With Bogdan from the band Honesty, we had a serious and lengthy discussion on important topics such as the influence of hip-hop, the role of music as a form of political and social protest, and the impact of artistic collaborations. Moreover, we touched upon crucial questions regarding individual responsibility within social and economic systems, as well as the implications of current geopolitics. No doubt, much reflection will arise for you after reading this!
1. Onesta played until 2011, if that's correct, what prompted the group at the time to make the transition to become Honesty?
In fact Onesta stopped in 2012 after the Asian tour we did the same year and the release of "American dream" on Core-tex records; which was the best album the band did under that name.
We had to face disagreement between musicians and that was not the first time, so i decided to rebuild something more positive but also more politically engaged in various dimensions, Honesty was born in spring 2013.
2. You moved from a more classically clean hardcore vocal style with Onesta to a more Hip-hop vocal style with Honesty, what inspired this change from the beginning of the group?
I think that Onesta had already a great hip hop influence, especially on the back to reality album, the band was born after the riots of 2005 in Paris suburbs and we've also put some hip hop atmosphere in We got game album as we used to work back then with a hip hop producer, Medhi Stigmate who composed some tracks for us. You can find some groovy vocals on back to reality album but also in the song Hardcore on "American Dream".
The artist Nas was always an inspiration for me. And we've put some of that influence in the last album; "On Silent Ones", "Last Judgement" and "Who's Laughing Now" tracks. In fact the voice on "Wargame As Dna" is more agressive and "metallic" in most of songs; we wanted to bring something darker here.
3. What is the role of hardcore music in communicating political and social messages, in your own words, since this album "Wargame as DNA" traditionally carries such art on this subject?
Nowadays, i trully dont know to be honest, as every art, as every social movement, hardcore has been ransom by capitalistic values. Some of the french "metal hardcore" bands seems to have the same audience than Justin Bieber or Pink. I mean, old bands still talk about friendship, loyalty, the fight for the rights; fight for daily life and some social values but i think that if you want to listen to some true revolutionary messages you have to go to diy very underground scenes.
Basically Hellfest is a trendmark as Coca Cola nowadays, you can see some business men wearing hellfest t-shirts in Paris, and lot of supposed hardcore bands do play on that kind of stages, we as Onesta used to play on big stages sometimes, what's the purpose ? What's the message you send to the audience ? I have no fixed answer to it but i do question myself and would love to invite people to think about it. If you wear nike shoes and own a iphone; knowing what does involve as exploitation, what kind of subversive posture is that ? Sometimes i see more fashion stuff in a hardcore show than in the crowd in general.
4. How do the artistic collaborations present in the album, such as with Sam Renescant on the song "Silent Ones", enrich the musical dynamics and the group's discourse on subjects such as the environment and animal rights?
Sam Renascent is a great person and amazing complete artist, he can rap, he can sing, he can play drums and can do both together, but he's also able to defend some important values. We had several subjects we wanted to talk about on this record, and he accepted to write about environment, capitalism and animal rights. His energy, his flow and lyrics give absolutely a great dimensions to the song "Silent Ones". Having a guest like him on a track can bring more perspective to the music and lyrics for sure.
5. To what extent are we individually responsible for injustices that are the result of social and economic systems to which we collectively contribute, since you address this topic in "Black Angel"?
Yes we are responsible in many dimensions, firstable for what we buy, then for what we eat-Monsanto products for example are responsible for many kids cancer, which percent of hardcore public is drinking Coca Cola and support that business ? Ready to renounce ?
We are responsible for what we watch (war movies..), for what we listen to. As i previously said, when you buy an iPhone or Nike shoes are you aware of the exploited children involved in the production of that kind of items ? That's pretty simple to understand, but hey how many guys in the so called hardcore scene would be ready to renounce to that kind of fashion ?!!
6. You are a group very committed in your lyrics and you oppose corruption, injustices, global governance, NATO, and war in general, does this make you fear the worst, what is happening right now with Putin's nuclear threat against Ukraine?
Yes we are very committed, surely because i was born in ex-Yugoslavia and you know that this country suffered from wars in the 90's and i worked with homeless people especially from immigration for many years. So i learned a lot about geopolitics in general, especially through Noam Chomsky's Understanding power, probably one of the most important books to understand propaganda, manipulation of masses, false flags concept.
And to answer to your question, there's no specific fear of what's happening in ex-USSR except for people there; because the russian army is power limited (beside the nuclear bomb) and the main reason is that Putin has absolutely no intention to go west; that's a basic western propaganda. He might be a capitalistic criminal as every president of armed countries, he warned the west in 2007 to not lead Nato to russian frontiers. What did the western countries ? They lead Nato to russian frontiers. When you seek the bear you'll find it.
Beside that, the modern neo-nazi ukrainian leaders (euro maidan - collaboration with CIA) with the support of neo-nazis troops (azov) have bombed and killed 15000 russophone civilians between 2014 and 2021 in the Donbass area, not a single word in the western press. It is always like that, through mainstream medias you can only hear the ring of your own country interests.
