😅😍 Interview with @Based_Aura 🙄🤔

Interview with @Based_Aura 19.06.2026

Thank you very much Jay @Based_Aura that i can interview you for the forum!! 🙏🙏😊😊 I have 20 questions but each time i will only ask 5 questions. And if i have to change a question that is of course not a problem!!! 🙂 Thank you for the interview!! 🌈✨

⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ PART I

1: How long have you been a member of PPG and what are the things that you like the most? What kind of forums do you like and with what kind of persons do u like to talk the most? And do you think PPG is really different than Interpals bc u were a member of that too? And do you maybe have nice tips for @Etienne about PPG?

Wow... Less than year, I think. I came here because I was banned from Interpals. I don't even know what I did! But that's Interpals these days. TBH, I didn't really care by that point, and I just went on with life. Fast forward like nine months later, the girl I was involved with went to jail and as a favor I pen-palled some of her friends who were doing time with her. Things got dramatic and I had to stop, but I found I missed the pen-pal experience, so, being the masochist, I am, I searched the web and found PPG. For a while, I barely posted or engaged because I was busy with other things, then I found the band forum and the rest, as they say, is history.

What do I like the most about PPG? It's a smaller community than Interpals and @Etienne has a good handle on keeping the scammers and other fools at bay, On Interpals, I would get messaged daily, mostly from scammers and people looking for free English lessons. There is a good mix of people here and the vast majority seem to be genuine, and I like that, As to the forums... Mainly anything music related, or the ones where people don't take things too seriously... like the adoption forum 🙂. There's also a lot of people here that have similar interests with me. Maybe it's the smaller community... who knows? But I like it that we can be big fish in a smaller pond.

2: You have lived in a LOTTT of countries. Which 3 countries did u like the most and why? And how is your homecity now? What is the nicest place that we must see if we visit your homecity? And did u also live in other cities in your country?

I cant say I've LIVED in many of the places I've visited. Sometimes it was definitely more work than play, and safety concerns kept me on a tight leash. So please consider that. For example, I was only in Yemen for a week and it's well.. Yemen, so I couldn't do much.

Ok... so which three countries did I like living in the most? Indonesia, Korea and China. Indonesia because no city was the same, and the people were awesome and I met a lot friends that vibed with. Korea.. because the internet was fast af, and there was just so much to do. I never had a dull moment there. China. I lived in a small town and taught English at the local High School. Everyone was so awesome to me, for the most part. I had tons of respect as a teacher and I had a fulfilling job.

Hometown: I'm originally from Washington DC. I grew up there. Other cities I've lived in? NYC, Baltimore, Richmond, Virginia. Kileen, Texas, Elizabethtown, Kentucky, and Durham, North Carolina. Now, I live in a town called Haw River, North Carolina.

Nicest place to visit in my hometown? Umm, the river? Lol... honestly, that's it, there really isn't anything else unless you like urban exploring, because I live close to the old mill and that's mostly derelict. As a place to live tho, I like it. It's quiet, I have cool neighbors and I don't have to deal with city BS. The city that I live next to, Burlington, is mostly textile and manufacturing factories, which makes it a bit gritty. Durham, where I work, 40km from my house... unless you like old tobacco factories or would like to tour Duke University's campus... then it's rather boring, and also not particularly safe. My suggestion? Drive about three and half hours east to the coast or the same distance to the west for the mountains.

3: What kind of food do u like the most? And can you cook really well yourself? If u have guests in your house: what do u normally make as the best dish? And do u cook super clean is it a HUGE mess?

I LOVE Rendang, which is an Indonesian spicy beef stew (kind of), and chicken vindaloo. And yes, I can cook, I'm no Gordon Ramesy, but I do OK. These days, I'm mostly cook historical dishes that my ancestors made... like Frumenty or baked onions. I also do a lot of Braai during the summer, and I make pretty decent burgers (or so people tell me). Braais almost always include guests and while it does get messy, I clean up afterwards.

4: Are you a lot like your parents and siblings if you have them? And if yes in what way or if not how are u really different? And what is nicest memory u have of your grandparents? Were u super close? What do u think of the PPG family tree?

At first, I thought the PPG family tree was a bit weird, but I think it's kind of sweet now. As far as being like my parents goes... Yes.. maybe like my dad, though I have to admit I didn't know him well. He was never really comfortable in one place, and I guess I have that trait. I saw my mom often, as she lived close to my grandparents, but I can't say we're very much alike. She was a hippy in the 60s and very much into that kind of vibe, and I think the whole "peace and love" thing was a con. From the age of four my sis and I were raised by my grandparents. Things were ok with them, and I remember fun family trips to New York and California, or down to Florida for Disneyland. But, as I got older, my grandad and I grew apart. He was a career Army Officer and very much the "My Way, or the Highway," type. When I turned 18, I left. Being in that house was stifling and we were always at odds. My sis is one year younger. Very much the goth metal head (yup!). Ex-convict (drugs and fraud), dog groomer and occasional burlesque dancer.. we have the same colorful outlook on life. Honestly, I should introduce her to Drac.

