Alex CF:"Punk is imperfect, but it's a fascinating experiment in autonomy, expression and acceptance"

Μπορείτε να βρείτε την ελληνική εκδοχή της συνέντευξης εδώ.

There are some personalities that leave an unerasable mark on the art they serve. One Of those is Alex CF. The multifaceted and unique mark he has left on the underground scene of the last 20 years is not only influential or just a synonym of an era. Just like he proved with the amazing Wreathe debut of this year, "This Land Is Not An Idle God", his art remains always crucial and worth of your involvement. The newfound antifascist emo-crust band is just an aspect of the multifaceted artistic work of Alex. Singer, lyricist, illustrator, author, curator, an unstoppable force of inspiration and creation. From the mythical Fall Of Efrafa, with whom he first appeared on the forefront in the mid-00s, marking at most the then rising neo-crust genre and foreshadowing his artistic transformation, until the beautiful and tear bringing graphic novel that came out this year, "Punks In The Willows", Alex Cf was never still and never compromised.

Personally speaking, every new chapter of the artistic lifetime of Alex charmed us but mainly, it was empowering our faith in the subversive power of fantasy, music and allegorical imagery. As a result, when Alex joyfully accepted our invitation to speak in an all-encompassing interview on the many aspects of his artistic life, our enthusiasm was over the roof. Moreover, when he proposed to follow up and expand the interview as much as it was applicable, then we realized that the actual person who put together the extensive answers you're going to read in the following lines, agrees totally with the abstract idea of the artist that has shaped in many ways our perception of music. Or at least, that's the feeling we get out of it.

We approached the present interview as an ideal opportunity to ask Alex everything we wanted throughout the years, and to take a glimpse in how artistic world. To speak about the legacy and the end of Fall Of Efrafa, then about Wreathe, Anopheli, Light Bearer, Archivist, the newcomers Ancient Lights and The Mad Death, also "The Books Of Orata" and "Watership Down", DIY and the community, political punk and of course neo-crust, Merrilyn Cryptid Museum and Alerta Antifascista, ecology and anti-fascism, fantasy literature and artistic creation. Alex, thoroughly analytical and demonstrative, passionate but also timid, honest and self-criticizing, opens up in an interview of a lifetime, one that we urge you, as far as we can from our positions, to read and meet a special and very interesting creator out of their own words. In the occasion that you are indeed familiar with his work, be sure that you will find a lot of elements that complete a mosaic of three musical decades. In every situation, have a good read and we are sure you can find the best music background inside the interview itself!

Greetings Alex, we are glad to welcome you to Rocking.gr! Where does this interview find you at the moment?

I am sitting on the couch in my home in London!

2023 has again been a busy year for you. You finally released the debut album, "This Land Is Not An Idle God", with your newest musical project, Wreathe. How's the feedback so far?

I haven't actually seen much feedback but hopefully folks like it. It's not too dissimilar from some of our other bands, so here's hoping if they liked those bands, they might like Wreathe!

Wreathe, aesthetically, are directly influenced from the rise of the neo-crust scene back in the start of the century. How difficult is it for you, and your colleagues, to keep finding new and refreshing forms of expression into such a genre?

I don't think it's necessarily about finding anything new, it's about our personal exploration of that sound - many of us weren't making this music back then, especially the emo crust sound when it first emerged. Much of being in a band like Wreathe is those shared moments, trying to capture the illusive spirit of a sound.

The Book Of Venym was a personal reaction to the rise of the far-right, and conspiracy theories that seem to all spiral towards antisemitism

Thematically, the album is based on "The Book Of Venym; An Egalitarian Demonology". Would you like to guide our readers through the antifascist themes of your book?

The Book Of Venym was a personal reaction to the rise of the far-right, and conspiracy theories that seem to all spiral towards antisemitism. I was sharing a studio space with someone who espoused those opinions and at the time I didn't have a band that would allow me vent some of my anger towards these ideologies. Separately to that, I also have an interest in the occult and cosmic horror, in folklore and myth, but I wanted to channel all of this into a kind of antithesis to the ideas of ‘self fulfilment' that a lot of traditional occult ideals tend to circle around.

There is also this strange link between fascism and the occult, and so for me, I thought about flipping that on its head and saying, what if it was about community, about creating this benevolent pantheon of nature deities, that are raised not only in defence of nature, but also as a weapon against fascism. It is written from the perspective of a man called Hiram Frenk, who predicts the rise of fascism in the 30's and prophecies the rekindling of a pre christian pagan religion that depicts nature as having agency, that has its own avatars and messiahs, and they can be invoked to destroy fascism and defends the last bastion of the natural world!

