I FIRST BECAME AWARE OF PAUL KOSTABI THROUGH THE BAND PSYCHOTICA. BEFORE THE BAND'S DEBUT WAS RELEASED IN 1996, THEY WERE THE OPENING ACT ON THAT YEAR'S LOLLAPALOOZA TOUR. ALTHOUGH I DIDN'T WITNESS THAT PERFORMANCE, I'D HEARD ENOUGH AMAZING THINGS ABOUT THE BAND TO EAGERLY AWAIT THE RELEASE OF SAID DEBUT. AFTER PURCHASING IT ON THE DAY IT CAME OUT, I IMMEDIATELY REALIZED THE HYPE WAS ACTUALLY TRUE! - A REAL RARITY.
ON OCTOBER 9TH, 1996, I FINALLY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WITNESS THE BAND LIVE AT CHICAGO'S DOUBLE DOOR. I ALSO HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF MEETING ALL THE BAND MEMBERS BACKSTAGE.
IN AUGUST OF 1998 I AGAIN WITNESSED THE BAND AT THE SAME VENUE, ONCE AGAIN TOURING WITH THE IMPOTENT SEA SNAKES. WITH A DIFFERENT LINEUP FROM THE TIME PREVIOUS(ONLY SINGER PAT BRIGGS AND GUITARIST PAUL ENA KOSTABI REMAINING FROM THE FIRST LINEUP).
I ONCE AGAIN MET PAUL,THIS TIME AT THE BAR. AS USUAL, HE TOOK THE TIME OUT TO TALK AND WAS AS GENEROUS AND COURTEOUS AS THE FIRST TIME WE MET. DUE TO SEVERAL CIRCUMSTANCES, HOWEVER, THE BAND SPLIT UP SOON AFTER OUR ENCOUNTER. AT THIS TIME, I TOOK IT UPON MYSELF TO SEE WHAT THE FORMER MEMBERS WERE UP TO. TO MY SURPRISE PAUL HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN SEVERAL PROJECTS I WASN'T FAMILIAR WITH DATING BACK TO 1980!
NOW 12 YEARS AFTER I FIRST LAID EARS UPON PSYCHOTICA, I ONCE AGAIN HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF SPEAKING TO PAUL. THE FOLLOWING INTERVIEW WITH PAUL ENA KOSTABI WAS CONDUCTED FEBRUARY 4TH 2008.
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ANTHONY IMBRAS: PAUL, KNOWING THAT YOU'RE INVOLVED IN SUCH A DIVERSE RANGE OF PROJECTS (MUSIC, ARTWORK, PRODUCTION), WHICH WOULD YOU SAY IS CURRENTLY YOUR MAIN FOCUS?
PAUL KOSTABI: RIGHT NOW I'M MOST FOCUSED ON MY NEW BAND SUPERNUMBLIVEMACHINE, WHICH CONSISTS OF MYSELF ON GUITAR, VINCENT KENDALL ON VOCALS, AND TONY MANN ON DRUMS. WE'RE ACTUALLY USING SOME OF THE INSTRUMENTAL TRACKS FROM THE LAST PSYCHOTICA RECORD.
WE'RE GOING TO START TOURING IN APRIL, WITH THE FIRST SHOW SCHEDULED TO BE IN NEW YORK'S CENTRAL PARK ON EARTH DAY. FROM THERE WE'RE OPEN TO TOURING JUST ABOUT ANYWHERE
A.I.: ANY PLANS FOR A CD OR RECORD RELEASE?
P.K.: ACTUALLY WE HAVE TWO RECORDS DONE.
WE'RE THINKING ABOUT DOING A SELF-RELEASE, THOUGH THERE'S A COMPANY IN RUSSIA THAT USED ONE OF OUR SONGS IN A MOVIE CALLED "SHADOWBOXING."
THE GUY WHO FINANCED THE MOVIE SAID HE MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN RELEASING EITHER ONE OF THE RECORDS OR A COMBINATION OF BOTH, POSSIBLY IN APRIL.
A.I.: HOW DOES THE NEW MATERIAL COMPARE TO THE OLD PSYCHOTICA MATERIAL?
P.K.: I WOULD CALL IT AN EXTENSION OF PSYCHOTICA-THAT SAME STYLE OF BIG SOUNDING MELODRAMATIC ROCK, BUT MORE RAW. ESPECIALLY IF YOU SEE US LIVE, IT WILL BE A LOT MORE RAW.