5: You wrote that you were a long time in the army. Were u often really scared that it was really dangerous? And did u feel unsafe a lot? And do you still have a lot of friends from the army? What is the nicest memory that u have or maybe the most special memory?

I was in the Army 15 years and then medically discharged. Was I scared in conflict zones? Of course. General Patton once said, "All men are frightened. The more intelligent they are, the more they are frightened." On the other hand, I always a fatalistic view of life, and I figured that when it was my time, my family would be well taken care of. So I guess I did let fear overtake me. Outside of Iraq, the only places I felt truly unsafe was the Central African Republic, Mali and Yemen. Don't go to those places. ESPECIALLY CAR. Yes... I still keep in touch with people I served with. Some are still in, some retired, some did their contract and moved on. When I lived in Durham and was saving money to buy a house, I roomed with a guy I served with. Those two and half years were....rather insane. The best memory I have of my Army career? Graduating SERE School. That's an intense course where you are trained to survive in the wilderness, evade capture by the enemy, resist your captors if you're a prisoner and escape from captivity. This is a school where they mentally and physically torture you. Some guys had their fingers fractured by the guards. As punishment for being caught with cigarettes, I had to sit on a block of ice for an hour, naked! So getting through that course and graduating was a life changing experience for me.

Thank you very much for the first part of this interview Jay @Based_Aura!! 🙏🙏😊😊 ANDDD i dont think i WANT to also do that SERE school!!!! I dont smoke cigarettes and i dont want EVER smoke but still i want not my fingers broken or that u have to be naked on ice or other things. So maybe they can have a nicer training and i do that one!!! 😃

➡️ALSOOO i forgot to add a question bc ur name is Jay BUTTT ur nickname is @Based_Aura. So why did u choose that nickname???

If anybody wants to ask a question or post a comment you can do that below ⬇️⬇️ or write @Based_Aura a message!! 😃 Sorryyy that i asked above another question before other people can write but i didnt want to forget it AGAINN!!!! 😬🙄🙄 And more interviews of PPG members are on this page: overview of interviews. Also HERE is the PPG family tree that is mentioned above (but if u read that u need a break for 2 hrs after it!!! 🤭🤭😋

@Yue_

I chose this name because someone once said that I based aura about me.

"Based" means that you don't have much of a filter and don't worry about social conventions.

@Yue_

I chose this name because someone once said that I based aura about me.

"Based" means that you don't have much of a filter and don't worry about social conventions.

I never heard of that!! I thought ur aura is more like spiritual and that the energy comes from your body. 🙄🙄 But u can regulate energy with exercises and my grandmom did that a lot and my aunt a little bit.

If u are in the army u have to follow the rules right or they punish u super hard. But if u dont like the conventions how can u be in the army and it is not really a problem? Sorryyy if that is a really strange question!!!! 😬🫢🫢

And i like ur interview a LOTTTT and also that u take really much time to write the answers in a nice way!!! 🙂

I never heard of that!! I thought ur aura is more like spiritual and that the energy comes from your body. 🙄🙄 But u can regulate energy with exercises and my grandmom did that a lot and my aunt a little bit.

If u are in the army u have to follow the rules right or they punish u super hard. But if u dont like the conventions how can u be in the army and it is not really a problem? Sorryyy if that is a really strange question!!!! 😬🫢🫢

And i like ur interview a LOTTTT and also that u take really much time to write the answers in a nice way!!! 🙂

Because the army paid me a find wage and goid benefits. I also got to travel. 🙂. You learn to put up with things in life

Because the army paid me a find wage and goid benefits. I also got to travel. 🙂. You learn to put up with things in life

Hahahhh okieess. So now u are maybe bit from BOTTHHH!!! 😃 Did u also have gf in the army or maybe where u were and does that happen a lot in your army?? And would u go in the army AGAIN if they ask it?? Btw i will make the real new part of questions soon but i already wanted to ask those two questions!!! 😊😊😇

⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ PART II

6: What was it like in high school for you and is it really different than in other countries do u think? Did you have a lot of friends? And what is the funniest what happened maybe one time at high school? And what was ur favourite subject and teacher and least favourite and why?

I didn't find high school to be particularly enjoyable, at least for the last two years I was there since I transferred to a Public High School. My Freshman and Sophomore years (9th and 10th grades) were spent at a magnet school in DC called, "The School Without Walls." A Magnet School is a school that has a specialized curriculum. In my case, it was art. I had to take exams and submit samples of my artistic endeavors to be accepted. I would say it was very different than the experiences I had with schools in places like Korea and China. At Walls, I had a fair amount of friends because most of the student body were eccentric, like me. Regular public school, I had a few friends, because I was one of the weird kids, and most of my friends were scattered about at different schools.

