NO IDEA

an interview with drummer Mikko Rantala (translated by Mikko's sister).
Even my oldest punk friend didn't know this band!
Dig it!
NO STRAIGHT EDGE!

Recently, I was ordering the last copies of 2015 records I forgot to purchase in time. I created an order on Discogs, buying NEU-RONZ st 7" on Adult Crash, and the seller told me he could add another EP in my package without postage going up. I decided to check his 2015 releases and found out NO IDEA, a band I've never heard of. I also found out this EP titled "Jag Hatar Punk" has actually been recorded almost thirty years ago and had just been released by Swedish record company Just 4 Fun..

Mikko: What's the story behind that funny schedule haha.

Yes it is quite a while ago we did that recording. We just thought it'd be a fun thing to do, no more than that.

- I guess these 18 digital bonus tracks featuring on the coupon of the physical release and recorded between 1985 and 1987 are practically unknown; which memories remain from that time?

Yes I don't believe many people have heard those tracks apart from our closest friends. It was a fun time. We started playing some gigs locally in south of Sweden.

- Who was in possession of this blast from the past?

If you mean the demo itself it was us as a band who were in possession plus our biggest fan Snuffe at Just 4 fun records. He has released some stuff over the years himself and it's thanks to Stefan alias Snuffe that our record came to be at all so a big thank you to him!

The 1987 Container-Party Tape Comp. on Punish Tapes featuring 13 NO IDEA songs.

- If someone had told you, I don't know, maybe 5 or 10 years ago these different recordings will be available someday, do you think you'd have trust this person?

No I don't think we would have! But it's great that there's interest for such old stuff and that somebody finds it good, ha ha.

- What is your opinion about the quality of the different recordings? Does it sound good to your ears? Back in the days, did you know how to record songs? I personally thinks this old-school saviour is just perfect on that bandcamp page (can't wait to ear the physical release!)

Quality wise it sounds ok from back then. Of course it could have been better but it's punk after all so it's ok. We recorded a bit on reel-to-reel recorders but that wasn't exactly a hit. Today it wouldn't sound the same of course.

- Now that we introduced this release, can we speak about NO IDEA: Is the 2015/2016 line-up the same than during the late eighties days?

Yes it's the same guys, or old geezers ha ha, as back in the day. Song Patrik Hooghwinkel, guitar Mika Vähäkangas, bass Roger Sjögren, drums myself Mikko Rantala. In the original line-up we had another friend on bass for a while, Jonny Källbom when Roger got fed up and left the band. He's now with us today but Jonny played bass on the recordings.

When did you guys form? How did you know each other and what pushed you to start a hardcore punk band?

We're old friends who grew up together. We liked the same music, hardcore / punk and eventually we started tinkering with our instruments and that's when it all started. Sometime in 1982-1983, can't remember exactly when.

Northern-Europe countries has a longtime punk tradition, what were your main influences back in the days: local bands, other Swedish hardcore punk bands or on the contrary late 70s/early 80s American hardcore punk (BAD BRAINS, POISON IDEA just to name a few)?

Many of our influences come from the US and England but also Sweden, for example KSMB and EBBA GRÖN. There are so many great bands and people who have influenced us that it's hard to mention all but I would say the hardcore scene mainly.

Were you hanging out other well known Swedish bands we might know?

We did a few gigs with RAPED TEENAGERS, 16BUH, MOB47, G-ANX, SOD, PUKE amongst others.

How about this really thrash sound (for example on "Hellraiser"): where did the inspiration come from? 1986 was a solid year for thrash metal and crossover releases, which ones are your favorite? Plus, all you guys had long hair on your FB profile pic!

As mentioned, we listened to american hardcore a lot, for example DRI, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES and SOD but also METALLICA, ANTHRAX etc.

Obviously, you had different spheres of interest if we take a look to the title of your songs: First thing first, what do the Swedish songs deal with?

Some are political, for example about power and oppression and others about more classical punk themes like alcohol and hostility against the police.

The only thing I understand is "Jag Hatar Punk", I believe it means "I Hate Punk", why did you write such a song and even decided to name this record this way? Do you guys had a problem with punk at the time? What about nowadays?

No we didn't have a problem with punk, the song was rather about how the rest of society regarded punk, the moral scrutiny of it all. We're punks so it'd be strange to hate ourselves! The fact the record is called so is Snuffe's "fault" at Just 4 fun.

As a straight edge person I'm of course really interested in the song "No Straight Edge". When I asked older friends if this feeling was common when they felt into hardcore punk during the 90s they, unfortunately for me, answered quite positively because of the misinterpretation straight edgers back then were making about their ideas, transposing violence in the front row whereas it was originally based on positivity rather than discrimination. What were your thoughts about straight edge at that time? Can you tell me examples of what motivated you to write such a song? Do you still think the same things about straight edge nowadays?

Back in the day we thought that the straight edge scene was perhaps a little too imposing. Nowadays I'm not sure we're knowledgeable enough to have an opinion. We have absolutely no problem with anybody being a straight edge person as long as they've chosen it themselves.

In a general way, your songs seem definitly dealing with anti-autoritarian subjects and, now that we can see you just started to rehearse again, can we figure you will approach the lyrical themes of your (maybe?) new songs the same way? After all, these last years seem to be a perfect soil for angry 2016 hardcore punk...

That may well be, the future will tell. But once a punk always a punk and there will always be injustices in society to point your finger at.

What can we expect from NO IDEA this year? How about some touring or new record maybe?

We had our reunion concert on 14th February in Tranås with RÖSVETT and PROBLEMS. We've had a few other gig requests so we'll see what happens but it's a lot of fun. We have some new material on the go so a new record? Who knows? Maybe it doesn't have to take 30 years this time round, ha ha...

Thanks for the interview. Maybe we'll see you out there on the hardcore scene one day!

Cheers