Adam Kautz • EP.5 | DVD Concerts

DVD Concerts, Episode 5Adam Kautz, drummer, musician and NYC scene aficionado, performs some songs and talks about his process on Dan Victor Does. Watch the full performance and story he shares on this episode of DVD Concerts.

As Adam likes to say, I introduce him as a friend first and neighbor second, Mr. Kautz has a huge impact in the world he inhabits. He has been around the world as a touring musician with many bands, participated in a vital part of New York City culture and been a been a fixture in our community. A very inspirational and fun-loving guy to be around. Favorite visual artist is Keith Haring, favorite musical artist is Jim Morrison of The Doors and animal he would most like to be is a Golden Retriever in New England.

He currently resides in Bushwick. Brooklyn, where he has lived for the last ten years. Having grown up in Florida, but born in New York, he says this city was always an inevitable destination for his creative interests. Adam has been playing music since grammar school. He asked his father for a guitar and drum-set for Hanukkah, which he got with the condition he join the school band. It has been a passion for music which has been pervasive his whole life.

Adam is a collector of gear, records, organs, art, amps and objects which he creates a wonderland-like environment, which extends to his wardrobe, style and can be observed in the external habitats he cultivates. The Neverland Ranch, one such space, is a converted vacant lot he transformed into a punk-charming palace to perform and chill with zero fucks given.

Adam curates musical acts into an outdoor show he calls The Matinee which starts and ends early, but rocks during daylight with respect for the neighbors. If you live here, you are invited, but if he’s DJing, don’t ask him to put on a song. There is a sign clearly posted that says, ‘No Requests’ and that we play punk rock here.

Part of the DVD Concerts series started with Dan interviewing the artists upstairs and afterwards Adam would host a “Secret Show” with those performers. So all of the artists that you have seen on this podcast has also been a part of The Ranch.

After the first wave of the quarantine lifted, Adam introduced me to The Hercules Garden, a community space that he helped convert from an empty lot, with the rest of the local community. It was a magical place we all contributed to and were able to express ourselves artistically, while connecting with our Bushwick neighborhood. Marcus Vigilance began The Garden in memory of his dog Hercules, who was also an institution on the block, but passed away during the pandemic. Adam and I hosted the DN’A Open Mic during the late summer months to allow all to have a platform for 10 minutes on the stage we constructed collectively.

His album “Even If It’s A Dream, Who Cares” celebrates the mystical qualities that a dreamer like Adam cultivates and cherishes. It is a sentiment that I admire and whole-hearted approve of. Give a listen to his work that opens a door to his musical aesthetic and vision that extends to visual and experiential expression.

Adam Kautz album “Even if its a Dream, Who Cares”

Grateful for having Adam Kautz for the fifth episode of DVD Concerts. Watch and listen to the music video “Die By Your Side“, a selection from his set. Follow Adam Kautz on Instagram and Youtube.

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Dan Victor Does — Art + Music + Mental Health: Performances, Interviews and Commentary on how creatives achieve mental well-being through their craft. Support the podcast.

Superdeaf Releases Mass Hysteria To The Masses

New York City based thrash-punk band Superdeaf recently released their new EP, Mass Hysteria. It dropped on August 10th, 2020 with their label Maximum Collabo. The title is an eerily accurate description of our times. The album is four songs of pure adrenaline. As soon as the first track kicks in, I am gripped by the need to bang my head, grind my teeth and blindly throw myself into the pit. I’m immediately picking up a unique blend of metal and hardcore, that brings me back to my youth.

The musicians have international origins, before coming together in NYC to form a super-band with members from Escarioka, Outernational and Chango. The band is comprised of Cristøbal Miranda (drums/vocals) from Chile, Leo Minimum Tek (guitar/vocals) from Seattle, and Javier Barquet (bass/vocals/fx) from Mexico.

They have political, pro-rights lyrics with out leaving the joy of life. In your face kinda attitude. Fast riffs fast songs with that latin rhythmic section influence. Spanglish is their language. They stand strong amongst everybody’s rights. No racism, no fascist USA. No one is illegal.

Recorded by Steelwolf Jon Markson, Brooklyn & Alex Lanas Global Goal, Corona Queens. Mixed by Jhon Reyes Wisenoise, Saltillo Mexico. Mastered by Maceo Fuentes, Brooklyn.
  1. TEAR GAS
  2. SICK
  3. TRUMP SUPPORTER DISORDER (TSD)
  4. MASS HYSTERIA

I was lucky enough to catch up with Javier Barquet, the bass player of Superdeaf, for an exclusive interview. He’s a very friendly, laid back guy, that was super gracious with his time.