The funniest thing I can remember? Well... at Walls I was in a class where we could do our own lesson plans and curriculum. The core concept of Walls was that the city was our classroom, so me and this other dude named Jason would just wander around the city, We'd eat noodles in Chinatown and write about it, We'd go down to the aqueducts in Georgetown and drink with friends and write about that. We were in a band called "Sosiaalinen Holokausti" with a girl I was dating at the time (she was Finnish) and we would sometimes do shows near the terrace at Walls. Fun times. But my grandad found out I was not doing "real classwork" (his words, not mine) so he pulled me from the school in the summer. Favorite courses were always art related, My theater arts teacher at my second school was my favorite teacher. No matter how much of a misfit one was, she always accepting. Least favorite teacher was my Geometry teacher, he was an asshole that would constantly put people down, which is why I despise Geometry (useless s**t).

7: Do you have a relationship and if yes what is your girlfriend like? And are the people u date super different everybody or also things the same that maybe u like a lot? And are u super nervous if u have first date or not at all? And do u think first date in your country is really different than in another country?

Yes. Kind of early in the relationship to really see where things are going and I don't want to create bad luck by making any assumptions as of yet. Well she's stubborn, High strung and temperamental (@Yue_ knows why), but hugely talented. As I've said, that's kind of my type, the emotional type, that doesn't really care about what other people think. Generally, most partners and I have similar interests. If they don't, they at least respect what I do and where I come from. Haha, no matter how old you are, first dates are always awkward, because the person is uncharted territory and I've found that this common across all cultures. What's different is that in many cultures, people have a tendency to be a little more distant. We Americans are big on chemistry and vibes, and that tends to put pressure on people to make things move quickly. So when dating in places like China, Korea or Russia, it's different and it can be frustrating because you're not sure how the other person feels about you. Does she like me, am I wasting my time? Am I being impatient? That kind of thing.

8: What kind of movies or series do u like to watch and why? And do u go a lot to the cinema or do u use streaming apps at home? And if u would be in a specific movie which movie do u choose and what role? And there is a movie about YOUR life: which actor should play you?

Hmmm....I tend to get bored with most series these days. they start off strong and then just go off the rails after a few seasons, like the Walking Dead. By the time that series ended (both of them), I was making fun of the characters. Movies... Horror, Sci-Fi, Arthouse and Surreal. Horror and Sci-Fi because there so much you can do with those genres (comedic, serious, surreal, high concept, unintentionally funny.... satire, etc,). Arthouse and Surreal because I have dig around and think about the themes and intent of the creator. Are you talking about a film that's already been made? If that's the case... then probably Toecutter from the first Mad Max film. I just want to say "what a lovely philosophy you have," on film. The actor that would best play me? Steve Buscemi 🙂 . Love that guy.

9: Which blooper or super big fail happened that was really funny this year to you or what u saw from others? And do u have weird accidents a lot or not really? What is the most funny or embarrassing or super cringe thing that ever happened?

Blooper that happened to me... falling out of a tree I was trimming, I didn't fall far, but I thought I was being bad ass by doing it without an anchor harness. Lesson learned. Funniest to someone else? Watching this crap local band's (they often open for other bands) front woman fall off the stage. I guess her Kathleen Hanna channeling didn't save her from falling on her ass. I laughed so hard I had to leave the club to catch my breath, Uhmmmm.... The most embarrassing and cringe moment? In my Senior year of High School. I was dating this girl and we used to go back to her house after school to,,, yeah. Her father got laid off from his job, so suddenly, he was at the house all the time and usually abusively drunk, so that was out. We couldn't go to my house because my grandma would make me keep my room door open when girls were over, so we thought one of the bathrooms at school would be a good idea. We waited until the end of the day when classes had ended and we thought getting caught would be less likely, We got caught and nearly expelled, Oddly enough, my grandad didn't seem to care but my grandma did,

10: What are 3 things from ur bucket list that u really want to do but did not do yet? And do u think u will do them this year maybe?

Hmmmm.... Hard one and most have to do with travel. Go to Bhutan, go to Turkmenistan, and ask Ishizaka Masayo out for drinks. Maybe I'll get to do the drinks thing this year haha.

