PERFECT DYSFUNCTIONALITY: Interview with Dennis Kioko

 It all began when these four lads, Lisa, Denno, Dan and Shivani started jamming in their school's attic. This went on and on then BAAM.... Perfect Dysfunctionality was born. With the very talented Lisa on vocals, the ever-charismatic rhythm guitarist Shivani, the Outspoken man behind the bass, Dan and last but not least, the band's lead guitarist and frontman Denno, P.D has managed to do stuff other high school bands would only term as "dreams".

What's up! What are your impressions from Battle Of The Bands:
Ramps and Amps, how did it go?
Dennis: Hey man! Battle of the bands: Ramps and Amps II was our first gig
this year, and I think it went quite well. although i wasn't too sure
about the criteria used in the judging..but oh well..

You have a funny band name, what was the idea behind it?
Dennis: Haha...the name came because of how we operate. During practice
sessions, we argue a lot and waste a lot of time..but on
stage...everything always comes together, perfectly, and guys would
always be puzzled at how different we are on stage..and that's how the
name Perfect Dysfunctionality came about! We believe everyone is
perfect in some dysfunctional way.

Ok, please tell me your, so to speak, pre-history. How come you have
to play together?
Dennis: Umm..before we became P.D we used to jam a lot in our school attic, the
idea of forming a band came about when we were invited to a Battle Of
The Bands at I.S.K (International School of Kenya), so we got our members, (and how we arrived at our
current line-up is quite a long story) went for the Battle Of The Bands, and we won!
We then kept the band alive by creating pages on Reverbnation,
Facebook, Twitter, etc..

Do you do something besides music? Study or work? Any cool hobbies?
Dennis: Well, I love reading books, and also helping people out with their
problem, an amateur psychologist , so to speak. Shiv is a Vegan, and
she's into skateboarding..i think, Dan is a chef, and quite a good one
at it..and Lisa..well, Lisa is an avid writer.

Journalists like to ask artists whom they dreamed of being as kids.
At this time it won't be an exception :) So what?
Hahah! Well, I don't know about the rest but I had always wanted to be
a doctor...I never saw myself playing guitar at all..Life does
change...

One personal question: how old are you guys?
Dennis: Averagely, we are all 16. why you asking? :D

Not bad. What are some of the best moments the band has been through together?
Dennis: I think the best moment was when an exchange student from S.A, Dylan,
came and joined the band as the drummer and we did our first song, a
cover of the Guns n' Roses classic, 'Sweet Child O' Mine' at the
Burudani Theater at Brookhouse School. We then started gaining
recognition which led to us being invited to our first battle of the
bands as Perfect Dysfunctionality. Too bad he had to leave, we miss
you Dylan!!


How is it performing in Kenya? Any challenges and strengths?
Dennis: I think the biggest challenge we have had to face is lack of
gigs/shows. This year alone, we have only played one gig (Battle of
the bands; Ramps And Amps II), which we came in second. I thin
restaurants, lounges and clubs should start offering bands more shows,
say twice a week, especially budding highs school bands to be able to
gain enough experience and learn how to live a musicians life at an
early age. Also, equipment is a big issue here in Kenya. Also, I think
local bands should get more airplay on local radio stations (X-Fm)
because we tend to play more of international music more than local
music which in my opinion is not good for us local artistes. The
stations should strive to strike balance between the two.
Strengths..the rock scene is growing rapidly here which is encouraging
because trust me, Perfect Dysfunctionality prefers to be big here
before going international. People have now begun embracing rock music
which is a good thing; means if we release our singles, they would do
fairly well.

Which international bands/artists do you guys dream of sharing the stage with?
Dennis: Well, without a doubt, Guns and Roses, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Rage
Against The Machines and Billy Talent.
as for artists, we would love to collaborate with John Mayer, Fergie
and Slash (who is my inspiration, and he comes second after the guitar
god, Jimi Hendrix)

Thank you.

official links for the band
http://www.reverbnation.com/perfectdysfunction

http://www.twitter.com/perfectdysmusic

http://www.myspace.com/perfectdysfunctionality

http://www.soundcloud.com/perfectdysfunctionality

http://www.youtube.com/PerfectDysMusic 

http://www.facebook.com/perfectdysfunctionality

DC SKATEBOARDING is forever: GREG MYERS

Sponsors: DC, WARCO, ACTIVE, KREW.
HOMETOWN: HEMET CA
STANCE: REGULAR
STATUS: AM

watch video

Seven years down DC, Greg Myers will get you stoked with his mastered skateboarding skills.

