Today, we are going to continue our Fluff Fest interview special. The second run features another eight fantastic projects like The Smudjas, Old Soul, (We Built The World And) Miss The Stars, Anne M. Christiansen, Riot Tea Club, Tadzio Records or No Omega / Det är därför vi bygger städer. Click on the link below and read what they wrote into the notebook.

Actually, this Extended Play was already released back in 2005, the year of the band’s breakup, just two years upon their formation. After their reunion at Miss The Stars Festival in Berlin several weeks ago, the band from Stockholm put it on bandcamp. Reason enough for us to talk it over. Getting better with every song, the EP reaches its highlight within the closing song called Embrace. It’s epochal, full of passion and features premium vocals, with Ina carrying her heart on her sleeve. The EP is a sleeping colossus, as it’s probably never got as much attention as it deserved. It should be noticed as a European screamo classic and I hope their reunion is just the first step in a process to reach this recognition. There might be some upcoming content, which involves this great band. Keep your eyes peeled.

‘I think it's time we blow this scene, get everybody and the stuff together... Okay, three, two, one, let's jam!’ For this collaboration, two of the most exciting European screamo bands teamed up. Released by the usual labels, the split unfortunately just includes two songs in total but what you can hear is incredibly good. For me, it didn’t take long to fall in love with the new gem of the Ukrainian band, which opens the split in a furious way. Right away from the start you are taken in by their terrific guitar-work, while the song steadily builds up to its climax. The song by the Swedes absolutely doesn’t lag behind and sums up for an absolute quality record. A++

“Я потерял тебя В странную летнюю ночь Которая перетекла в пасмурное утро Сейчас ты далеко В твоих глазах отражаются улицы Парижа.”

Let’s continue SBS #33 with another split. Recommended by Mathcore Index, the Ontarian liaison between Terry Green and Huge Cosmic contains two tracks each band. While Huge Cosmic’s style could be described as a blend of indie-shoegaze and MLIW inspired post-hardcore, Terry Green from Mississauga are playing excellently mathy screamo. The sound created by Adrian, Matt, Louis and Adam is full of energy and could be a perfect fit for your summer soundtrack – not least because of the strong amount of melodious parts. The split is available on cassette via Canadian based label, Zegema Beach Records.

“I’m ripping off my skin, the skin that I don’t fit in. Just for you to see and show just were I’ve been. Seeing you is always torture. It's something I admit but what I won’t admit Is I’m sorry.”

Kepler are an amazing new emo punk outfit from Mühlheim, Germany, and their selftitled demo is really well made. They are playing an exciting mixture somewhere between emo, screamo and post-hardcore. Since, three of the four songs contain strong hit potential, I kinda loved the EP from the first listen on. The songs are catchy and full of diverse sound structures. No matter if screamed or clean, the vocals are almost always on point and perfectly harmonize with the instrumental background. Kepler is Andy, Leon, Micha and Tomekk and I can’t wait to hear more of them.

"...we are friends / we are lovers / we are indefinable / we are clammy firework / ready to surprise / we are selfish / we are selfless / we are nothing in between / we are beautiful mess / and this is what it means to be invisible to the rest of the world."

Vivre Sa Vie is a Swedish emoviolence outfit, consisting of Wiljami, Johan, Tobias and Jacob. Their approach of punk music is passionate and very personal, transporting a strong and sincere message about ‘living and coming out as a transgender person…’ and their ‘personal angst that comes from not living by norms.’ The fourpiece from Stockholm absolutely convinces with heartfelt lyrics and their intense compositions. Time will tell if they could become something like a screamo version of Against Me. However, and this might be the most important thing, their music is going to help gender-non-conforming people within the punk community through their struggles in everyday life.

“I've got nothing left from the war. I stand infront of the mirror. She stares me right in the eyes. War against yourself. A battlefield. On your torso. Gunmen down your neck.”