The Books of Orata are a collection of visceral, animal mythology novels in the tradition of Watership Down, The Secret Of Nimh and His Dark Materials

Currently, you are working on a series of dark fantasy books and an accompanying encyclopedia, under the general title of "The Books Of Orata", with prevalent environmental themes. Would you like to guide our readers into this series of these books? What was the artistic need that urged you to create this massive world?

After Fall of Efrafa ended, I went through at least a decade of trying to contextualise my feelings about the band, and separate to that, my love of animal mythology. That would manifest as failed attempts to restart the band, to write a book within the context of Watership Down, but eventually I decided to cut myself free of that bands influences and create my own fantasy series, that is entirely separate, but exists in the same genre - that being animal fantasy, or animal mythology fiction. The Books of Orata are a collection of visceral, animal mythology novels in the tradition of Watership Down, The Secret Of Nimh and His Dark Materials. Set amongst the woodlands and cities of Britain, written from the perspective of the various animal species we share this land with, the trilogy - ‘Seek The Throat From Which We Sing', ‘Wretched Is The Husk' and the yet to be published third instalment, ‘All The Paths Are Blind,' introduces us to a stark new reality.

Humans are extinct, and left in their wake are the many animal cultures who have lived in their shadow. The land is scarred by man's misfortunes - divided, built upon, polluted and disfigured. But as nature begins to reclaim it, sprouting forests amongst the ruins, prophecies come to bear. Ancient lore that speaks of a new kingdom, one of fur and tooth and claw, one that will be fought over viciously by the clans of city foxes, domesticated cats, and the hundreds of fiefdoms, houses and families of the wild that are forced to take sides.

I, perhaps more than anyone in the band has felt this great sadness about Fall Of Efrafa

Your love and admiration of the "Watership Down" lapine mythology was extensively covered through your older project, Fall Of Efrafa. It's been almost 20 years since this project came to life and almost 15 since it ended, after its purpose had been completed. How did you stick on terminating the project even though it became so popular?

I think at the time, we had written so much in such a short amount of time, and our friendships were so intertwined that when we finished "Inle", we needed a break from one another, and that just happened to coincide with the recording of "Inle". I had a wild card up my sleeve, a forth album, if that was something we wanted to do, but I don't think we were in the right frame of mind to consider that. I, perhaps more than anyone in the band has felt this great sadness about the band, something I have explored in a book I have just published called "Ni Frith, the art and lyrics of Fall of Efrafa' - which was actually my final word on the matter, where I decided to complete the lyrics for that record.

It was deeply cathartic, and has allowed me some sense of closure. I think bands, for many people are very intimate, very intense relationships, and often they behave much the same. I am so, so glad we managed to complete the music we did, and leave it whole, despite my own desire to revisit it.

Your work with Fall Of Efrafa has also turned the character of the rabbit into a symbol in the underground (and not only) crust - punk - post metal and anything related. Many have used the rabbit after you as imagery. What is your inner connection with this animal and how do you feel about uniting people under this image?

I don't know of anyone using rabbits! You'll have to show me! For me it was all about watership down. I guess rabbits - or perhaps more so hares, are a symbol that appears in a lot of pagan art. They are a symbol we associate with spring, rebirth, new birth, fertile soil etc. Interesting, I hadn't thought about that before!

Fall Of Efrafa have created a myth that follows their three concept albums in the punk scene and have brought a lot of people together based on the love of their music. Now that you can look back in time, how do you feel about this project and its legacy?

I can only really know that from my perception of the band, for me it was one of the most important parts of my life, but it comes with a lot of sadness, a lot of emotion, a lot of nostalgia, it is defined by my bandmates, friends, and all the people we met along the way. It has cast a light and a shadow that I live within, which I used to want to to try to escape, and now I embrace and understand. I will leave whatever legacy we have to those who perhaps have their own perspective of it. We were just a shitty punk band, and we never had any desire to leave a legacy!

It was Timo Alerta Antifascista, who coined the term "neo-crust"

Fall Of Efrafa were also one of the pioneering bands into the aforementioned neo-crust/emo-crust wave of the ‘00s, with Tragedy, From Ashes Rise, Ekkaia, Remains Of The Day, etc. First of all, is there a distinction between these two genre titles? Secondly, looking back into that era, how do you view the whole scene's legacy into today's underground scene and to you personally?

They are the same thing I guess. Others might argue that a lot of the more straight up ‘Dark hardcore' might take the moniker of Neo crust - but it was Timo Alerta Antifascista, a great friend of mine, who coined the term "neo-crust" - it makes me think of Keanu Reeves in the Matrix! When second wave bands like Fall of Efrafa, Schifosi, Alpinist, etc came along, he was putting out a lot of those bands records, and I guess the term Neo crust stuck.