FROM RUSSIA WITH CAPHONICS

Cacophonics is a band of four guys from Latvia. Come November of this year they celebrate 8 years since the founding of the band. Their genre they characterize as pop punk/power pop influenced by hardcore, nu metal and post grunge wave, mixed with socially active lyrics.

The band remains almost unchanged and consists of Ingus Sala (vocals, guitar, and lyrics), Martins Cernevskis (lead guitar, back vocals + sooo sexy man), Eriks Kruze (bass, back vocals), and Valerijs Cernejs (drums).

During the years Cacophonics has become one of the leading bands on Latvian underground rock scene; some of the songs have been included in several international punk rock compilations and had good success in leading Latvian mainstream radio station charts.

The band has played over 150 concerts, including performances in central Latvian summer rock festivals and several gigs in Lithuania and Estonia as well. Cacophonics has shared the stage with many Latvian mainstream bands and international artists such as Brainstorm, Donots, Anathema, Blindside, Million Dead, Deep Insight, Skyforger and others.

Until now the band has released 3 unofficial demo CDs, EP “Punkology” and 6 singles.

On December 2009 Cacophonics made their first video “Currency of Dreams” and now the band works on their new album.

And blah blah blah…

BUT this winter they did first performance outside of the Baltic States in Russia! Not without the help of Russian rock-dj, booking manager, the member of ska band Plush Fish and just national punk-hero Alexander Lukin aka Chelsey.

They played a great success in three Russian cities, including Moscow, where I of course visited and was able to talk with these charming guys. Basically all the questions answered Martins ;)

What's up guys! What are your impressions from yesterday's concert in Veliky Novgorod, how'd it go?

CA: Concert was very good. I can tell only the best. Your people are very helpful.

(Then to our room from the adjoining dressing room burst into two guys from Plush Fish with the cry: "Ah! Here's debauchery!" Martins says: "Has not started yet ha-ha" We laugh together and guys run away shouting: "Ouououou, fawn fawn fawn!" Ha-ha)

CA: So, on what question we were supposed to answer? What was the concert?

Ha-ha, yeap :)

CA: Everything was fine. Well, how. Firstly, we're not throwing in anything serious and that's good. (Laughing) People didn't leave after the third song - it is generally very good. Though the audience was not much, but they never left. It means they liked it.  And this is most importantly.

Oh, that's really good. After all, this is your first time in Russia and almost nobody heard about you here.

Ok, please tell me your, so to speak, pre-history. How come you have to play together?

CA: You know, it was all pretty normal. We were in school, I hadn't played yet. We decided to create a band, because no one wants to work. (Laughing) You can earn money. Naturally, it was not so easy, yes. But we're talking about it periodically and understand that nowhere is this doesn't go away. The habit is almost, you know. Therefore, the standard situation, the school began playing here, and Got Game, as they say.

You have a funny band name. How came the idea of this word?

CA: It's a mess, a mess of sounds. When you listen to how we play, you'll understand everything :) When thinking about the name at that time was unusually put 'ics' at the end of the names. Stereophonics, for example. And we thought Cacophonics. Well, another interesting fact. When girls asked: "How is your band called?" then we could answer them: "This is modern style, we called Cacophonics. And they are: "Oh, you're so modern". Something like that) Ha-ha

That's fun, yeah.

Do you do something besides music? Study or work?

CA: Oh, yeah. We work, learn. More precisely, we all graduated, only Valerijs study specialty linguist-philologist. Eriks graduated from the Faculty of Biology, catching and examining fish, mermaids) Ingus graduated from the Faculty of Philology, and I (Martins - editor's note) work as a sales manager of home appliances. What else do we do? Well, nothing at all. We live together, that's what we do.

All together?

CA: No, Ingus and I live together, well, not together, but in the same apartment. We have a communal flat. That's how we meet every day.

Okay. I know that you have another drummer, what's wrong with him?

