tatxers They are one of the greatest musical revelations to come out of the Basque Country in the last five years, although their media impact is far from that of their countrymen Chill Mafia and their good work has been disseminated mainly through word of mouth inherent to the culture of gaztetxes in which they have grown up.
The general public knew his name precisely because of his collaboration on “Zure Kebapa” by the Errotxapea crew, despite the fact that they already had the LP “Victory Cup” (2020, Sorginkale Banaketak) and they were one of the youngest promises on the thriving skinhead scene, with their appearance on the compilation “Chaos in the Basque Country” (2020, Tough Ain’t Enough) and that devotion to Blitz that his songs and Sali’s t-shirt in the Chillma video clip reveal. The same month of its premiere on YouTube it saw the light “Three or Four Bad Dreams” (2021, Tough Ain’t Enough), an EP with four songs as round as the seven-inch that flew in its first edition (it’s already on its fourth) and that put them on the music lover’s radar with that freshness that it drinks with the same naturalness of the Basque legacy of Hertzainak and Zarama, like the British of The Jam or The Housemartins.
They don’t lavish themselves too much on the media, so, with the excuse of the recent release of their self-titled album, we get in touch with the hirukote so that they make the band known in the first person after the surname of the Iron Lady .
For people who don’t know you, tell us a little, who are you Tatxers, where do you come from, if you have/have had other projects…
Tatxers we are a trio from Iruñea. Soria, the drummer, has had several musical projects ranging from the purest reggae to more mythical street-punk bands in Iruñea. Ziri and Sali came from playing rock in another band. In 2019 the three of us started rehearsing our own songs and some quite British versions. It has rained a lot since then, today I would say that we have been more specific in what we do, without fear of change as well. I think we do both pop and punk in its broadest sense. (The “experts” say that we jangle).
Your first album went somewhat “unnoticed”, especially in comparison with an EP that was a complete success and is already in its fourth edition. What can we expect from this new self-titled LP? What differentiates it from its predecessors and what differentiates you at this point in your journey?
I believe that we have called this last LP “Tatxers” not only because of how comfortable we have been, but because, right now, this is Tatxers. These 11 themes, nothing more.
We have thought a lot about the sound of this album, we even made a recording in Lekunberri’s gaztetxe with a couple of friends to see how the songs would turn out and make some changes. Later, recording in Atala with Iñigo has been the host, and I think that is the change that is most noticeable, I would say, especially in the guitars, they are brighter this time. Also, having done more songs, we have tried to vary the intensity and have some moments of air throughout the album.
For the edition you have counted on Tough Ain’t Enough again, but this time the label of figures such as Podium, Mausoleo, Finale, or the Basques Mármol and Oki Moki have also been added. Do you think that having Flexidiscos means, in some way, taking a leap in your career? Have you sought the support of more record labels or was it Óscar who contacted you?
It was up to us to talk to Óscar, we are blown away by many bands that he releases in his district. We want to distribute the album well, and it seemed like a good idea to release it both with TAE, our confi distri, and with Flexi. Join forces and open up a little to more people.
After recording “Hiruzpalau Amets Larri” at the Sound of Sirens studios, this time you have opted for the know-how of Iñigo Irazoki at his Atala Studio. Tell us a little about the recording process and the reason for this decision.
We are super happy with how the previous EP turned out on Sound of Sirens, we simply wanted to try Atala, since friends of bands that had recorded there had told us that it was wonderful. Bands whose sound we love. It has been very cool recording with Iñigo! Recording in analog is very different, you take more time, for example, when looking for a sound and perhaps not so much when recording, as happens in a digital studio. I think that, recording in Atala, we have been more aware of each step we have taken. Also, once everything is ready, recording all at once is a joy, you see the entire song practically at once. With its failures that is, there are beautiful failures and failures that are not so good, in some we have taken quite a few shots, hahahaha. In more than one song the sheep are named, it is already something recurring in our lyrics, and literally seeing sheep from the window while we were recording voices, for me it was crazy. In general, a joy.