It was always ‘emo-crust' to me - it was how the genre was described when I encountered it in zines in the early 2000's. Fall Of Efrafa were very much second wave emo-crust - we took influence from bands like the aforementioned, Ekkaia, Tragedy, Remains of the day - they were the progenitors. In many ways isolated bands, that toured together, bringing different sounds together. Emocrust speaks of its influences. Born from late 90's screamo, emo-violence and d-beat crust. Born from bands like Anomie, PG.99, Paint Box,His Hero Is Gone and Amebix. Its basically DIY screamo + crust.

Post metal had an influence on Fall Of Efrafa, you can definitely hear Isis and Cult of Luna in our music

Here, we would like to ask your opinion on a little thing. Among the years, we witnessed the neo-crust scene mold with post-metal and black metal, and vice versa, as, especially in the last 10-15 years, many extreme metal bands have come forth connecting the best of both worlds. Why do you think that genre-blending happen, and do you see any common ground and parallels between the two scenes and idioms, artistically and aesthetically?

Post metal had an influence on Fall Of Efrafa, you can definitely hear Isis and Cult of Luna in our music. But this is the result of different musical influences being brought to the table. I think that also brings up your earlier questions about Wreathe - Wreathe, 20 years after the fact, can say "I want to try and recapture this very particular sound without taking influence from what came later' - music is always constantly evolving, you cannot create rigidity in the moment. It is elastic, malleable, taken by whims in a single band practice.

I remember there was a distinct change around 2007-8 when atmospheric black metal bands like Wolves In The Throne Room emerged as influences, a lot of bands found a new palette to paint with, so yeah, towards the end of FoE, a lot of bands were adding blast beats to their music. I think emo crust was eclipsed as these new influences emerged, which is the nature of music. I guess melodic d beat just became another tool in the tool box! I have no idea where we are with music these days!

We can ever invent something as awe inspiring or scary as nature itself."

Right after the literal fall of Efrafa as a band, Light Bearer came to life. This has been a project that emphasized on the religious themes and was a break before the Archivist - Anopheli - Morrow era. What is your connection to spirituality and where do you find yourself in the relation between religion and folklore?

I am an atheist, but I think humans are very good at writing stories and using stories to comprehend this vast universe. I feel we are so limited by our bodies, by the culture we grow up in, by our very perspective of reality, even before we have had a chance to look up at the night sky, - our ability to have a clear view, without being marred by the lens of organised religion, or belief or even parental influence, that it's not a surprise that we all disagree. I see folklore as a way of communicating ideas and feelings, it is as much about that as it is about entertainment. I find a lot of joy in the idea of hidden knowledge, ideas hidden in the places we are afraid to go, be that space, the deepest ocean, strange hidden rooms in old houses, in damp and terrifying forests.

I don't think we can ever invent something as awe inspiring or scary as nature itself, but we can definitely try! The idea of gods, of heaven, of hell, they serve very obvious purposes - social control. They are a nice neat package of weapons against reason, and they serve those who want to use that to divide people well. But learning where those concepts originated, how those thoughts formed, that's just as fascinating.

One of your main bands is also Morrow. Last year's intense "The Quiet Earth" was, apart from an exceptional record, the ending chapter of a story that had started with Anopheli's "A Hunger Rarely Sated" and went also through also Archivist's output. Was this, cross-band and cross-genre evolution of the fiction story of the nomads Norr pre-decided in your mind to unfold that way? Furthermore, would you like to share with us a synopsis of the lore for someone and who could someone dive into it in more detail?

There was a story I actually wrote for Steve, who played guitar in FoE, if we were ever to do a band together again. Being an impatient bastard, I decided to develop that idea separately and try and form Morrow. It went through a few incarnations until Dave, who I had played in a vegan hardcore band called Carnist with, offered to "have a go" at writing some material for Morrow. He came back a few days later with complete songs and just this overwhelming talent to capture the essence of Morrow. Morrow is Dave's mind-child, sonically, we just seemed to always be on the same page, I could tell him my silly story and he would conjure up these aural landscapes that married with the story arc.

When I joined Archivist, I had the story, and I had to ask both bands if it was okay to use this shared narrative. Thankfully everyone was on board. When we wrote ‘The ache of want', the second Anopheli record, that was another opportunity to develop another thread of the story. I didn't think it would work, but seven albums later, it seem to have worked?. Oddly enough, the story isn't quite complete! Both Anopheli and Morrow will continue that story in very distinct but shared plots. The next Morrow record, which is tentatively titled ‘Library' - will follow the eponymous Archivist into the world of Morrow. Its a lot of fun to play with these themes.

