Antillectual

“That song with that AC/DC riff …” is the reference most used by others to describe this song. I consider that a big compliment. But this song has more, I hope. Even though it is a seemingly endless discussion, through this song we try to give the definite conclusion on eating meat and/or dairy products. Not. But maybe Marnix (CEO of the influential Dutch punk portal Punx.nl) can stir your mind.
Please read on, enjoy the song and feel free to share it with your friends.

Skip to: Special Guest / Lyrics / Liner Notes

Marnix says

Even though I have quite a lot of friends who uphold the vegan or vegetarian lifestyle, I’ve always been a real omnivore. That doesn’t mean I don’t eat vegetarian or vegan food, but hardly ever out of my own considerations. When I was on tour with Antillectual – Belgium, France, Spain and Portugal with the mighty Pieter Petit – I didn’t eat any meat for two weeks or so without giving it any thought whatsoever. After the tour I decided to stop eating meat during weekdays and try and eat less meat in the weekends.

Typical for the new Antillectual songs is that they’re a lot more catchy than the old ones. ‘Some of My Best Friends Are Meat Eaters’ was one of those new songs that immediately kinda stuck in my head. The song is, at least as I see it, about (meat) consumption and not pretending you’re a better person because you don’t eat meat even though it’s a respectable decision. It has always been typical for the lyrical content to have a certain message and this song has at least reached one person to take a more positive stance in life.

Lyrics

“It’s dead already”
“As if you make a difference”
“You don’t know what you’re missing”
“It’s in our nature”

Inconsistency galore
Bullfights nay, slaughtering OK?
Double standards the norm
Fur pelts nay, leather jackets OK?

Let’s get this done
Take the next step, emancipate
Beware of sliding scales and slippery slopes
Pamela Anderson, Weird Al Yankovic, Hitler and Meatloaf can’t be wrong
Join the club, enter our sky box

Moral crusaders
Shout down to the plebs
A call to morality, the always effective
“It’s in your own best interest”

Somewhere halfway it’s me
Climbing the slope
Together with the rest of us
So far to go

Join the club

Liner Notes

This is an ode to a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. This is not about vegetarians being “better” than meat eaters or vegans being better than vegetarians. This is not meant to be another brick on the endless wall that some people build up in the annoying discussion between the pros and cons of using animal products. Making the choice to become vegetarian/vegan should be a personal choice, made by someone himself, coming from one’s own insights. But if someone makes that choice I think that is praiseworthy. A conscious choice to increase the quality of animals’ lives is a good choice. So are vegetarians/vegans better people than meat-eaters? Nope, but I do think they made a better choice in their lives.

Apologies to all feminists, Germans and to people with a sense of humor and musical taste for referring to Pamela Anderson, Weird Al Yankovic, Hitler and Meatloaf. All for better lives of animals. In our quest to insult as many people as possible: Chinese people are up next week.

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Since we posted that song with Chris Hannah, there’s been quite some buzz around the online punk community. First of all, a lot of great responses ranging from “holy shit” and “awesome” to “why hadn’t I ever heard about this band?” (us, not Propagandhi). Secondly, quite some Propagandhi adepts decided to check out our music. Thanks for that! Besides all that, there’s also been quite some discussion. On our own site, on Propagandhi’s facebook page, on punknews.org and their own podcast.

Feel free to check out the song and an excerpt from the punknews podcast:

The song

The podcast

Anywho, we’re flattered to hear so much discussion about this song going on, and we’d like to clarify some misunderstandings about it’s contents.

This song is partly about skate culture indeed. But the skate culture is an example of (or a metaphor for, if you wish) subculture and counter culture in general, including the punk/hardcore scene. These cultures came into existence because people didn’t feel welcome or didn’t want to participate in mainstream sports or culture. So indeed, this song is about distinction rather than unity. But that can be a good thing! Second; the fact that subcultures partly exist by the grace of gadgets, fashion items and other commodities doesn’t mean that this is desirable nor that subcultures can not exist without them. That’s too easy and fatalist in my opinion. It’s not a given and we can change it if we want.

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The new anti-squatting law will become active on October 1st, next Friday. To “celebrate” that, there will be a “Nood Kraakt Wet” demonstration in Nijmegen on October 2nd, next Saturday. The demonstration will start at 1300h at the Joris Ivensplein in Nijmegen. Bring your mom, pets and carnavalskrakers. Former and current (and future?) Antillectual members will be present, for the CAUSE!

More info can be found here (Dutch & English).

Kraken gaat door!