A.I.: I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF PRODUCTION WORK. WHAT BANDS HAVE YOU BEEN PRODUCING LATELY?
P.K.: I'VE DONE THREE ALBUMS FOR THE WILLOWZ. THE LAST RECORD THEY DID THAT CAME OUT IN AMERICA HAS BEEN RELICENSED IN EUROPE. THEY'VE BEEN TOURING IN EUROPE AND THE RECORD'S BEEN DOING REALLY WELL IN PLACES LIKE FRANCE.
I'VE ALSO JUST FINISHED PRODUCING A BAND OUT OF NEW YORK CALLED THE LOVE PIRATES, WHO ARE AN OLD SCHOOL STYLE ROCK BAND THAT I REALLY LIKE.
BUT LATELY I'VE BEEN MORE FOCUSED ON MY PAINTING, WHICH I REALLY ENJOY DOING.
(NOTE:PAUL AND HIS BROTHER MARK ARE BOTH NOTED ARTISTS. IN FACT, MARK KOSTABI'S ARTWORK IS FEATURED ON THE FRONT COVERS OF GUNS N' ROSES' "USE YOUR ILLUSION.")
A.I.: IS IT TRUE THAT YOU BUILT YOUR OWN RECORDING STUDIO SO THAT YOU COULD DO EVERYTHING ON YOUR OWN?
P.K.: YEAH, I BUILT MY OWN STUDIO SO THAT I COULD SET UP ALL MY EQUIPMENT THE WAY THAT I WANTED IT, AND SO I WASN'T AT THE MERCY OF ANY RECORDING COMPANY WITH THEIR PRODUCTION HOUSES.
FOR ME PERSONALLY, I LIKE TO GO OUT AND FIND BANDS THAT I REALLY LIKE AND OFFER TO RECORD THEM. SOMETIMES BANDS SEEK ME OUT. UNFORTUNATELY, THE COMPETITION IS REALLY STIFF OUT THERE WITH ALL THESE ENGINEERS AND PRODUCERS LOOKING TO RECORD VARIOUS BANDS SO IT REALLY TAKES SOME MAJOR COMMITMENT AND EFFORT ON MY PART TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
HOWEVER, I THINK IT'S WORTH THE EFFORT BECAUSE A PRODUCER CAN MAKE OR BREAK THESE BANDS AND I KNOW PERSONALLY THAT IF I COMMIT THE BAND WILL GET MY FULL ATTENTION AND THAT I WILL PUSH IT TO THE END.
A.I.: ARE THERE ANY CURRENT BANDS THAT YOU AREN'T INVOLVED WITH THAT INTEREST YOU?
P.K.: THE ONE BAND THAT I REALLY LIKE THAT I FOUND ON MYSPACE IS THE MERCURY MEN, WHO ARE FROM ENGLAND. THEY'RE SORT OF AMERICANA, LIKE LUCINDA WILLIAMS BUT A MALE VERSION. I CAN'T SEEM TO CONTACT THEM. I'M NOT EVEN SURE THEY'RE A REAL BAND. THEY GET ABOUT FIVE MYSPACE HITS A DAY.
A.I.: NOW THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED WHAT'S CURRENTLY GOING ON IN YOUR CAREER, I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR PREVIOUS BANDS, STARTING WITH PSYCHOTICA. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY LED UP TO THE ULTIMATE BREAKUP OF THE BAND?
P.K.: ACTUALLY THERE WERE MUTIPLE BREAKUPS.
ONE WAS CAUSED BY BEING DROPPED FROM AMERICAN RECORDS, WHICH HAD PUT OUT OUR SELF-TITLED DEBUT, WHERE WE HAD TO RECONFIGURE THE BAND WITH NEW MUSICIANS AND MOVE ON TO ANOTHER LABEL, ZERO HOUR, WHO RELEASED "ESPINA."
UNFORTUNATELY, THE NEW MEMBERS DIDN'T WORK OUT THE WAY PAT AND I HOPED AND THAT LED TO US SIGNING A THIRD CONTRACT WITH RED ANT RECORDS. AT THIS POINT, PAT AND I WENT ON OUR OWN TO ENGLAND TO RECORD A VERY BIG BUDGET, GRANDIOSE RECORD, "PANDEMIC."
UNFORTUNATELY, RED ANT WENT OUT OF BUSINESS AND KEPT THE MASTER TAPES. SO WE HAD REALLY TRIED THREE OFFICIAL TIMES TO ESTABLISH THE BAND. AFTER THAT IT WAS LIKE THREE STRIKES AND YOU'RE OUT: THE BAND WAS HISTORY.