Dan: Could you talk about your origins? How did the band start out?

Javier: Superdeaf started as a studio band, right? These guys got free studio time and they just record an album. So they made an album before they had a band. After they record four songs, they’re like oh shit! It sounds cool, we should get a band. Right? So I got auditioned as bass player. They called me in and I nail the job, now I’m the bass player. We used to have a singer originally. Cass, he was a wrestler, but he couldn’t handle his shit, so he ended up getting fired and we split the vocals between the three of us. We decided to keep it a power-trio and, just like the Beastie Boys, everybody sings a little bit, because none of us are really singers. Kept it simple so we could travel. 

D: Do you play a lot of shows?

J: We don’t really play shows in New York. We do, but we’re tired, we all come from different bands that been around the scene forever. So we’re just tired of these fucking New York gigs. If it’s a cool show, of course we’ll take it, but no weekend bullshit. We prefer to work than take off a Saturday night.

D: Yeah, playing for like 15 people?

J: Yeah, we’re tired of that shit. But we produce a lot of songs. We just released a new album Mass Hysteria. I don’t know if you listened to the first EP? It’s a totally different sound.

D: I haven’t. what’s it called?

J: Contraband. We made a video for each song, it was the first EP. We are doing the same for this album. Now we working with a singer in Las Vegas. We just took our voices off the songs, but we left the choruses, he’s going to translate everything into Spanish. So every song we’re going to feature someone else. The first one is from Spain, Estragos Trifulka, he was in a huge band from the 80’s. He’s going to sing in Spanish. So for each song we are going to feature a different super star.

D: Very cool to do the songs in Spanish.

J: We are going back to the studio in November or October to record 2 new songs. The two songs we just made, they are fucking awesome.

D: Are you going to add it on this EP to make a full length?

J: No, it’s going to be all new.

D: So the EP just got released, have you been releasing singles before?

J: Yes. We did four singles. Every three weeks, I believe, we released a song. We just got played in Toronto on the radio, which is really cool. We just got played in Mexico, on the radio. Really cool.

D: Talk a little bit about your background. You’re from Mexico, right?

J: Yes. And the drummer is from Chile and the guitarist is a Polish dude from Seattle.

D: So you all come from different musical backgrounds?

J: Yeah, these fuckers play Salsa and Merengue. Cristo is a metal-head. They’re musicians for a living. You know? 

D: Right. I was a metal-head in my youth.

chango – bass • cristo – drums • leo – guitar

J: They have different bands and projects, [Cristo] plays congos and bongos. They make money. He plays in a jazz band on the street. They make a shitload of money. Leo is the same thing. He plays Salas and Bachata. 

D: How about you?

J: I’m a punker. I’ve played punk my whole life. I’m a metal-head, I love metal. I became a busker when I first came to New York. I made an electronic project, so I spent a lot of time in the underground playing music. I met a lot of people and made a lot of money and did a bunch of networking. Made a couple videos that went viral.

D: Nice! What was the project that went viral?

J: It’s called Chango. We worked with Mathew Silver. Do you know who he is?

D: No, I don’t think so. Not sure.

J: We worked with this fucker.

He shows me this video of a performance artist and Javier’s electronic group Chango, two guys that perform in luchador (Mexican wrestler) masks.

D: Wow, that’s incredible! Do you still do this? 

J: Sometimes. I do it by myself now though. 

D: Where Superdeaf’s influences come from? Thrash?

J: Thrash & Metal. Sepultura, Metallica, Pantera, Anthrax, Slayer.

D: It has a very fresh sound. When you finish each song, what do you say?

J: “Superdeaf”. Someone has to say it.

D: All three of you?

J: One of us has to say it. There’s one song we all did it. When we’re recording, everyone has to be in the cabin, so we all say it. “Superdeaf”. Then whoever says it best. Live it’s cool. What’s the name of the band? Superdeaf. Superdeaf. Superdeaf. When you’re listen to the band, it’s fucking cool. Right?

Definitely! It was a pleasure to speak with Javier and learn about the rich history of these metal veterans. Look out for more music and videos from this powerful band that will literally melt your face. Say it with me while I scream… Superdeaf!

Superdeaf on Youtube | Instagram | Facebook