Distort #12

Distort mag started in 2003 to document kvlt hardcore and World War III. The contents of Distort have been dominated by impulse, excess, insomnia, stimulation. No editor, no proofread, no nerd.

Out of the 2000+ pages published over the past couple of decades I am skimming the C.R.E.A.M. into an archival book.

I'm raising funds to print this by making backissues available again via PDF.

You can also purchase a onetime subscription to all Distort here which this issue is part of.

DISTORT #12

(2006) - Annihilation Time / Formaldehyde Junkies / World Burns To Death / Pisschrist tour photo diary

The plague of facebook decimated print media, but on the bright side, facebook means you can reconnect with the guy in high school who used to trap cats in a pillow case and drown them in the local creek. It’s hard to read these pre-facebook issues of Distort now, but at the time the function of a mag was supposed to be something like a source of news, a function that seems so archaic and strange now!  

From intro: “world war three is fucking with my head. Global warming, over population, bio-warfare, nuclear annihilation. I distract myself mulling over the idiosyncrasies of Japanese hardcore, as I lay in bed at night staring at the patterns of my ceiling, apocalypse is on my mind.”

 Distort back issues feature news about upcoming records and tours by bands that I can’t imagine listening to now without a fork to my throat.

 Formaldehyde Junkies are an exception to this – do you like this? They were from Minneapolis, very good hardcore from the time, I would definitely listen to their hit song ‘Negligent Binge of Self Destruction’ with a fork in my throat. This interview was the start of something special, as Andy later released a UV Race 7”, booked a UV Race tour in the US, and drove us around the country. We spent some time together, and this was the seed from which great things grew.

This band called World Burns 2 Death, did you ever hear their music? Not a good band, but fascinating fodder of their time. This interview was conducted by Neil Bramley of Teargas fame, of Adult Dreams zine – do you know this Neil? Brilliant wit, excellent story teller and founder of many Aus punk neologisms. 

 Pisschrist were Melbourne’s hardest working and most prolific hardcore band, and Yeap’s intensity and tireless work offstage with Hardcore Victim are laudable. A particular achievement is the release of the Havittajat 7”… more on that later…

 Annihilation Time are one of the few bands covered in these early issues of Distort I can imagine listening to when I’m too old to use a fork, if I’m cursed to stick around that long.