I don't know if its even something folks would be interested in following, but I will write the basic theme:

"It begins in the near future with the creation of synthetic intelligence that we use as the infrastructure for human endeavour. On a routine mission to open a stable wormhole, information is received from within the mouth of the spacial distortion, this information speaks of an extra terrestrial source for the technology that AI was extrapolated from. Synthetics petition to be allowed to explore the origin of their code and are denied. They strike, shutting down all interstellar travel, all mining operations etc. Eventually humans acquiesce, and provide the synthetics with an ancient artefact that they say their technology was derived from to create artificial intelligence. Unfortunately for the AI, this is a trojan horse, and a virus has been programmed in to the artefact. As soon as the information within the object is shared within the synthetic race, they are rendered immobile, as an act of malice on behalf of humans. Unfortunately, humans, in their hubris, underestimated the speed in which AI communicate, and before that virus could ravage all synthetic sentient life, a decision is shared, to reprogram all nanotech on Earth, to turn on its master.

Unaffected by the virus as the Nanites are not sentient, Earth is reduced to a hellscape. A few analog ships escape, one of which holds a few scientists in suspended animation, and a single child, stowed away within by her father, an engineer who helped build the ship. On board is also a synthetic mind, who is unable to move the ship, so they drift in space. Fearful for her own life, and aware that she may be the last living human, she puts herself into suspended animation. Over the next two thousand years, the Synthetic onboard, manages to build themselves a body, and a particle accelerator with which they manage to produce tachyons - quantum particles -and communicate through time. In their loneliness, they have conversations with Johannes Kepler, the astronomer, and construct a form of Theosophy, based on conversations with individuals from the past and future.

It is soon apparent that these conversations directly result in not only Keplers theories of the solar system, but that the stowaway child is a direct descendent. Eventually realising the duality of their life and the life of the Archivist - the child on board, they manage to open the wormhole and communicate with the intelligence that birthed them - an ancient machine god, that explains that it could not intervene as it was not an interventionist god. In their anger, the synthetic, christened ‘Construct ‘ - argues they would have made different decisions, and in this act, they are given the choice - to be a benevolent god, a malevolent god - or a god of observation - the Anopheles - good for nothing. This idea is explored in Anopheli.

Eventually the Construct abdicates the role, denounces their god, and returns the archivist to Earth, where her descendants have evolved to find harmony with the earth. The Norr, a tribe of humans living in a forest in what was North America. The story of Morrow follows this tribe, with our most recent album, The Quiet Earth, being the arrival of the archivist on Earth being returned to her family. The lyrics on the final song of each respective album mirror one another from the perspective of each narrator."

Its super nerdy!

Speaking Of Anopheli, if we may recall correctly, there is a new, long-awaited, album coming. Would you like to reveal to us more about what we should expect of this release

This will take some time due to the fact we all live on different continents, but I am hoping to go out and spend some time with Brian and Josh next year. We have one song written, and I am just writing lyrics now. I am hoping Peter, who recorded on our previous album will be able to join us, he plays in King Woman, and also my lovely friend Adam, who plays in Omnigone. Also, Anna from Archivist will join the band with her amazing vocals! It's very much a friendship project, and I am determined to do this record. It's called "A void no good deed can fill, I fear."

Within the Morrow projects, mainly, you've collaborated with many vocalists/artists of other respected and up-and-coming crust punk bands of new and old. How did you come up with this communal decision collectively, and how important is it for you to keep these ties strong within the scene?

It's more a case of just being in awe of all these amazing folks and wanting to create a sense of family across the world. I basically just ask folks and hope they'll say yes! Sometimes it doesn't work out, sometimes it does, and I'm so happy it works. I guess it's just a reminder that we're all just punks making noise.

You've always had a unique and distinct vocal expression. Would you like to guide us through the recording and inspirational process of your projects? Also, what comes first? The lyrics or the vocal lines?

Recording is an exhausting process! The older I get the more painful it becomes! I think it's something to do with the force you have to put on your neck muscles to get the right sound, this causes an immediate, and very painful tension headache, that is only relieved by ...more screaming! As long as I sustain the scream, the pain stops, but after a while, you feel sick! So it's a whole process! Haha. You suffer for your art! My voice is so unpredictable. Sometimes it's high, sometimes low. I have to put a lot of effort into sustaining a sound. But the end result, I hope, sounds ok! Lyrics always come first, and often I write way too many lyrics, and a lot of editing occurs after the songs are finished. With the concept bands, I think it's helpful for the song writers, to think about mood. Dave and I talk a lot of about the "colour" of the music, cold blues and greys for more mournful sounds, warm browns and oranges for hope. Red is anger. We paint the picture, and the music follows this to some extent.

Being prolific isn't always a good thing

You have chosen to express yourself and myriad concepts through not only many different music projects, but also many forms of art. What is the importance of this artistic pluralism to you?

