Roll Zine Issue.09

roll zine

back from the grave

9

issue.09 / september 2012Editor: Brandon Ballog

Art Direction and Design: Brandon Ballog

Contributors: Bruce James Bales Nick Korompilas Scotty Liberatore Megan Petersen

www.rollzine.org

contents Editorial.01 02 Editorial.02 04 The Refused 08 Danny Malm Profile 14 Editorial.03 26 Mogwai 30 Folio 38 Endpage 50

roll zine an open forum publication

documenting the subculture of rollerblading

So I lived in California ...

For five years.

Initially the decision to live in San Francisco made this zine thrive

from 2008 to 2010. Then real life happened. Career obligations

combined with fulfilling my own desire to skate and be an artist

eventually put me in a position of not wanting to produce Roll Zine.

It's been over two years and countless people asked me if and when

I would ever create another issue. Typically my answer would be

“Yes I am working on a new issue and it's almost done” or “I have

no idea”. Well I've returned to Ohio, the roots of the project, and

I feel like it's time to finally revive the zine. So this issue is all the

unpublished pieces I was working on in California and sets the tone

for generating new content moving forward.

Sometimes you have to lose yourself to rediscover your priorities.

Thanks again to everyone who supports rollerblading media.

2 · rollzine · I s s u e 0 9 · s e P t e M b e r 2 012

So I lived in California ...

Brandon Ballog / Mute Wall Stall / San Francisco, CA

Brandon Ballog / True Top Acid / San Francisco, CA

s e P t e M b e r 2 012 · I s s u e 0 9 · rollzine · 3

By following common rollerblading mythology with the first grinds by Chris Edwards, the concept of “aggressive” skating has now existed for over twenty years.

Considering the span of two decades, rollerblading has come a long way in the progression of what is possible with 8 wheels beneath your feet. Tracking that progression can be difficult aside from the personal archives of a lucky few. Old VHS videos, Daily Bread magazines, grind plates, and dusty skates in the garage serve as a reminder of rollerblading before the internet, before UFS, before Backyard Bob, and before some of you were born. Until recently, it has been hard to track our history aside from these relics of those before us. Now with the onslaught of online media, we are beginning to document our history in a way that is easy for everyone to access.

Kicking it Old School



As someone who started rollerblading towards the end of its mid-90’s peak, I was never exposed to the quintessential videos like Hoax 2 and VG4 until much later. I grew up with Daily Bread Forest Fire and Brain Fear Gone. While I never neglected the history of rollerblading, it wasn’t accessible to me. It wasn’t until 3 or 4 years of skating that an older friend in college gave me a copy of Hoax 2 to watch. I was immediately mesmerized by the pioneers of our sport, the Arlo, the b Hardin, the bHs, and I realized I was missing out. From there I got to see VG4 and realize why Josh Petty, Jon Julio, and randy spizer are household names.

Fast-forward to present day, you can find most of the pivotal old skate videos on Youtube. Within the last few years there has been some dedicated individuals putting up videos from all eras of rollerblading. this is such an amazing feat given how the newer generation of rollerbladers are interested in blading history. Having this wealth of rollerblading media available to the masses only builds our foundation stronger. I remember telling a younger skater to watch Latimer in Brain Fear Gone, and a week later he said he went online to watch it and thought it was amazing. You could never get that level of influence ten years ago unless you loaned out a video expecting to never get it back.

As a result, the main point of addressing our history is what I’d like to see people start to take it even further. ben rogers has been writing some phenomenal pieces on the ONE magazine site dedicated to the history of senate, Japanese skating, Medium, and more. We all know there’s some dude just sitting on a mint stack of every Daily Bread just waiting to be scanned. Bust out an old Team Paradise catalog, show us what skates were fresh in 97. Let’s not let the old school vanish into obscurity. It’s very influential to watch the trick innovations of the past. sometimes nostalgia isn’t the enemy of progress.



therefused

are fuckingwe will never play together again and we will never try to glorify or celebrate what was. All that we have to say has been said here or in our music/manifestos/lyrics and if that is not enough you are not likely to get it anyway.


are fucking


strong words from a band who never intended to play again.

1998 was a long time ago and bands make amends in 2012. this

article was started before the refused (reformed), and its goal was

to shed light on how these Swedes really shaped the post-hardcore

landscape. Almost intuitively, the refused promptly titled their last

album The Shape of Punk to Come, and made damn sure it sounded

like it.

