Hello, how are you?

At the moment I’m fine, I hope it stays like that. Since I still have to work as a care worker for disabled people, times are a bit stressful and exhausting. Working with a high-risk group in times like these was quite hard at the beginning and still is tense regarding all the dangers of infection, etc.
The good thing is I’m still able to pay my rent, have a working contract and I’m not under financial pressure due the economic situation.

The whole Covid-19-situation connected with social media and daily news (live ticker,….) was kind of challenging at the beginning: To handle information and personal fear and doubts, to filter forms of disinformation and sensationalism. All in all it is interesting to watch and read how politicians act and manage the crisis, how media shapes fears, where you get qualitative news, how the different nations act and communicate, etc.

Articles which gives a good résumé + criticism:
1. COVID-19 – eine Zwischenbilanz oder eine Analyse der Moral, der medizinischen Fakten, sowie der aktuellen und zukünftigen politischen Entscheidungen/
2. Zur Politischen Ökönomie der Seuche oder Das Virus und der Klassenkampf

Where are you right now?

Spending the days in my flat in Vienna, together with my partner and a cat.

Which sounds surround you?

A strange mix of my favorite Black Metal records, Muslimgauze, Audio Books, radio podcasts (political, cultural, historical) and World Music, mostly Turkish stuff.

Have you been productive so far? What are you working on?

I needed some time to realize and manage my free time (without playing live, going to punk shows, having a Beislbier or joining band rehearsals, etc.)
I tried to not set myself under pressure with the concept of productivity. I let boredom spread in my head. That was quite a good idea, reading books, going for bike rides and making music, when I am in the mood to. In my opinion it is also a question of privilege to think and talk about being productive in a creative sense at the moment.

So far I recorded three new ROSA NEBEL tracks for compilations. At the moment I’m working on a remix.
Once in a while I dust off my guitar and my drumcomputer and play something different. This time I recorded four Black Metal tracks (theme-based on Moorcock’s book „Hawkmoon“). The „project“ is called „Gates of Londra“ and I hope to get the songs ready asap.

Reading material you can recommend?

Moorcock’s SciFi/Fantasy books, Ronald M. Schernikau’s „Legende“, Peter Hacks „Leben und Werk“. At the moment a lot of political groups, collectives and nerds are doing reading circles online. So you read texts to a certain topic (for example about Marxism, dialectics) and are meeting once a week or in a planned period (via Zoom, Discord,…). That’s quite nice.

To watch?

Dragonball Z

To listen?

Bands: Wulkanaz, Panphage, New „Circle of Ouroborus“ Record
New „Muro“ Record
Morast „Drawing Figures into Negative Space“ (via Baba Vanga)
Ebriach “Die Tore der Uschowa” (via Ventress Records)

Mixes: Girlcast #008 by SCHIRIN
Sniffin Glue #2 – Karl Knall
Dj Warzones Black Metal classics

YouTube channels: My Analog Journal (mostly 70s, 80s World Music, Jazz, Psychedelic), Rites of Pestilence (Underground Black Metal, Noise, Power Electronics,…)

What’s your opinion on live-streams? You see any alternative ways to support the music community?

Never thought a lot about live-streams or the function of it.
In my opinion it’s a nice idea to share and support music, maybe keep up the „bubble“ vibe, the positive thinking, have an excuse to get wasted at home and to collect some money for artists. I don’t know if the concepts of livestream helps artists financially.
I think it’s a bit too much at the moment, if I would watch all livestreams, I would be only doing this the whole day.

What are you missing most? What are you afraid of?

I’m missing loud music and punk shows, playing music with Zmil666 in the rehearsal room (Parasite Dreams). (Sometimes) I’m also missing the socialising and hanging around with nice people in front of V99.
I’m afraid of a busy autumn and people, who want to make up for the missed parties and events.

What will change you think?

Nothing. Of course it’s nice to think about possible positive side effects of this crisis. One of it: The appreciation of underpaid wage labour, mostly done by women (Care workers, employees in public services, Supermarket employees, nurses,….) But clapping and appreciation is not enough!
Another possible positive side effect could be that people appreciate all the voluntary and unpaid workers, DIY bookers, small venues (which would have already vanished, if people would not help together).

But let us not deceive ourselves: terms like „solidarity“, „work together“ or „Team Austria“ are mostly used by corporations, businesses and politicians to strengthen their power, to distract from the fatal neoliberal politics, economy and results of privatization, to undermine protest from the working class and to forget about the horrible refugee situation and camps in Moria.

When this is over there will be unemployment and one messiah Sebastian.