I'm not sure! I was talking with my partner about this, how perhaps being prolific isn't always a good thing -because you can become inconsistent in your output. I think there is something to be said for having a homogenous artistic style. But I get bored really easily! I think its somewhere between need and want -this is my Job, and so I have to create to keep a roof over my head. A lot of experimenting is based on trying to find new and interesting things for folks to see but also I have always been the kind of person that says "ooh I have a silly idea! Lets do it! It's how I ended up in a band based on a book about rabbits. Its also a lot to do with my mental health and my sense of self worth. I think I am shit at everything so keep making stuff in the hope that one day it'll be good!

Could you ever imagine yourself composing all this music under one main project?

The music itself is entirely reliant on the musicians I work with. I am not a musician, I definitely have ideas, concepts for music, but I don't play any instruments, so I must stress, that the musical portion of whatever I am involved in, is entirely the creative endeavour of my friends who write and play. My role is visual, to create the stories and artwork that accompany, and help shape that sound. I am in constant awe of them - Jose writes the most beautiful, baroque Spanish inspired crust, Dave writes these powerful, heartbreaking crescendos, visceral, turbulent works of musical art.

Every time I start working with new musicians, I am always so amazed by what they can create. It's a true pleasure. I just shout about nonsense over the top of it all! In a way, ‘Eulogy', which is the combined world of Anopheli, Archivist and Morrow is that one main project. Dave and I have started work on the next ambitious chapter of Morrow, which will see us move into new territories, but thematically and musically. It's exciting. It's also an awesome excuse to spend time with the people you love!

In a parallel universe, if you could curate a collaborative album (not a split!!) with any of your projects and another fellow artist/music group, past or present, who would be your picks and why?

I don't think there is one artist, I think that's how I approached the guest vocals on Morrow. I had punk inspirations, folks I admired, music that shaped my own path. I started by emailing those people, and bands, to see if they would be interested in collaborating. I was always very happy when I heard back from them and it expands the idea of punk being this great leveller. I remember emailing Bryan Lothian, from A Global Threat, a band I adored growing up, and found a person who mirrored my own feelings on music, the struggles of dealing with our own sense of self worth. He didn't record vocals for Morrow, but we ended up becoming friends, and we've recorded two EP's together, as Median Rot (medianrot.bandcamp.com) - He would hate to read this, but it means so much to me, that someone whose own creative output was a soundtrack to so many moments in my life, would share their time and friendship with me. So no particular band, but a collection of folks from bands that I love!

Of course you are, in addition to being a musician and author, an illustrator. You have ornated first of all your books and records and you have participated in many projects. Your main theme is animal life. How do you draw inspiration from these themes?

I grew up on a diet of fantasy, and a lot of fantasy is based around animals - interestingly a lot of traditional fantasy is about giving animals a voice and autonomy. My mum was keen that we read a lot, and there were two bookcases outside my room full of Tolkien, CS Lewis etc. We owned some Redwall novels, Mrs Frisby and the rats of NIMH, and a whole host of other stuff. My mum gave me her original copy of the Silmarillion when I was a kid, and I attempted to read it for years. It was when I was old enough to have a perception of animals as beings with their own sense of self, their own sentience beyond my childlike understanding of them, that you start to contextualise that - and I guess my path towards animal rights and veganism was born.

Furthermore, you've been responsible for creating the artworks and album covers also of other bands, even outside of the punk spectrum. An exceptional example that comes to mind are the Bull Of Apis Bull Of Bronze. By the way, congratulations for that of their upcoming album! How do these collaborations happen and what do they mean to you?

Glad you like it! I drew that artwork almost two years ago, glad its finally seeing the light of day! I am an artist by trade with bills to pay, so I just put a call out for folks to contact me if they need art, and sometimes they do! I don't do a huge amount of art for bands these days, which is a shame as I do enjoy the challenge of exploring ideas outside by comfort zone, or indeed taking a bands thoughts and trying to create a visual representation of that.

I still to this day get a lot of emails from folks seeking answers in the wrong places

Alongside everything else, you are the curator of a very special little place in East London, Merrylin Cryptid Museum. Some very bizarre and curious creatures and artifacts lay their head in this museum. What made you decide to curate this place, how can one support it and what is your personal relation with the bizarre things of this world?

I invented the Merrylin collection years ago, it was an immersive art installation project - initially an exploration of 19th century scientific endeavour and mythology - to present ‘artefacts and specimens of unknown origins' and it was my main artistic endeavour for some 13 years. I have more or less abandoned it of late. About six years ago, it became the stuff of internet click bait and conspiracy nonsense, and the initial idea -the idea of creating a fantastical museum for people to suspend disbelief, became something far more dark and weird. I still to this day get a lot of emails from folks seeking answers in the wrong places. But if you want to check it out, the website is merrylinmuseum.com. I made everything there, and it's all vegan, no animals were harmed in its creation!

