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CURRENT INTERVIEW-- 4/8/99 [Mikhail Zubovich]
Hello Everyone !! This is my first interview, and I was a little nervous, but there isn't much nicer of a guy to interview than Mikhail. A first got to know Mikhail by visiting his website, which is an excellent one too !! Through there i realized that we share similar ideologies, so i thought it would be cool for you all to get to know him as well.
ANOKPEACE: So tell all the kiddies out there in computerland your name :)
M-8: Mikhail Zubovich. I use M-8 because when I write my initials, the Z looks like an 8.
ANOKPEACE: And where are your from, and where do you reside now ?
M-8: Originally I was born in Belarus (part of USSR). We came to San Francisco in 89. I lived
there until 97 when I moved accross the bay to Walnut Creek.
ANOKPEACE: Ah the Soviet Union. I wonder how was it there ? Was it as horrible as the
world media made it out to be ?
M-8: It wasn't as bad as the US propaganda made it out to be. We still had to stand in lines, but
not for like bread and milk, and what not.
M-8: We were really sheltered, since the news were controlled by the gov't they wouldn't allow
certain news to air (like a lot of crime) which
M-8: created a false illusion that it was really safe.
M-8: we had the basic nessecities, but since it wasn't a capitalist society, there weren't many
choices of products.
M-8: the government approved brand of bread, the gov't approved brand of soda, etc. etc..
ANOKPEACE: I figured it to be that way. Do you feel that the Communist system is too corrupt
and/or easily corrupted to ever prove effective ?
M-8: It's too easily corrupted. It looks good on paper, but doesn't work in real life with people
who can be corrupted.
M-8: but then again - every gov't system is corrupt, I think.
ANOKPEACE: Very True. It seems to me that the communist system is too hippicritical of itself.
Think about it, how can everyone be equal if someone's in power pulling all the strings ??
M-8: yeah. a lot of it doesn't make sense. you can't make everyone equal when you put certain
people in charge.
M-8: and the way they chose the leaders was all fucked up.
M-8: at least here you can vote (but no one does), there you had to go with whoever the
government picked.
ANOKPEACE: Thats why i feel that all forms of power are hippicritical of itself.
ANOKPEACE: I don't think the communist state of Stalin and Krustchev are what Karl Marx
and Fredreich Engalls envisoned while writing Das Kapital, do you ??
M-8: yeah. they took it and twisted it for their own purposes (profits). I don't think Lenin followed
the works of Marx/Engells exactly.
M-8: but what it comes down to (and this works for all govt's) is that people in power will use
that power for their own good.
ANOKPEACE: Very true. Thats was one Bakunin's beefs with Karl Marx's Theory.
M-8: how does that quote go - absolute power corrupts absolutely
ANOKPEACE: Power corrupts, but absolute power corrupts absolutely, yep thats it. And a very
axiomatic statement as well !!
ANOKPEACE: What do you think of the current situation in Kosovo ??
M-8: i don't know what to think. on one hand i disagree about sending kids to fight some war that
we have business being in.
M-8: but on the other hand, those people can't defend themselves so it's good that we're helping
them out.
ANOKPEACE: Well, for me its a tough call. I think that violence is no way to bring peace, but
the serbian government isn't about to change the policy with Kosovo.
M-8: actually one of the comps that i have on my label is about that war (I'm using a picture of
those 3 captured soldiers as the cover).
M-8: not necessarily against or for it, but just to make people aware of it.
ANOKPEACE: If you look at it from the anarchist prespective, I should support a group of
people wanting freedom form thier oppressers.
M-8: one question i have: there are a lot of countries who belong to the U.N., yet it seems that
only the U.S. army is out there bombing.
M-8: i don't agree with that part (that only US bombs other countries) - that kinda solidifies the
US position as the world's policeman.
ANOKPEACE: Well, you know the US, always wanting to play hero and big brother.
ANOKPEACE: You earlier mentioned "one of your comps." Whats your record labels name.
M-8: Apt. #29 Records
M-8: we only have 3 Tape Only comps out (and some demos/live shows that we distro)
ANOKPEACE: What bands are currently on Apt. 29 Records ??
M-8: no bands are really signed to the label.
M-8: The idea behind the comps was to get bands who sent me demos for review, who I really
liked, some more recognition
M-8: and then i contacted more bands who's 7s i liked. and then i contacted bigger bands who've
agreed to be on the comp. it was surprising how much responce i got.
M-8: i got ok's from some great bands to be on the comp.
ANOKPEACE: Excellent. That sounds really cool.
M-8: plug: http://www.innetix.com/~mikhail/29/ - my label/distro's web page.
ANOKPEACE: Oh yes, everyone visit Mikhail's page. What is it called and the URL again for
those who are interested ??
M-8: Oldschool Or No School - www.innetix.com/~mikhail
ANOKPEACE: So tell us about your page ??