THREE MAJOR ATTEMPTS IN FIVE YEARS I'D SAY WAS A PRETTY CONCERTED EFFORT ON OUR PARTS.
A.I.: WHAT KNOWLEDGE, IF ANY, DO YOU HAVE CONCERNING THE CURRENT WHEREABOUTS OF THE ORIGINAL MEMBERS: TOMMY SALMORIN, BUZ, REEKA, ENRIQUE, AND PAT BRIGGS?
P.K.: I KNOW THAT TOMMY IS NOW A CHEF IN HOLLYWOOD OR BEVERLY HILLS AT SOME RITZY PLACE, POSSIBLY A HOTEL. AFTER THE BAND HE WENT TO COOKING SCHOOL AND PURSUED THAT.
BUZ IS WORKING IN MANHATTEN IN SOME TYPE OF COMPUTER DATA, FINANCE, HEAVY DUTY CORPORATE MIDTOWN-SOMETHING INVOLVING COMPUTERS AND DATA. THAT WAS ALWAYS HIS THING EVEN BEFORE PSYCHOTICA STARTED.
REEKA HAS SOME KIND OF A DANCEHALL BAND IN NEW YORK THAT I BELIEVE MIGHT BE CALLED ZOOLOFT. ENRIQUE, I'M NOT SURE WHERE HE'S AT BUT I KNOW HE WAS ALWAYS INVOLVED IN FASHION IN NEW YORK BEHIND THE SCENES.
PAT BRIGGS, NO ONE CAN FIND. WE THINK HE MAY BE SOMEWHERE IN HAWAII. HIS MOM APPARENTLY MOVED THERE AFTER HIS STEPDAD PASSED AWAY AND HE MAY HAVE WANTED TO GET AWAY AFTER FALLING BACK INTO DRUGS IN LOS ANGELES. IN ANY CASE, HE'S ATTAINED THE ULTIMATE FORM OF ANONYMITY I SUPPOSE BECAUSE HE'S BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN ESCAPING, WHICH IS WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE TRY TO DO, BASICALLY DISAPPEARING OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH. I DO BELIEVE HE'S OUT THERE SOMEWHERE HIDING AND I BELIEVE HE'S OK.
A.I.: I HEARD THAT YOU WERE AN EARLY MEMBER OF WHITE ZOMBIE-TRUE?
P.K.: YEAH, ACTUALLY I WAS A FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE BAND AND APPEARED ON THE VERY FIRST WHITE ZOMBIE 7 INCH "GODS ON BEEDY MOON"
(NOTE: I'M NOT SURE IF I HEARD OR SPELLED THIS TITLE ACCURATELY).
THINGS DIDN'T WORK OUT AND I LEFT. SOON AFTER THAT I PUT TOGETHER THE THIRD INCARNATION OF MY FIRST BAND, YOUTH GONE MAD. THE LINEUP OF THAT VERSION, FEATURING TOMMY AND BUZ, BECAME PSYCHOTICA IN 1995.
A.I.: FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW, TELL US SOME THINGS ABOUT YOUTH GONE MAD.
P.K.: YOUTH GONE MAD WAS MY FIRST BAND THAT I STARTED BACK IN 1980. IT'S SORT OF LIKE MY ONGOING PROJECT. I CAN ALWAYS GET A RECORD DEAL WITH IT AND PUT OUT RECORDS AND SELL A FEW THOUSAND COPIES. WE'VE PUT OUT SEVEN FULL LENGTH RELEASES AND NUMEROUS 7 INCHES.
CURRENTLY, I'M PUTTING TOGETHER AN ANTHOLOGY ON iTUNES WHERE YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO BUY EVERYTHING WITH ONE CLICK. AS FAR AS THE INDIVIDUAL RELEASES ARE CONCERNED, IT ALWAYS MADE SENSE TO PRESS ABOUT A THOUSAND ON AN INDIE LABEL AND BEING ABLE TO SELL THEM OUT AS OPPOSED TO TEN OR TWENTY THOUSAND WHERE THE LABEL CAN'T SELL THEM AND THEY EVENTUALLY GO BROKE.
THE LABEL IS BETTER OFF SELLING 1,000 COPIES EACH OF TEN BANDS THAN 10,000 COPIES OF ONE BAND BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO LOSE MONEY SELLING THE TEN THOUSAND RECORDS BUT THEY'LL MAKE MONEY WITH THE TEN BANDS SELLING 1000 EACH.