CA: He's dead! (Everyone’s laughing)

In fact, he went to the USA. Said that he's too good for Latvia and moved to America. Seriously, he was a really good drummer. Why was, he is. This is if you mean the one that was in front of Valerijs, because we had another one. He went to the floor below the play to another group. In our city there is a large house in which five or six groups rehearse on each floor. Here he's just one floor below the left.

Journalists like to ask artists whom they dreamed of being a kids. At this time I willn't be an exception :) So what?

CA Ingus: I sang in the choir when I was little..

Martins: He wanted to become a chorus ha-ha! But first he wanted to be the piano. Because too many people read Pinocchio as a child. :)

Erics: I wanted to be like Jacques Cousteau. God bless his soul, as they say. Wanted to explore the ocean floor.

Valerijs: And I don't know who I wanted to be. First, an astronaut, then a doctor, then a policeman, then finish badly and to drummer.

Martins: I know, I just wanted to say. Physics has come to mind, not quantum. I wanted to invent something interesting but, so to speak, didn't happen, because in the school of physics, I had a deuce, so all my hopes were dashed. That is so.

Ingus: Yes, we all so stupid. (Laughing)

Martins: Unfortunately, yes, but very talented. Ha-ha.

You have singles, ep's. Whole album is not going?

CA: Yes yes. We have all this shit in bulk just because the whole album is worth good money. And with the work, as you know in our country is not very good. That's why we have to write so. We once again write Ep with four songs and produce. All data can be downloaded on the Internet.

One of the musicians Plush Fish asks tricky question: what is your official orientation?

CA: Green (everyone laughing). Animals, the theory of comets…

Standard, standard blue that's what. What is there to hide? Cause and green (laughing again).

On personal question: how old are you?

CA: Aw, it's too early; it was too early to ask! (Laughing)

Well, purely out of curiosity :)

CA: All of us twenty-five years, but Valerijs. He's twenty-one.

Ok, thanks. Do you know some Russian groups?

CA: Bi2, Viktor Tsoi, Alsou, Pugcheva, Kirkorov.

So it's basically pop scene.

CA: I told the guys yesterday, it's because when I was a kid here in Latvia showed only one music channel.

Valerijs: band Hands up ha-ha

It called TV Riga and there shows all pop scenes in Russia. So I knew all those who sing "write on the glass" and "brand-new suits." And if somewhere accidentally hear, I can say for sure, "Yeah, I know who is singing".

Wow. Do you know Moiseev?

CA: Borya? Blue moon! Very blue. Yes? Is it?

Be able to sing?

CA: Well, it's also a legend of the genre

Please sing!

(Martins, depicts one of the funniest Russian pop singers. And we lay on the floor laughing))

CA: And sometimes I can do imitations of Yeltsin.

Go ahead!

(Again we're laughing :)

CA: I also know a lot of bands from the underground.

Has anyone of you have been in Russia as a tourist for example?

CA Ingus: I was in Leningrad.

Petersburg already :)

CA: And when you were in Leningrad, I was drunk ha-ha (a specific Baltic humor :D)

Ingus: In St. Petersburg was cool.

Ingus said that he is interested in the Russian people hang out. Did you have already messed around with someone here, with Chelsea?

CA: Hmmm. In principle, as well as in Latvia. Good.

Chelsea he is interesting man. He'd be delighted by something, then immediately exposed. But I'm not really used to it. "Oh, I'm sooo glad!" and immediately his penis pops out. Why? I don't know what to do as you have here adopted. Well, I pulled out too soon. Okay :)

After the concert, or where?

CA: Yes. That's exactly what we have learned. What we'll do in Latvia. We will leave between 5-10 minutes of songs that crop up. Like this come up. In Latvia, a few who do.

And thanks God probably (laughing).

CA: Yes! Ha-ha

Thank you, guys!

CA: Thank you too!

See you soon in Russia again! ;)

Official links of the band:

www.myspace.com/cacophonics

www.twitter.com/cacophonics

www.lastfm.ru/music/Cacophonics

www.facebook.com/pages/Cacophonics/45987397286

www.youtube.com/user/cacovideo

YOUTH AGAINST STREET FAMILY-LIFE & POVERTY