Pummelling Transcendence

Riding crests of seething bleakness and filth finds Indianapolis’ merchants of blackened crust, Kata Sarka, plumbing the depths for life consequences and chaotic clarity. Oblivion is impersonal and non-negotiable. There is violence, questionable introspection, and confusion in daily life. Sorting through one’s own chaos is the conceptual backbone that fuses Kata Sarka with wrath and blistering energy.

Manufacturing music fueled by venom and molten shards of shrapnel is a task the men of Kata Sarka take seriously. Vocalist Nate Bracey (Summon the Destroyer), guitarist and vocalist Adam Walker (World Eater, Wasteland D.C., Graves of the Endless Fall), bassist Nick Tully (Denogginizer, Feasting Arena), and drummer Frank Forbes (Lamb’s Breath, Turncoat Serenade) fashion Kata Sarka’s music around misanthropic subject matter leeching into the music from their personal lives. Once rendered, the music is a gnarled amalgamation of conceptual matter given an impersonal voice and anonymity.

The bulk of Kata Sarka’s song writing is handled by Walker and then presented to the rest of the band for arrangement and refinement, with Bracey contributing the majority of the lyrics. As the song writing process continues, Walker outlines future material and its progression. Chaos and confusion are demanding constants in Kata Sarka’s musical quest for purpose and lucid introspection. Their music is a machine gun of chaotic churning that swells with ritualistic feeling and perception meant to convey a shared catharsis. This catharsis can be witnessed in their live set as the band purges all their collective energy into what can be viewed as a ritual seeking transcendence of physical and mental states.

Kata Sarka’s music is pulse racing and bent on inducing self-reflection. Their songs are intended to make the listener ponder the state they are in and what that means within their surrounding environment. Whether the listener is in a state of confusion or self-loathing does not matter as long as a path to clear introspective purpose is sought. As such, Adam Walker delved into the ideas, concepts, energy, inspiration, history, and progression of his band at the behest of The Cracked Skull.

1. How did the members of Kata Sarka get together and when?

Kata Sarka formed in summer of '09. The band was initially discussed between myself and Nate our vocalist. From then on, we recruited Nick, our bassist, who had been in local crust/grind band Denogginizer and had been a personal friend for a few years. We had second guitar duties filled in by Ryan Green of Amongst the Swarm and Summon the Destroyer infamy. Finally, we got in touch with Frank, our drummer, who had been in a short-lived, but nonetheless potent outfit called Lamb’s breath. Ryan had to leave the band soon after forming due to his commitments to Summon the Destroyer.

2. What is the idea(s) or aesthetic(s) behind Kata Sarka's music? Is there a particular meaning behind the band name? Obviously, Kata Sarka's music is not based on happiness. Where does the inspiration for the songs come from?

At this stage in the evolution of the band, the music is a synthesis of ideas that I personally have been accumulating for an outlet for basically 10 plus years. We as a collective have tried to tie these ideas into a unified, progressing concept that the name of the band is used as a signifier. The name Kata Sarka comes from the theological writings of St. Paul. I guess the translation has become confused over history (as is apt to occur) but in essence it means "of the flesh”, "according to the flesh", "by human standards", or "sinful nature". In the confines of theology, I believe it applies to the life and works of Christ prior to his crucifixion and ascension. I enjoy using Christ oriented metaphor, so I reframed the ideas behind this to apply to one's own struggles with being born into a world (or into flesh) without one's choice, and through trial, tribulation, and ultimately introspection and personal mastery "transcending" to realizing one's utmost potential physically, as well as psychically.

Although there may be a positive conclusion to how the ideas of the band unfurl, in a conceptually linear sense the songs we have written and are writing now deal with subjects of insanity, confusion, feelings of self-loathing, misanthropy, and being essentially ethically and morally myopic.

The inspiration for the songs comes from my life and the band's individual lives, but the lyrics are being given an impersonal narrative voice. They are not meant to be viewed as our own personal sob stories projected into the world as a cry for help. That is one of the reasons we are trying to maintain a feeling of anonymity to the band.

3. How are the songs written? Is there an organic writing process or does one person contribute most of the writing?

The bulk of what has been written thus far has come from ideas that I have had for 2 years. In fact, "Lukewarm Depravity" was originally a song that was written and performed briefly when I was in World Eater. I write all the songs as of now, but the band aids in the arrangement process. I generally demo ideas on my 8-track and computer, and then refine them as I present them to the band. The majority of the lyrics thus far have been written by Nate, but I have started to contribute my own lyrics for the newer material. Since we are trying to work within a clear conceptual framework, Nate and I have to work together to make sure our respective ideas fit the songs that are being written. I have outlined what manner the songs should progress up to three E.P.'s worth of material. It helps to guide me in my writing process.

