Shalom. My name is Nadav Ben-horin. i play drums in BRUTAL ASSAULT and run a small hardcore punk label from my bedroom called CONSTIPATION REKKORDS.
The scene in general :
Israel is very small and ANY kind of punk activity (hardcore, emo, pop-punk, street punk, etc.) can’t be found in all it’s edges, which makes the scene very small. Not to mention the hardcore punk chunk of it. There might be a small amount of lonely punk rockers sitting in some kibbutz in the deep north/south, but nothing constant goes on in those areas, since the cities are small and the kibbutzs’ all smell like cowshit.
So it is basically a 1-2 hour drive maximum from one interesting place to another if you are on the right speed with your car and you can read a fucking map properly !
Tel aviv is the biggest city in Israel and it’s in the center of Israel, so that’s where all the activity is centered, as well. Most local bands are combined from people which come from different cities, some even from different areas or cities which are not TOO close to each other.
The israeli hardcore scene, version 0.7 :
During the summer of 2006, an all DIY venue has opened in Kfar saba, a small city not too far from Tel aviv. It had a small vegan bar with tasty food for the hungry punk rockers and basically it was all built by the kids who came up with the idea, using their bare hands ! After a couple of parties and some shows (and even one three day punk/metal festival) punk rocks’ worst enemy has killed the whole thing. MONEY !
One great hardcore band has came to visit Israel for four shows in Tel aviv, Kiryat ono and Jerusalem during april 2006 : KOBAYASHI, from Bremen, Germany. Check out their website, even though they are not from Israel, they deserve plenty of respect for coming over and rocking out the small amount of hardcore kids around : http://www.kobayashi-disko.org.
Bands :
BRUTAL ASSAULT - my band. Old school boston hardcore. Been going for three years and played many shows around Israel, released one demo tape and a debut album.
TOGETHER - youth crew with an extra melodic input. They have one great Cd out.
AUTO RUSSIA - punk rock with very, very pissed of vocals and a crusty edge and some jazz breaks.
D9 - three piece bass-less killer grind/power violence outfit from the BxAx squat in Tel aviv.
MAHASH - killed by death style punk rock with a rude-rude anti cop attitude. Ex-members of NIKMAT OLALIM and current members of BRUTAL ASSAULT.
MELAKHEKHEY HAPINKA - long going wacky rock’n’roll band with oriental, punk rock and death metal influences.
HANIRIM - rock’n’roll band with some Oi songs. Members of MELAKHEKHEY HAPINKA and ex-members of nardcore/nerdcore band HIKOKIRI.
HAYEHUDONIM - dirty garage with stoner influences. One full length out.
SINAT HINAM - recently changed their name from SHAT MERED. Furious and sludgy crust with Uk influences.
ASURA - emo-violence. Ex-members of SMARTUT KAHOL LAVAN and death metal band SOLITARY.
BO LA BAR - goofy drunk/stoner-punk with a strong melodic element. Members of pop-punk band USELESS ID and grindcore band WHORExCORE.
HAMASBIR LAAGAVOT - old school punk rock with whiny female vocals.
SOON IN HERE - just recently announced a limited time reunion. Moshing hardcore-metal. They have one album out, one ep out which was recorded in Poland. All self released, as well as two european tours behind their shoulders.
SMARTUT KAHOL LAVAN - tight and intense hardcore with strong political lyrics. One great EP and a full-length out. Members of DIR YASSIN and MELAKHEKEY HAPINKA.
INSTINCT - tough guy NY hardcore. Ex-members of street punk bands chaos RABAK and DEAD RABINS.
Labels :
BOSHET records have tons of local and international hardcore and crust stuff in their distro, and plenty of local releases.
CONSTIPATION records is my label, but the involvement of fellow punk rockers is essential to the labels’ activity. I release local and international hardcore/punk rock stuff I enjoy listening to.
Contacts :
ASURA : vassya_peep@hotmail.com / ehudrofe@hotmail.com / www.myspace.com/asura
BOSHET RECORDS : boshetrecs@yahoo.com / www.gutzy.com/boshet
BRUTAL ASSAULT : brutal_assault@yahoo.com / www.bxax.tk
CONSTIPATION RECORDS : constipationrcds@yahoo.com / www.constipationrecords.tk
D9 : xsawyerx@gmail.com / www.d9band.com
HAYEHUDONIM : roy@silver-shadow.com
MELAHEHEY HAPINKA : iidioth@yahoo.co.uk / www.myspace.com/thepinka
SMARTUT KAHOL LAVAN : guy_shaham@hotmail.com
SINAT HINAM : www.myspace.com/timeforanuprising
SOON IN HERE : www.myspace.com/sooninhere
HANIRIM : www.myspace.com/hanirim
TOGETHER : www.myspace.com/togetherhc
INSTINCT : www.myspace.com/instincthc
If you need your band booked in Israel, want to know where to get high quality hummus or just need some more information about the Israeli hardcore punk scene. Contact me !
Nadav : citizenx_band@yahoo.com