Thanksss very much for the nice answers because u really take time for it and that is really cool! There is one thing i really want to react because i did NOTTT expect it from ur high school and the art!!!! 😛 😛 BUTTT i write it tomorrow because it is already super late. But that was really cool and unexpected a lot!!! 😊😊 If anybody has questions or maybe wants post comment that is nice u can do that below of course!!! 🙂 Thank you very much!! 🙏🙏❤️🥰

Jayyy i wanted to say that im very surprised that u ❤️ art so much and this year i have in my school two extra subjects and one is art history. And i also made art forum here on PPG but i thought first maybe most people think it is super nerdy but i just like it a lot!!!! If u also maybe like it here is the art forum and perhaps u like to read it too: https://penpal-gate.net/forum/12-everyday-life-and-customs/10738-what-do-you-think-of-this-art I will also try later to write more from our classes and maybe other people like to read it too!!! 🙂

When we have holiday mostly we go one day to a museum my mom and i but my dad gets super bored of it and he says he can do one day and just read news but more days he is super dead and bored!!!! 😛 😛 But still i think it is really nice!!!! Do u often go to museums maybe and which u like the most?? 🙄🙄

Jayyy i wanted to say that im very surprised that u ❤️ art so much and this year i have in my school two extra subjects and one is art history. And i also made art forum here on PPG but i thought first maybe most people think it is super nerdy but i just like it a lot!!!! If u also maybe like it here is the art forum and perhaps u like to read it too: https://penpal-gate.net/forum/12-everyday-life-and-customs/10738-what-do-you-think-of-this-art I will also try later to write more from our classes and maybe other people like to read it too!!! 🙂

When we have holiday mostly we go one day to a museum my mom and i but my dad gets super bored of it and he says he can do one day and just read news but more days he is super dead and bored!!!! 😛 😛 But still i think it is really nice!!!! Do u often go to museums maybe and which u like the most?? 🙄🙄

Hahaha I think i posted something there. I'm not a great visual artist .. I was more into performance hahha .. but thank you! I did have a painting i did exhibited at the Veterans art project in Chicago 🙂. Proud moment. depends on the museum 🙂... but yes, I like to go...

PART III

11: What is your BIGGEST fear in life and do u also have other small fears? What was the scariest thing that you EVER did?? And are there things that u fear that you will NEVER do?

Dementia runs in my family (maternal Grandfather's side) so I fear that eventually I'll start losing my memories. I have traumatic brain injury from my Army service, so that also makes me more likely to have dementia. I've already told people that if I do get diagnosed with dementia, I'll make arrangements for myself. Horrible way to go.

Scariest thing? Honestly, Airborne (Parachute) school in the Army. I always had a bit of a fear of heights, but I volunteered for Airborne school anyways. Partially, because you get more respect in the Army for being Airborne qualifies but mostly because I wanted to confront my fears. I remember my first jump towards the end of the course. I standing at the rear door of that C-130, looking down at the ground which was 365 feet below me, thinking "What the fuck was I thinking?" I closed my eyes, counted to five and felt my static line get tight and my parachute deploy. I made it to the ground in one piece, with no broken bones. After that, heights didn't seem so scary.

Not sure what I'll never do hahah, I guess I'll back to my fears as a child during the cold war. I remember watching the TV film "The Day After" when I was a kid. That had a big effect on me. I knew that living in the Washington DC area made me target, and I was frightened that I would die in a nuclear war, so that's one fear I never want to confront.

12: What kind of music instruments did u play? And if you would have to learn a NEW instrument which one would u want to learn and why? What were the bands that u played in and are you maybe still on youtube with music video or of live concert perhaps?

These days, I stick with the bass guitar. It's less complex as a guitar, has fewer strings, and I don't really need a huge amount of costly effects, even though I do have some. I do play guitar as well though, but bass I've always felt more comfortable with the bass.

New instruments I'm learning is the harmonica and I'd like to learn how to play the banjo. It's kind of the quintessential American instrument. These days I'm often a substitute player for other bands. If someone can't make a show, or a member quits, I stand in until they've found someone more permanent. Bands I've played in? A lot. Low Income, Black Ice (with Johnny Waste and Billy Phillips - absolute blast and I wish that project worked out), the Pock Marks.. and a few others, The Black Ice stuff is on a compilation of Johnny's and Billy's old NY Hardcore stuff. I'll post the link when I find it.

13: If you could speak with yourself when you were like 4 years old would you do that and what would u tell yourself when you were super small or teach? And what would you ask if you can ask yourself 2 questions when you are 80? And if you could speak with people who are passed away would you do that and if yes why? What would you say or ask?

Honestly, me at four years old would not have been able to understand exactly what advice that today me could offer, so no, I probably wouldn't go back in time to visit four year old me. I'd probably only say that dad still loved us, he just had his own problems and ways of showing it. 80?! I hope I don't live to be that old, lol!

Talking to the dead's like talking to a wall lol. Seriously tho... I'd probably tell Icky I haven't forgotten her, and I never will. I'd also ask her the following... Were you mad at me in those days after you...changed... or mad at yourself?

14: Do you have a skill that maybe people dont really expect of you? And do you have small skills that are funny but not really useful that you can still do? And what kind of skill would you like to have if you could?