The hard edged screaming and scattered breakdowns became

mixed with electronic interludes and spoken word. Never before

had a band so confidently destroyed what music could be in the late

nineties. At a time where rap-rock and jaw-rock dominated listeners,

the refused managed to crack MtV with it's menacing video for the

song “New Noise”. Adorning SlipKnot masks while the lead singer

parts his hair in smug disregard, my fragile teenage mind could not

comprehend the chaos. Years later do I now realize how this defined

the trajectory of the the music that followed with bands like At-the-

Drive-In, thursday, saetia, and more.

the refused were gone before we even knew what it meant. their

last show prior to this year was a typical punk rock basement show

interrupted by police only 4 songs deep. Despite claiming to never

play again, the refused have now seen the value of their output

and giving The Shape of Punk to Come the exposure it deserves. I

highly recommend everyone check out the documentary Refused:

Refused Are F*cking Dead (2006) for the full story.

Can I scream Yeah !

Following the feature I have to list this album as a must listen. It is the genre destroying and defining album of punk rock in the 90's. While not perfect, it's abrasive qualities would actually shape the punk to come.

While not immediately accessible in any way, the dynamic structure of the album reveals itself with repeated listens. singer Dennis Lyxzén, is not a typical screamer, but his conviction and delivery emphasizes the message clearly. Much like Fugazi, the refused develop lengthy compositions that ebb and flow with intensity. This sophisticated approach differs when the vocals drown out the idea of a chorus. the guitar lines squall and break in a vein of hard rock, but the rhythm never fades outside the stop and go dynamics of each song. this becomes the main quality that would establish a precedent for hardcore bands to follow.

Other bands would take notice and refine the aesthetic established by the refused, but it's important to recognize the source. It's not easy being first, but then again the Refused Party Program hasn't ended.

r E f u S E D t H e s H A P e O F P u N k t O c O M e

B E S t t r A C k “ N e W N O I s e ”

past


Of Montreal has become one of those constant existences in my life, defining exactly those feelings of growing up and losing the past. Hissing Fauna Are

You the Destroyer was my album of the year in 2007, and it coincided perfectly with a deep depression and breakup parallel to the album. since then I've enjoyed the mixed canvas of emotions present in the subsequent releases by Of Montreal.

While deeply personal, Hissing Fauna, was an endpoint in what would become the high after the low. Skeletal

Lamping's seamless track progression and False Priest's

soulful pop swagger successfully channeled the right amounts of Prince, but they didn't connect on a deeper level.

singer/songwriter kevin barnes finally moves forward past the neutral state of indecision on this album. Paralytic Stalks pushes the patience of obscurity, but it becomes the most challenging Of Montreal album in years, While it doesn't quite abandon the tropes of its predecessors, it makes a beautiful mess of them.

o f m o n t r E A l P A r A LY t I c s tA L k s

B E S t t r A C k “ D O u r P e r c e N tA g e ”

pres

ent



D A N N Y

mAlmA long time coming, it is only fitting that we finally

profile one of the bay Area's greatest talents.

Starting with In Motion 2 and the Apple RIP SF,

Danny has been making a name for himself

with countless online edits supplementing his

section in the SHOCK video. Danny shreds the

san Francisco terrain as if it were a skatepark,

carefully balancing big tricks with style and flow.

Photo by Megan Petersen


the last few years you’ve been coming up the ranks in the Norcal scene. Describe some of your roots in the Sactown crew and how it transitioned further down into the bay.

I was lucky enough to grow up with skaters like casey bagozzi, sean keane, smith

Hoching,and Jeff Jackson. before I started skating with those guys I was always

skating from spot-to-spot with my little crew that was not quite on that level. then one

day Andy Schailis mentioned something about this huge tile ledge that he cracked


his dome on in the video Sacrifice. I was a bit cocky that day and said “Ill handle

that shiet”. He had his doubts but invited quite a few heads (the people I mentioned

above) to see me do this ledge. I ended up doing three tricks on the ledge that day,

and it was basically the stepping stone of my respect from all the Og's of sac. I have

skated with them ever since. Norcal competitions like blade comedy Jams and kind

grind classics were going off, and I did pretty well in those. the rest is history. I've

skated damn near every type obstacle since sacramento has a huge variety and

bagozzi shed some light on how to skate it. I took what I learned from sacramento as

a foundation to understanding the endless terrain of San Francisco.

left: Fishbrain / right: 180 Bench Roll to Zero Fishbrain / Photos by Megan Petersen


b u t A L s O t A k e s O M e M O N u M e N t A L F A L L s .

t O h u C K y O u r S E l F

yOu havE a StrOng mEntality

I ’ V e s e e N Y O u D r O P

SOm E ma SSivE hammErS,

b u t A L s O t A k e s O M e M O N u M e N t A L F A L L s .

t O h u C K y O u r S E l F

withOut FEar.

yOu havE a StrOng mEntality

I ’ V e s e e N Y O u D r O P

hammErS,

Ao topsoul / Photo by Nick Korompilas

When that time comes, I don't hesitate and will be pretty casual about it.

