Antillectual

Damn, did we have a blast at the Rise Against show, or what? Hope tomorrow is gonna be as good as that.

We have some really amazing news to announce. After a lot of requests from people from the USA for the record we can promise you that "Testimony" will be released in the USA, through Jump Start Records. Release date is set on September 23. It will be released on LP only and all copies will include a free digital download of the record. We are "Stoked" to say the least. And it's always nice to get new family members like A Wilhelm Scream, Belvedere, Astpai, Jena Berlin, Stockyard Stoics, One Win Choice, Giving Chase and many more. We will keep you updated on any more details around this release.

Speaking of "Testimony"; we got another nice review in from the respectable punknews.org. check it at their site or on this website. Great to read someone really captured the vibe of the record the way we tried to write it.

By the way, we're still looking for some shows for our July tour. Please help us out if you can! Anything will do.

So long and thanks for all the comments! 

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Again it's been a while since we interrupted you. And yet so much has happened in the mean time. The new release is going like crazy, we went on tour which was a mixed succes and we played a release show that was beyond our wildest dreams.

The tour report for the tour in March, the pictures we took and the video material we shot will be up soon. As soon as the new website is up, we'll post it there. What I can tell you already is that this tour was not our best ever, we had 2 last minute shows, and 3 days off, the most we've ever had on tour, and I must say it's the worst thing that can happen to a bad and its motivation. On the other hand, the shows that we aplyed were really awesome, with quite some people coming out, and being in Portugal for the first time was really amazing. A lot of thanks go out to Joao from Infected Records who did an amazing job arranging everything for us in Portugal. Again, more soon to come.

4 days later after we got back from Portugal we had the "Testimony release show. We expected it to be a great party. But what happened was beyond our craziest imagination. The show got sold out during Gewapend Beton playing third, and unfortunately a lot of people got sent back home when they tried to get in after. Even some idiots felt the need to fight their way in. Thanks to all the bands (New Pokerface, Smash the Statues, Gewapend Beton and The Real Danger) for showing up and playing their asses off. Also a lot of thanks to Hans and Niels and everyone else at The Stage, and most of all, thanks to all people showing up, singing along, going crazy during the show and buying the new album. If you don't believe any of the above, we got pictures to proof: check. See?

in response to the new album we got a shitload of new reviews. too much to mention them all. again, as soon as the new website is finished we'll post them there. here is the review of asice.net, one of holland's most important punk/hardcore portals:

Antillectual – Testimony (Shield)
Antillectual is the only Dutch DIY band, besides No Turning Back, that is willing to take that next step in music. Touring constantly across the globe to spread their music and message, these three guys from Nijmegen and Arnhem wholeheartedly dedicate their lives to this band. Where most bands try it, Antillectual does it and makes it look really easy.

“This is or testimony of the things we see happening around us and we do not agree upon”

This line is taken from the explanation of the opening track “Testimony” (a Boysetsfire-esque intro song) and pretty much sums up the lyrical content of this record. Some isssues they adress, like war, feminism and broken promises, are more important than others (“scene” issues or corporate advertising) but all lyrics are spot on and written with sincerety. And sincerity is the basis of all great things. Every song is explained to make sure that you know what they are singing and screaming about.
In comparing “Testimony” with “Silencing Civilization”, one is struck by the musical progress since that time. Dynamic changes, intelligent songwriting, richly colored melodies. A true parade of different punk rock styles. Being a conservative prick when it comes to punk rock music, I’m losing my head over songs like “Sponsorship for life” and “Benefit of the doubt”. Unbelievable! But all the pieces work extremely well together even though the ending can be a bit of challenge due to the length of both the song “I hope you got my letter” and the Shawshank Redemption sample.
A Sturm und Drang approach to political punk rock is certainly not unique but proves to be the most memorable. It should be no suprise that fans of Propagandhi and Strike Anywhere will do themselves a huge favor by checking out this uncanny record.
Rating: 4,5 out of 5

Source

if you want to order the album, or some other stuff get in touch through email.

some interesting offers:
– our old and new album together for 15 euro
– a shirt and an album together for 15 euro 

furthermore we have a lot of new shows added, especially in may with some very cool bands. check them yourself. hope to confirm some more soon as well. in april we will be hitting the (serious) road again, together with our good friends from smash the statues. really looking forward to that one. unfortunately we're still looking for some shows, if you can help us out it would be highly appreciated.  also if you have a show for us anywhere else, we're always looking for places to play, even more now we have a new album to promote. so please, let us know!

As said, we're working on a new website, we're actually filling it in with content and doing tests, so it's finally getting somewhere. no promises on when it will be online though, those have been broken more than enough. hope to see or hear from you soon!