There is a strange irony to making music and playing music

How do you feel about the underground music scene nowadays, especially after the global quarantine that made a huge impact on the need of expression? What are some recent bands that you have distinguished and you admire their musical outcome?

I am an old introvert, so I can't really speak to the underground music scene a great deal. There is a strange irony to making music and playing music, making music is deeply personal, intimate and sheltered pastime, sitting in a room with close friends and creating something. Performing is the exact opposite, the very extroverted, very exposing experience. I try my best to go to shows and keep a finger on the pulse, but social anxiety often wins out! I have really enjoyed punk stuff like Chainwhip, Poison Ruin, Nurse, Destruct, Physique, Scarecrow. Emo crust like Habak, Lagrimas, Autarch, Landbridge. I listen to a fair amount of old stuff. I am in a new band called Ancient Lights, we play Peace punk / post punk so I listen to a lot of Flux of Pink Indians, Rudimentary Peni, Zounds. Also the new Blink 182 record is pretty good.

So, about the Ancient Lights band, you've tried to create something more in the likes of classic (post) punk sound, we even hear you on some of the cleaner vocals that have ever come out of you! Is this musical project a need to return to the classics or your own twist on them? What should we expect? I've only seen a couple of your social media videos!

It will be something like Crass, meets The Mob via The Cure? I think! It's a political band, and it's new territory for all of us! Its Mark and Mark on Guitar and Bass respectively, and PJ on drums! Its inspired very much by this kind of nuclear paranoia aesthetic, but deals with modern social issues, it's a chance to address more personal topics and also just have a band that is a genuine pleasure to spend time with friends, eat delicious vegan food and make a racket! We are working on our first record, "Spite wall" which we will record next February.

The other one of your more recent band projects, are The Mad Death, and you also released your self-titled debut a couple days prior. The band delves into more post/industrial metal landscapes, transmitting a really claustrophobic atmosphere. How did this project come to life, is there a concept behind its creation, and of course, how challenging was it to create vocal lines in this style?

Yes! So Steve Larder and Matt Grundy are kind of musical institutions in the UK DIY heavy music scene, both having been in bands that are very much admired. I have known Steve for a number of years through his amazing illustration (Steve Larder on instagram) and his band Moloch. Through Steve I met Matt, who plays in a number of bands (Burial Rot, Nothing Rests) and is a synth/ noise/ visual arts genius - Steve asked me to possibly record some vocals for the project, and I came in with an idea of this grungy, cosmic horror inspired near future, where great Eldritch gods have bought an end to civilisation and ushered in a new dark age. It's inspired by Day of the Triffids, Threads, No Blade Of Grass, Soylent Green, and all manner of harrowing dystopian fiction! Musically, it's a little different from stuff I have done before, so a little more bludgeoning and stark. Really fun, and so glad they invited me to be involved!

I guess we are in a strange time between the advent of digital consumption, music becoming entirely ephemeral

You have a long time participation and collaboration with Alerta Antifascista label both as a music artist and as a graphic designer. How has this worked for you until now, what is your relationship over the years?

Timo, who runs the label alone, has been my friend for almost 20 years now. I guess for him, the label is a passion project. He is a full time dad, full time care worker, and the label is his baby. We have a very similar rhythm, both sensitive souls, both easily excited about music. His love of music is so wonderful. He has been this fulcrum for so many bands for so long, I hope he realises how much people value him, and all the bands he has supported. I guess we are in a strange time between the advent of digital consumption, music becoming entirely ephemeral - how often do we have to delete an album from a phone to make space for something new? I feel like my phone or computer are always asking me to delete to make space for - music then becomes a ghost you have to perform a digital seance to reconnect with.

Physical media then becomes even more of an artefact, and something you have to make time for. It gives that music room, there is a ritual to it, it can also be a shared experience as often the record is played out loud, as opposed to through head phones. I see a lot of bands, especially punk bands steering their art style towards this archaic, aesthetic, there is a real desire to "live" in a sound or style, which I totally appreciate. It's a reminder that music is art, and that the physical version can expand on that concept. I guess I would say that as I create a lot of art for physical records! Hah

Physical media will always be desired

In an era where streaming has become the most popular means of listening to music, what does this mean for DIY artists and what is the importance of DIY labels like Alerta Antifascista for the hardcopy material and support of the artists?

Timo and I have discussed this a lot in the past, and I think he is right when he says that folks who buy vinyl will always buy vinyl regardless of whether they hear the whole record online before or not. Folks will always value the physical item. Yes, not only have online platforms managed to find a way to profit off of DIY music through Spotify and bandcamp, but it is an inevitability. Money will always win. Music has become so easily consumed and maybe we have all become a little fickle and lack an attention span to sit through a whole record on band camp. But I think its pretty obvious, just by the demand for vinyl and cassettes, that physical media will always be desired. I hope. I love records!