A few months back we introduced you Drei Affen from Torrelavega, Spain. Following their demo, the emoviolence threepiece recently released their debut EP. This highly recommendable release contains six energetic tracks and other than Elsa and Eloy’s other project OsoLuna, the band pursues a more chaotic and skramzier approach for those tracks. Compared to the demo, you now get a well-produced Extended Play with decent sound quality and beautiful cover artwork. After its digital release, the selftitled EP will also be available on tape via Middleman Records as well as on vinyl. Limited to 500 copies the 12 inch record will be published by a potpourri of fantastic labels, indluding Dingleberry Records, Krimskramz, Pure Hearth Records, Rubaiyat Records and Zegema Beach.

“Intento atravesar los muros con la rabia de un tornado, por los que sufren sin voz grito, lloro, sufro, amo.”

One song each band, this is one of those splits which will hardly find its way on my turntable. I feel like, it is way too tedious to turn the record over and over again, though it’s nice to have it on my record shelf. The song contributed by Stockholm’s Det är därför vi bygger städer contains a strong amount of clean vocals, switching from mellow to angry - where the song hits its climax - and the other way around. An Apology by Coma Regalia, which can be found on the other side of the split, also includes clean vocals and convinces with a nice melody. Grab the record from Middle Man Records, Ödebygd Records, Through Love Records, Miss The Stars Records, Friendly Otter, Zegema Beach Records, Time As A Colour or Samegrey Records.

Let's end this episode with an appropriate release: High-pitched vocals, roaring guitars and a fair doze of chaos - Икар from Minsk, Belarus created a six song collection, which easily could be termed as close to perfection. Combining all makings of a fantastic screamo record, the EP starts with the furious Рождение трагедий (The birth of tragedy). An eclectic, well composed song, full of finesse and one of the most brilliant song endings I’ve heard in a while. Definitely a must listen for everyone who’s into screamo music.

“Как опадает сухая листва, устилаясь холмами повсюду, так опадем когда-то и мы, наблюдая за смертью друг друга.”

This Swedish-Japanese-cooperation rules hard. Two songs each band, the split contains six songs in total and soon it will be released as a 12’’ record via Through Love Records (GER), Samegrey Records (UKR) and Kakusan Records (NOR). While sans visage from Tokyo provides us with their classical interpretation of screamo, Careless and Det ör därför vi bygger städer adding some post-rockish guitar sounds to the sample board. Which songs you will like best might be a matter of taste, but for me the two songs of Det är darför vi bygger städer are truly outstanding, topping off the split in the best way possible.

“Closure, it's a feeling of happiness, it won't find me you won't find me.”

Here’s an old one from last year. Released in the end of 2015, the debut EP by Belle Indifference from Madrid is a gem for every amateur of emoviolence. The seven songs EP feature every attribute you could expect from a record, tagged with this genre. The wild sound of the threepiece from Madrid is discordant and arhythmic. Just a few slower sections interrupt the aroused chaos, giving you little time to breath. Ryan Ghosting is highly recommendable; don’t fail to give it a listen. ‘This is your most likable song ever. People will love it.’

“Same teeth, same lips, same laughter, what am I doing myself? We are tied into a spiral of identical tastes, my curiosity rotates in one direction, I see your face and that's only cat-eye-glasses. Do I love people or do I love patterns?”

Another split, another band from Japan. A few months ago we introduced you ilill from Tokyo. For their second release they teamed up with San Diego’s letters to catalonia. Both bands contribute three tracks to the split, which sound quite contrary. Compared to the violent, straight-forward sound of the threepiece from California, ilill’s approach is more playful, containing borrowings of 90s emo. Yet, there’s no doubt that this collaboration between those bands works perfectly well. I instantly ordered the split-tape from Skeletal Lightning and so should you since it is limited to 100 pieces.

“I am broken just like you. Let’s get together. We might get through. Not for forever but just for now. I need you with me to not go down in a mountain of cheap cigarettes and wine. Just be here with and kill some time.”

Weak Ties is a Powerviolence outfit from Bielefeld, Germany. The fourpiece recorded eleven songs, each faster and more powerful than the foregone track and put them out as a selftitled EP. The roots of the band definitely lie in classical Hardcore Punk, as their brute sound features some nice D-Beat sections. Their vocals are pissed and so are the lyrics. Actually not that kind of stuff we are featuring on this blog, but Weak Ties deserved it. Brett!

“Devoted to all this, which creates this fucking sea of shit. Restrained smiles. Vaccined brains. Running on knives.”