When Russia and Belarus asked for the Minsk peace treaty in 2014, the french and german leaders declined the offer. Usually when a peace treaty is offered, it is USA and Israel that decline that solution. Capitalism needs War to survive.
From the 19th century, the industrials bought more than 90% of mainstream medias in the western world; first the press then radio and tv (check Chomsky's and Herman's Manufacturing consent : The Political Economy of the Mass Media); so for any business it is really simple for them to build propaganda in the way of their capitalistic needs. Wars are very important cause they feed the arm industry, which is one of the most powerful. Then after all destructions people need to rebuild lot of buildings and services, an amazing business for those guys. Medias can show you a very sympathetic picture of the president they support, look at the figure of Obama, Wow the first black president ! But do people know that he was involved in Wars every single day of his mandates ? Do people know that back then he owned the record of bombs landed on civilians ?
Biden is also a war criminal but depicted as the good guy in the west. Hollywood and movies do also have their role, to show the american army as the good one against the bad (false) communists for example. The role of CIA on tv shows or movies is also important, as the good agency who try to solve different problems etc.. Do people know CIA is involved in lot of warcrimes and nurrish terrorists needs ? Read Chomsky. Who threw the atomic bomb on Japan ? Who used agent orange and napalm in Vietnam, uranium bombs in Yugoslavia ? It is really time to ask ourselves who are the real terrorists here.
Another point which is really important in the manufacturing consent; the designation of a scarecrow; in the past it was Hussein, then Ben Laden, then Kadhafi; then Al-Assad, then Kim Jong-un; now Putin. Medias use fear to make people consent, cause it is the best product to make them stop thinking, look at the "Covid era". And it's always the idea that western world should bring "democracies" elsewhere; but when you study the roots of what a democracy is, you understand that the thing we're living in is plutocracy. "Western people" (because capitalism is pretty much everywhere now) have to understand that their way of life involve the exploitation of a certain number of exploited kids, men and women in an other part of the globe, are we ready to renounce ? Rosa Luxemburg's work is amazing concerning that topic.
Another important point is to see how politics (even the left and extreme left side of the capital) try to destroy every revolutionary movement. Lots of revolutionary movements have been stopped by fascism, but who killed the Kronstadt Marines ? The Trotsky's "left wing army"; who killed Rosa Luxemburg ? The german SPD (left wing); who backed the murder of Thomas Sankara ? The french so called left wing.
In France for example, the yellow jackets movement between 2018 and 2021; leaded to more than 10 civilians killed by french police, more than 20 thousand people wounded, some lost their eyes, other lost their hands.. And France is still trying to give "democracy" lessons to other countries ? What a joke! And i'm not talking about all the crimes and rapes french army does year after year in some African countries. When you see "refugees welcome" stickers be very careful of the intention behind, it is a real will to help ? Or it is another way to exploit what Marx called the reserve amy of labour ? Because in that sens it is new slavery taking place. We are stealing their raw materials then exploiting their populations; we arrongant capitalists in the will to keep our comfort.
All i'm trying to say is that politics of the capitalistic system have absolutely no interest into seeing a true revolution coming and winning; from the extreme left to extreme right sides it is all corruption for the power of certain groups. The only true revolution can come from the union of all proletarians. The biggest lie of Capitalism has been to make people think and learn at schools that "the state capitalism" which took place in USSR and China for example, was communism.
People should definitely read Rosa Luxemburg and Marx to understand all the bullshit that is goin'on.
7. And since you are supposedly writing new pieces, we imagine that crimes like those in Gaza inspire you to other rises in indignant rage?
Of course it is a human disaster, a true genocide and nothing more than what US Army and Nato did since WWII, for remembering US and Nato, killed 500.000 kids in Iraq on another war based on lies and propaganda. Where was the western indignation back then ? I only see some american idiots of certain bands wearing "support our (neo-nazi) troops" t-shirts and US woman leader Madeleine Albright saying for all the children killed that "it worthed it". Wherever you have armies and capitalism you may have war one day or another. Capitalism wears war in his veins.
8. Exactly, will this potential new opus continue in the same line as its predecessor Wargame As DNA?
That's a very good question, we might have a surprise for 2025, be sure you'll get the info in time !
9. And when might we hope to hear a new EP or album?
Next year for sure you will get something new from us.
10. Any upcoming concerts for Honesty this, summer and fall?
We should go to England in October, Italy and France in December. Then Balkans with Ballkick ,Poland and maybe Asia again in 2025!
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With this interview, there can be no doubt about their actions and the messages they convey. This musician is committed to his values and does not mince words when it comes to sparing anyone who goes against what he considers unjustifiable and unforgivable. The band's upcoming projects and concerts suggest a continued commitment to their message and their art. The anticipation of new music in 2025 and the planned concerts in various countries indicate that Honesty aims to connect with a global audience, spreading their message through their presence and their sound. And we will be on the lookout for their next musical chapter.
