Rasta Knast interview: Rasta Knast ROCK! These were answered by e-mail by Martin K. & F. Shock. They're a busy band so I feel very lucky to get this, thanks alot! Buy their music! They're a great punk band!!!! -Mikki 12/02

RK: RASTA KNAST was founded by Martin K. (ex-WONDERPRICK/LOCKJAW) and Andreas Höhn (ex PISSED SPITZELS) in January '97. In the same month they recorded the EP "Probegepogt" just for fun as a two-piece (Martin K.: drums, guitar, bass + vocals - and Andreas: guitar + vocals). Surprisingly the EP immediately became a success in the German punk-scene and sold very well. The demand grew to play these songs live and Holger and Martin V. from WONDERPRICK were helping out at the first gigs. January '98, during the production of the first LP "Legal Kriminal" which was recorded with the same system like "Probegepogt", Konrad (ex-ABSTÜRZENDE BRIEFTAUBEN) joined the band as bass-player for the future and sung some choirs's for it. For the forthcoming gigs they found Carsten (OHL+EMILS) as drummer but he was replaced by Eric (ex-GAINSAY!) in April'99.

Through numerous gigs in all parts of germany and small tours in Estonia and Mallorca/Spain that were documented in Plastic Bomb-magazine RASTA KNAST reached such a cult-status in the scene that even Swedens finest punk-label BIRDNEST RECORDS licenced the album "Legal Kriminal" for Scandinavia. In autumn '99 RASTA KNAST could present the worthy follow-up album "Die Katze beißt in Draht" (="the cat bites in wire") that even blows away their first album "Legal Kriminal". In March '2000 Eric left the band because of bad problems with the back. Fortunately they found Phill from ANTIKÖRPER more fast and he is swinging the drum-sticks in RASTA KNAST till today. RASTA KNAST are working completely independent.

All records and graphics are produced from Martin K. in his own studio (D.N.A.). A preference for old classic Swedish punk-bands like ASTA KASK or STREBERS can't be denied. RASTA KNAST play fast and melodic punk-rock full of energy and passion with a melancholy undertone.

In March '2000 they present their second EP "Turistas Alemanes Asesin@s". Two own songs and three cover's from old Spanish cult-bands like COMMANDO 9MM, TOREROS AFTER OLE and LA BROMA DE SATAN completely sung in Spanish-lyrics - partly with friends (Victor from BAD TASTE, Celia + Javi from ex- THE PATHETIKS) from Mallorca. After in May '2000 RED STAR RECORDS licenced their second album "Die Katze beißt in Draht" for Brasil RASTA KNAST made a tour with AGROTOXICO and OLHO SECO there. After the Brasil-tour Konrad has left the band because of sickness-problems. Some weeks later Höhnie left the band because of personal differences. Than Florentin (ex THE ANNOYED)joined the band as new second guitar-player and also vocals and Thomas (ex FFA) as new bass-player. In October 2000, Rasta Knast finnished their new split-ep "VARNING!" with the Swedish punk legend TROUBLEMAKERS. Two new songs from each band. After some gigs hereabouts, a tour with the German cult- band HASS through Austria, Switzerland and Germany followed in March/April 2001. The brandnew album "BANDERA PIRATA" is released since 1st of June 2001 on Nasty Vinyl (CD & LP) and Plastic Bomb Records (only LP). Red Star Records licenced the album in July 2001 for Brazil. After the second great Brazilian tour with AGROTOXICO in June 2001, Rasta Knast played in August some shows together with TROUBLEMAKERS in Sweden, Norway and Germany. Furthermore, there will be a variety of gigs in Germany and a split-cd with AGROTOXICO, where Rasta Knast will sing in Portuguese and the Brazilians in German. A third Brazil-tour and a tour in Japan 2003 are planned.

DML: What bands have had the most influence on your musical style?

RK: Of course the music of Rasta Knast is mainly inspired by Swedish Punkbands like Asta Kask, Strebers or Dia Psalma. Sometimes you´ll hear elements of German bands like Slime for example, too.

DML: I understand your name was decided on because it sounded similar to Sweden's Asta Kask, who you've worked with alot. What exactly does Rasta Knast mean & do you still work with or are you still in contact with Asta Kask?

RK: We only know Bonny & Bjurre from Asta Kask. Rasta Knast means obiviously nothing really special in this context, but is a play with words on Asta Kask. "Rasta" is a word for a special style of hairdo which is worn by people who enjoy Reaggemusic, "Knast" means "prison". You don´t have to interpret that in really, we don´t want Reaggefans go to prison :).

DML: I've also noticed a couple songs in what I assume is Swedish... do you speak Swedish or did you just sing lyrics given to you?

RK: The only person in the band who really understands Swedish is our drummer Phill. He studied the language for a long time and is now the expert for pronciation and spelling, so we have home-made lyrics.

DML: How are your songs usually written?

RK: Mostly, one of us comes to the practice and has parts or a nearly complete song in his pockets. We try and look if we can do some arrangement work together. The lyrics are added very much later so we can make sure that athmosphere and text are fitting together.

