The classics never go out of style, or do they?

"They told me that the classics never go out of style but, they do, they do. Somehow baby, I never thought that we do too."

Enough was said about REFUSED's "The Shape of Punk to come" and enough was written about it. I personally dedicated a whole week to this record for its 10th anniversary on the first version of borderline fuckup. Damn, time flies! 

I still think that it's a classic and I still think that it's the most important HC-record to ever come out of Europe. It's a polarizing album and I get all the haters or the ones who say it's overrated as fuck. It's gimmick-y at times, tho it works as a strong, coherent album and for 1998 or 1997 (when it was recorded) it was quite forward thinking stuff. Nowadays I don't listen to it as often front to back and I probably don't love it as much as I used to. After all, there are some perfect songs on this record. The first half is flawless with my two favorites off the record, "Liberation Frequency" and the godly "Summerholidays vs. Punk Routine", and also "The Deadly Rhythm",  the opener and of course the revolutionary "New Noise" are pretty fucking good. 

Happy anniversary to this classic of my youth, tho it's enough for now. I rather let the past speak for me and bring you an interview I did way back in 2012 with REFUSED's Kristofer Steen on ocassion of the re-release of "The Shape of Punk to come". I gave it a read a few days ago and I think it's still worth it. Enjoy, right after the video to "New Noise":

borderline fuckup: First of all, how are you? And how’s life these days?

Kristofer: I’m fine. Life’s good but hard to summarize in a few sentences.

We’re here to speak about Refused and the Re-Release of “The Shape of Punk to come”. A few years ago you, as a band, said something like “we will never try to glorify or celebrate what was…” – what are your feelings about this statement and the release of this Deluxe-Edition?

First of all that statement wasn’t a collective stance. At the break up the atmosphere in the band was pretty bad. That statement was from Dennis. I read it and was annoyed. I just thought “what the fuck?”. Now it seems like a contradiction to make a Re-Release. But, hey, we were a band full of contradictions. But basically I’m not a fan of „big statements“.

The idea for the re-release came from our label. We just had to give it a go!

And the decision that you will make interviews concering the Re-Release was clear from the start?

We had a meeting. We discussed about it. Like I said before, the initiative came from Epitaph. We were loyal to our label. And loyal to our record.

It’s basically pretty odd to talk about something that happened that long ago.

Are you still in contact with the other guys from Refused?

Yeah, we are in contact. We broke up twelve years ago – that’s quite a long time. Our lifes have changed. It’s not like when we were togehter as a band. We don’t hang out all the time.

And how’s about Dennis? Back then you two had a few differences…

I get along pretty well with Dennis. Back then we were moving in different directions. We hated each others guts. It’s always hard to break up relationships. It doesn’t matter if it’s with a girlfriend or a family member. It hurts. With Dennis it was the same. By now we really get along. We are in contact and can talk to each other on a common level.

But there was no talking about a reunion?

We always heard about those „rumors“. We never really discussed it. If I think about it… it would be odd. Odd and strange. Our break up made us popular. We created something like a Mythology surrounding our band. If we would do a reunion we could only paint a picture of what we were back then. I don’t think anybody would be happy about it. Neither we, nor you guys. Personally we would fasten our wallets… so, yeah.

You think it wouldn’t feel „true“?

Sort of. It would be a different thing. A new band! It wouldn’t add anything in a positive way.

Besides that you’re fucking old…

Haha, not quite. We’re not ancient. Maybe we would be less energetic on the stage.

Kristofer, when was the last time you’ve listened to “The Shape of Punk to come”?

Pretty recently. Not in full length. Just four or five songs from the album. You know, you keep reading these insane reviews and think: “this record has to be great”.

We all know the feeling when you grow out of something… do you still like the album nowadays?

When I’m listening to it I feel touched. Twelve years later and with a little distance it’s easier to enjoy it. You can look at the record in a more objective way. It nearly feels like it was made from other people. I still like most of the songs. Even tough there are parts where I have to laugh…

So, what do you don’t like?

Generally I really like it. But there are songs on it who were created from left-overs. I don’t want to point it out. I don’t wanna ruin your experiences, haha.

You mean, you turned shit into gold?

Sort of.

Sometimes I really do think that your vision of progressive, hard hitting music was taken wrong. I mean, look at the last twelve years in Hardcore. There were so many terrible bands who mixed hundred styles in a random like way. Do you think “The Shape of Punk to come” had an influence on that developement?

It’s hard to feel any guilt, haha. I seriously don’t know what these bands pic up to. I see hair cuts and make up and all that shit… but I don’t feel responsible for this whole thing. It sounds like a generic advise, but they just should do their own ting. Maybe we had an influence on that development. Besides that none of us should be associated with this. On the first listen “Shape” sounds more eclectic than it really is. It wasn’t ought to be radical. We just wanted to make good songs. And good songs grow out of emotions. The whole record was based on an emotion.