Ask me about 80s hardcore and I'll probably tell you the band, the members' names, what other bands they were in after, etc. I like to flex that when I can. A skill that people are surprised that I have? People are often shocked that I know how to work on cars. I was a mechanic for several years when I was younger. Skill that I would like to have? Hard to say... Like one of those naturalist healers who used herbs and other remedies to cure people's ills.

15: If you can change 3 things in your country and it would happen, what would you change?

1) Loot the national treasury and give each American $10k

2) Eliminate the tax on liquor

3) Declare war on the Seychelles

Thank you very much for your answers Jay!!!!! 🙏🙏😊 I have a question though and it is why you want a war with Seychelles??? 😳😳 Bc that is like Trump when he wanted to steal Greenland from Denmark!!! Or maybe is it a secret plan of Trump now?? And about Dementia i made a forum that u can read here: https://penpal-gate.net/forum/12-everyday-life-and-customs/12706-dementia and i hope that u never get it. If i can choose later maybe for a job i want either be a medicine researcher or a journalist or maybe smt with arts. But if i can research medicine i first want to do something about dementia and cure it COMPLETELYYY and ALWAYS for EVERYBODY and for FREE!!!!!! 🌞🌈❤️ My grandmom also has dementia and i think is very important topic!!!

PART III

11: What is your BIGGEST fear in life and do u also have other small fears? What was the scariest thing that you EVER did?? And are there things that u fear that you will NEVER do?

Dementia runs in my family (maternal Grandfather's side) so I fear that eventually I'll start losing my memories. I have traumatic brain injury from my Army service, so that also makes me more likely to have dementia. I've already told people that if I do get diagnosed with dementia, I'll make arrangements for myself. Horrible way to go.

Scariest thing? Honestly, Airborne (Parachute) school in the Army. I always had a bit of a fear of heights, but I volunteered for Airborne school anyways. Partially, because you get more respect in the Army for being Airborne qualifies but mostly because I wanted to confront my fears. I remember my first jump towards the end of the course. I standing at the rear door of that C-130, looking down at the ground which was 365 feet below me, thinking "What the fuck was I thinking?" I closed my eyes, counted to five and felt my static line get tight and my parachute deploy. I made it to the ground in one piece, with no broken bones. After that, heights didn't seem so scary.

Not sure what I'll never do hahah, I guess I'll back to my fears as a child during the cold war. I remember watching the TV film "The Day After" when I was a kid. That had a big effect on me. I knew that living in the Washington DC area made me target, and I was frightened that I would die in a nuclear war, so that's one fear I never want to confront.

12: What kind of music instruments did u play? And if you would have to learn a NEW instrument which one would u want to learn and why? What were the bands that u played in and are you maybe still on youtube with music video or of live concert perhaps?

These days, I stick with the bass guitar. It's less complex as a guitar, has fewer strings, and I don't really need a huge amount of costly effects, even though I do have some. I do play guitar as well though, but bass I've always felt more comfortable with the bass.

New instruments I'm learning is the harmonica and I'd like to learn how to play the banjo. It's kind of the quintessential American instrument. These days I'm often a substitute player for other bands. If someone can't make a show, or a member quits, I stand in until they've found someone more permanent. Bands I've played in? A lot. Low Income, Black Ice (with Johnny Waste and Billy Phillips - absolute blast and I wish that project worked out), the Pock Marks.. and a few others, The Black Ice stuff is on a compilation of Johnny's and Billy's old NY Hardcore stuff. I'll post the link when I find it.

13: If you could speak with yourself when you were like 4 years old would you do that and what would u tell yourself when you were super small or teach? And what would you ask if you can ask yourself 2 questions when you are 80? And if you could speak with people who are passed away would you do that and if yes why? What would you say or ask?

Honestly, me at four years old would not have been able to understand exactly what advice that today me could offer, so no, I probably wouldn't go back in time to visit four year old me. I'd probably only say that dad still loved us, he just had his own problems and ways of showing it. 80?! I hope I don't live to be that old, lol!

Talking to the dead's like talking to a wall lol. Seriously tho... I'd probably tell Icky I haven't forgotten her, and I never will. I'd also ask her the following... Were you mad at me in those days after you...changed... or mad at yourself?

14: Do you have a skill that maybe people dont really expect of you? And do you have small skills that are funny but not really useful that you can still do? And what kind of skill would you like to have if you could?

Ask me about 80s hardcore and I'll probably tell you the band, the members' names, what other bands they were in after, etc. I like to flex that when I can. A skill that people are surprised that I have? People are often shocked that I know how to work on cars. I was a mechanic for several years when I was younger. Skill that I would like to have? Hard to say... Like one of those naturalist healers who used herbs and other remedies to cure people's ills.

15: If you can change 3 things in your country and it would happen, what would you change?

