NAME: downset
THEY ARE: OG LA rapcore
FROM: Los Angeles, USA
FOR FANS OF: Sick Of It All, RATM, Biohazard, Public Enemy,
ESSENTIAL RELEASE: 'downset' (1994) or 'Do We Speak A Dead Language' (1996)
SONGS TO CHECK OUT: Anger, Body Cry, Empower, Eyes Shut Tight
WHERE TO FIND THEM: Facebook, YouTube, Blogger, Google+, Twitter, MySpace

Sometime in 1993 I randomly picked up the "Our Suffocation" EP by LA band downset. 3 tracks of tight threaded hardcore, with some distinctly metal licks, and vocals shifting between taught, hard-edged rap flows and angst filled screams. The fourth track was a spoken word piece about sexual violence and misogyny. It was totally different from anything I'd heard until that point. Brutal and jagged, with a deep grooved swagger, but lacking the ultra-macho chest beating edge which derailed so many other bands of their ilk. It's fair to say I was an immediate convert. Over the next 11 years they released 4 full length albums before splitting in 2009.

I caught up with drummer Christopher Lee [no, not that Christopher Lee- Ed] to talk about downset's legacy:

Can you talk us through how you came to your sound?

"When we all linked up in '91 we just wanted to play aggressive and loud, but when we all started jamming on other shit at rehearsals, we figured out we could do way more. There no way the hardcore and punk rock scenes we were heavily involved in were going to take to all this new stuff, so we changed up everything! We wanted it to be way more reflective of our total environment from music to lifestyle to neighbourhood involvement and the graffiti sub-culture that we all shared a passion for. You get hints of funk, hip-hop, metal, hardcore and punk as well as the undertones of the LA streets. We tried to keep fat and old in the gear choices too."

You worked with Roy-Z on the first 3 records, who is more known for his more traditional metal work. (Bruce Dickinson, Rob Halford) How did you end up hooking up with him?

"Roy Z was a childhood friend of guitarist Rogelio Lozano. We started working with Z in 1992 when we recorded the Social Justice EP. Z came out and helped us structure a bit, and we worked closely with him during the writing of most of the early stuff too. He's a good dude that brought out the best of us musically. I think he did a lot for the dynamics of the songs. Rogelio would write just about all the riffs and take them to Z, and he would critique then Rogelio would bring the best of the best to practice and we'd work faster and better like that. I think that Roy/Roy team is responsible for the general musical vibe of downset. "

With the 20th anniversary of the first record on the horizon is there any chance of some European reunion shows?

"Roy and I would like nothing more than to tour and write. James is down as long as it's all five original members, and that it's taken seriously. However, Ares and Ray aren't seeing it the same way. The topic comes up almost monthly with offers and fan interest, but at this point it's not something I see happening in the near future, BUT I don't have a crystal ball either! Time will tell! I can tell you this; I'd love nothing more than to tour again under the downset moniker!"