a piece of South Wales in Arizona
ARTCORE is an international DIY punk and hardcore fanzine which has blazed an increasingly lonely trail since 1986. Creator and punk lifer Welly resided in South Wales until his recent move to Arizona, where this issue was put together, though normal service continues in the UK thanks to Boss Tuneage handling distribution.
This time round, you get a stark black and white print job on 40 A4 pages which rather wistfully smell like a CRASS record sleeve. As is the norm for the mag these days, it comes with a vinyl record and this time it is Nazi-Frei (Nazi Free), a 5 track EP on brown marble vinyl by 80’s Dutch hardcore band NEUROOT. They have re-recorded two of their old songs, a couple of new ones and a cover of a 1977 Dutch punk song originally by FLYIN’ SPIDERZ. Slicker production and the occasional rock touch distance these recordings from their more urgent DIY material of yore but this is a solid listen and there’s an interview with the band in the zine.
The ‘zine itself is the star here though. Bang up to date, there are interviews with current bands such as RED DEATH, STAGES IN FAITH, NO PROBLEM, ACCIDENTE, RAT CAGE and label Ugly Pop Records. Welly also delves into the past with an overview of punk in the Midwestern States of America, South Wales punk, interviews with the editor of Tomorrow Is Too Late, a book on Toronto hardcore in the 80’s and gig photographer Nele Vandermaesen. There are reviews aplenty and Welly’s caustic wit coupled with a healthy cynicism never fails to raise a guffaw. His knowledge is forensic, particularly on US hardcore and you are in safe guiding hands here for sure.
Welly has really honed his style over the years, both in visuals and writing style, straddling the line between the professional and the punk aesthetic flawlessly. The layouts are vibrant and alive so that, coupled with a canny sense of dynamic artwork, you can almost hear the bands’ explosive sounds while you read. It should come as no surprise to learn that Welly is a seasoned artist who has close to 150 different cover art releases under his belt.
Anyone with a passion for authentic DIY punk and hardcore can’t go wrong here and, in a world of online everything, there are only a handful of UK print zines left. Artcore straddles the apex of that ever-decreasing pile, feet set and fists raised as it dares all-comers to try and take it down.
I’m pretty sure every back issue is sold out so what are you waiting for? Order from Boss Tuneage here
http://www.artcorefanzine.co.uk/
PERSONAL PUNK 