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Dear all

We're about to leave on tour again, but before we leave we have another update. From today on "Testimony", the new album, is officially available through shops all over Europe, and of course through us. If you're interested email us info@antillectual.com. There's also new shirt/girlies/hoodies/zippers available that we'll bring on tour. Get in touch if you want to order one of those too.

If you're still in doubt, let these reviews help you make the right decision. A lot of Italian reviews, since No Reason Records is doing a great job over there. From Up Magazine we received this amazing review. This month's issue also features an interview with us.

The craftsmanship and melody that form the quality of the Antillectual live shows now finally have been recorded on the album "Testimony". With this album the band is in now way inferior to likeminded bands like Rise Against, Strike Anywhere and Hot Water Music. The political punk with a raw edge is catchy and contagious. It makes you want to mosh and sing along to songs like "Sponsorship for life", "Waste = food" and the title song. But also emo and indie rock fan can relate to this album. The three Dutchmen have a clear message, which they spread intelligibly in the beautiful booklet. Punk has seldom sounded so inspired. By far the best release on Shield Recordings up to date and an album for the year lists! I doubt the new Anti-Flag album will be a match for this album.

97/100

Arold Roestenburg

From Portugal we received a review from Misfit zine myspace.com/misfitzine:

This highly anticipated second album from this band, which hails from Holland since 2000, is a piece of good Punk-Rock, with hardcore riffs and catchy chorus, which will knock you down!

With the lyrics focused on both political and personal issues, the themes talk about war/anti-war, trends and commercialism! Musically speaking, the production is very good, the guitar is really cool and melodic, and the drums are powerful!

This is a band that does the walk instead of doing the talk, I can see! And we don't have too much of this today! Be sure to listen to this folks and grab a copy!

My favorite tracks are "Friendly Fire" and "Sponsorship For Life", which shows the two sides of the album. Great!

We received even a review of our old record "Silencing Civilization" on punknews.org. look at it here More reviews will follow soon.

Speaking of our old releases, we're almost sold out of both "Silencing Civilization", the "Waves" 7" and our demo "Facts Opinions & in Between". "Silencing Civilization" will be repressed through Shield Recordings on CD. There are plans to release the album later this year on vinyl/12"/LP as well. In case you're interested to help out releasing/distributing this thing let us know.

Speaking of vinyl; Shield recordings releases "Testimony" on vinyl, and actually has some Waves 7"es left. If you order the LP through Shield Recordings, you get a Waves 7" for free. As long as they're available.

And, since we're embarking on a tour as we speak, it's about time to announce a new one. Together with our good friends from Smash the Statues we will be going to Scandinavia. Thank god it's in April and temperatures will be acceptable by then. If you can help us out with some dates over there, please get in touch: info@antillectual.com.

Our friends from No Reason Records made a "Testimony Wall paper" to cheer up your view when you're at the office, or at home, or … 1024×768 and 1280×1024.

And last but not least, you can still stream the album on the 3voor12 "Luisterpaal".
How are you doing?

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The new album is only out for pre-order and already we're receiving reactions, responses and reviews. Which are actually quite nice, to say the least. Below you can read two reviews from Italian zines.

Lamette Punk Webzine source

January 27, 2008: Antillectual – Testimony cd (No Reason Records, 2008)

The record actually doesn't come out in our country till March, and therefore I'm reviewing this album in advance: Antillectual – the latest addition to No Reason Records' catalog – coming from Nijmegen, the Netherlands, play a mixture of punk-hardcore in the style of the labels' previous releases (Rentokill, Enemy Alliance / Indecision Alarm). Melody and political commitment, in the spirit of Propagandhi, is the basis for this complex and valuable release. Valuable on several levels: the excellent looking digipack and especially the booklet – graphically sublime, including texts and additional notes for every single lyric – are no longer just an extra, but are an essential factor for the complete understanding of the message.

The 10 tracks are strongly structured  (from the musical professionalism it shows Antillectual clearly prefers unusual arrangements) and finalized very well with lyrical content: an anarchist point of view is present during the entire album, while the band gives its opinions on American imperialist policy ("Testimony"), on multinationals and their impact on the culture and the resistance against it ("Sponsorship for life"), on prison policy ("I hope you got my letter"), feminism ("Waves") and the punk circuit itself ("I hate myself when I shave myself"). In other moments, however, the discussion focuses on the personal state of mind and on individual positions. This happens without discussing concrete situations, but rather browsing the philosophical field ("Benefit of the doubt" probably one of the best songs of the album).