I'm human and the “fear” does get to me. More and more as I get older.

And if you skate with me you will usually see me take a few slams.

I'm always pushing myself or at least that's my excuse.

topsoul / Photo by Nick Korompilas

I guess I just put it in the back of my and try to clear my mind of everything.

That might sound pretty black and white but it's not easy.

i Can Only KEEp my mind ClEar FOr a FEw minutES at a timE.

2 0 · rollzine · I s s u e 0 9 · s e P t e M b e r 2 012

Explain the loss of four loko in your life and its effects of your skating?Oh, the good old days of drinking a Four Loko right before a full cab disaster soyale. I was defiantly on that tip for a minute, but that shit is bad news man. too many calories. In a way, I'm glad it's no longer on the market, but Four Loko will always have a place in my heart. I actually know a place in downtown sF (well technically the Tenderloin) that slangs Four Loko's for 5 bucks a pop. The original.

While it might be self explanatory as to why, how did the nickname D-murder come about?Well for some reason sean sea put my name as Danny Murder on the cover of RIP SF. And I guess some people call me that, but I think it's more of a joke. My other name is Darth Malm.

What kind of insight did you gain from working with someone as infamous as Sean Cullen?everything not to do...haha. Na, pulling your chain. cullen is quite the character and you might be surprised that I've learned a lot from him. He really introduced me to the city (sF), and I'm not willing to get into the mischief we caused while I stayed with him for a month. but I will say he taught me these things...how to get people to let me skate their house (or how to get them really pissed off), how to live off 4 dollars a day or less, how to drink for free, how to get into any place without an ID (I was underage then), how spliffs are where it's at, and how to be picky of what you skate but be able to skate anything. And if your reading this Sean you still owe me a lobster dinner.

At what age did you encounter rollerblading and realize that you needed to be a part of it?I had my ninja turtle rollerskates when I was 6. Probably got rollerblades when I was 8 or 9. but I got my first pair of aggressive blades when I was 11. some used roces streets to be exact. I think it was 1998 or 99’. I knew instantly it was for me. I've been front flipping off trash cans and walking on my hands since I was 8, so I've always had a little bit of a natural talent for things that take coordination. Plus I've always been a bit of a daredevil.


I j u S t l o v E t o S k A t E . I

g o t h r o u g h S k A t E S l I k E

P A P E r . E v E n t h o u g h I D o n ' t

C u r r E n t l y h A v E A “ S k A t E ”

S P o n S o r , I ' l l S k A t E m y S k A t E S

A s s O M e O N e W H O ’ s M A I N P r I O r I t Y I s t O

SK atE at all COStS,I ’ V e s e e N Y O u W I t H H A L F A s O u L

P L A T E A N D nO BaCKSlidE

grOOvE c H A r g I N g A t

O b s t A c L e s L I k e Y O u H A V e

Br an d n Ew SK atES .

l u C k I l y r o l l E r W A r E h o u S E D o E S P r o v I D E m E W I t h

W h E E l S A n D P A r t S . S h o u t o u t S t o r D u B .

Backslide to AO Makio

By a piECE OF thrEad t i l l t h E y a r E


I j u S t l o v E t o S k A t E . I

g o t h r o u g h S k A t E S l I k E

P A P E r . E v E n t h o u g h I D o n ' t

C u r r E n t l y h A v E A “ S k A t E ”

S P o n S o r , I ' l l S k A t E m y S k A t E S

A s s O M e O N e W H O ’ s M A I N P r I O r I t Y I s t O

all COStS,I ’ V e s e e N Y O u W I t H H A L F A s O u L

P L A T E A N D nO BaCKSlidE

grOOvE c H A r g I N g A t

O b s t A c L e s L I k e Y O u H A V e

Br an d n Ew SK atES .

