Intruder Alert: “All forms of oppression, racism and nationalism are weak as fuck”
Published December, 2017
by Easterndaze
Intruder Alert is a crew based in Warsaw. Navigating in the murky waters of “post-club” music, referencing rave (with projects such as “Sentimental Rave”), acid, techno, “global” ambient and various mutations of DAW-driven bass music. Their latest compilation, entitled Larum, is out now and features 18 tracks from artists virtually or physically attached to the imprint (from Cologne-based Swan Meat to Tokyo’s Kentaro Minoura). All the proceeds from the sales of the compilation will go to the Polish Center for Women’s Rights. Below, label boss B.yhzz says more:
Can you talk about the compilation – the concept and the selection of music?
Larum features 18 exclusive tracks by artists: Alobhe, Astma, Bgknb, B.yhzz, Constellation Botsu, Grań, Immune, Kentaro Minoura, Kry, La Bodyhorreur, Nunu, Sentinel, Sentimental Rave, Shodan, Swan Meat & Dj Heroin, Terribilis, Ubu Boi, Xin. There was no key to the selection of artists for this compilation, and the variety is quite broad, yet I think there is something that keeps this whole project together. When yo go through it, song by song, you feel that it’s like a story, reflecting different moods but they all make sense together.
The proceeds from the sales go to The Center for Women’s Rights. How politically and socially conscious is the music scene in Poland these days and (how) does the current rightwing government affect the club scene as such?
All forms of oppression, racism and nationalism are weak as fuck – obviously. We and every other Warsaw club night responds to this growing problem of nationalism by doing our thing – creating a safe spaces where people can be who they feel they really are.
Can you describe the context of your activities in Warsaw – and also the global connections you have through your label/crew?
We started I.A. just because there were no club nights playing music that we liked in Warsaw. We organized our first party two years ago, none of us knew how to DJ back then. So the whole Intruder Alert thing became a space where we could learn how to use CDJs and learn how to mix. After a while, it has also become a creative space where every one of us had a chance to define the direction she or he wanted to follow. Over the last two years we’ve been working with our friends from Japan. We’ve released an ep by Tottori based artist Constellation Botsu. Kry and B.yhzz toured Japan this year, we’ve made 3 Intruder Alert parties with local crews in Koriyama, Osaka and Japan. We have a lot upcoming things planned with them for 2018.
What are your plans for 2018?
We have more releases coming in 2018, an Asia tour and p̷a̷r̷t̷i̷e̷s̷ in Warszawa