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This time no punkrock celeb doing guest vocals, but the counterpart to last week’s song about cultural upgrading. I guess you could call this our most “sing-along-able” song. Even though sing-alongness isn’t necessarily a recommendation for a song. But when fighting the Dutch anti-squatting law, you need to sing and stand together.
Etjen from Just Like Your Mom Toursupport provides the verbal contribution. Back in 2006, this long time friend decided we needed a van, so he bought one to help us out. That was the small start of his now successful initiative. Despite the growth he still helps us out behind the scenes A LOT and provides cheap yet good vans, backlines and so much more for bands. Newest development at “Mom”: vegan catering at festivals!
Please read on, enjoy the song and feel free to share it with your friends.

Skip to: Special Guest / Lyrics / Liner Notes

Etjen says

According to me squatting is the most used, most effective and direct form of non violent direct action around the world. Across our green and blue globe 1 in 10 people are squatting to make sure they have a safe place to life, to have shelter. That said it’s more than obvious that the ‘new’ law the Dutch government is introducing is nessecary if you approve of making a profit over the backs of people and peoples basic needs, but nevertheless it is a ridiculous and even plain stupid law. And yes, I know that you can’t compare landsquatters in South America with squatting as ‘we’ know it in the western world. But fuck that, the basis is the same. I could go on about counterculture, and the needs of free creative spaces. History proves that almost every music venue in Europe is based in squatting. Why? I would say, google and find out yourself. But anyway, enough about squatting and laws: as this song states, ‘squatting will continue’ with or without laws. So I think the Antillectual boys have a point with this song.

For me, after 15 years living as a so called squatter, squatting is more than opening a front door of an empty building. Squatting is a state of mind you are in, not thinking in boundaries, being creative, thinking outside boxes… And most important, being social to the environment around you, whatever that environment is. In that way I got involved with these Antillectual boys. They wanted to tour and needed an affordable tourvan for that. So over dinner at Yvo’s place I thought and said: “let’s do it” and that’s how the tour-machine Antillectual, and myself set of to where we all are now: Antillectual releasing a 3rd album, me buying a 7th tourvan. Sounds weird, but thats how it is. And no it’s not about growing or getting bigger… It’s about doing something you believe in, believing in what you do, and creating space for other people to use it. Which brings us back to the theme of this song… Squatting…

I can say I’m proud to be part of all this. I like it to see that the new Antillectual’s in the world and in the musicscene can use the basis we all created when they go on tour. I like it to see when people take responsibilty, write some songs, book their own tour, and just go. And believe me, there are a lot of new (and old) Antillectual’s waiting to hit the road and to hit the venues in your area.

Together we take what we need and use it to make this fucked up planet a nicer place to live in… Kraken gaat door!

Lyrics

The next casualty in line
The next threat rising from youth culture
Either disarmed or illegalized
Downgraded and removed

Squatting is not a crime
Squatting continues

The petty bourgeoisie at war with their own legacy
Defending speculation
Artists, students, bands like us
Culture in general, owing so much to squatting

A shelter
For what is valuable
For what is not for sale
For what has no commercial interest at all

Callousness, why should I care?
I’ve got my house, I can drink my beer
Ignore its role in art and housing
Stress the conflicts and incidents

A place for those without one
A home for those without one
An outlet for those without one
No squatter is illegal

Liner Notes (continuing from last week …)

… but the mechanism works the other way around as well. When subcultures are unable to generate some extra money or simply resist to cooperate or fit in, mainstream media, companies and other institutions try to “downgrade” those subcultures so they can not be of any harm. The best example of this mechanism is the current anti-squatting law the dutch government has implemented in the constitution. Since squatting is a threat to the economy, healthy living conditions and simply stealing people’s property (not my words!) it should be forbidden. Since squatting is one of the most effective ways to create affordable living and working space for students and artists, a fertile home for underground culture and recycle ugly empty office spaces (my words!) it is not a crime! Kraken Gaat Door! (Dutch slogan meaning “squatting continues”).

That was it for side A of the record! Next week the first song of side B: a song about Pamela Anderson, Weird Al Yankovic, Hitler and Meatloaf. Guest contribution by Holland’s most critical, yet “converted” music critic.

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After the release of our new album on November 1st we will be touring our asses off. Starting with a release tour in France in November. First dates have been announced. Please see below. We are still looking for dates, get in touch with us or Effervescence Bookings to fill the voids.

Nov 4 Available
Nov 5 Available
Nov 6 Available
Nov 7 Available
Nov 8 Available
Nov 9 France Saint Etienne, Thunderbird Lounge
Nov 10 France Marseille, TBA
Nov 11 France Montpellier, Up and Down
Nov 12 France Bayonne, Le Kixkil
Nov 13 France Cauterets, Le Commerce
Nov 14 Available

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