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Brutality Abroad: Balata – We Are All Terrorists Review + Interview

Dark skies over cities bring foul rains on masses of people holding posterboard plastered with angry slogans; lazy cops stroll on sidewalks wearing gas masks as machine guns sway back and forth on their backs. Tear gas canisters sail at men and women world wide as suits sip champagne and take pictures with their iPhones from balconies. As fiction becomes fact, art tends to reflect the movement of the world beneath our feet. This week’s featured band, Balata, seeks not only to reflect daily life, but to attack it; to lash out at the day’s injustice with blasts of noise and fury, hatred against hatred. It is from the land of Israel that I bring you one of the most ferocious projects I’ve heard in a long time, doing politics in music far better and more succinctly than many an agitpropper.

Of course, there could be almost nowhere else on Earth more deserving of a divisive political band than Israel. People on both sides of the occupation conflict have shed blood and screamed at eachother since 1967, a year that saw Israel win a six-day war against its Arab neighbors and occupy the West Bank, something that resonates in global politics to this day. The name Balata itself comes from the largest refugee camp in the West Bank region. According to UNRWA, it houses 23,000+ refugees from other Palestinian regions. Balata is extremely active in terms of civil politics in the region and played a strong role in the First and Second Intifadas against Israel. Choosing this name shows pretty much exactly which side of the argument Aviad “Finkelstein” Albert (electronics and mixing) and David Oppenheim (drums and vocals) stand.

Balata is a splinter of an older Israeli group called Lietterschpich. Formed in 2004, the group had 6 members simultaneously involved in the local scene at the time, and in Aviad’s own words, “was a local phenomenon, delivering an original blast of doom and noise with dub methodologies, with live improvised audio and video, and a rather scary (yet somewhat ridiculous) show.” Lietterschpich’s sound and ethos would strongly inform Balata, which was a way for Aviad and Oppenheim to take its platform to a new level as a “slim yet fierce duo.”

I’d definitely say mission accomplished, as “We Are All Terrorists” captures pure rage and simulates the oppression experienced in a closed, constantly warring society. The sound of the album itself is spare, but each song carries a purposeful assault of dark industrial blasts, cathartic screams, information overload via sampling and the simple yet relentless krautbeat that reminds me of what early `00’s Brooklyn noise bands tried to achieve. The entire experience, especially “See Saw Margery Dow,” sounds like Skynet taking over a protools rig. The song titles are absurd but perfect. “Sesame Street (Theme Opening)” and “You Are My Sunshine” both sound like warped sludge dirges powered by gas generators and the soundtrack to the million machine man march instead of sweet nursery rhymes and Jim Henson TV themes. I’m assuming it’s a comment on the saccharine surface of most modern culture standing in opposition to the reality of constant war and perpetual suffering felt by people outside of the more fortunate and coddled nations.

I must admit, this album speaks to the dark side of the human spirit. Its Luddite treatment of modern mixers and electronics are far outside what bands have been willing to do since the original Throbbing Gristle works with their 150dB sub-tarpit tempo blasts of warbling bass and speaker destruction first graced stereos in the late 70’s. Not to slight any modern noise bands, but few have made my neck hairs stand on end like this one. Balata’s simplicity and direct, manic approach really enhance the impact, allowing it to surpass bands that are obsessed with seeing just how many sounds they can coax from a mixing console or guitar feedback. Some may only hear one tone, but after all, a warrior only needs one type of weapon to get your attention.

Aviad Albert was kind enough to reply to an email I sent him and provided me with an extensive amount of information on Balata’s background and their influences. Shoutouts to him and David Oppenheim for being so cool and willing to answer my questions.

On Politics in Balata’s Music:

“Both of us have been fusing politics in our works beforehand, so it was only natural for us to make that the fuel which drives this project. In fact, the very beginning of Lietterschpich is a result of some collaborations between myself and another band member, Eran Sachs, which where politically charged. We have a few projects that started with videos I took at the occupied territories as an activist, while we were attacked by settlers. We took these and other footage we had and created shows that were musically based on Eran’s No-Input mixer (a mighty feedback machine) and my live console tweaks. You can find more about these projects here, here and here.

David and Eran also have a duo called Cadaver Eyes. It’s an old project David started many years ago (just him and the drums, midi triggers feeding samplers and a mic). In the post-Lietterschopich era, Eran joined him and in 2009 they released their debut as a duo, “refuse to be occupiers.”

“We’re sick and tired of our government and the masses who chose it and any previous government, especially since 1967. We see how more racist, ignorant, evil, cynical, religious and greedy everything around us becomes. It’s not a pretty site, you know. We belong to the privileged portion of a society that has been, for too long, living on separation and slavery, occupation and theft, and the almighty god in the service of imagined national entities. What the fuck would you do? At least make some noize!”

How do you feel the sound of your works reflect on your daily experience in Israel?

“It makes you go “

rrrrreeeeggggghhhhhpppppuuuuAAAAARRRRR!!!!!”, the daily experience I mean. The sound is just a poor imitation of the real thing. (-:”

Do you actively pursue recognition abroad or are you mostly focused on your local scene?

“I wish we had more time to promote ourselves abroad. David is the one with the connections though, mainly through his awesome record label, “Heart&Crossbone“, which he runs with Rani Zager. The label has many worldwide partners and has releases from some great works by artists coming from Japan, Europe and The States.”

Do you feel that bands can/should retain a sound unique to their regional culture in the modern era?

“I personally think that if you’re not doing something new and original, you’re wasting my time (but maybe not other people’s time). Whether that unique thing is a part of some regional culture (as it usually seems to be), or a fluke of nature, something completely idiosyncratic, is not a big concern for me. So yes, musicians should be unique, but it doesn’t matter how they do it or where this uniqueness comes from.”

(Ed. Note: As far as I know, this lady isn’t part of the band or their live experience. Direct from finkelbert.com)

And finally, are there any other Israeli or Middle Eastern groups I should be aware of?

“Most definitely there are. Except for all the things that are directly related to us (stuff on my website and stuff on Heart&Crossbone) there are some great things happening here and in Lebanon. If you really want a good overview we can ask Rani to make a list (he is the guy that remembers names and things because he never smokes our stuff).”

So, let me shut up and just go hit up Balata’s Bandcamp, finkelbert.com, Aviad Albert’s website and Heart & Crossbone Records for more sludgy goodness from the Middle East before we really ARE all terrorists.

You might have like, fifteen minutes.

- Chris Nunez

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