DML: I know that you & Höhnie started the band in 1997 & were together for a long time... can you tell us why Höhnie left the band & are you still on good terms with him? What is he doing now?

RK: Höhnie left the band 2 years ago because of personal differences which are not overpowerd yet. So, the terms are not really good. Now he is working with his label but nobody of us has any contacts to him.

DML: Are you or have you been involved in any side projects? If so, what were/are they?

RK: Everybody of us, except Florentin are involved in some sideprojects. Martin plays the drums in Wohlstandsmüll, Thomas has Leistungsgruppe Maulich and Phill plays in Antikörper.

DML: I noticed your site is asking for a vote on people's favorite track. Are the results in, if not what song is in the lead & what is your favorite Rasta Knast song?

RK: I think at the time the peoples favorite track is "Ost Berlin". Our personal faves are "Einer mehr oder weniger", "Das Ende der Welt" .........

DML: While on the subject of favorites... what is your favorite band & album?

RK: This is a difficult thing to say because this varies from time to time. At the moment I listen a lot COMMANDO 9MM and the last CD from RADIOAKTIVA RÄKER. Florentin love the 4th album of ...But Alive called "Hallo Endorphin". Thomas likes MOTORHEAD, EA80,.....and Phill swedish Punk like DIA PSALMA........ And further we all like 1000000 Bands from all over the world !!!

DML: I notice that you're now very involved in the Brazillian scene, having played there twice. How did this come about & do you sell pretty well there?

RK: We made two Brazilian tours and we have a lot of fans there. The contact was OLHO SECO, we played some shows together in Germany and we became friends fast. So Jef (bassplayer from Olho Seco+Agrotoxico)released our second and third album in Brazil on his own label RED STAR RECORDS. The selling is pretty well in Brazil. In March 2003 we will be back for our third tour.

DML: It was mentioned on your site that your split EP with Brazil's Agrotoxico would have you guys singing in Portugese & them in German... I'm assuming you must know Spanish, which is probably very similar to Portugese, since your second EP, "Turistas Alemanes Asesin@s", was completely in Spanish but do Agrotoxico actually speak German? Did these CD's sell well? How did you learn Spanish?

RK: I had a spanish girlfriend and she teached me a lot. Portuguese is partly simular but the pronouncing more difficult, so we had to practice a lot before we started our new record and we worked together with native speakers who controlled the results of knoting our tounges... Agrotoxico did the same with their German singing. Actually, there are many Germans living in South America, so it wasn´t to difficult to find someone for help. Unfortunatly the CD/LP is not released yet, because the Brasilians took up their time. We hope, that the realease will be done this year... but who knows. If we will sell a lot of this split LP/CD we will see but thats not the point.

DML: About your last tour in Brazil, your site mentioned something about people regarding Germans as Nazi's, can you explain this further?

RK: We made some experiences, where normal people recognized that we´re from Germany, they made the Hitler-Gruß or other stupid things. I think, that they even learn such mistakes in school.

DML: There was also mention of punks not allowing skinheads into shows, is it the same in Germany? Could you describe the German punk scene for us a bit?

RK: In Brazil the punk people are very distrustfull against skinheads because of many real bloody fights between punx and skins in the past. In Germany it is very usuall that skinheads come to the concerts, mostly this is no problem. Of course, the racist people have to stay out, but we have a lot Red- or SHARP-Skins in the public.

DML: I hope this isn't too personal a question but how exactly have you been able to travel to Brazil twice. Wasn't that expensive?! Did you bring your instruments with you or use others when you got there?

RK: It is not very cheap to go to Brazil, that´s correct. We had the luck to make a very succesfull tour with the famous German band "Hass" before. We saved all the money and were able to buy the tickets. We used our guitars and get the other stuff from our friends in Brazil. There we earned enough to have some food and beers, well and that´s it.

DML: What do you guys do for fun besides make kick ass music?

RK: Of course we like going out and listening to other bands or sitting in dirty punkpubs and enjoying some beers. Besides that, I work sometimes in my small record-studio, Florentin is doing Wing Tsun which is a very nice style of material art and Phill brings food to school-kids.

DML: Is there any reason why some of the songs for download on your site are partials & others are complete?

RK: Of course, we are interessted in selling some CDs so we don´t want to place every song on the Homepage. If, for examle, a song like Dia e Noite is not released yet, it is clever not to put him online completly. On the other hand the people could have an imagination how the next record may sound like...

DML: What is "caipirahna"? Sounds dangerous ;)

RK: No, that is no fish... Caipirinha is national Brazilian drink. Some sort of high percentage booze made from sugar cane, served on ice with brown sugar and crushed lemons. Very good and very effective!

DML: What are your professional hopes for the future? Any goals you hope to attain?

RK: We hope, that we can put out our new record soon, having nice gigs like we had in the past and the luck not to kill ourselfes while travelling.

DML: Perhaps I've forgotten to ask an important question, anything else you'd like to add?

RK: Thanks for your interesst and many greetings to all nice people outside. Never forget positive drinking! SALUDOS & DO THE POGO

(Martin K.+F.Shock)

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