4. The demo, Riding a Wind of Knives, is bleak and pummeling. The pace rarely slows down. Is there a direct intent on being unrelenting and confrontational, or is it more an expression of the dark places of the human psyche and thought via force? The songs will affect the listener. Is there a desired effect from such an approach? I would imagine everything ties back into the aesthetic that Kata Sarka is trying to achieve.

This relates to what I discussed in the previous question. The songs that have been presented so far are of that pace because they correlate to the current subject matter that we are exploring along our conceptual outline. The first 5 songs (3 of which are on the demo) deal with what I consider Existential Oblivion. This is a state that lacks clear introspection and sense of purpose that is given to one's life: i.e. being oblivious to your relationship to your surroundings, and therefore living in a second to second state of chaos and confusion. This has repercussions that manifest in emotional and mental problems which introduce themselves through compulsion and impulsion. When in this state, if one lacks introspection and self-control, they have a tendency to blame others, their ancestry, God, Satan, the universe, etc., or just bad luck for their woes. This idea is dealt with in the first song of the cycle which is not on the demo. It is called "Wearing The Rings of Saturn As A Halo". That being said, the songs are meant to be fast and somewhat chaotic to represent the lyrical content.

5. Your live set is blistering. It seems very cathartic and physical. How important is it to present the music as raw and unabated as possible in a live setting?

I personally have tried to convey this sort of energy in every band I have been in. I believe the rest of the band are on the same page as me because we understand that there is nothing more irritating than seeing violent music played in the most disinterested and passive manner. This kind of music is supposed to get your blood boiling at times, and at others bring you to stop and reflect on what state you and your surroundings are in. We are trying to achieve a ritualistic vibe with the music. The atmosphere we are trying to establish still needs to be refined, I feel, but we are getting there.

6. You have had the opportunity to play with some fairly notable bands of late from Ludicra, Phobia, to Altar of Plagues and some very good local bands. How has it been playing with such bands, what are your feelings on Indy's collective scene overall, any place you like to play over the next spot, and does anyone show stick out to you?

Playing with every one of the above mentioned bands was truly an amazing and humbling experience. For me it meant a great deal because all of those bands are some of my personal favorites. Phobia has been a big inspiration for years, and the newest outings from Ludicra and Altar of Plague are some of the best metal albums to come out in quite some time. We have been lucky to have a scene that affords us the opportunity to play with such bands. We have a high level of admiration for several of the locals we have played with, notably Coffinworm, Ratstorm, Deadmen (RIP), and Picked Clean (RIP).

Indy's scene is like most, in that it has its ebbs and flows of activity. We prefer the all ages, DIY. scene, which was pretty health when we started, but has since went through a bit of upheaval. Now it seems to be back on track with the establishment of the new Dojo on College Ave. The old Dojo was a regular and favorite spot of ours to play, and until September 11th we have yet to play the new spot, but I am sure it will be another fantastic place to play and book shows. We have not had much opportunity to play out of town yet, but of the times we have all of them have been memorable. Our shows at 1624 N. Harrison St. and the Brass Rail in Ft. Wayne were both great shows, and the show we have thus far played in Bloomington with Ratstorm was great. We have some more out of town dates coming up, so stay tuned.

7. There's a strong sense of DIY ethics still present here, and it seems to maintain a reasonably high amount of talented musicians and artists even if it's on a smaller, more insular scale. Where do you see Kata Sarka going in terms of touring and local shows, and maintaining DIY ethics?

We are a fully DIY band, and intend to continue that way. DIY sensibilities have been established in me for years both from a musician's and show booker standpoint. We book our own shows, create our own art and layouts, and print our merch through my brother's small printing company In Case of Emergency (out of Bloomington), and PRN Graphics. We intend on touring based on DIY booking as well.

8. You have a self-released demo out. Are there plans for a full length? If there is, are you still planning on going back to Clandestine Arts to record it? Has there been any interest from inquiring labels?

Yes, we plan on doing some sort of full length in the near future. We are preparing to record our second demo soon, and have discussed working with Carl Byers and Clandestine Arts again. The experience with him was amazing on all levels, from recording and engineering to a personal one because he is a great friend of ours and a highly admired local musician. No interest from any labels as of yet, I would say mostly due to the fact that we have not shopped it to any. All copies of the first run have been either sold at shows or given to friends and acquaintances. We hope to issue another run soon that will go out to labels we're interested in.


Your next chance to catch Kata Sarka is on 9-30-2010, 9 p.m., at The Vollrath with Still, Dark Castle, The Atlas Moth, and Zoroaster ($8).

katasarka.blogspot.com/

september shows of interest...

*9-3-2010, the melody inn, about the fire--last show (indy), sex before marriage, off balance, and maravich, 10 p.m., $7.

*9-3-2010, the dojo, zann (germany), black kites, overpower (indy), and morrow (bloomington), 7 p.m., $7.

