Vitamin X
| Vitamin X | |
|---|---|
 Marc Emmerik and Alex Koutsman (2007) |
|
| General information | |
| origin | Amsterdam (Netherlands) |
| Genre (s) | Hardcore |
| founding | 1996 |
| Founding members | |
singing |
Marko Korac |
guitar |
Eric Ankersmit (1996-1999) |
bass |
Marko Petrovic (1996-1998) |
Drums |
Marc Emmerik |
| Current occupation | |
singing |
Marko Korac |
guitar |
Marc Emmerik |
bass |
Alex Koutsman (since 1999) |
Drums |
Danny Schneiker (since 2011) |
| former members | |
Drums |
Johannes Adahl (1997-2001) |
Drums |
Geert-Jan Davelaar (2001-2002) |
Drums |
Paolo Gaiairsa (2002-2004) |
Drums |
Wim Koster (2005-2007) |
Drums |
Wolfram Eggebrecht (2007-2011) |
Vitamin X is a hardcore band from Amsterdam that was founded in 1997 and belongs to the straight edge movement.
history
Vitamin X was founded in November 1996 by the Serbs Marco Kovac and Marco Petrovic and the Dutch Eric Ankersmit and Marc Emmerik in Amsterdam. All four belonged to the straight edge movement. The band name has no background, but arose on a whim; "Vitamin x" is a colloquial term for MDMA in English . After a few weeks, Emmerik switched to second guitar and the Finn Johannes Adahl from Soberesponse was hired as the new drummer. In September 1998 bassist Petrovic left the band for personal reasons. Emmerik switched to bass and Vitamin X continued as a quartet. 1999 guitarist Ankersmit got out; after a few short-term changes, the native Russian Alex Koutsman joined as bassist; Emmerik switched back to the guitar. This line-up lasted until 2001, when drummer Adahl was replaced by Geert-Jan Davelaar from the band Betercore, who in turn was replaced in 2002 by the Italian Paolo Gaiairsa from the Italian hardcore band Fratellanza. After a US tour in early 2004, this drummer also left the band. From 2005 to 2007 Wim Koster (ex-DanDare) was the drummer for Vitamin X, from 2007 to 2011 the German Wolfram Eggebrecht. Danny Schneiker from Hamburg has occupied the position of drummer since 2011.
In the course of the band's history, Vitamin X completed tours in Europe as well as tours in North and South America, Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, the Philippines and Russia. In 2001 and 2004 she appeared in the CBGB 's, in 2004 at the Furyfest . In 2006, a Vitamin X show was recorded by MTV Brazil. The 2008 album Full Scale Assault was produced by Steve Albini , John Brannon of Negative Approach provided vocals, and the album cover was designed by John Baizley of Baroness . The skate magazine Thrasher used a song from the album for a skate video with former "Skater of the Year" Tony Trujillo. The 2012 album About to Crack was again produced by Albini and designed by Baizley. In 2012 and 2015 the band performed at Hellfest , 2013 at Maryland Deathfest , 2014 at Obscene Extreme Festival and 2016 at Incubate Festival.
Guitarist Ankersmit works today as a sound engineer in the Amsterdam cultural center Melkweg . Drummer Koster has been the singer and guitarist of the Dutch hardcore band Paranoid State since 2014. Bassist Koutsman has a doctorate in physics and works at CERN in Geneva, so he has to be flown in for band rehearsals like drummer Danny Schneiker.
style
In his review of the album Down the Drain for the Ox-Fanzine, André Bohnensack saw "blazingly fast, sometimes violently clubbing [...] songs [...], which are now and then loosened up by somewhat slower [...] parts and then back into one." incredible speed to decay ”. The vocals are “powerful, slightly hysterical and at the same time melodic” and the sound is powerful, and the band also forego guitar solos and “other superfluous metal pussies”. Bohnensack drew comparisons to the New York hardcore band Citizens Arrest and, in terms of intensity and “brutality”, borrowed from Slayer . Joachim Hiller judged for the Ox that the album About to Crack offers “simple, enormously powerful old school hardcore”, and drew comparisons to the Kaiserslautern band Spermbirds . Keith Carman found in a review of the album Full Scale Assault for the Canadian magazine Exclaim.ca that the music of Vitamin X belongs to the "most intense, brutal hardcore this side of NYHC ", and drew comparisons to the "minimalist hyperactivism" of DRI Vice.com judged , Vitamin X is a band these days that “define the genre (straight edge hardcore)”.
The members of Vitamin X are followers of the straight edge movement, but this is not reflected in their song lyrics, which rather reflect political views and personal experiences. The band is caught up in the DIY idea that is common in the hardcore scene, does without the usual service providers such as artist agencies and takes care of the management of the band itself. As influences for their music, the members name hardcore from the 1980s, punk from the 1970s and, to a lesser extent, rock music.
Discography
- 1998: Straight Edge Crew (EP, Commitment Records)
- 1999: Once Upon A Time ... (EP, Commitment Records)
- 2000: See Thru Their Lies (Undererstimated Records)
- 2002: Down the Drain (Havoc Records)
- 2003: Things You Own End Up Owning You 2 (split album with We Must Burn and Let It Burn, Too Circle Records)
- 2004: Bad Trip (Havoc Records)
- 2008: Full Scale Assault (Tank Crimes)
- 2012: About to Crack (Tankcrimes)
- 2018: Age of Paranoia ( Southern Lord )
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ CommitmentRecords.ml: Vitamin X biography. Retrieved November 23, 2016 .
- ↑ a b BerlinBeat.org: Interview: Vitamin X. Accessed November 24, 2016 .
- ↑ ThrasherMagazine.com: Hot Feet In the Heat. Retrieved November 23, 2016 .
- ↑ Esthersmid.nl: Naar het concert gaan als baan. Retrieved November 23, 2016 . (Dutch)
- ↑ a b Of-Fanzine # 111, December 2013: Vitamin X - Hardcore worldwide. Retrieved November 25, 2016 .
- ↑ Ox-Fanzine # 48, September 2002: Vitamin X - Down the Drain. Retrieved November 25, 2016 .
- ↑ Exclaim.ca: Vitamin X - Full Scale Assault. Retrieved November 25, 2016 .
- ↑ Vice.com: Volgens Vitamin X is punk niet dood in Amsterdam maar straight edge wel. Retrieved November 25, 2016 . (Dutch)