“I don’t think that the return of bands from before prevents the generational change, I think it is something inevitable. We went to the Hertzainak concert and we really enjoyed it. But that is something that is done once in a lifetime, then we continue with ours, with what is happening now”
Two of your songs also appear on the compilations “Kaosa Euskal Herrian” and “Chaos In The Basque Country” edited by Tough Ain’t Enough. Perhaps that is why you have been associated with the Oi! but, despite the influence of Blitz it may have, your music drinks more from the pop and new wave of the 80s. What do you think about it and how do you see both scenes and yourselves in them? Is coherence possible?
Tatxers we have never considered ourselves an Oi! group, although it is clear that we have heard a lot from groups like The Clichés, Skin Deep, The Burial, Blitz, Camera Silens… Lately more bands from France. But I think we’ve always been closer to punk or, of course, pop. There are also three of us, and in many groups we agree and in many others we don’t. In the car, if Dunedin Sound is on, something like The Bats, for example, or Phantasia, Royal Headache, RMFC, Prison Affair, The Feelies, Les Calamités… all cool. Going back to the question, I think it would be impossible for us not to be consistent with what we do. We’re not looking to please everyone, of course, but we’re also aware that our audience is quite heterogeneous, I think it goes beyond the skinhead or pop scene. That’s great, as long as there’s a safe and healthy environment at bowling and everyone has a good time.
Hertzainak’s return to the stage for two mega-concerts was on everyone’s lips, and it’s no secret that they are a great influence on Tatxers. How do you see all this about nostalgia in music and that “sacred cows” monopolize exposure and stages, preventing, in a certain way, the generational change?
I don’t think that the return of bands from before prevents the generational change, I think that the generational change, luckily, is something inevitable. We went to the Hertzainak concert and we really enjoyed it. But that is something that is done once in a lifetime, then we continue with our business, with what is happening now, that we are living in a time with tremendous music, there is not enough time to listen to everything. And whoever says things like “there will be nothing like it”, he is well screwed. I think that the return of these bands can be taken as an exercise in nostalgia when you’re older, but we haven’t lived that time, nor do we want to live it, it’s something like: “What, are you coming to Hertzainak? Are you coming to Aviador Dro? Are you coming to Delirium? Ba, well yes, how much is it worth?
Your EP is really burned out, but it’s been hard for me to get into “Tatxers”. I don’t know if it’s less immediate, it’s more pop, it’s “more mature” or it’s just me, but I do have the feeling that it’s growing in a certain way in its second half. As you see? Is it something premeditated, did it come out like this…?
Maybe it has to do with the production of the record. The sound is different. So, coming from the previous EP, getting into this one is still more difficult, because it’s something different from the previous one. The change is premeditated, for this very reason we have changed studios, we wanted something more in line with what we usually hear, and this has been the result. It is true that the two faces of work are different from each other. The first may be a little further from what we’ve done before, and the B-side something that up to now has been more identifiable with ours. We wanted to expand our style to other places.
That inflection I’m talking about coincides precisely with “Printzearen Harresia”, a song on which Andoni from VULK sings and who, together with his taldekide Julen, has created the album cover. What can you tell me about it and about the influence that your group can have on you? What is the concept behind it, which refers directly to the design of 80’s billboards and posters in Euskal Herria? What importance do you give to image in what you do?
We give importance to aesthetics in general, it seems to us that it provides more information about the group and the musical style. Something that brings it closer to the public and helps to understand it better. The cover that the friends of VULK made for us has many references, when it came time to do it we gave them a thousand covers that we liked and they did it keeping that in mind. Taking advantage of the fact that the LP itself has no title, we liked the idea of adding a conversation on the cover itself, à la “Entertainment!” by Gang of Four. And as far as VULK is concerned, it seems to us one of the best groups both in Euskal Herria and beyond its borders. A great group. They have influenced us a lot.
What do Tatxers contribute that groups like VULK were not contributing?
Despite having things in common, I suppose a different style.
The album has seen the light coinciding with the tenth anniversary of the death of Margaret Thatcher, to whom you owe your name. How important is politics within Tatxers?
Hahahahahaha, that was pure coincidence, but we were cool when we found out and made a post about it. Politics is very important in the group despite the fact that the way in which we present it has changed over time. In the demo, or even in the EP, we still tell it in a more explicit way, and this time it turned out that way, perhaps treating it in a simpler way.
Do you want to add something or point out something to finish?
Thanks for the interview, we hope you like it and see you at the concertsssss <3