Kafka | ru

The band formed in November 1994 from the ashes of various small Genoese bands. After several changes in the line up of the band and the release of a demo tape, "Tensione del niente", with the name Kafka band, they played some gigs out of Genoa. Their style, in this period, is bound more to the classical HC/punk, with lyrics and voice inspired by CCCP (an Italian punk band).
In december 1996 a promotional tape, "Kafka", was released and it allowed the band to play several gigs around Italy and a couple of dates in Switzerland. Their style evolved towards new school HC, looking at the metal origins of some members of the band. From this moment on, the voice, the music and their general attitude tend to beeing more powerfull and heavy, even if there are some intense parts reminding screaming emo.
Black out, their first 7", was released in November 1997. It was recorded at the Acqualuce Studio in Tourin, it contains 5 pieces of intense hardcore. It is inspired, from the point of view of sonorities, by the last Snapcase. The lyrics are introspective and existential, they usually deal with everyday life and the feelings connected to it. This 7" is a totally DIY one, and it was released by NO! RECORDS, a "non-label" of the band, with the cohoperation of Massimo di Carmine, a friend of theirs. They also organized a small distro, in order to finance, at least partially, the activities of the band and to make easier the exchange of stuff and opinions among different realities, especially the foreigner ones.
In January of the following year, after some gigs to promote the 7", Alejandro, the first guitarrist of Kafka, left the band to go to live in London for one year. In the meantime Luca G. joins the band. Kafka then record a pair of songs for a compilation of the Animal Liberation Front. After few days they record a song for another benefit compilation.
In the spring of 1998 the band plays a series of gigs in Italy and France to complete the promotion of the 7", which is nearly sold out. In summer Kafka finally have a studio of their own where to play. Their current project is recording a song for False Identity in Belgium and a song for an Australian compilation. In the meantime Alejandro is back, and Kafka have two guitars. In March they go on tour in Belgium and UK (with Profane), an amazing experience.
After some shows in Italy the band goes on with concerts all around Europe and in the spring/summer 1999 they played in Switzerland, Austria, Germany, and again in Uk, where they played at the "Evilfest", the biggest Uk hardcore and metal event with bands like Murphy's law, Knuckledust, Arkangel, Guilding line, Drowning, Out for Blood, Up Front, Area Effect, Canvas, Stampin' Ground and many more...).
They also put a song in a promo CD on Overcome rec. (5000 copies), and partecipated in various tape compilations all around Europe with some old songs and some songs of the 7". In Summer '99 they recorded 5 songs + outro for the first MCD "truths" that was out in September on Householdname rec. (London) and No! records. To promote the MCD Kafka played several shows in France (September/November '99), Belgium, Uk (with Inner Dam, NY) and in Italy, as in Genoa with Inner Dam or in Florence with Morning Again...
In Winter there were some more shows in Italy and Europe (Milan, Vicenza, Turin, La Spezia but also Austria and Slovenja...) and a tour in Spain and France (Lyon, Aix en Provence, Toulouse, Santander, Bilbao, Sant Sebastian) with the French band Scornless. In Spring 2000 Kafka recorded some new songs for a split Cd with Compact Justice (cool hardcore rock band from Germany) on Invictus crew rec. and No! records, which will be out for mid September of 2000. At the end of April they toured for 15 days around Germany, Belgium And Luxemburg. In this period they have also played some local shows with band like Earth Crisis, Indecision, Kill Your Idols....In November 2000 Kafka played a 3 weeks tour all around Europe, meeting old and new friends from UK, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Croatia, France, Luxemburg, and Slovenia... It was another amazing and unforgettable experience!
In april 2001 Kafka played 8 dates in Spain and France, meeting new and old friends like Olivia and Xavier, who followed and helped us duringthe tour, and Fuerza de Lucha, the band who toured with Kafka. In summer 2001 Kafka collective's energies were focused on the release of the compilation Plastic Culture, a benefit comp for "Food not Bombs" . Concerning live activities, After the last tour Kafka played a couple of shows in Switzerland and Austria with Crush my calm and Dark Day Doungeon. They also played somegigs in Italy, among which there was Disinfest with Locust, With Love, Lack and others plus a festival in Novara, Savona, Milan, Vicenza.