*9-4-2010, the bishop (123 south walnut street, bloomington in), racebannon (bloomington), good luck, and tba, 8 p.m., free 21+.

*9-9-2010, the vollrath, young widows (louisville), still (indy), and full rainbow, 9 p.m., $7.

*9-11-2010, the dojo, the dream is dead (indy), kata sarka (indy), world eater (indy), deceiver, rat storm (bloomington), and wormrot, 6 p.m., $7.

*9-12-2010, rachel's cafe (300 e. 3rd street, bloomington, in), kata sarka (indy), rat storm (bloomington), landbridge (bloomington), and humans (bloomington), 7 p.m, free but band donations excepted.

*9-16-2010, rock lobster (820 broad ripple ave), howl, valient thor, junis, and bulletwolf (indy), 9 p.m., $10 advance or $12 day of.

*9-19-2010, the dojo, nails, another mistake, and crippled minds (indy), 7 p.m., $8.

*9-27-2010, the dojo, american cheeseburger, misled youth, and clean slate, 7 p.m., $6.

*9-30-2010, the vollrath (118 e. palmer street) kata sarka (indy), still (indy), zoroaster (ga), the atlas moth (chicago), and dark castle (florida), 9 p.m., $8.

august shows of interest...

*8-3-2010, clubhaus z (4810 e. new york street), religious police, indianapolis forever, and will power, 6:30 p.m., $1 or more donation for the new dojo.

*8-6-2010, the basement (1132 n.tibbs avenue), coffinworm (indy), kata sarka (indy), tunguska (indy), velnias (colorado), and altar of plagues (ireland), 7 p.m., $8.

*8-7-2010, the melody inn, apostle of solitude (indy), cocaine wolves, and mach II (ohio), 7:30 p.m., $6.

*8-7-2010, the melody inn, down-fi (indy), the distractions, and flamingo nosebleed, 10:30 p.m., $5.

*8-8-2010, the melody inn, slam dunk (bloomington), humans (bloomington), and beyond agony, 8 p.m., $5.

*8-14-2010, the basement, summone the destroyer (indy), cannabis corpse (va), mobile deathcamp (ohio), 7 p.m.

*8-15-2010, the dojo (2207 n. college avenue) , chaotic neutral (indy), rat storm (bloomington), misled youth, and weak link (canada), 7 p.m., $6.

*8-18-2010, the casa del kotex, world eater (indy), sea of shit (il), vile intent (canada), and overpower, 7 p.m., $5.

*8-20-2010, the dojo (2207 n. college avenue), coffinworm (indy), tombs (nyc), and planks (germany), 7 p.m., $8.

*8-21-2010, es jungle (6151 central avenue), about the fire (indy), deceiver, it's all happening, 7 p.m., $7.

a new spot...

It would seem that The Dojo is saved. It will be relocated to 2207 N. College Avenue Indianapolis, IN. This is a very good thing for Indy's DIY scene. It is good to see people take initiative and keep an affordable, all ages, community based space open and viable. Spaces like this are often not permanent fixtures within a given community, but an ongoing outlet for an idea or belief in DIY ethics. Hopefully, this new location will not have similar problems that plagued the original Dojo. For a space like this to succeed there needs to be a collective effort of support. Whether that comes from donations of money or time, or just supporting shows, this new incarnation of The Dojo is yet to be up and running. There is a benefit show on 8-3-2010 with all the proceeds going towards the new space. This show features Religious Police, Indianapolis Forever, and Will Power at Clubhaus Z (4810 E New York Street) at 6:30 with a minimum dollar at the door donation. When new information becomes available on the new space, then you'll see it here. Let's hope this space has a healthy and productive lifespan.

