INSURGENCE RECORDS: WORKING CLASS CULTURE


By Stephen Von Sychowski

As the class struggle begins to sharpen internationally under the pressure of imperialist war and globalization, so too must the culture struggle, one of its key component parts. In the culture struggle we find many forms of expression, ranging from poetry and literature to film to music, including folk, hip hop and, of course, punk.

     And, despite the potential groans of a few of our beloved elder comrades, punk continues to be one of the primary artistic outlets for revolutionary youth. Yes, punk rock, a genre that continues to grow and diversify in form, also has within it a strong progressive and revolutionary trend growing and diversifying in its own right. This trend is struggling for its part in the contradictions within the punk scene, between its ideological camps and the class interests they objectively serve. 

     There's an old saying that class consciousness is knowing what side of the fence you're on while class analysis is knowing who is there with you. That's why while other people are no doubt reading in the bourgeois press today about Britney Spears and other "artists" with empty brains and empty underpants drawers, you are reading in People's Voice about Insurgence Records.

     Insurgence Records is a punk rock record label based out of Toronto, with numerous bands from around North America and Europe, including Canadian bands Union Made, Fate 2 Hate, The Fallout, Final Four and The Prowlers.

     The interesting thing about Insurgence Records, however, is that they are a specifically anti-racist, anti-fascist and class conscious label composed of groups that Randy Smith of their promotions department describes as "politically and socially conscious bands ...good music and good lyrics that follow in the tradition of protest music going all the way back to Woody Guthrie and The Almanac Singers, etc."

     It doesn't take long to figure this out after one look at their website. Insurgence's logo is taken from a Spanish Civil War poster which shows a Republican soldier smashing a fascist. The explanation of their logo includes a link the website of the Abraham-Lincoln Brigades. Some of the bands are connected to R.A.S.H. (Red and Anarchist Skin Heads).

     Insurgence has also released a series of albums titled "Class Pride Worldwide" which feature anti-racist, anti-fascist groups from around the world. The third instalment of this series was recently released under the slogan "15 Countries. 22 Bands. 1 Voice". It includes tracks from Montreal's Union Made as well as two other Canadian bands, Esclaves Salaries and Borderguards.

      Insurgence is strongly recommended for anyone interested in left-wing political rock, punk, hardcore or Skinhead music. Check it out even if you don't think this is you, you might be surprised. To get a sampling of what Insurgence Records is all about, download their label sampler "Project Boneyard", released in 2004 in response to "Project Schoolyard," a sampler released by fascist scum Panzerfaust Records, which sought to target youth as recruits for the white-power movement. "Project Boneyard" is available in full for free download at http://www.insurgence.net.

Found at: http://www.peoplesvoice.ca/articleprint12/11_INSURGENCE_RECORDS__WORKING_CLASS_CULTURE.html