1) Loot the national treasury and give each American $10k

2) Eliminate the tax on liquor

3) Declare war on the Seychelles

Thank you very much for your answers Jay!!!!! 🙏🙏😊 I have a question though and it is why you want a war with Seychelles??? 😳😳 Bc that is like Trump when he wanted to steal Greenland from Denmark!!! Or maybe is it a secret plan of Trump now?? And about Dementia i made a forum that u can read here: https://penpal-gate.net/forum/12-everyday-life-and-customs/12706-dementia and i hope that u never get it. If i can choose later maybe for a job i want either be a medicine researcher or a journalist or maybe smt with arts. But if i can research medicine i first want to do something about dementia and cure it COMPLETELYYY and ALWAYS for EVERYBODY and for FREE!!!!!! 🌞🌈❤️ My grandmom also has dementia and i think is very important topic!!!

Hahaha it's a joke. It's the kind of place that no one really needs lol

Apologies for the intrusion but does 80s hardcore include the likes of Agnostic Front and Cro-Mags? It is unfortunate that relatively new tracks such as “From the grave” and “Between wars” are deemed inappropriate to be performed by our office band on the occasion of “smart attire” or “tuxedo events”.

I play guitar myself and I acknowledge your lamentation concerning the abundance of gear. Current overdrive, distortion and fuzz pedals in use could easily fill an entire pedalboard. Hurray for a Quad Cortex for easy “plug in and play” when our children are asleep and volume must be attenuated.

Apologies for the intrusion but does 80s hardcore include the likes of Agnostic Front and Cro-Mags? It is unfortunate that relatively new tracks such as “From the grave” and “Between wars” are deemed inappropriate to be performed by our office band on the occasion of “smart attire” or “tuxedo events”.

I play guitar myself and I acknowledge your lamentation concerning the abundance of gear. Current overdrive, distortion and fuzz pedals in use could easily fill an entire pedalboard. Hurray for a Quad Cortex for easy “plug in and play” when our children are asleep and volume must be attenuated.

Haha yes.. those are quintessential NYC Hardcore. AF is one of the original, first run NYHC bands. Cro-Mags i always put into the second run, because they introduced a more a heavy, metallic sound.

Haha and yes! I use a peavy T-60 because it has a built in phase shifting feature, and I always bought cheap stomp boxes haha.. I just hated lugging them around. I don't how the Khn from Angine de Poitrine can cope with his dizzying array effects, modulators, and loop pedals, but that's the band's charm I suppose.

Haha yes.. those are quintessential NYC Hardcore. AF is one of the original, first run NYHC bands. Cro-Mags i always put into the second run, because they introduced a more a heavy, metallic sound.

Haha and yes! I use a peavy T-60 because it has a built in phase shifting feature, and I always bought cheap stomp boxes haha.. I just hated lugging them around. I don't how the Khn from Angine de Poitrine can cope with his dizzying array effects, modulators, and loop pedals, but that's the band's charm I suppose.

I have always counted AF as the OG’s, but preferred the heavier sound of bands such as Cro-Mags and Madball. Was at a Pantera show @ AFAS Amsterdam last year with Power Trip as a supporting act. Very enticing to play the main riff of the Executioner’s Tax anthem whenever spare time was available.

The Peavey T-60 is a nice one. My main two guitars for higher gain applications are a Gibson Les Paul Standard with Custombuckers and an ESP loaded with EMGs. Whenever work is forgiving the Soldano SLO 30 and Quad Cortex are within reach. Adding a drive pedal - generally TS style or SD1 type to tighten up sound - or a 5150 type drive and a delay will get you quite far.

Power Trip?! Wow.. that's a band I haven't thought about for awhile.

I'm from DC, so I was always more partial to the DC hardcore sound and the later post hardcore bands like Soulside, Rites of Spring, 3 .. etc. But i do like Madball and Agnostic Front.. Murphy's Law..

I use a Westone thunder bass for most of the stuff I do. I replaced the pickups with Seymour D quarter pounders. Saving for a Gibson bass ala Ginger Baker lol. I also use a .. ans don't laugh, a Made in DDR Musima bass with a jury rigged pickup system. It sounds ok.. AND I have a USSR made Bas 2 .. hahha no sustain whatsoever and goes out of tune after a few minutes, but it works well with a ring modulator lol... I like weird and amateurish sounds..

Back in the 90s ... my uncle gave me his 1953 Les Paul.. all original hards with that goofy trapeze bridge. I played bass in Low Income and let pur guitarist borrow it as he was a solid, Thunders kind of player.... eventually sold it. Payed all my debts and had some left over haha

If the 1953 Les Paul is somewhere near the legendary status of a ‘57/‘59 Gibson LP I can imagine that your personal deleveraging strategy was a success. I have signature pickups at home which were wound on the famous Leesona winding machine, but placement would require a larger cavity. Not fancying any sawing or drilling in my LP. The current custom shop custombuckers will do the trick. More microphonic compared to other Alnico vintage pickups.