l u C k I l y r o l l E r W A r E h o u S E D o E S P r o v I D E m E W I t h

W h E E l S A n D P A r t S . S h o u t o u t S t o r D u B .

h Eld tOgEth Er

By a piECE OF thrEad

s e P t e M b e r 2 012 · I s s u e 0 9 · rollzine · 2 3

you took a vicious blow to the head which led to some of us advocating the use of helmets. Did this fall have any effect of your outlook towards injury or was it just a fluke?Hitting your head and waking up in an ambulance is a big deal and shouldn't be taken lightly. but for that particular case I do consider it a fluke. No more switch fakie threes haha. Just because I think it was a fluke doesn't mean that I am completely brushing it off. I know the brain is the single most important thing, and I have to be as careful as I can. I put it to myself like this: a construction worker tries to be as safe as possible but accidentally cuts off his finger. He didn't want it to happen and was trying to be safe, but shit happens and danger is part of the job

While you take filming tricks very seriously, you have a strong desire to skate hard even without the camera or on your own terms. how do approach these scenarios? I'm the type that vibes off people. If I know you will get pumped about a trick I will lace some shit I wouldn't normally do if I was by myself. It's just how I am, skating with the homies.

Is there an overall goal to your skating moving forward? Is there a level that you aspire for, or is it internally just something you need to have in your life? I don't have an overall goal other than not to fall ever again. but I never meet that goal. When I skate I just always make sure I'm at a level that any outsider can see what I do is ill. that right there is a Must for me.

As a skater who balances big tricks with creative lines, where you do you see your skating going in the future?Well basically you just said it. Just keeping that balance. Not too much of any one type of skating. Variety is key. I do love disaster grinds.

AO Soul / Photo by Scotty Liberatore

mogwaiburning

down the house starring:


mogwaithere is no preparation,t h e r e i s o n l y p a i n f o l l owe d by

aC C E p ta n C Esonic resonance speaks in

loud volumes


the duality of beauty counteracted by a full onslaught of death metalsince this publication has started music features, it has showcased artists of punk, post-hardcore, alternative, and indie genres. For the first time we have wanted to feature post-rock with one of its most iconic examples, Mogwai.

Post-rock is a genre mostly identified by instrumental compositions, melding outside rock genres into powerful and abstract forms. the concepts of hooks and verse are abandoned for subtle and epic builds of drone and crescendos of loudness. The documentary Burning showcases how Mogwai translates this concept into a sustainable career.

As an introduction to new fans or old, Burning is the 45 minute peak of a band that’s established itself as one of the loudest bands ever. the stark black and white, high contrast filming, aids in moving the action from scene to scene, song to song with effective ease. the intensity of the close angles and sharp movements only accent the peaks of the music, the duality of beauty counteracted by a full onslaught of noise. While extremely difficult to capture the Mogwai experience properly, Burning features selection of songs that only enhances their studio counterparts.

the story is the music, and it showcases songs from every facet of their discography starting with Young Team in 1997 and ending with the Hawk is Howling from 2009. being able to transcend their career in a concise presentation only represents how much Mogwai executes their material in perfect unison.



this selection of songs only enhances their studio counterparts.


becoming the rock action

there is no preparation there is only pain followed in understanding, by appreciation of something never heard

before, the feeling of being lost in crushing bliss, only to find the sonic resonance is in fact speaking volumes to which you've never listened. your ears feel anew, they know no boundary.

this selection of songs only enhances their studio counterparts.

In addition to the documentary selection of songs, Mogwai has released an accompanying live album (Special Moves) detailing several more live outtakes. If you’re new to Mogwai or post-rock in general, this is the best starting point of understanding the complex medium from one of its most established bands.


As with any movement in music, the early innovators set the tone for all the imitators. The early part of the 2000’s was the second wave of emo and what would become emocore. unlike the whiny angst of sunny Day real estate or the melodrama of the get up kids, this new direction was rooted in hardcore punk, metal, and screamo for expressing pain. before the style became stale and mainstream friendly, records like the Illusion of Safety peaked with the likes of thursday’s Full Collapse and At the Drive In’s Relationship of Command.

thrice kicks off the album with Dustin kensue’s rough vocal scream and never lets up. As a man who looks like an NFL player, the authority of his voice only makes his presence more established. The guitar wails delicately with metal offerings, but charges each song with punk chords and speed. Just like all good hardcore, the beauty of thrice is their ability to balance bridges to breakdowns.

