âAlpha Omegaâ
Letâs go to pop culture, because it is hard to speak about any pop culture without mentioning NY. I just want to throw 2 or 3 quick questions:Batman or Spiderman? Haha
Neither? I guess between the two would be Spider-Man by a small margin, Iâm an X-men geek to be honest. Batman has the better movies though but as far as the Batman movies, I prefer the new ones. I liked the Frank Miller series so to see them adapted was cool.
Movies based in NYC. Can you name your top of all time?
Tie between âEscape from New Yorkâ and âThe Warriorsâ.Iâm glad you asked that question, I have a funny story about movies based in New York. Have you ever seen Men In Black with Will Smith?
When that movie came out I was maybe 8 or 9, I was living in Queens, New York, about 10 minutes from the real version of that Globe Statue they blow up with the little gun and I started crying and I demanded that my mom drive me to the Globe because I thought it was really blown up.
Before digging hardcore and punk I used to listen to a lot of hiphop. Are you into? If so, name your favorite, or maybe you have some fresh names uncommon to wider bunch of people.
Not fresh names really, but I like a lot of the classics. Gang Starr, Geto Boys, EPDM, Eric B & Rakim, De La Soul, stuff like that.
Your recommendations for any other kinds of music?
I like a lot of different stuff so itâs tough to narrow it down. This morning Iâll probably listen to the Aphex Twin that came out last year called âSyroâ. Thereâs also this female fronted band called Sheer Mag Iâve been listening to a lot lately, they kind of sound like Thin Lizzy a bit, real classic rock and roll sound. My friends finally convinced me to listen to Turnover which is cool, I like them. Iâm a HUGE Kate bush fan, so they kind of go hand in hand. âHounds of Loveâ to me is up there as one of my favorite records ever. Let me give you some sick recommendations on some new stuff then: Dame is a band kind of in the vein of like Kate Bush/New Order sounding music, theyâre from Maryland maybe and Firewalker, they are just mean sounding female fronted hardcore from Boston.
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