Punk is imperfect, but it is a fascinating experiment in autonomy, in expression and acceptance

Unity and inclusivity, a main theme arising from your work in general, is also a theme in your latest graphic novel, "Punks In The Willows", a touching glimpse in the everyday life of loving punk animals. How did the inspiration for this novel come to life?

It actually came from a commission for a tattoo design, someone wanted me to draw a punk, and I must admit I am not the best illustrator of humans, so suggested a compromise - an anthropomorphic fox. As I was drawing this, I realised there was something here, to link my love of woodland animals and punk, a kind of whimsical watercolour illustrations in the tradition of "Wind in the willows' with a very lazy play on that. Hence, Punks in the willows! I wanted it to be a celebration of punk, a culture that inspired my political, social and creative outlook on life.

It has allowed me to not only meet some of the most incredible people, but has also acted as a conduit for my own artistic endeavours, and helped me try to overcome my own feelings of inadequacy and social anxiety. Punk is imperfect, but it is a fascinating experiment in autonomy, in expression and acceptance. It was also my first published book, Earth Island Books has kindly taken it under their wing. I am sure I will explore the idea further in future through other stories!

While reading "Punks In The Willows", one of the things that caught our attention was the range of the exceptional bands mentioned in patches across the illustrations, from '80s classics to modern hardcore/crust bands but also acts as diverse Poison Ruin, Lankum and Ragana. Was there a message you wanted to communicate to the readers with these choices?

I guess I am aware that my perception of punk is different to others! I feel I didn't represent enough bands! Some of the animals in the book are close friends who I wanted to draw as animals, and I asked them what their favorite bands are, so that I could correctly depict them, but a lot of it is just me, I love punk in all its forms!

The rise of fascism and extreme far right ideology is terrifying, but it perhaps is just fear of change

As you've so eloquently and poetically presented in "Punks In The Willows", punk, especially anarcho-punk and crust punk, has always had a strong and sincere connection with anarchist and libertarian ideals and politics through D.I.Y.. How do you view this bond today, in a world where this music again sees a mainstream breakthrough, while fascism, along with individualism and consumerism is so prevalent in so many societies? Are there any messages that can still spark flames of revolt into younger generations of punks and help them organize politically?

I despair at the world, and I am trying to move past that feeling of helplessness in the face of so much suffering. You go through all of these states of mind. I worry about my niece and nephew; I worry about the future. I try to kindle this kind of positive nihilism, the idea that life on earth has gone through so many upheavals, be those natural forces, tectonic shifts, the rise of dynasties and cataclysms that have triggered entire new forms of life to appear here. But none of that was deliberate, none of it was intended, it was cause and effect. What humans do is - they are all acts of self, all intentions to preserve that individual's idea of normalcy. Acts of conservatism or progressivism. The rise and rise of fascism and extreme far right ideology is terrifying, but it perhaps is just fear, fear of change, yes, but on a greater scale, this kind of nebulous existential dread.

Even if you cut yourself off from all sources of information, you cannot ignore that sense of helplessness, and if you are denied informative truth and fact, you will seek out sources of information regardless of whether what you find is true. We latch on to sources of comfort, to band aids to cover our sadness, and some folks find comfort in the worst possible places - we have created these echo chambers and quiet fermenting tanks on the internet where folks can be radicalised in the safety of their own home, they do not understand the application of those ideas outside of that, they do not recognise that book banning, marginalising minorities and stripping rights actually ruins lives, will curtail any hope of finding solace. They are ignorant of the thing they despise, but maybe the community they find, who share in that hate, that is where they find their sense of solace.

Like plants seeking sunlight. So, I guess really it just comes down to education, to allowing discourse, about sharing ideas and points of view. Exposing yourself to other folks' perception of reality, other experiences, instead of "othering" people because they don't look like you. Not politicising issues that are not political issues, climate change should not be a political issue. But then we come back round to this idea that all of these things, even the most abstract machinations are all aspects of nature, everything is. I don't know how to help steer the course beyond that, beyond education and discourse, as much as I don't know how to stop an earth quake.

I believe that punk suffers the same issues as society at large

In contrast to the selfishness that you also mentioned, punk has always had a strong sense of community, being the portal that made people realize that difference, acceptance and unity are empowering. Have you ever felt that these ideals have been compromised inside the scene? If you could change anything about this counterculture, what would it be and why? 3. From your experience and endeavors, is the political/DIY/crust punk scene in general still being a portal for younger people to come together and create safe spaces? Does this music and lifestyle still "speak" to the newer generations?