A LOT OF BANDS DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT BUT THEY STAY SMALL AND SELL A THOUSAND OR TWO THOUSAND RECORDS, THEN EVERYONE'S ACTUALLY MAKING MONEY. BUT IF YOU START GOING TO A THRESHOLD OF 10 OR 20 THOUSAND RECORDS THAT'S WHEN A LABEL CAN EASILY GO BROKE WITH ONE BAD MOVE.
A.I: YOUTH GONE MAD TOURED WITH BANDS LIKE BLACK FLAG, FEAR, CIRCLE JERKS, AND THE MENTORS. WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER FROM THAT TIME PERIOD?
P.K: REAL STUFF WAS STILL HAPPENING AT THAT TIME WITH ALL THESE CREATIVE BANDS DOING THINGS THAT HADN'T BEEN DONE BEFORE. BUT THEN LIKE ANY OTHER MUSICAL MOVEMENT, THINGS STARTED TO GET STALE WITH COPYCAT BANDS AND BANDS TAKING THINGS TO A RIDICULOUS LEVEL WITH A BAND LIKE THE SLASHERS BRINGING RAZOR BLADES ON THE STAGE-HOW DO YOU COMPETE WITH THAT?
IT JUST BECAME A BIG SCENE. YOU'D HAVE A HELICOPTER IN THE SKY FLYING AROUND WHILE SOME UNKNOWN BAND IS ON STAGE WITH A CLUB FULL OF KIDS BREAKING UP THE PLACE. YOU HAD YOUR FEARS, BLACK FLAGS, AND CIRCLE JERKS SPEARHEADING IT ALL BUT THEN IT BECAME WHERE ANYONE WHO COULD PLAY LOUD AND FAST COULD CAUSE A RIOT.
A.I.: SPEAKING OF THE PAST, YOU WANTED TO MENTION A BAND CALLED THE DETOURS?
P.K.: YEAH, THAT WAS RIKK AGNEW'S(CHRISTIAN DEATH, THE ADOLESCENTS) FIRST BAND FROM 1975.
I WANTED TO SAY THAT THEY'RE CURRENTLY TOURING AGAIN (WITHOUT RIKK AGNEW) AND DOING PRETTY WELL.
THEY'RE FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND I DID SOME RECORDING FOR THEM ABOUT A YEAR AGO. THEY WERE ABOUT TO DO AN ALBUM AND THEN STARTED-REALLY GOOD, AUTHENTIC 1975/1976 PUNK ROCK FROM THE GUYS THAT REALLY INSPIRED THAT WHOLE ORANGE COUNTY PUNK ROCK SCENE. BUT THEY'VE NEVER REALLY RELEASED ANYTHING OUTSIDE OF SOME MATERIAL ON MID 1980'S COMPILATION ALBUMS.
HOWEVER, THEY DID WRITE A LOT OF MATERIAL FOR EARLY 80'S PUNK BANDS LIKE D.I., THE ADOLESCENTS, AND SOCIAL DISTORTION(INCLUDING KIDS OF THE BLACK HOLE AND HANG TEN IN EAST BERLIN.) IT'S JUST COMING OUT NOW WHO THE ORIGINAL AUTHORS ARE. YOU CAN READ ABOUT THEM ON THEIR MYSPACE PAGE.
(NOTE:RIKK AGNEW HIMSELF IS PLAYING IN A NEW VERSION OF CHRISTIAN DEATH WITH EVA O IN LOS ANGELES).
A.I.: ANYTHING OF INTEREST YOU'D LIKE YOUR FANS TO KNOW ABOUT YOU CURRENTLY?
P.K.: I'M VERY ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN POSH BOY RECORDS AND ALL OF THEIR ARCHIVES. I HAVE THE ENTIRE POSH BOY VAULTS IN MY HOME STUDIO-ALL THE MASTER TAPES AND ALL THAT'S LEFT OF THE ORIGINAL ARTWORK.
(NOTE: POSH BOY RECORDS PUT OUT THE EARLY RECORDINGS OF SUCH INFLUENTIAL ARTISTS AS TSOL, AGENT ORANGE, CHANNEL THREE, AND REDD KROSS.)
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK PAUL KOSTABI FOR ALL HIS EFFORTS AND HONEST INSIGHTS. AS ALWAYS, PAUL HAS NOT DISSAPOINTED IN SHARING WITH A FAN HIS UTMOST INTEGRITY AND SINCERITY.
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