The ninth edition of Youth Crew compilation is upon us, with 2024’s edition being previously announced by DIY Conspiracy in September.
Since my friend Toni from the Netherlands was diagnosed with cancer in 2022, his road to recovery has been a long one, and has scaled back his participation in running his record label Positive and Focused and had to call it quits performing live with his band, Urgent Kill. Always happy to lend a helping hand, I volunteered to step in and coordinate this year’s comp, but my focus was something that is often preached in hardcore, but rarely practiced–diversity.
Youth Crew has always had the problem of being focused on men, specifically white men, and I wanted to use my platform to really apply my values of making hardcore diverse and inclusive by casting a wider net of bands. This is a concerted effort to showcase gender diversity in our scene!
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Right On Time
(Thomas, drums): “The band came together during the fallout of Urgent Kill. Not sure that he could continue to play live, Toni reached out to me and Charles (guitar/bass) about the conundrum of wanting to continue to write music and tell the story of his battle with cancer.
"I met Toni last year when my previous band (Dying For It) played with Urgent Kill last year in the Netherlands and our connection was immediately electric. I know Charles through my days of working with Bystander through Safe Inside Records, so coming together for this project was a real joy for me.
"I’m based in Portland, Oregon, Charles is in Los Angeles, California, and Toni is in the Netherlands, but we all have good relationships and good communication, which is why the project has been working out well.”
No Echo is proud to premiere the first single from Right On Time, “Cancer (ROT)." The entire compilation will be streaming on Bandcamp on November 1st:
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Step by Step
(Nick, drums): "We're just happy to be here. This comp rules, and we're stoked to be included on it. We just want to play fast, because everybody else plays too slow."
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Supernova
(Lindsey, vocals): "‘Text Me When You Get Home’ is an ode to the daily aggressions faced by women and girls. The song stems from the dangerously toxic masculinity that has been so normalised that it is killing us, day in, day out, worldwide. I’ve said ‘text me when you get home’ to every single femme I know for years, and I wanted this song to be about them and the things we do to keep ourselves and each other safe.
"A bigger conversation needs to happen and it starts with us. With you. Check yourself, your friends, your family, your ‘boys club’ - how can you actively be a part of the conversation advocating for a world where our safety is a priority?
"We are so stoked for this song to be on such an important compilation; one that is a political voice for good and encouragement for living a positive life - it’s violence against women that stops us. It’s time to make a change.”
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No Way
No Way are busy recording their track now. Youth Crew Straight Edge with an average age of 16. They embody the genre, influenced by all the ’80s and ’90s classics.
"We first started and it sounded more like Reagan Youth and shit like that, but we wanted to go faster and louder so we decided to write songs more like BOLD, Warzone. and Turning Point," No Way vocalist Pan told No Echo in a profile earlier this year.
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Fine Equipe
(Fab, vocals): “We grew up on Youth Crew, so we started this project in order to pay our dues to all the inspiring bands of the genre that have left an everlasting impression on us. We are glad to see that bands from all over the world are keeping Youth Crew alive!
"Plus, I am happy to see we are not the only band taking the risk to sing in our native tongue. It was kind of a challenge to form a Youth Crew band singing in French! Being included in this compilation is great—Thomas and Toni did a great job on this one.”
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Mariscal X
(Federico, guitar): “The Youth Crew comp series has always been an example of everything we love about hardcore. First of all, it’s our favorite style of hardcore music combined with the positive message that represents what we think hardcore should be.
"And second, the international cooperation mindset, where bands and kids from all over the world get together as one. Being from Argentina, we usually tend to feel left out of many things in the hardcore world, and this comp is the complete opposite.”
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Bajo Control
(full band): “We are very excited to be part of this year's compilation. It's always very thrilling to share this with more bands that are also straight edge.
"The lyrics address the presence and imposition of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs in militant spaces and how it affects those who choose to abstain from them inside and outside these spaces. It speaks from experiences of ridicule and constant questioning regarding sobriety, abstinence and straight edge and the trivialization of political positions due to drug use and other shitty attitudes justifying themselves by being drunk or high.
"It’s not pleasant to be interrogated about your sobriety and it’s not nice when you try to tempt, encourage or push sober people to consume alcohol, joints or any other shitty drug. If you’ve exhibited these clownish behaviors let us tell you: you’re losers. If you’re reading this and you’re one of the few people or the only one defending an anti-drug position in your militant circles: hold on, no matter what."
“No es la única opción pero es lo que he elegido. Construir la alternativa. Marcar la diferencia en el camino” // It’s not the only option, but it’s what I’ve chosen. Building the alternative, make a difference along the way.”
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True Fight
(Yaji, vocals): "We are honored to be part of such a historic Youth Crew compilation. In Japan, the resurgence of Youth Crew sound is gradually gaining attention, and we are serious about aiming for a full youth crew revival. I believe this compilation is essential to that revival."
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You can pre-order the Youth Crew compilation on vinyl from the following labels:
- Positive and Focused (NL)
- Our Pride (US)
- Constant Rotation (UK)
- 24 Edge Wear (BE)
- Adam Szulc (PL)
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Tagged: mariscal x, step by step, supernova