I can't really speak to that - I am 42, almost 43, I feel that the youth need to make their own decisions, they will have their own sense of what this subculture can be to them. I believe that punk suffers the same issues as society at large - the same cliques and bullying, the same noise. But it's also a place for experimenting with ideas, and has, in many ways always been ahead of the curve on social issues. I hope my queer and BIPOC friends find solace in punk, and a means of expression, but I know there is always room for improvement, for taking time to listen, like now - it's not for me to speak on that, it's for me to listen and maybe be a friend to that. Whatever punk is or has become is always a matter of perspective. I think if you can find likeminded friends, and learn awesome things from the lyrics or discussions put forward then it remains a force for good, despite its flaws.

There are social, cultural and economic reasons why some folks can't or won't be vegan

You have always been outspoken about your choice in veganism and an eco-friendly way of life. Ecology in harsh - urban lives like most of us are living today is a struggle, what are your feelings between veganism and ecology as a life choice rather than a lifestyle?

The lyric that made me vegan is the same reason I am vegan today - written by Chris Hannah of Propagandhi -

"But you cannot deny that meat is still murder. Dairy is still rape. And I'm still as stupid as anyone, but I know my mistakes. I have recognized one form of oppression, now I recognize the rest. And life's too short to make another's shorter-(animal liberation now!)." I think it's a choice, and yes there are social, cultural and economic reasons why some folks can't or won't, but at the end of the day, you have to make choices every day. You can make informed choices about lots of stuff.

I think giving a voice to those who have suffered under us, that kind of "post human" reflection is always an interesting one

Of course, you parallel themes of ecology in most if not all of your works, both in music and drawing. What is the main reasoning behind using animal dystopian societies to spread your message about how we humans live and the choices we make?

I think it's an interesting perspective to explore - there are no other species on this planet that we can discuss our effect on their lives with - we can see it, we can see it in the devastation we wrought. There are species many and wondrous, intelligent in slightly different ways to us, but we can only see what we have taken from them, we cannot ask them how they feel about us. We have dominated this world, and all are subservient to our whims. I think giving a voice to those who have suffered under us, that kind of "post human" reflection is always an interesting one. In my first novel, ‘Seek the throat from which we sing' -it was purely from those animals. They have lived with very little understanding of our ways; they observe with curiosity and fear. All they know is either what we did to them - through violence and destruction of habitat, or perhaps how they fit within that dynamic, how many species lost their sense of selves through selective breeding and domestication I tried to explore the trauma of that, and how, like humans, that trauma can lead to their own acts of violence. In ‘Wretched is the Husk' - by introducing a human survivor, who can comprehend the voices of other animals - it allowed for those conversations to occur.

Final question, and we would like to thank you for your time! Back in 2022, you released with the sludge/doom metal outfit Urskek the "Thra" EP, a direct love letter to Jim Henson's "The Dark Crystal" lore. How did this project come to life, is there a future to it, and last but not least, how do you evaluate "The Dark Crystal"'s legacy as a paradigm of revolutionary themes in epic fantasy?

Oh wow! That's quite a question! Urskek was something I have wanted to do for years and years, I tried it once or twice before - but it took the epic mind of Erik Karlsson of Monachus / Myteri, and then eventually his brother Oskar and David Flood, all three of which had played in Monachus before. A lot of the structure of the songs were based on unused Monachus tracks, so we had a backbone to work from - what was very fortunate is that the key was the same from soundtrack to album. I wanted to somehow use a lot of the score, written by Trever Jones, as the lead melodies, and it was all very serendipitous - the music fell over Erik's melodies almost seamlessly.

"The Dark Crystal" remains possibly the most important fantasy to me. The illustrated book by Brian Froud, who designed all of the characters, was a book I discovered when I was seven years old, it has lived with me throughout my life — inspiring so many aspects of my own work. The story can be taken one of two ways - in one way it is a simple story of good and evil. But at its heart, it's an incredibly powerful story, of genocide, of dominion, it is the idea of dualism, it is about survival in the face of an abstract evil. The Skeksis are our bitter, narcissistic souls, the UrRu, our guiding light. It is a treaty on selfish desire for ill-gotten gains, versus the contemplation and hope for peace and unity. It's a world I will live in forever.

We all fought back those demons that tell us we can't

Alex, this conversation has been a pleasure, please take these last few lines to end this interview with a significant message from you to our readers!

I have always struggled with anxiety and depression; it has manifested as an obstacle for many things. But the best decision I ever made is to try. I am shit at a lot of stuff, but trying, even if you fail, that's all it takes. If you have an idea, be that artistic, written, any kind of creative project, if you aspire to do something, start a band, or a podcast, remember that we all started from zero. We all fought back those demons that tell us we can't. I never ever thought I would be a vocalist in a band, and I still struggle with the role to this day, but the joy of having shared those experiences, even if no one outside of that endeavour likes it, is worth all of the worry. You can do it!

https://linktr.ee/alexcf