Do you only play higher gain or also other genres? For Blues Rock a sonic delight is the combo of the Van Weelden Royal Overdrive plugged in either my Marshall studio JTM45 or the Tone King Imperial Mk2. Van Weelden used to be the amp tech for Eddie van Halen and is the genius behind the Twinkleland amps. Awesome gear and an easy recipe for accelerated financial distress.

I was not even aware of a separate DC hardcore scene. Bands from NYC tend to make their presence known. And do you also listen to newer bands elsewhere on the globe? A relatively unknown band which may be nice to check out is Worst with their catchy track Vencedores.

A logical choice and instant suspect for your DDR/USSR gear is a Sovtek tube amp. Not sure whether they have a bass amp in their current or past offerings.

If the 1953 Les Paul is somewhere near the legendary status of a ‘57/‘59 Gibson LP I can imagine that your personal deleveraging strategy was a success. I have signature pickups at home which were wound on the famous Leesona winding machine, but placement would require a larger cavity. Not fancying any sawing or drilling in my LP. The current custom shop custombuckers will do the trick. More microphonic compared to other Alnico vintage pickups.

Do you only play higher gain or also other genres? For Blues Rock a sonic delight is the combo of the Van Weelden Royal Overdrive plugged in either my Marshall studio JTM45 or the Tone King Imperial Mk2. Van Weelden used to be the amp tech for Eddie van Halen and is the genius behind the Twinkleland amps. Awesome gear and an easy recipe for accelerated financial distress.

I was not even aware of a separate DC hardcore scene. Bands from NYC tend to make their presence known. And do you also listen to newer bands elsewhere on the globe? A relatively unknown band which may be nice to check out is Worst with their catchy track Vencedores.

A logical choice and instant suspect for your DDR/USSR gear is a Sovtek tube amp. Not sure whether they have a bass amp in their current or past offerings.

Hey there! Holiday weekend, so I was taking a social media break.

Oh my... haha, Sovtek Amps! If I recall, these had a good, fuzzy sound, but were of dodgy build quality. Most people I know who own/owned one did some extensive modifications to them. I wouldn't mind one, but even on Sweet Water, they list for just under $1K... and I'm not paying that for Sovtek. It's like paying for $500 for Rohm .38 pistol, haha. I'll have to stick with Ampegs or my Orange.

Yesssss... DC bands had a bit more melody, it's why NYC hardcore went the more macho, heavy route while DC bands went more melodic and personal. I like a bit of both. DC was my hometown, and so I always have a soft spot for some good melody and introspective songwriting. 7 Seconds, from Reno, Nevada was always a favorite as well.

Ahh yes! I like Angine de Poitrine, despite myself. I don't know what it is about them, as I'm not usually fond of "gimmick" bands, but their music and delivery are unique. I like MaroMaro, from Poland as well. He is an incredibly skilled player, and I swear he's playing a Defil.. which I always considered a crap guitar... amazing stuff. It's always those guys, plucking away in their basements that end up surprising you. Let's see ... Powersolo... I know they've been around for awhile, but I like their stuff.,,, Rum Kicks,,,,A Korean pogo-punk band.. nothing hugely special there, but I have soft spot for the Korean scene as I lived there for two years... There are certainly many others as well..

Leesona! My God! These are the PAF Hums, correct? Geez... I'd love some of those but even repros are very expensive... keep them for your retirement fund, and good call on not cutting a larger cavity for those pickups.. I had a friend who did that to his vintage Supro... and he did a terrible job on widening the cavity... My heartbreaks when I think about it.

About the LP.... I brought it to the Guitar Center for appraisal. I serious caused a small scene as people crowded around me to take a look at it. "What kind of music do you play?" was the credulous question, as most assumed I was a Blues or Country musician. I had two offers before I left the store, and my phone rang all weekend with offers of cash and trades (someone offered me a pickup truck for trade). In the end, the store manager knew someone who had the cash on hand to buy it. He stopped by my house, played it and gave me $7K right there. Haha, one of the happiest and saddest days of my life.

PART IV

16: When is the last time you cried and why? And are there places that u have where u went to if u felt super down? And what do u do if u feel super stressed to calm down more and what kind of things stress u the most?

Hmmm.... In happiness or sadness? In happiness.... When that someone special got drunk on rum mixed with Monster Energy drinks. I know that sounds horrible, but she was a pretty pink nightmare that night and I just thought it was hilarious when she fell over.

In sadness... Hmmmm... I think when I got in touch with an old bandmate from NYC... There's was a lot of unsaid things that festered over the years and they came out. He said things, I said things.. it brought back some painful memories and I was already feeling a bit down. I shed some tears over that.

I don't have a specific place to go when I'm sad. Maybe the rifle range, or I just go for a long drive down country roads. Lol... I know so many weird places here simply because I stumbled into them. Once, I was so down one night I drove all the way to the beach... over three hours away.