Testimony is certainly not a simple album, but in its kind it is undoubtedly an incredibly coherent and meticulously thought out piece of music. All this in the spirit of the highlights of the DIY movement of the eighties. It's highly recommended listening to it on repeat, especially if you want to expand your views and musical ideas. I suggest you to immediately order your copy.
[Simone]

Dedication Music Magazine source

Antillectual – "Testimony" (No Reason Records)

File under: Melodic hardcore/punk
Like: Propagandhi, With Honor, Crime In Stereo, No Trigger, Much The Same.
It seemed like I'm listening to the new album by the great Propagandhi, but it is "only" the debut record from the Lodi based No Reason Records from Dutch band Antillectual. Our old friends ("Silencing Civilization" – review).

"Testimony" will come out next March 3 and win over all lovers of this kind of music with their refined melodic hardcore/punk enriched with political and social lyrics. But, frankly, the lyrics stay a little in the background because of the quality of the music. This is a plus point though.There are several resemblances with the Canadian, and sometimes it appears almost plagiarism (they simply love Propagandhi too much), but in the end Antillectual convinces me totally and doesn't leave any unpleasant feeling behind. It all works out for the best.High technically compositions enriched by diverse rhythms and melodies, this is one of the better punk/hardcore releases in recent months. With sincere regards to the increasingly stubborn and conscious No Reason Records, which seems very determined to focus on this style in Italy
4 out of 5
(Aob – 4/2/08)

If you are curious what this album is all about, you can now pre-order the vinyl/12"/LP version from Shield Recordings. Pre-orders will get colored wax, a release poster and extra Shield Recordings stuff. The first 40 pre-orders will get the Antillectual "Waves" 7" as a bonus (also on colored wax! and sold out, since we don't have any copies left ourselves …). Email Shield Recordings, or check their website for pre-orders.When you're interested in the digipack version of the album go to one of the releasing labels. Note that No Reason Records from Italy offers the record in combination with the Enemy Alliance/The Indecision Alarm-split for 15 euro, shipping included in Europe. Check!

Labels:
http://www.fondoflife.net
http://www.myspace.com/infectedrecordsdiy
http://www.noreasonrecords.com
http://www.riseorrustrecords.com
http://www.theshieldhardcore.com
http://www.youthwayrecords.com

Furthermore, we have some terrible news to announce. A lot of you might have met Etjen (our friend and driver from "Just Like Your Mom" tour support) when we came over on one of the tours we did the last years. Either in his camouflage printed van, or his insanely equipped luxury van. Since he helped us out in the best possible way and since a lot of you might know him (through us) we felt necessary to report this. Last week his van got crashed and crushed by a truck in the UK, total loss. Since it was parked there weren't any people involved and there wasn't any equipment broken. But since driving us and other bands around is not only his life but also his living, we hope he can get back on the road as soon as possible with a new van. We wish him all the luck we can!

Last, we still have some dates to fill on our upcoming tour in southern France, Spain and/or Portugal. If you feel like helping us out, please do so! The dates are these:

March 7: available
March 8: available
March 9: available
March 10: available
March 11: available

If you think you can fill our voids, let us know. If you can help us out with a show anywhere else, even in Holland, let us know. We have a new release. We want to play.

That's it! Take care.

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Hello All!

Comment ca va? We have the best news in three years to tell you: we have a new record, "Testimony"! And a lot more things coming along with that. Please read on below:

* New album TESTIMONY is available!
* Release show
* Upcoming tour
* Reports
* Website down
* All tour dates

New album TESTIMONY is available!
You can order the CD from today. The price is 10 euro (excl shipping). Get it through pre-order from the following labels:

* Fond of Life Records (Germany, United Kingdom, Luxembourg) joe@fondoflife.net / http://www.myspace.com/fondoflife
* Infected Records (Portugal) infected_records@yahoo.com
* No Reason Records (Italy) info@noreasonrecords.com / http://www.myspace.com/noreasonrecords
* Rise or Rust Records (Austria) info@riseorrustrecords.com / http://www.myspace.com/riseorrustrecordcompany
* Shield Recordings (The Netherlands and Belgium) info@theshieldhardcore.com / http://www.myspace.com/shieldrecordings
* Youth Way Records (France) Alex@youthwayrecords.com / http://www.myspace.com/youthwayrecords
If you don't live in any of these countries in Europe, please order it from a country near you. In Europe the LP version will only be available through Shield Recordings. The band will sell the album (CD+LP) at shows from March 3. This is also the date when the album is available in shops throughout Europe. If you are a label or distributor interested in our record, get in contact with a label near you for wholesale prices.
If you haven't listened to the new songs, you can check them online at our myspace, we recently added a new song called "Friendly Fire". There you can also take a look at the beautiful artwork by Gemma Pauwels. The first review of the album is in already; if they all could be like this one … please have a read:

Antillectual – Testimony

From mid-tempo melancholic post-punk to thrashing punkrock! Antillectual is far from ashamed to militantly show its versatility on the band's second full-length album. Indeed, Silencing Civilization's successor is a straight up hit! Recognizable melody, emotion, and passion combined with somewhat unconventional structures, inventive guitar riffs and vocal harmonies. Propagandhi meeting A Wilhelm Scream meeting Strike Anywhere meeting No Use For A Name meeting Bad Religion with a hint of Hot Water Music? No, totally different! (But somewhat alike).

From the rising of the drums in opening song Testimony to the fade out of the swelling sounds in I Hope You Got My Letter, all are a feast for the ear and eye. Not the least for the eye, because again the socially critical lyrics and their explanations can be found in the booklet.

Plusses are among many things the hot Maiden riff in The Dog Ate It! and pleasantly up-tempo rocking songs like Waves and On Its Own. The only blot is the length of I Hope You Got My Letter that tends to stand out in that way. This could be a personal objection that no one agrees with though, so don't be bothered. If the record contained 4 more songs I wouldn't even have noticed.

Well, a band that spreads its message with this much passion and integrity and, on top of that, is a treat for the ear, what else could one wish for?How beautiful punkrock can be. *Sigh*

Score: 88/100

Some more publications will follow soon, including Testimony reviews and interviews in Up Magazine and Long Live Rock 'n' Roll among others.

Release show
To celebrate the new release we're having a release show on March 21. It will take place in cafe The Stage in Arnhem. Other bands playing will be Holland's finest:
* The Real Danger
* Gewapend Beton
* Smash the Statues
* New Pokerface
Entrance is 5 euro and it all starts at 19.30. If you're from Holland you can make it back by public transport for sure.

Upcoming tour
To present this brand new album to the rest of the world we'll be going on tour some more. Starting in March, going to France, Spain and Portugal.

The dates so far:
March 5: Paris (Fr.), Le Palais Bar
March 6: Toulouse (Fr.), Cave de la Notte
March 7: Spain, available
March 8: Spain, available
March 9: Spain, available
March 10: Spain, available
March 11: Spain, available
March 12: Faro (Por.), Associação Músicos. W/ Part Time Killer
March 13: Guia-Albufeira (Por.), FNAC
March 14: Cascais (Por.), Lotus Bar. W/ Part Time Killer, Breakloose, Mr. Shrink
March 15: Entroncamento (Por.), Lareira Bar
As you can see, there are some holes to fill. Please, let us know if you can be of any help. It would be very much appreciated.

Reports
On our last tour in January we experienced some hard times in the UK and some overindulgence in Germany. If you want to know more, you can read our tour report here, check out the pictures we took here, and watch the tour report we filmed here (including English subtitles (!) for you non-Dutchies).

Website down
As some of you might have found out already, our website is temporarily down. We're awaiting the new website to be launched. In the mean time you can of course check all information on our myspace . When the new website is ready you'll be able to read all old reports we made, check all pictures we took, order all merch available, and get more details that myspace can't offer you.

All tour dates:
Mar 5 2008 paris (fr.), palais bar
Mar 6 2008 toulouse (fr.), cave de la notte
Mar 7 2008 spain, available
Mar 8 2008 spain, available
Mar 9 2008 spain, available
Mar 10 2008 spain, available
Mar 11 2008 spain, available
Mar 12 2008 faro (por.), associacao de musicos
Mar 13 2008 albufeira (por.), fnac store
Mar 14 2008 cascais (por.), lotus bar
Mar 15 2008 entroncamento (por.), lareira bar
Mar 21 2008 RELEASE SHOW! arnhem (nl.), the stage. w/ gewapend beton, the real danger, smash the statues, new pokerface
Apr 19 2008 aalborg (dk), baghuset. w/ smash the statues
Apr 23 2008 karlstad (swe), tolvmansgatan. w/ smash the statues, ends like this (swe)
Apr 26 2008 lund (swe), hemgarden. w/ smash the statues
May 11 2008 rotterdam (nl.), waterfront. w/ a wilhelm scream (usa)

In the next newsletter hopefully some more news about non-European release plans for Testimony, some more European tour dates (Italy, Austria, Germany, France), non-European touring and new Testimony-inspired shirts/girlies/hoodies.

Thanks, you made it, friends 'til the end!

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