Interview with Steph Tanker (Disvlar Studio)

“From the start I’ve only recorded bands with people I get along with. So I have no bad memories. After we can of course talk about the day when I started the day by wiping a puddle of piss in the drums cabin…”

Disvlar Studio, how did it begin ?

At the time, I was playing in a crust-metal band called HUMAN COMPOST, and in the band we were all either unemployed, or with badly paid odd jobs,… so, we didn’t have money. We were very often, with Eddy the singer of the band, beging for money downtown to pay our beers !!! Anyway, it was very complicated to find a studio with affordable prices for us.

For me, the idea appeared at that time. It was necessary to create a recording studio for dirty punks like us, who did not have any money! So I got interested in recording techniques, computer software and hardware, etc.

The place where we rehearsed (LE BASTION in Besançon-FR) lent studio equipment, and so we recorded the third Lp of HUMAN COMPOST ourselves.

The desire to share the room with other bands quickly led to the creation of the DISVLAR STUDIO! Since then, it has become a real studio with 4 separate cabins, accommodation, etc.… around fifty bands came through the studio, and more than 20 vinyls were released!

« Disvlar », what does it stand for ?

The first studio was located in Villers-Grelot, a small village 20km from Besançon. And over there the inhabitants call themselves “Vlaars”, as you call the inhabitants of Paris the Parisians. We created a melodic-crust group with this name, VLAAR…

Because I like d-beat/punk, the prefix “DIS” joined to create the DISVLAR Studio … This is where the name comes from!

Now the new studio is in Beaumotte, another small village between Besançon and Vesoul, but the name of DISVLAR STUDIO remains the same!

 

How do you like to work ? What’s your favorite style ?

I have no preference in the way I work. Here in the studio, you can record everything separate, or live, since there are 4 separate cabins, in addition to the control room. …After all it depends on the kind of music… The more the band wants an ultra clean rendering, the more we are going to go to a completely separate recording, with metronome etc… other bands really want to highlight their feeling, and there, indeedn we rather go live.

Basically I’m from the metal scene, at 15 I played in a death metal band called CARRION FEEDER. But then I played in a lot of punk bands LYSTERIA, MANOR FREAKS, TANKER CHAOS, RATFINK… and for more than 15 years, I have been more in crust-metal, with NONDESKRIPT, HUMAN COMPOST, BLACK CODE, GERANIUM and VLAAR.

In the studio, I like bands that are passionate about what they do. So I like the brutal energy of WHORESNATION as much as the emotion of POTENCE, as much as the stench of LUST FOR DEATH !!!

 

Your best and worst memories as a studio session ?

I think I’m lucky. From the start I’ve only recorded bands with people I get along with. So I have no bad memories. After we can of course talk about the day when I started the day by wiping a puddle of piss in the drums cabin, … the day before the band had had a few drinks, … the sleepingroom being right next to the studio, hahaha, I never knew who did this,… of course no one denounced themselves !!!

We have recently released the new full lenghts from Doomsisters & Whoresnation, do you have some anecdotes to tell us about their recording session ?

So, I want to tell you that what happens in the studio stays in the studio, … it’s all private ahahah, … come on I can tell you that I have never recorded a drummer as fast as with WHORESNATION’s, and never drummer as slow as with DOOMSISTERS!

 

Can you tell us about Tanker Chaos Records ?

I have been in charge of the TANKER RECORDS label since 2005. It is a DIY / Distro label focused on Crust / Grind / PunkHC. A little less active today since I have been working in the studio,… but anyway, 61 records produced since the creation of the label! you can take a look here.

TANKER RECORDS was also involved in Tour-booking, but not anymore nowadays. I still organize a few concerts from time to time, but it is increasingly rare.

 

Can you present your own bands ?

I’ve already talked about a bit, but yes of course.

I’m currently playing in VLAAR, melodic-Crust of Villers-Grelot / Beaumotte, we released a Lp two years ago.

And in GERANIUM, melodic-Crust from Strasbourg. The band has existed for over 10 years, and I have been in on guitar for 3 years.

What’s your future projects ? Which bands do you secretly want to record ?

Right now, I’m finalizing the Lp from BLOCKHEADS, the famous French Grindcore band, as well as the Lp from ABYSSAL ASCENDANT, a French DeathMetal band. MORBID SCUM (Stenchcore band from France) may soon be in the studio, but with covid-19, “The dark side clouds everything. Impossible to see the future is ”…

Who would I like to record, haha WARFUCK, why not ???

How is the scene around Franche-Comté (bands, bookers, labels…) ? Can you list some cool bands we should listen to ?

Here in Franche-Comté, we had in the past a crew called KANIVO CHAOS which organized a big underground festival, concerts in Besançon and which managed a label / distro…

Following that, HOLY GRIND took over for the DIY concerts organization. 939K15 is another association that organizes shows in Besançon. The concerts take place at PASSAGERS DU ZINC, the legendary café-concert of Besançon.

About labels, we also have DEAF DEATH HUSKY Records, with Pibe from WHORESNATION. IMPURE MUZIK, also label and organization of concerts.

Besançon bands to listen to? WHORESNATION / POTENCE !!!

Thank you very much, in any case, for this interview, it was a first time for me !!!

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