Rai Ko Ris are one of the earliest punk band from Nepal who started as a three piece, went through various line up change and later continued with the core members Sareena and Oliver. So far they have released three full lengths and have toured across Europe and Malaysia. In 2013 i got a chance to interview them for an open topic zine from singapore, you can read the interview below.
You can stream/download their music at: http://raikoris.bandcamp.com/
When and how was Rai Ko Ris formed?
We (Olivier + Sareena) played together under other names since 1998. We were band mates + friends for 4 years. We then moved in together end of 1999 + Rai Ko Ris started regularly gigging in 2000.
You recently released your new album Ungovernable Mountains, what’s the theme of this album and how was the writing process?
Oppressed people in history who wanted to get away from a state, being a slave, + having to pay taxes have run to the mountains to escape from repression. Nepal is a classic place for this occurrence – people who want to, can live far in the remote mountains on purpose to not be colonized by a so called modern civilization. Apart from these anti-state issues, there are other themes such as sexuality + sexual abuse in the album. Being ungoverned is about dominance + power; we will naturally talk about these issues to question how fucked up human civilization continues to be today.
Basically, Sareena wrote a bunch of new songs in literally 1 week + then we all practised + worked them out in 3 weeks + went out + played them live. Sometimes it just happens that way.
You have also just returned from your second European Tour, how was the experience, has things changed since your last european tour in 2010?
The experience was really good. The whole thing felt so fast. As a result, we get more + more addicted to touring as it goes. This time round we were 3 members in the band (last time we toured there was just 2 of us), plus we toured alongside our now great new friend Dasa from Slovakia – a powerful dirty acoustic bard that can knock us electros out with his music with one punch. Our friend Lukas from Mass Millicja did all the ground work + most the driving!
Not much has changed since 2010, except the ongoing capitalism + fear of resistance that makes European governments crack down heavily on anarco punks. The d.i.y punk circuit will remain strong as long as anarco punks in Europe continue not to compromise + be ready to fight to keep themselves alive. It’s thanks to their struggle that this parallel life still exists + inspires us to exist.
In 2001 Rai Ko Ris toured France and Malaysia in 2002, how was the punk/hardcore scene there compared to nepal's scene?
The punk way of life has a way longer history in France than ours for a start. In 2001 there were barely 2 bands in Kathmandu; not too much has changed since then however! I guess it’s silly to even compare. We were just starting out doing d.i.y shows + much of it came from the influence we gained from seeing what was going on during that tour in France. Then Malaysia had a 6 or 7 year history of punk so they had a loose network of show venues spread out over different states in Malaysia + the zine writing was explosive. This was also eye opening for us. It has still yet to even begin here in Nepal even now in 2013.
Back in 2001, though people were aware about the music or tried to do punk bands here, there was not much for a womyn punk like myself in terms of political self-awareness, raising issues of gender equality, + anti state politics. We were also going through a major civil war at the time – most of our band’s political awareness grew out of this conflict that was very class based + anti state at the time.
Would you like to tour South East Asian countries in the future?
Yes, that would be our priority, but it requires money that we don’t have. In Europe, there is enough of an organized yet very political diy punk circuit that enables you to not necessarily make money, but at least not lose any money if you go on tour. So if you pay for your ticket out of here, you can make that money back if you plan it well, and you can eat + sleep rough due to the punk network + people’s kindness. So the ultimate is to break even. That’s not possible in South + South East Asia. It’s more probable in wealthier city scapes of Asia such as Japan, China, South Korea perhaps. We are more into touring Indonesia, going back to Malaysia...etc. If we ever made good money on a job like we did back in 2001, we’d go right back to South East Asia.
Rai Ko Ris is one of the oldest diy punk band in nepal, how long do you think you can continue this band?
As long as our feet, legs + hands + ears work. It would be hard to live without playing music – it’s our only way to connect to life. We’re in it ‘til death my friend.
What have you achieved as a band so far?
We never thought about our band in terms of achievement. You have to understand, if we don’t play we are dead.
Tell us about the current diy scene in Nepal.
There’s only a couple of bands, but they are fantastic in our opinion, even though they are 15-20 plus years younger than us, they inspire us. There’s the Doltish, Squirt Guns, + Youth Unite in Kathmandu. Another one just started in Kathmandu formed with ex-members of Kakistocracy + the vocalist of Pitchcurry from Pokhara. Manish of The Doltish is the shy kid behind the diy Nepal punk blogspot. It’s incredible to see a band like The Doltish who 2/3 years ago started out with just a few original songs + doing covers of the classics and who now have their own distinct sound that kicks ass. Squirt Guns are a great new tight punk band and are musically a force to be reckoned with for sure.
In terms of a network, we don’t have that kind of set up that for example, Malaysia had even in 2001. Even though Rai Ko Ris have been playing for 13 years, punk overall in Nepal, is still just beginning. We don’t know anyone of our time (we are 40+ yrs old now) playing this kind of music here or even remotely interested in punk. Also, most the guys into punk here are still living at home + go to college or whatever + are dependent on family in some way, so it’s hard for them to escape that home scene + live alternatively to what our social values pressure us to do. For me as a womyn, as a punk, I had to go through the hate, social stigmatization, + whatever bad reputation, sexism, etc when I chose to say fuck you to my family + live on my own at 19 + start working, playing music. When I met Olivier, it was great becoz we became a force of 2 people + thus could do more + contribute to a stable, organized home for punks/Infoshop/gigs. One person can move a hill, two people can move mountains. After 13 years of free couch-surfing for punk travellers at our home, to stop us from losing our minds, life + money, we just opened a paying guest, 2-room lodge at home so that we don’t dig ourselves into the ground, especially since we have children too.
In terms of doing gigs, usually, because people have known us for so long + feel they can trust us, they ask us to play in their bars. Sometimes we do a show ourselves, other times we call the other 2 or 3 bands we know to share the stage with us + we give them whatever money we can after our expenses are covered (we bring all our own equipment + have to hire a mini truck to transport it down town; we have maintenance costs of our equipment, etc). Occasionally the other bands try to organize a show in their area + if we’re asked, we’ll go + play too. Venues for punk bands are difficult to come by + our music isn’t the most popular – neither do we play for popularity! There are other bands that have come + gone + come back again in punk in Kathmandu + occasionally ask other punk bands to play gigs with them, but I’ve heard from the bands I mentioned above that they didn’t feel too comfortable at those shows – whether it was because there was too much tough guy hardcore stuff going on, or whether it was too apolitical or rock-starish or too metal-ish. There really is just a tiny, tiny group of us, just doing what we love doing, + trying to respect one another. At this stage, there are so few of us, it’s probably important to stick together. Let’s see how it goes.
Anything else you would like to add for the readers?
If you don’t feel comfortable somewhere, get the hell out + continue your own thing. If it’s right, people will naturally want to be with you + there will be mutual respect, even if it takes 13 years. In Singapore, money will always divide people. Live with less, talk less, and do more. Thanks Amatos, are you the only one keeping the scene alive there?!