Rifle range. That may sound strange for some people, but handling firearms requires a certain amount of concentration, so I can focus on something other than emotional pain. Music of course, either listening or playing or stream of consciousness poems... channeling my Mark E. Smith side, I guess.

17: Do you have pets or did u have them? Do you think pets can have feelings too and emotions like humans? And if you would get a pet now and u can choose ANYTHING what would you choose?

Yes... three cats. One belongs to my daughter but he's stuck with me for life. An outdoor/Indoor cat that keeps the voles, shrews and other pests outta my yard, and another cat that was an abandoned kitten that was given to me some years ago. They all have their own distinct personalities. My daughter's cat is good natured but shy, he doesn't like to be around people he doesn't know. Masha, the outdoor cat is good natured, gets into everything and likes to meet new people and Cheburashka is just... not sociable. She even hisses at me from time to time. It takes her a long time to get used to people.

Hahah and any animal? Some kind terrier dog... like a Pitbull. I'd love one of those.

18: What is the strangest dream you ever had? And do you believe in dreams that they say maybe something about your life? And do you daydream a lot? And if you sleep do you snore??

Wow... The strangest dream I had was when I was on some pretty strong, mood altering prescriptions. I was sitting on a couch, in the middle of a large, open field. Someone was sitting with me (I can't remember who) and we were watching airplanes fall from the sky and explode on the ground in front of us. It felt real, the ground would shake and you could smell the JP8. We just sat there, laughing and drinking red wine straight from the bottle.

Do dreams have some underlying meaning in your life? Possibly, I know mine tend to be situational. They are connected to something or someone going on in my life. A few months ago, I was having a lot of dreams about snakes, and in Buddhist schools of thought, dreams of snake are auspicious. A friend in Thailand told me that you will meet your crush if you dream of a snake. Lol, obviously some truth to this 🙂.

Yessss... I do snore, apparently. I hear complaints about it all the time. I've been elbowed awake more often than I can count. Funny thing is, they snore too!

19: In the PPG family tree u have children!! What kind of a dad are u and what do think is the most important that u must do? And what things from when YOU were young would you like to be the same for your children? Like maybe something your parents or grandparents said or something that you did and you want that too for your children maybe?

Haha.. Yes.. I can't escape children, as you well know 😉. With my first two kids... Both were unplanned, I was young and it took me awhile to really learn how to be a dad. I wasn't terrible, I just wasn't particularly mature. The first four years of my daughter's life, I was around everyday. My son was only a month old when I left for Army basic training, so I didn't get as close to him as I did with my daughter. The Army had me traveling away from home a lot, and so my kids didn't have me around much, I have some regrets about that.

I think...hmm... Teach your kids to forge their own path. To be freethinkers and stand for what they believe in. Teach them to be shepherds and not sheep.

I was raised in strict household where I was always rebelling against impossible expectations. That had a profound effect on me. I was always a, let my kids make their own decisions (to a point, obviously, I did lay down rules) kind of parent. I just taught my kids that choices have consequences. I never liked the idea of denying my kids valuable experiences... just.. well just because. I can only say that my I made a promise to myself as a teen... I would never raise my kids in an overly strict household.

20: If there is a fire in your house and everybody is safe but you can rescue ONE thing from your house: what would you save and why? And what are the most important things that you have from the past like from family or when you were in the army or maybe when you were at school or from relationships? Do you keep everything?

Yes, you got me, I'm a bit of a packrat. I have tons of old band t-shirts. I jokingly refer to them as my retirement plan, as some of them are quite valuable.... But would I save? Hmmm... My grandad's Army. 45. In the US Army, long serving officers have the option to buy their service pistols when they retire. My grandad did this when he retired, and now, it's entrusted to me. I can buy another one of these if it gets damaged or destroyed, but this has a lot of sentimental value, so I would save that.

My important things other than that are my record collection and so keepsakes from the Army, like uniforms and such. There are also things gf's or lovers have given me that I cherish as well. Letters, small gifts, scrapbooks... I hold on to those.

Bonus question: can u ask your girlfriend to ask one question to you and which question is it and what is your answer?? 🙂

Bonus from Jing: "I am dying. you can only save me if you promise to eat one mango every day till you die, would you eat mango?

(Note: I HATE Mango... When my unit was stationed in Kuwait, waiting to invade Iraq, the Army must have gotten a good deal on Mangoes. Mangoes for breakfast, mangoes for lunch, mangoes with dinner... mango cake, mango juice. Mango jam, for over a month. It got to the point where I couldn't stand the sight of them).

Answer: Babe, for you.. I would eat 1000 mangoes 🙂.

Thank you very much for this interview mister Jayyy!!!! 🙏🙏😊🥰

And you're welcome Yue! Sorry for the weekend delay!!!