THIS IS REVOLUTION>podcast Ep. 83: Racism and Heavy Music w/ Joshua Kahn Russell, Pascual Romero, Paul Kott, & Jonathan Brown

For those of you that have been listening to this show from early on, you know that it was once called "Bitter Lake Presents: Soundwaves". Bitter Lake, being the band that I front and write music for.  All the music you hear on this show is Bitter Lake music.  I LOVE HEAVY CHAOTIC MUSIC.  Before the pandemic, I traveled all over yelling, screaming, diving, throwing instruments on a quest to liberate your mind and your body from the evils of capitalism and neoliberal malaise.  Heavy music is my sanctuary.  But the music that I feel called to play, and the scene it exists in hasn't always been a welcoming world for me.  

 

I am unapologetically black in a genre where I am A VERY SMALL MINORITY. When the "you're cool for a black guy" comments come in, I don't let those roll off the shoulders like some sort complement that I should take pride in.  When those statements are thrown my way, I try to explain it's problematic nature and remind those hurling the complementary slur that we are all a part of this heavy music family...right? Metal and Punk music connected to me in a way many other genres didn't as a young person.  The abrasive vocals, ferocious riffing through a distorted guitar mirrored my frustrations at a society that was crumbling around me growing up in violent crack era Richmond, California.  Double bass kicks, and rapid fire gunshots from drive bys.  This is my music too.  I'm going to amplify my voice, my message through the guttural howl of hardcore, punky,  metal. 

 

Alright, I don't want to go on too long, but the bottom line is, heavy music, which I thought was the soundtrack for the outcasts, might have some "implicit bias" issues.  Some of us from the scene discussed it.  Take a listen and PLEASE chime in on social media if you have an opinion or an experience.

 

To hear Paul Kott in High Tone Son of a Bitch:

https://www.revolvermag.com/music/hear-desert-rock-act-high-tone-son-bitchs-triumphant-new-song

 

To Hear Pascual Romero in Devil's Throne:

https://youtu.be/znDIlHvsPXw

 

Jonathan Brown is the Touring Drummer of Conan Neutron & the Secret Friends:

https://neutronfriends.bandcamp.com/

 

And of course Joshua Kahn Russell is the Executive Director of the Wildfire Project:

http://wildfireproject.org/who-we-are/

 

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