IENA vs SCALPO: interview with the two bands
Chat with Iena and Scalpo on the occasion of the release of the 7″ split
We have this 7″ in our hands. We are immediately struck by the artwork, essential and direct, a barbed wire surrounds the two protagonists of this little masterpiece: IENA vs SCALPO. Released in November, fresh off the press, this split EP between the Florentine band and the band from Sondrio features two songs per band, one unreleased and one cover. The two oi! punk bands share a decidedly 80s sound and very dark imagery. We find this juxtaposition very apt, as do the excellent graphics created by Claudio Elias Scialabba that contribute to immersing you in the spirit of this work released by Hellnation and Timebomb Records.
For the most avid collectors, in addition to the standard black version there is also a limited edition of 250 numbered pieces with silkscreened cover and marbled yellow vinyl with sticker.
We find out more about these bands and this release thanks to the protagonists themselves!
Radio Punk: Hi guys, welcome to our ‘zine! Let’s start by asking you a fairly classic question: how did your two bands come about and what were the sources of inspiration given that you both have a very defined identity and imagery?
Iena: Hello to you and to all who read! So Iena was born with the intention of playing oi primordial punk, a la early NABAT to understand each other, with the same intensity and hatred. We wanted to give the singing a strong impact, so we decided to sing all three, a choice also made by other contemporary bands. We come from different projects, some more similar to Iena, others much more distant.
Scalpo: The name Scalpo for an Oi!/hardcore band came to Michael. In 2018 we were playing in Rome with the other band we share (Potere Negativo) and agreed it would be a great name. The music came sometime later when I started to put down some spins on guitar (which is not my main instrument) and lyrics, Michael helped me flesh them out by putting drums in and then singing them in the studio because it was more suitable. Now the writing and drafting is more of a 50/50. A year ago Marra joined us on guitar (Death Before Work!, Sempre Peggio and a thousand others) while for live performances Tadzio (Golpe, Holy, Sempre Peggio…) helps out on drums.
The sources of inspiration are definitely the 80’s/90’s Oi! and Italian Punk/hardcore that we try to rework in our own way (Nabat, Rough, Cani, Bloody Riot, Colonna Infame s/h, early Erode…). The current Italian Oi!/Street Punk scene is directed towards a certain sound that is cleaner and almost Punk Rock or Pub-Rock, and wondering where all the anger and roughness of the past had gone led us to want to fill this absence. In other countries the return to the dirty sound has been there for years, let’s say we don’t have to look to England, France, or the USA, you just have to look back to do this stuff.
Radio Punk: How did this collaboration and thus this split come about?
Iena + Scalpo: The collaboration was born maybe even before Scalpo existed… Before the pandemic, we went to do some dates together in France: Iena/ Potere Negativo that is, the other group of the two ‘Scalpo’, but we had already known each other for some time.
They revealed that they were putting together a little project similar to Iena, and it was already written that we would do a split. Then Damiano (Timebomb Records) and Robertò (Hellnation) came along and made the official proposal and now this split has come out, which we are very happy with in every way!
Radio Punk: The two covers are crazy and we liked them as much as the two unreleased ones. How did you choose the songs to cover?
Iena: We were focused on covering something ‘local’ in fact our two choices were Attaccabrighe and early Litfiba. In the end, we settled on Piero and Ghigo’s band, on one of their first songs, with a more punk feel and with the desire in the future to move towards a more post sound, who knows? And then for those who hear our version and know the original will understand another reason why we chose it: pay attention to the refrain!
Scalpo: Rough are one of those gems that you have to know, they never released much at the time (just a 7″ and a few songs that appeared on various compilations) but they left quite a mark. The song Comunicato is literally a Communiqué. People talk and will always talk (badly) behind your back, only you know who you are and what’s in your head.
Radio Punk: We’ve been to Florence several times but never to Sondrio and the surrounding area! Anyway, how is the scene in your parts?
Iena: By now you are at home in Florence, you know all the bands and all the members, who tend to be always the same ahah. However, here on the banks of the Arno the scene is rich in bands but poor in people, we are about ten people with about twenty bands ranging from grind to punk rock!
Scalpo: The Sondrio (Valtellina) Punk/HC scene is us, that is, this is the third band we’ve done together. We are a very small circle of five people who form bands (Anubis, coxtola, H.C.P., SKÅYA, Potere Negativo…). Everyone from the old historical bands has either started a family and stopped playing or left (Carrions N.N., Gradinata Nord, RedBloodHands, Unabomber, Angelica Mariner…). The young people of Valtellina have started playing again now, after years of questionable Trap/Rap attempts.
Radio Punk: A question you would like to ask the other band?
Iena: When are we going to play together in the Basque Country?
Scalpo: When will Alex get a haircut?
Radio Punk: Here we attach the answers of the two bands…
Iena: Until the skins have long hair too!
Scalpo: Whenever! Haha!
Radio Punk: Getting back to the album, tell us a bit about the artwork and the labels involved in the release. How did you get in touch with the artist and with Hellnation and Timebomb?
Iena + Scalpo: So we’ve known Damiano for a long time, Marco (Iena) used to play with him in Bomber 80. Robertò, on the other hand, is a pillar of the Italian scene, and to have released this record for Hellnation is an honour for us, as is “la morte chiama”, which also came out for soa. So when one of your records comes out for historic labels whose entire catalogue you’d buy and which are run by golden people, you’re more than happy. No? We also got on well with Claudio: as well as tattooing some of us, he also designed the splendid cover of the last Carlos Dunga record. I would say that the collaboration was really very natural, both with label artwork and bands, it felt like we were doing something really in the family.
Radio Punk: You are both highly appreciated bands abroad, Iena played several times outside Italy and Scalpo released a beautiful Flexi for the Basque label Mendeku. I would say that this is a very good start. Do you aim, then, to make yourselves known more and more and play abroad or do you prefer to focus more on the Italian scene?
Iena: Yes, with Iena we are touring a lot abroad and hope to tour even more! It’s too nice to get on a plane without worrying about anything except where the people who call you to play take you to eat or drink!
And then every time you go out, it’s like unlocking a level for another gig somewhere else, you meet someone who then invites you to another gig, you meet bands that you might never have seen in Italy. In short, we hope to play more and more abroad, even if we do like playing in Italy.
Scalpo: Scalpo’s main goal is to do a few things well and with minimal effort, we don’t have much time between work and life. We’d like to play everywhere.
Radio Punk: We would like to close by thanking you very much and say goodbye with one last question. We are now clear about this release and about you as a band, would you like to tell our readers a little bit about who are the people behind these bands? What hobbies, interests, jobs, passions do you have besides music?
Iena: Well, unfortunately we have to work, so time for hobbies is always short…but we still manage to do many things. Between popular football, various sports, recording studio, organising concerts, political activities we keep busy even if we don’t play.
Scalpo: Welcome to The Club. Michael works in a factory that produces audio cables. In his spare time, he follows MMA, wrestling, football and fantasy football a lot. I (Caino) work in a tile company, I listen to a lot of music and I’ve often been referred to as the ‘archivist of the scene’ because I really like to research all the Oi!/Punk/Hardcore music that has passed through fanzines, rare demo/live recordings, books in a very manic and meticulous way. Marra tattoos at Man’s Ruin Tattoo (Club Isola) in Milan and listens to Black Metal in his spare time.
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