Rockezine.com interview with N.A.O.P. on Aug 28, 2003

N.A.O.P.

with Boozy on Aug 28, 2003

16 years on the go, unstoppable and probably better than ever. Dutch hardcore band NAOP (Noisy Act Of Protest) is back in the ring with their new album Hard To Deny. Rockezine takes up the gloves with Boozy, the band’s drummer.
		For anyone who is not familiar with NAOP. What does it take to like NAOP? You have to like loud music in order to like NAOP. If you do, you can’t go wrong. Our music is fast, loud hardcore with minor punk, Discharge, Exploited influences. The use of different lead singers and a perfect production keep the album Hard To Deny captivating from the first ‘till the last note.
		NAOP has been around for 16 years now, but hasn’t really broken through. Do you know why this is or do you look at it differently? Breaking through is something we have always put in perspective quite well. Being just a good band is not enough. We don’t have to be THE hardcore band from Holland. The only thing we want is for everyone who likes our kind of music to have heard or seen us at least once, so we can reach these people.
		16 years on the go and still very active, how do you keep up. What makes it still worth it? During the 16 years of our existence every one of us has asked himself whether he wanted to continue or not, but never all of us at the same time. During gigs, the production of an album or while writing new songs we know there’s just so much potential, too much for us to stop.
		Besides being NAOP’s drummer, you are also a writer, dialect-promoter, a poet, and a columnist. Not something you would expect in the musical genre in which NAOP operates. Where do you find your inspiration? In the streets, every-day life and in the biggest thumb of Holland.
		The band’s history shows quite a few highs and lows. What are your absolute highs and from what lows have you climbed? Until now, releasing our first album and the album presentation in our home base, “Het Paard van Troje” are our absolute highlights. It felt as if we had climbed Mount Everest and we have witnesses that saw us make it there. The lows we each had individually. If one of us was down, the rest of the band was always there to get you back up again.
		About your new album Hard To Deny. In the review I stated that the production has a certain “bulldozer-sound” to it, which is a compliment by the way. Are you equally satisfied with the result? We have never before been as satisfied as we are about the total sound of Hard To Deny. I mean, Full Contact sounded very professional already, but Hard To Deny is again heavier and more aggressive. I think the sound is even above Dutch standard.
		What strikes me about Hard To Deny is that the listener doesn’t get time to catch his or her breath, without at the same time getting bored by the raging speed of the songs. Is this a conscious move, does it represent the band? Well, that’s a whole different story, but the reason the album doesn’t bore you has a lot to do with the order in which we placed the songs; the variation in certain tempo’s and especially the variation in the lead vocals on the entire album. That’s typical for NAOP.
		You have again worked with producer Tue Madsen, but in Denmark this time. How did this contact come about? During the production of Full Contact it really clicked and we decided to do the next album together as well. To record the album he offered us his studio – The Antfarm – but we decided to record the album in The Hague, in the Holland Spoor Studio’s. Rob Rehorst, who’s the owner and a good friend of ours, used to do a lot for NAOP in the past. We really wanted Rob to do the job. Besides, we were very satisfied about his fantastic studio. Unfortunately, he died two weeks before the recording was set to start. His friend Chris took over and we did the recording, probably with more inspiration, in the Holland Spoor Studio’s anyway. Track 17 on the album, the one-minute silence, is a tribute to Rob Rehorst.
		Hard To Deny is released by Gangstyle Records. Satisfied with that cooperation so far? Sure, Theo after all, is Mister Hardcore and does a lot of work for his bands. We’re especially satisfied with the promotion and publicity. Communication is good as well.
		How are the reactions to Hard To Deny so far? Reactions are very good so far. Dutch magazine Aardschok put the album in their so-called ‘Eremetaal’-list. Magazine OOR was very positive and especially the reactions from Germany are overwhelming. What we like best are comments from folks who weren’t that impressed with NAOP before, but who feel completely different about us since they listened to Hard To Deny.
		Remarkably a lot of Holland’s hardcore bands come from the provinces Limburg and Brabant, how’s the situation in The Hague? Any bands we should check out? CUMSHOT!!! A kick ass band, and of course I-Reject.
		Your attitude is very much ‘in your face’, never had any problems with that? If that would have been the case at all, we never had any problems with it.
		Can we expect any tours soon, in Holland or in the rest of Europe? If it is up to us, definitely!! Unfortunately, these days the phenomenon “pay-to-play” is too often the case. We refuse to be a part of this. I refuse to buy my way into other bands. The climate for bands that are just starting out is being completely undermined this way. With all these packages, there’s no way you can get your band to do a nice opening gig.
		How good will FC Den Haag (Dutch soccer team recently promoted to the premier league) do next season? If we can stay in, the season will be a success!!
		Famous last words? Listen to Hard To Deny and spread the word. This is truly a good album!! And, because we don’t have anyone to take care of our gigs, please contact us!!
Thanks go out to Boozy, and for those of you who are interested, check out www.gangstylerecords.com for more info on the album and the band. (Marc Lochs)