So “The Shape of Punk to come” was never intend to be some sort of a statement?

No. It was a personal thing. Before we never had any time to record songs. Maybe like a month. Now we head three months. It gave us more time for experiments. It was ridicoulos. We worked really hard. Because of the title it may seem like a statement – but it was more like a reaction from being in a very static hardcore scene. The record wasn’t planned. There was no deeper sense to it. It just progressed naturally out of an emotion. “We wanted to break free”. Oh god, now I see this Queen-Video in front of me! What it wanted to say is, that there was no agenda. We made the record for our selves.

Dennis and David started a Band called “AC4”. They are pretty…

…oldschool.

Yeah. Pretty much the opposite direction of Refused. What do you think about it?

I like it. There are nor resemblings to Refused. Dave and Dennis are in love with that style of Hardcore. It’s a very specific format.

Definitely. It’s kinda strange. Two members of the famous Refused start a band and no one recognizes…

Yeah, they only appeal to the Old School Fanatics. It’s a small group of listeners. But they can only be in a certain way. Sometimes you have to do what your heart tells you!

Are you still related to the Punkrock-scene or Punkrock-music in general?

I sort of keep up to what’s going on. Not as detailed as a few years ago but I have an overview. I’m still interesd in this kind of music. The swedish HC-Scene is different. It’s Old School… ehm, more like New School. Like Snapcase.

Oh, I really like Snapcase. More bands should go with that style.

Back then I really loved Snapcase. But it’s pretty strange to hear Snapcase-Covers nowadays.

The Sound of their first album was really…

…awful. Back then it was different. We weren’t that spoiled. We didn’t know anything else.

But music doesn’t have that value in your life as it had, lets say, ten years back?

It’s different. I haven’t been making music in a while. So you get an different perspective. Still I’m a horacious listener! Music is extremely important to me. This hasn’t changed over the years.

Are there any projects in the pipeline? Maybe with the band Text?

There might be something… not in the TEXT vein. Maybe something new. But it’s too early to talk about it…

I see, I will get nothing out of you.

Like I said, it’s too early. It seems like Dave (David Sandström, Drummer from Refused) will be involved in it.

Oh, that’s big news!

Really?

I am totally uninformed about your activites as a movie maker. How’s it going?

I dropped it after the Refused-DVD. The documentation was a tearing and crueling process. I was so tired of the whole thing when it was done. Now I want to make less documentaries. I wanna make more films. I think there will come something. I really want to!

What battered you in the process of the DVD?

It was such a fucking pain. When you start with a subject like this you don’t have a real form. You have so many material – the options are endless! That really stressed me.

I really love the style from “Refused are fucking dead”. What inspires your work as a movie maker?

That was so long ago. A big influence was “The Fog of War” by Errol Morris. It won the Academy Award. Do you know that?

To tell you the truth I’m not into movies that much.

You should really watch it. He has a great style! Besides that I love “Badlands” by Terrence Malick. He also influenced my work.

Again, back to „The Shape of Punk to come“. I read that Dennis said, this album has no outstanding role for him. It’s just one of the few he made. How’s about you?

Sure, it’s something like the „crown jewel“. It’s the best record I’ve been involved. This statement is charateristic for Dennis.

Maybe it just shows how different you two are…

Yeah. Some things never change.

The break up and also the last show from Refused definitely was “punk as fuck” – are you still satisfied how it all ended?

It’s all part of the “Cult” that followed our break up. I think it was perfect! We kept going for too long. Especially Dennis just keeps going when it doesn’t make any fucking scence. But then, as a group, we came to terms that it didn’t work anyomre.

And you never thought “Shit. We were never able to reap what we sow”?

I never thought that way. It was the best thing that could have happened. It was the right time. It would have been horrifying if we would’ve broke up at a more popular status. It was strange. We released the record when we were already broken. The time around “The Shape of Punkt to come” was a fiasco. Somehow the record symbolizes the whole fiasco.

Do you think the Re-Release will help to get some young people into Refused?

It seems so. Good albums get new listeners. The Re-Release will do his part to make this happen.

Don’t you think that the outstanding role of “The Shape of Punk to come” is gone? Maybe many listeners think “oh, not another band who combines hundred elements!”.

This could happen as a result of the whole Emo- and Crapcore-bands that are all around. Who knows?

Kristofer, what are you up to in the next months?

I will make holiday in Spain. In Madrid. There I will enjoy the summer with my girlfriend.

But at the moment you are in Sweden, right?

Yeah. In the small town where Refused started.

What will you do in the summer?

Nothing special. I will stay in Austria.

Where? In Vienna?

No, in Tyrol. It’s south of Bavaria.

Oh my… it must be pretty fucked up there. With the all the „Fritzels“ and stuff…

Fritzels?

Just like the last concert from Refused, this interview couldn’t find the end it would’ve deserved. Guess why? Yep. The connection broke down! They may be dead. But they’re still kinda magic…