New Dojo contact info:
www.diydojo.com
dojoindiana@gmail.com

show review: Deadmen 7" release show--7-25-2010

To begin it must be known that mother nature's dirty rag has been draped over the entire state of Indiana in terms of sweltering heat and almost impenetrable humidity this summer. But this did not stop the faithful from coming out to support and bask in the raucous uptempo thrashing that the Cocaine Wolves, Chaotic Neutral, Sweet Cobra, and Deadmen provided the Melody Inn's patrons on an easy going Sunday night. This was a grown folk affair between bands and followers. It was a cathartic occasion to celebrate the Deadmen's 7 inch release, Possession Of the Void, as well as to see them off as band for their second to last show as a band. The Man can wait one more day. This was a time to raise beer cans high, work up a sweat, enjoy some drunken antics, pump fists, and revel in the energy being transmitted from bands to audience back to the bands. A break in the heat and humidity saw a positive atmosphere grow from the pre-show cookout and metal dj sets until the Cocaine Wolves took the stage. The Cocaine Wolves played a lively set of hard rock, Thin Lizzy style, easily warming up the crowd. Next up was Chaotic Neutral. A newer band from Indy, Chaotic Neutral did not disappoint with their brand of hardcore bluster. Their on stage energy was dynamic as the musicians pulsed and churned with each ringing note and percussive hit. The music relented only at the end of each song. By the end of their set, Chaotic Neutral had worked themselves into a frenzy of sweat and swagger, and primed the audience for one of Indy's favorites: Chicago's Sweet Cobra. As always, Sweet Cobra stepped up and did what they do best. They laid down a raw blend of hardcore and metal with the intent to stack riff upon riff as they tried to peel the audience's collective face off. Playing without their recently deceased and missed guitarist, Matt Arluck, Sweet Cobra ran through a set of new material and few older favorites. The crowd was more than happy to pay homage to the band as only they could by singing along, ebbing and flowing with the music, and finally demanding more songs from the band as they finished their set. Happy to oblige, Sweet Cobra played a one song encore to cheers and drumming applause. Finally, the Deadmen took the stage with the audience ready to explode, and made a fast start by ripping into a set filled with their complete catalog of songs. With the Grave Opener in hand (a customized pick ax with web detailing and bottle opener at one end), vocalist, Nate Olp preceded to shred his vocal chords and hurl himself into the crowd as his band mates focused all their efforts into pummeling the audience with their brand of hardcore infused metal. Their set was a towering riff fest of raging pleasure only outdone by each subsequent song. With the band thoroughly feeling all the energy in the room, the crowd writhed and begged for more. At the end of their set and convinced by the audience, the Deadmen ushered in an encore of the entire 7" release in the order that the songs appear on the vinyl. This was an encore of songs that neither band nor audience had not grown tired of. The Deadmen could have played their set over in its entirety without one complaint as onlookers groaned for more music. At the completion of the four song encore the crowd was spent and pleased. After all, this was a night for grown folks to indulge and see a band off as only a hyper-charged group of mutual friends and fans alike can. The Deadmen will be missed. The Melody Inn was left standing, but all in attendance witnessed the Deadmen at the top of their game capping the night's festivities in a rowdy and rompingly intense way.

something unfortunate...

It would seem that the still fairly new DIY all ages space, The Dojo, is doomed. Disgruntled, insidious, and flat out bitchy neighbors have likely pressured and complained enough to the owners of the space to shut it down. This means if, as of now, that all shows booked there will need to be moved, or run the risk of being canceled. If anyone out there can help with moving or rescheduling shows, then that would be a great asset to save some all ages shows in Indy. Also, this may be a good time for a younger generation of DIY musicians and artists to step up and open another space to keep an all ages DIY space open in Indianapolis. With so many spaces dying off in 2010, The Cracked Skull truly hopes the situation at The Dojo can be resolved or the shows find slots at other venues. Ultimately, if The Dojo goes, then it would be a great thing for this city to see another all ages DIY space open and continue in the tradition of The Dojo. When news about The Dojo's future is known then it will be posted.

The Dojo is officially dead. RIP.

www.myspace.com/diydojo

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/diydojo?ref=ts

july shows of interest...

*7-3-2010, the tip top tavern (1341 n. captial ave), sleepbringer (indy/bloomington), the gates of slumber (indy), and place of skulls, 9 p.m., $10.

*7-4-2010, the dojo--collective benefit show, world eater (indy), livermortis (indy), rat storm (bloomington), and chaotic neutral, 4 p.m.--food, 6 p.m.--bands, $5.

*7-7-2010, the dojo, kata sarka (indy), just die, and religious police, 7 p.m., $5.

*7-9-2010, the melody inn, stand and deliver (indy), maravich (indy), no enemy (chicago), 9 p.m., $5.

*7-9-2010 and 7-10-2010, dudefest, http://festdude.com.

*7-14-2010, the casa, medusa (bloomington), the dockers (indy), bezoar (ny), and wizardy (ny), 8 p.m., $5.

*7-14-2010, the melody inn, christ beheaded (indy), maxx (muncie), hod (tx), gravehill (ca), and cardiac arrest (il), 7 p.m., $8.

*7-23-2010, the hoosier dome (1627 Prospect, indianapolis, in 46203), black arrows of filth & impurity (indy), kata sarka (indy), rat storm (bloomington), graves of valor (sc), and phobia (ca), 7 p.m., $10.

*7-25-2010, the melody inn, deadmen (indy--7" release show/cookout), sweet cobra (chicago), the cocaine wolves (muncie), and chaotic neutral, 5:30 p.m., $5.

*7-30-2010, the melody inn, apostle of solitude (indy), earthride (maryland), bible of the devil, and valkyrie, 9 p.m.

*7-30-2010, the vollrath, red shadows (indy), beings, and torche, 9 p.m., $10.

*7-31-2010, the casa, deadmen (indy--last show), the dockers (indy), and slam dunk (bloomington), 7 p.m., $3.