I remember a time when Crossover didn’t mean a way of selling more records. Instead it meant to explore new and interesting ways of mixing hardcore with metal. I’m not going to say that it was better back in the old days but it was amore innocent time. Today it seems that everything seems to be about profit. Record labels don’t care for longevity and bands are quick to adapt to that way of thinking if they’re offered a record deal. Despite this, or perhaps because of this there are bands out there how are doing it on their own. One of them are Kaos (Stacey Murray - guitar, Jason Darnell – vocals, Jay Figueroa – bass, Joe Loescher – guitar and Burton P Ortega - drums)from California. I got hold of Stacey to answer my questions.

-Anders Ekdahl

What I like about your music is that it reminds me of a time when crossover meant mixing hardcore with thrash metal, when bands like D.R.I and Mace (My god someone else owns the Mace records? -ED) spun on my turntable. What is it that influenced you to play music this way?

- I don’t know. We didn’t have any bands or style in mind when we decided to record the album. We did bring back a couple of old tunes and some old pieces of music in which we used as a foundation for the recording.

Whatever happened to that whole crossover scene with bands like D.R.I, Suicidal Tendencies, Beowulf etc that existed in California?

- D.R.I., Exodus and Death Angel are back and playing shows. Vio-Lence was back for a time and that was great. I think some of them come back because they hear people begging for them so much that they know they can make a quick buck locally. Then they experience the energy once again and it’s hard for them to set it down and walk away knowing that its still there.

Do you feel that there’s an interest for what you do musically or does it feel like you’re running up an endless hill?

-Yeah, I really do think there is an interest for what we are doing and yes it is an uphill battle. The only reason to do this is because you love it. If you get into this because you think there is going to be some big payoff, then you are setting yourself up for a huge disappointment. Nobody is going to be knocking down your door with a sack of money. If you want to be heard, be prepared to work.

Reading your lyrics there’s not much “Love & Flowers” to them. Why is it that there’s such a stigmata surrounding sex, whereas violence (guns) seems to be more socially accepted in the States?

-There certainly aren’t to many bands writing about sex, drugs, rock n' roll and good times that I've heard recently. If I want that I have to get out my old KISS albums. The younger generation seems to be numb to death. I don’t think being alive is taken very serious anymore. Most families have two working parents, values are lost, kids do and watch what they want, they see people shot up on TV every day and they think that’s the way to deal with problems. I think it sucks.

How much influence does the violent times we live in universally affect the way KAOS writes music and lyrics?

-It has a profound affect on the way we think and write. The world has been a very sad and bloody place and we are very affected by it.

From what I understand “KAOS Among Us” is pretty much a DIY-project. Why did you decide to do it this way?

-Like I said before, nobody is going to come beating our door down. We know what we want and how we want to do it. We can put out a product just as good, or better than any record company is willing to. "KAOS Among Us" is a prime example of this. Getting the product to the masses is another story.

From what I remember from back in the 80s there seemed to be a better networking (tape trading etc,) going on. Today, with the wonders of modern technology people seem to interact less. What kind of underground network do you have to spread the name of KAOS, beside the Internet?

-It’s because listeners are spoiled rotten by the over saturation of free access to music on the internet. When we came off our hiatus in 1999 I thought we could conquer the world with the internet. I was wrong. We had so much success in the early 90's through good ol' home made fanzines. We would get sacks of mail. Now very few people bother. Why pick up a pen, paper and an envelope when they can just go on the internet and take all they want. Sickening isn’t it?

Is playing clubs and being heard on smaller local radio stations an option in getting your name spread or is that too something that is about to disappear?

-Being heard by one person or twenty people is being heard no matter how you look at it. I don’t see them going away, but just like a band, they will come and go.

Are there any bands on the international scene that you feel a kinship with, and that you recommend I should check out?

-Osmium. Those guys are fuckin rad!

In an ideal world, what where would you like to see KAOS go?

- Tour the planet with Slayer.