Saturday, July 4, 2009

INTERVIEW: Yves and PC records

This Sunday's interview is with Yves, the owner of German record label and disto PC records. Anyone interested in contacting Yves or checking out the record label's website, please visit HERE.

Could you please tell us a bit about yourself and the history of PC records? A Friend of mine started PC Records long time ago, I think in the begin-ning of 2000. After some police problems in addition to some private stuff, he gave me the chance to take it and run my own label. Before then, I worked one year for the label as normal seller. It was a big chance and of course absolutely a dream. So now, 5 years later I’m doing well with it...I’ve had trouble, but No Fights no Glory...

PC records has released some of the scenes’ biggest releases, what do you attribute your success to?
Hmm, I don’t know. I started as a young skinhead with a fanzine which was called "Der Panzerbär." So my main interest was music, and the musical part of the scene.
Since I’m abroad every weekend, attending gigs, helping organize gigs and other political stuff being 100% involved in things, that’s how I can distinguish which band is good, and which is not...

What are your three favorite releases on PC? What music styles do you usually prefer?
Every CD / DVD I made is good in my eyes. From a political view, the best CD is the second Hassgesang "Alte Kraft soll neu entstehen." The lyrics, the music, are all done great. But seriously I feel all my products are good. I have no regrets about anything.

Personally I listen to everything, from RAC to punk, metal and hardcore. I’m not a big fan of NSBM, but I really listen to a lot of music. But mostly I listen to political stuff, I have no spare time for other "normal" music, [laughs]...sadly no time at all.

Can you tell us a bit about the German music scene, and share some details about the growth of the hardcore scene specifically?
The scene is quite big but sadly most of the listeners are just listeners and do nothing political. So we hope to change that fact in the future; because if we stand up, we finally have a chance to change things. Hardcore is the newest trend. Of course it is good for the image of the national resistance here, because we away from the skinhead times. Through the media there were only pictures of anti-social skinheads who dress like freaks, so the hardcore stuff is much better to reach the public. However, bad things also come with that, noteably drugs etc...

We have a few quite talented bands, but the scene is not as big as most people abroad think.... People dress hardcore, but there are normal listeners; believe me, I see that every day in my shop. [Laughs]


There were several online forums that hosted controversy regarding the Kill Baby Kill song "Charlie Came Knockin'," a song about the personal struggle of cocaine abuse. PC records have worked with KBK in the past, I had read that you were supportive of the singer in his rehabilitation and that others should understand that was another time for him. Do you think this issue is worthwhile or mute; do you support the use of drugs?
No, absolutely not. My take is like the song by The Brawlers, "Drugs are for !#&$!%*s." People have faults, it’s just human and I won’t speak badly of Dieter because he had the balls to say it to my face about his problems. That’s why I said okay, that I respect it. If he makes that mistake again, of course he is out; but I hope and like to think not. By the way, I really like that song, [laughs]....shit story, but that song is great.

Is drug use common in the German or greater European scene?
Hopefully not. I just hear rumors of private things of some guys, but its no big scene problem.

PC records products proudly wear symbols of boycott against several other German labels, can you explain this a bit for us, as some readers are not familiar?
It is a logo that reads, that PC Records and I don’t support any work with V7 Versand and H8store label and distribution. After years of rumors and problems with those guys, the whole scene was sick of them. Month after month stories came out of them ripping off bands, talking with the police etc.... Both labels sell CDs I could never sell—without any problems. I have to have my lawyer check CDs with police, as with all illegal CDs....yet they sell Blue Eyed Devils’ "Murder Squad." V7 produced a CD with "Sieg Heil" lyrics on it, it's unbelievable....

Let us change subjects; have you ever been involved in any bands?
[Laughs] No, and that is best. I’m not very musical...

Any upcoming releases you'd like to share with us or that we should keep an eye out for?
Many things are planned, but nothing I can share before. I really don’t like to advertise thing beforehand, I can have many problems before releasing a new CD. So once I have the new CD, then I advertise it. Last CDs I did was Macht & Ehre, X.x.X. and Shed no Tears....

Who do you feel are the bands who are leading the way as far as talent and creativity in the scene?
Hmm, I have no thought on that, really too many to say.

PC has helped to organize many concerts, what is the best concert you have ever help organize or have ever been in attendance at?
Ugh, I’m on the run every weekend, [laughs] really too many. Of course Uprise this year was quite good. Sometimes the smaller ones are much better than concerts with 1,000 [patrons] or more...

And who would you like to see live that you have yet to?
I’m too young, so of course Fortress and Bound for Glory, Skrewdriver (R.I.P.) and the real No Remorse.....

Thank you very much for your time. Any words you would like to share with anyone? I'll leave the end to you.
No, thank you!! No big words, just "do the right thing!"

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