Up In Arms

Interview With SOU//P

Los Angeles

From Issue 1.3, January/February 2005

Watching the low swagger with which  Alex set out to play the drums (head low, shoulders set with precision), Guillermo playing his green guitar (carefully watching his fingers move across the frets) and Marc on bass (relaxed and confident) is one way of sitting down with the members of SOU//P (minus their vocalist, Maya) to figure out if writing that they are powerful musicians or politically zealous, is justified within the confines of this article.

The other way, of course, is to ask a lot of questions. 

Do that, and all hell breaks loose.

One of the more vocal bands out there, SOU//P (which stands for Sounds of Unrestful Peace), is an opinionated band.  They are political.  They are humanitarians.  In reviewing the course of more than an hour’s worth of scribbled interview notes, the three laid out some very radical ideas about the baseness of the cliched American dream, how prisons can be construed as legalized slavery, consumer culture and the pitfalls of globalization.

“Our music just basically talks about peace.  Resist to exist.  Revolution is a theme in our music calling upon someone to recognize the capitalist world around you,” said Alex about what the band is trying to get across to music listeners.

“It’s about fighting for a cause,” added Marc.

This cause, though dense in fact and opinion, is this band’s collectively strong disliking for capitalism.  They argue that money has only led to lines of demarcation within society.

“We’re just so happy in our world of consumerism without thinking about it.  But at whose expense is it at?  It’s all for corporate interests while we’re just blindly consuming,” said Alex in disgust.

Ask these three anything about society or politics, and they will pounce on the subject.  No one can accuse them of being apathetic.

Breaking from the discussion on the economy, Alex stops to tell his bandmates about something he saw in a Sav-On drugstore a few days ago.

“I shit you not,” he said to the other two as he described a wooden exercise block advertising to consumers that the block will aid in weight loss. 

The three laughed at the stupidity of such a product.

“But people will go out and buy that shit,” said Marc.

“Yeah, some shit that’s going to end up in your attic,” responded Alex.

“Yeah, the world’s going to end and all we have to show for it is fucking McDonald’s and Mickey Mouse,” added Guillermo dejectedly.

 After an election that seemed to bring out the liberal voice boxes in many young citizens, many adults, conservatives and skeptics abounded in the legitimacy of such radical opinions (especially when Kerry lost the election).

The one factor distinct about SOU//P’s band members is that they are obviously smart and stay informed of current and past events.  They have a sense of history that most Americans are too lazy to understand thus packing a powerful punch in their arguments.

They can talk about the contemporary political system while bringing up discussions of the Mexican-American War in the breadth of one discussion.

Instead of demanding respect for empty opinions, this band’s conversation is magnetic because they have ideas but refrain from forcing those ideas on anyone.  More important, they are passionate about what they are talking about.

“Yet, we’re seen as irrational.  People see it as a normality to buy stuff at Wal-Mart because it’s convenient.  People are trying to keep so busy.  I mean, why read a book when it’s going to be a movie,” questioned Alex sarcastically.

If their conversation is not what “flips your switch” (as Alex would say), then listen to the music, because it is the one thing that most would find agreeable.  The current state of their music is a mix of melodic hardcore.  However, the band is only a few months old and pledged to keep this project as honest and “indigenous” as possible.

Guillermo described their music as “tribal core,” which is a pretty fair assessment upon listening to their impromptu jam sessions.

The group borders along the lines of a contemporary reggae band with obvious influences ranging from jazz to semi-thrash music-an interesting combination.  The music speaks volumes about their various backgrounds which range from hip-hop, to indie, to jazz and fusion.  Watching and listening to them play live is a powerful experience because their music is emotional devoid of base labels.  Their music is like their conversation:  dripping with intensity.  They mean what they say and play. 

Listening to them speak or play their music is a reminder of the importance in fighting for change no matter how great the problem may seem to be or how far the solution is.  The changes this group and so many like them want, is a tall order for any group of people to fulfill.

The question of whether these reforms will ever occur, is hard to imagine.

In the meantime however, this group will continue playing passionately in Alex’s garage, on a picturesque street in L.A. where small businesses are being shut every day and the division between rich and poor seems unlikely to disintegrate in the near future.