Ecorage: Ruhr Area’s Vegan Power (1995 Interview)

Ecorage was a militant vegan straight edge band from the city of Essen in the Ruhr region of Germany. Formed from the ashes of a band called Eternal Resistance, Ecorage released a six-track demo tape in 1995. The same tracks but from a different recording session were also supposed to come out on a 10-inch vinyl through Alveran Records.

The following interview was done in 1995 by a guy called Chris for his UK vegan straight edge zine Clear Perception #3, published in the Summer of 1996. The original answers of the band were printed in really broken English, so we have edited the interview to make it easier to read. Often associated with the Hardline scene in the 1990s, this interview actually proves that the band have always distanced themselves from this controversial movement and didn’t consider Ecorage anything other than a vegan straight edge hardcore band at the time.

Could you firstly give us some introductory information on Ecorage?

We are four young guys, who spread the ideas of veganism and earth liberation, encouraging people to join the struggle for the oppressed. We see this as a duty in life and that’s the main reason behind forming the band. We use our musical potential to make people interested in veganism. It’s very important for us that people keep us in mind because of our message, instead of our music. The music is secondary.

How would you describe your music?

Our music is a mixture of metal and hardcore.

All the members of the band are vegan and straight edge. What made you make these life choices?

We chose the vegan lifestyle because the suffering of animals has to be stopped. Only the renunciation of all animal products reduces the suffering considerably. Animals are able to feel pain,  suffering and emotions and have an interest in an autonomous and pain-free life. Their interests are no less precious than those of humans. Denying these facts means to walk the path of injustice. There is not enough time to explain exactly the motivation of a life that denies the products of cruelty. We suggest you write to groups that spend their energy and action to inform about the things that happen to animals: ALF Supporters Group! We as a band suggest a life that is fixed in reality. That means that no drugs, whether chemical or “natural” (caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, etc.) or visual (television, etc.), should take control over our minds. Reality contains so many things to change and improve, that there’s no time to get lost in addiction.

Ecorage’s song “Moloch” was featured in Bound By Modern Age’s ’90s Mixtape #1 with underrated edge metal tracks from that era.

Is there a widespread vegan straight edge scene in Germany? What about the animal rights situation in your country?

The vegan straight edge scene and the scene that fights for animal rights are two different groups of people in which overlap is limited. Members of the vegan straight edge scene are mainly young people. They obviously absolve themselves from any drug addiction but they don’t usually think about their addiction to consumption. Music rules their thoughts and their motivation for action. The straight edge kids invest most of their energy and time in getting to hardcore shows that are far away. They invest most of their time and energy to make music and buy the latest record of whatever band. But what about the lyrics of all those bands making music? We got the impression that the lyrics don’t correspond to any upright aim for change. Music. Gossip. Fashion. The three most important things for them. The people who try to improve the situation of the animals and spend time to spread the vegan message don’t stand by after changing their way of nutrition into vegan nutrition. The process of thinking their own deeds over does not end there. That’s why a lot of people are not only involved in the animal liberation movement but also in other liberation movements (human liberation, earth liberation).

The band has a strong stance on the ideas of earth and animal liberation, how do you feel these aims can be best achieved? And what kind of society would you ideally like to see?

We think that it is very difficult to answer this question in detail. Moreover, we don’t have the same opinion among members of the band. But we are all striving for a bio-centric-anarchist-society. Some of us are followers of bioregionalism theories in the sense of self-sufficient autonomous communities.

What originally inspired you to form Ecorage and what are the goals for the band? Any plans for the future?

We as a band see our prime task in informing the people about what’s happening with animals and nature. We try to motivate the hardcore kids to recognize the necessity to get active. The time is long overdue. We are looking forward to forming the scene into a movement. But is there a chance to direct the interests of a scene to the improvement of other creatures whilst the current interests are determined by fashion and defined by consumption? Our goal is to reach the mass of people. We want them to get active. We want them to sensitize themselves concerning their power so they can set free, if they could only get active. To the second question, we are trying to get a CD financed. Time of release should be the first half of 1996. Furthermore we want to release two tracks on two tape compilations.

How do you feel about Hardline?

We have never been and we still will never be a Hardline band in opposition to what other people maintain. Because of the well known reasons (ed. – pro-life, homophobia, etc.) we are against Hardline. Certainly, there are some good aspects (the idea of earth and animal liberation, all embracing), but basically we condemn Hardline. We are definitely not a Hardline band and we are fed up with defending ourselves because of Hardline.

What do you guys do on a daily basis? Work, school, etc.?

Our guitarist does an alternative service instead of going in the army. He works in a school for other-abled (so called “dis”-abled) children. Steffen and Joe are still going to school.

How has the band been received at gigs and so on, due to you being a vegan straight edge band? Have you met with any adverse reactions?

Most of our gigs were really great but sometimes the reactions have not been very positive. Many people in the scene are pissed because of our radical view on veganism and us urging them to get active in the struggle for liberation. Some of them say that we are even fascist (because we say that living as a vegan is not a personal choice). That’s really ridiculous as it’s also not a personal choice if you choose to murder human beings!

What is the political situation in Germany at the moment? Do you take much interest in mainstream politics?

Germany develops into a police state. It’s getting harder to do any acts of resistance or civil disobedience. The restrictions are getting more and more brutal. For example the criminalization of people in the city of Ulm who are accused of having broken into a slaughterhouse and having destroyed the machines. Maybe they are facing imprisonment.

A list of ALF actions between 1981-1998 can be found here (in German).

Steffen, you also play drums in a band called Backstroke, could you tell us a bit about that?

Well, I’m playing the drums in Backstroke. At the moment we are on hiatus because our singer has left the band, but we are trying to start again with new members, right now we are searching for some. We made a tape with 11 tracks last November [1994]. I think it is a really cool band with a really unique style and political lyrics. We try to make music that include many different styles (emo, crust, hardcore, metal…) But the lyrics are very important to us. We have got some about animal and earth liberation, the necessity of activism… Finally, we are looking for people who support us to come and play shows with us. Feel free to write to us!

Any final comments?

We feel a little bit sorry that the whole interview is only referring to animal rights and not to earth liberation or human liberation.

Go vegan, get active!