M-8: i started in 95. i was looking for info on Circle Jerks (trying to decide which ablum to buy)
and every review page was about newschool punk...
M-8: so i started reviewing my albums (which at the time were half newschool and half
oldschool) in hopes that i could help other people who were just getting into oldschool.
M-8: i started out with like 75 reviews, and now i've got over 1000
M-8: i've had a bunch of bands and labels contact me and send me stuff for review.
M-8: and maybe about 3/4 months ago i started doing album of the week - where i put up 5 songs
in real audio from a CD on my web page.
M-8: and then about 2 months ago i started putting up songs from demos/live shows on my rare
punk sounds section
M-8: and i put up The List - which is a list of bay area punk shows and my web zine - PONK-111
(which I haven't updated in a while).
M-8: that's about it i think.
ANOKPEACE: Wow !! Thats alot !! How did you first get into the punk thing ?
M-8: in 1989 when we moved from USSR to US (while living in Ausrtria) I heard In God We
Trust, Inc. by DK and thought it was great, but I didn't get into punk until
M-8: i bought (of all things) the S/T Rancid CD which (at the time) blew me away. so i looked at
the flyers inside the CD and bought albums by bands they've played with
M-8: which turned out to be bands like NOFX, Bad Religion, green day and the like.
M-8: then i made a copy of some tapes that my friend's roomate had and got into Exploited,
Misfits, Cirlce Jerks, Black Flag, and other oldschool punk and went from there.
M-8: and from there i got into anarcho-punk.
ANOKPEACE: That Dead Kenndeys CD is a classic.
M-8: my favorite is still Frankenchrist.
ANOKPEACE: Thats a route many kids take. (as i did) I think of New School as sort of a
pathway to the whole anarcho-punk scene
M-8: yeah. but not too many kids admit it.
ANOKPEACE: Hey, everyone's gotta start somewhere. Hell Yeah !! Frankenchrist is by far the
best DK release !!!
ANOKPEACE: So tell us what have been a few of your favorite bands you've reviewed over the years
??
M-8: um.
M-8: you know, i like reviewing all bands (even the bad ones). the only thing that gets to me is
when newschool bands send me their demos/CDs when it's clear on the page that
M-8: i don't like newschool. it's like they're asking for bad reviews.
ANOKPEACE: Yep, I think some bands just want to see their name.
ANOKPEACE: Were you ever in a band yourself ??
M-8: yeah in a shitty newschool band when i first got into punk. i quit when i wrote a political
song and was told don't write political stuff, we wanna be funny
M-8: i play bass.
M-8: I almost started another band - Sonic Youth Brigade - but that didn't work out.
M-8: i still write songs once in a while, but just for myself. maybe i'll try to start another band... i
dunno.
ANOKPEACE: Oh, thats not good. But hey, if you were still in that band, you probably wouldn't
have that informative page you got now !!
ANOKPEACE: So, what has been in your CD/record player lately ??
M-8: i just got a 3 tapes from Jesse Luscious (Blatz/Gr'Ups/Criminals singer) with a bunch of
Blatz/Gr'Ups live shows and Criminals demos so I've been listening to that a lot.
M-8: other than that - Anti-Product, Detestation, Disrupt, Subhumans, Zounds, Alternative.
M-8: looking forward to the new Oi Polloi LP (and their tour).
ANOKPEACE: Ah, Oi Polloi, more great stuff. I hear them and Aus Rotten are going on tour this
summer.
ANOKPEACE: I've been listening to alot of Zounds myself lately. Great stuff !! Alternative is
(was) on Crass records, right ?
M-8: yeah. i like bands like Zounds - Schwartzennegar, poison girls, alternative, omega tribe.
alternative had a 7 on Crass record for sure. i got a copy of their LP which is great.
M-8: aus rotten / oi polloi / anti-product and some other band are touring.
ANOKPEACE: All that stuff is great, but hard to find. I have the Zounds CD, but the rest i only
got on the (A) Sides compilation. (except Schwartzneggar)
M-8: well poison girls are supposed to have a 4-CD box set out.
M-8: actually my favorite anarcho-punk bands would either be Conflict or Subhumans.
ANOKPEACE: Yeah, great stuff there. Of course Crass is great, and i also love Thatcher on
Acid
M-8: i recently got the Frank CD by Thatcher ON Acid (a collection of their stuff) which was
great I thought. You should get the Thatcher On Acid / Wat Tyler split LP - it's awesome.
ANOKPEACE: Yeah, I hear that (TOA/Wat Tyler) is really great. Its called Squib i believe. I
gotta get that too.
M-8: Yeah. Steve Ignorant does guest vocals (more like spoken word) on one track.
ANOKPEACE: Well, got anthing else to add (plugs, hello's etc.) ??
M-8: go to my web page. thanks for the interview. i had fun. good luck with the web page.
ANOKPEACE: alright. Thanks for doing this. I'll see you at your message board.
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