Interviewed by
Mike Ramirez

Visit
Digital Hardcore


Last Edit/Update
02 May, 1999

Interview with

David Skiba of Bomb 20

Last Sigh: Bomb 20 seems to fit well inside Digital Harcore Records (DHR)'s realm. What triggered you to make this type of music? Was it a retaliation as to the glorification of mainstream music out today?

David: Not planned retaliation.. besides I don't see a real glorification of popular music nowadays, rather the typical mainstream-ultra-boredom as always so I guess I was rather influenced by my life or the things happening around me or rather the things happening in the world.. Guess I'm angry for real..

Last Sigh: The classification for Bomb20 has been called, "punk for the 21st century," by some critics. I can hear a lot of the traditional "punk" element in your music, especially the dialogue samples, expressing political and war values. What made you decide to use such samples as the ones displayed on your record, "Field Manual?" Are you currently active in any activist organizations?

David: I never listened to punk...as a kid I only listened to hiphop and I still do most of the time, except some electronica stuff.. however I'm not influenced by music any ways so maybe the interpretation has some truth to it.. of course I wouldn't call it like that... especially not traditional.. and for 21st century punk ...sounds like a caricature. However if it helps people to accept my music they can call it what they want, the people who listen will find out what it really is any ways. I'm not active in an organization, I yet didn't find any suitable organization to join besides I wouldn't promote that organization officially because I want bomb20 to be a "open solution" which means I want to spread ideas, sometimes very concrete ideas but I still wouldn't tell anyone to join an organization that could change its program in the next year.
    Besides I'm sorry to say that I yet have not found the answers for all the questions I was looking for. I used such samples because I don't have any mcs and I don't mc myself vocally so I have to mc through samples and tell my stories through samples. Terminator x talks through his hands, I never had turntables ..so I could never practice scratching and I knew I would never be that good like the picklz or x or whoever's elseī out there.. besides I didn't want to and that yet no producer perfected this style like this.

Last Sigh:  It was stated in the DHR newsletter that you are only 17 years old. This might be dated by now though. What age did you start making or should I say... deconstructing music at?

David: I still feel like I'm making music.. I'm 20 .. ill be 21 in may.. I started making music with 16... first record out with 17 I think... but in this fucking business everything seems to take decades for some people...

Last Sigh: Can you give me some depth about "Less Than Twenty" records? I'm not sure if you established it or not, but from what little I've read of it, it sounds like an excellent way for young artists to get their music heard by audiences who care and support. I didn't establish it, that was alecīs idea. On "less then twenty rec." young people who're less then twenty years old can release their first tracks... I guess its more a label for a label than a label...

Last Sigh: The cover art of "Field Manual" depicts an apocalyptic vision. Was this design one of your own?

David: The design was by me, the picture was made by Sarue a Berlin graffiti artist.. it was supposed to be a bit like the mechs in patlabor or something, like realistic combat mechs.. its looking a bit different but I still like it a lot...

Last Sigh: It seems that Bomb 20 really has its game plan set. An internet site is up and running as well as "Bomb20" e-mail domains. Do you do all of the web work yourself, or are there other members in the B20 team? Do these members help out with live support?

David: The production team of the bomb20 internet site is Kinderfield Inc.They've won a price for this site, the dima internet developer award (which is a complete bullshit organization but fuckit they got cash&fame for it) for best entertainment page or something like that. Now they're working on a low-budget-project for a small unknown electronics company from Japan with 4 letters.

Last Sigh: What do you think of the recent "explosion" of Digital Hardcore around the world? I know that it hasn't reached a household name, but since bands like Atari Teenage Riot received a lot of exposure over here, do you feel that the success of them is going to pass onto bands such as Bomb20 and others on the DHR roster?

David: Its not a digital hardcore but an Atari Teenage Riot explosion, realistically I think this will have minimal influence on my or the other DHR artistīs careers. It may gain some prominence but the spotlight is on Atr and will stay there because these are the current structures.

Last Sigh: Are you working on any material as of right now? Any plans of a tour soon?

David: I don't plan tours. I have some single live gigs. I'm working on new material.. which is partially released like the ghetto safari and soon a kultbox EP. You can also find me on a new hiphop compilation compiled by Kevin martin of techno animal..