the main highlight of the album is it’s midpoint, career defining song, “Deadbolt”. even as thrice has slowed down with age, everyone agrees “Deadbolt” is the shit. And that alone is worth the price of entry.

t h r I C E t H e I L L u s I O N O F s A F e t Y

B E S t t r A C k “ D e A D b O Lt ”

past


to accompany our music feature about Mogwai’s documentary, Burning, the companion live album Special Moves is just as relevant. Featuring eleven songs recorded on their last tour, and six songs from the film as bonus tracks, this is the most comprehensive collection of Mogwai songs to date. As stated with the film, these high quality live recordings dwarf their studio counterparts in volume and intensity. this is Mogwai at their finest, darkest, and loudest.

some of Mogwai’s gentler tunes such as “I’m Jim Morrison, I’m Dead” and “Hunted by a Freak” are so dense and beautiful with their intricacies. The epic tracks such at “Mogwai Fear satan” and “You Don’t know Jesus” are both included, along with face melters “glasgow Mega snake” and “Like Herod”. the inclusion of rarity, “I Love You, I’m going to blow up your school” is a nice addition that compares to the classic “Yes! I Am a Long Way from Home” (also included).

the only real shortcomings of this live album, are the songs left out. but given the diversity and range of albums covered by this tracklist, it would be hard to really make a better product without going overboard on the attention span.

m o g W A I s P e c I A L M O V e s

B E S t t r A C k “ Y e s ! I A M A L O N g W AY F r O M H O M e ”

pres

ent



Bruce James BalesContributed folio


Josh goodell Alley oop unity • Waterloo, IA


Stefan BrandowFront farv to 180 stale • Pittsburgh, PA


Bruce James BalesBank to Top Mistrial • Pittsburgh, PA


Erik Cheung 180 That grab • Davenport, IA



Stefan BrandowUnity to 180 Stale • Pittsburgh, PA



Codee JenningsBackside Backslide • Aledo, Ill


aaron SchultzSweatstance • Dubuque, IA


Shane ConnFishbrain wallride • Pittsburgh, PA


thank you... I spent the last two years neglecting the zine, and I came really close to pulling the plug. But no matter how hard life becomes it's important to stay passionate. If those passions create conflict, then you do the best you can. So moving forward, I make no guarantees, but I won't let this die when r O l l E r B l a d i n g i S S t i l l m y l i F E .

a B i g t h a n K S tO: Jon Lee, Harvard MD, for being the first rollerblader to welcome me to California, and host of many great road trips / Dave Tran for filling out the Berkeley crew and putting together a feature / Kevin Yee for always inspiring me to greatness and showing me how to skate everything while being a great friend / Erick Garcia for showing me the importance of OG leadership and cesslides / Danny Malm for being Danny Murder / Kayce Basques for quietly ripping / Brian Krans for being a blader first, and an author/professional collaborator / Kennan Scott for being a G / Thomas McGovern for fakie carves and great sense of humor / John Vossoughi for being a raw dawg / Tommy Boy for being the most passionate and offensive blader going / Jay Greendyk for merging art and skating / Matt Murphy for his dedication and humor / Sean Salaazar the future / Andy Johnson at Rollerwarehouse for being amazing / everyone that is down with JSF that I'm leaving out.


thank you... I spent the last two years neglecting the zine, and I came really close to pulling the plug. But no matter how hard life becomes it's important to stay passionate. If those passions create conflict, then you do the best you can. So moving forward, I make no guarantees, but I won't let this die when r O l l E r B l a d i n g i S S t i l l m y l i F E .

a B i g t h a n K S tO: Jon Lee, Harvard MD, for being the first rollerblader to welcome me to California, and host of many great road trips / Dave Tran for filling out the Berkeley crew and putting together a feature / Kevin Yee for always inspiring me to greatness and showing me how to skate everything while being a great friend / Erick Garcia for showing me the importance of OG leadership and cesslides / Danny Malm for being Danny Murder / Kayce Basques for quietly ripping / Brian Krans for being a blader first, and an author/professional collaborator / Kennan Scott for being a G / Thomas McGovern for fakie carves and great sense of humor / John Vossoughi for being a raw dawg / Tommy Boy for being the most passionate and offensive blader going / Jay Greendyk for merging art and skating / Matt Murphy for his dedication and humor / Sean Salaazar the future / Andy Johnson at Rollerwarehouse for being amazing / everyone that is down with JSF that I'm leaving out.

Brandon Ballog / True Savannah / San Francisco, CA


Documents

Roll Zine Issue.09