Besides this, in July 2001 we recorded 4 brand new songs with Endstand, a finnish band, for the split CD released in February 2002 for the Fuxony rec. from Brighton and for No! records. To promote the Cd the Kafka have been in playing in Novara, at the Dufresne festival in Ortimino with Inedia, To die for, Bellicosi, The diamond Sea, Receipt, Nativist, To the ansaphone and many others, in Turin, Cremona, Savona, Rome, Viterbo, La Spezia, Pistoia and, of course, Genoa. In May we also went on a one-week tour with the Endstand in Germany and Austria, where we had the chance to meet lots of old friends, in particular in Forst ( "birthplace" of the Compact justice) but also to become very good friends with our travel and stage mates!
In June, the Kafka were back on the road, in the Netherlands this time. Our first gig was in Belgium, with the Defdump, (with whom we have decided to release a future split 7") and the second one at the Unity fest, in the Netherlands.
At the end of July we took part to the Maizza Festival, a two day hc-punk, held every year in the very south of Italy: it was one of the most exciting concert we have ever done!
In 2002 we have managed to make a project, we really care about, come true. The Italian edition of “ food not bombs handbook”, Fratelli Frilli the editor. We cared about the edition and the translation of the text as well. We are really happy with what came out.. “inspired by the book a couple of FNB groups are born in Italy too and several other cities are getting close to it.
In summer 2002 we have recorded a couple of new songs for a new split, a 7” vinyl , with Defdump,an uprising band from Luxembourg. We are very satisfied with the final result of the record, released at the start of 2003, a 1000 copies first press, indeed everybody liked the white vinyl very much. The graphic bit has been very much in tune with the song’ themes. It is a work which well represents our reality!
About our live activity, we have played pretty much everywhere in Northern Italy, especially around Milan. Above all, during easter vacation we were back on tour again in Europe, 2 very special weeks. We went all the way to eastern Europe (Austria, Hungary, Slovakya, Czech Rep and Germany), as usual we had lots of fun. We met lots of cool people, and we had the chance to know Matteo (hurry up! Rec) and Aga better, they are both 2 lovely people. They followed and helped us in those days. All gigs went very well. In Lipsia we did one of the most beautiful concert we have ever done. It was in an old factory, model social realism. There were more than 400 people, supporting all groups with enthusiasm (apart from us there were, among the others, the Four Sivits, Compact Justice, Farmer Boulevard.). We played last. It was just great, we didn’t wanna stop playing anymore.
For the second part of the tour we went to England, with the STAND (a very good band from Grimsby). They were really gratifying gigs, so many kids asking for old song of our first mcd Truths: Generazione stupidità is almost a classic, ah being celebrities.
Back to Italy we took part to a few concerts in Padova but, above all, we gave it a go with new songs, because we want to have our own full cd.. at last.. We also have inmind to release another cd containing all Kafka “ from the origins to our days”. For this reason we are currently looking for old registrations, unknown songs, all piled up in our storage room, 9 years is a long time.
Other news to finish. A few friends gave us a wonderful present: a videoclip. They put together some bits from some gigs of us (among them: Liberation day Fest in Luxembourg in front of a thousand people, with bands like : Oi polloi, Yage, Defdump, Engrave, Judoboy, One Dimensional man...) on Una vita all'inferno (one of the songs of our last split 7"). The result was amazing: we really look like professionals. Really good, friends.directors, thank you so much.
Then this year we also kept doing FNB business”. After the italian version of the book, the fist gripping a carrot, ther were meetings, mini.conferences with the new born Italian FNB, manifestations. It makes us really happy to know we have contributed to the circulation of the ideas of this movement and, why not, to be a bit its italian referent.. .