INTERVIEW WITH

ALEX CASEY

Title

Can you introduce yourself & talk a little about what you do for people who may not know?

My name's Alex! I run Streets Of Hate Records based out of Upstate NY. We are a hardcore record label.

Streets Of Hate has a specific sound & aesthetic that hardcore didn’t have before. What motivated you to start the label? What motivates you to make it what it is today?

Our friends and the music they create is really the driving factor behind the label. Without bands like Illusion, Mindforce, or Rule Them All showing interest in working with us back when we first started, we would’ve never ended up where we are now.

The friendship factor definitely is motivating for us to this day. Almost every band we’ve worked with to date we’ve had some sort of relationship with before working on any releases together. There are some exceptions of course, but really not many. It just makes it easier knowing who you’re dealing with, and makes it easy to be on the same page with people that you’re already aligned with to some extent. 

Your parents were into hardcore & exposed you to it at a young age, but you didn’t bite right away. When did it end up resonating with you & what was it that drew you in?

I think when I started getting into skating, specifically Tony Hawk video games, is when it started to click for me. It really took me realizing that people I looked up to (other than my parents) were into hardcore for me to really give it any time of day. And that was the eye opening moment where I was like “holy shit .. this has been right in front of my face the whole time”. Pretty quickly I was obsessively watching Headbangers Ball on MTV2 and whatever music video shows were on Fuse at the time. That's when digging into my Dads CD collection started and I’ve just been obsessed with it from there on.
Title

"There’s nothing better than sitting down and listening to “Set It Off” for the twenty thousandth time."

Title

What are your favorite things about hardcore?

Not to refer back to a previous answer already, but I think a lot of the friendships and personal connections we’ve made over the years are definitely one of my favorite things about it. There are alot of people either Nicole or I have known for 10-20 years or more at this point.. brothers and sisters all over the world because of hardcore. And new friendships continue to start even at this point in our lives. 

Separate from that, the music is like the main thing. There’s nothing better than sitting down and listening to “Set It Off” for the twenty thousandth time...or listening to the Animal Instinct demo for the first time and getting that same feeling. And dancing of course...this would all be pointless without that!

Where people grow up typically has an influence on how they choose to dress, and this seems especially true for people from the New York area. Are there any specific bands, artists, people, videos, etc. that you saw growing up that had an impact on how your personal style developed?

As far as bands go, Death Threat and All Out War are two that really had a big impact on me. I’ve always travelled wherever I could to see them, still do really. They’re both just the epitome of what I want from a hardcore band. And both took me under their wing and were cool to me from a young age so I feel like I owe them a lot. 

Outside of that, to list off a few random ones that always stick with me, hardcore or not: the Beastie Boys, Freddy Madball, Henry Rollins, Big L, Rick Ta Life, Mark Gonzales, MQ, Thom DeVita, Big Pun, Dying Breed/Dead & Dying, Eddy Deutsche...I’m just rambling now, but that’s about it. 

Oh, and the picture of Sob spinkicking that guy's head off.  Put that shit next to the Mona Lisa.

If you could tell your 12 year old self anything, what would you say?

A huge regret of mine at that exact age is not going along with my dad to Posi #s 2005.  I had already been to some shows but wasn’t that invested yet so I said no when he asked me to come with.  That was the year in the dome with the classic Underdog & Cold World vids. Mistake! 
Title

"...the picture of Sob spinkicking that guy's head off.  Put that shit next to the Mona Lisa."

Title

If money/obligations weren’t a thing, what would you consider the perfect day? What would you do, what would you eat, where would you be, who would you be with, etc.?

Get up, have breakfast and coffee at home, do a workout while Dominic takes a nap, drive out to a new city we never been to before and go to any record store & thrift stores there are.  Find some dead stock True Blue Jordan 3s or a clear Chain Of Strength 7”  for cheap.  Get a second cup of coffee and look for some grub from there.  I’ll basically eat anything, but finding a good falafel spot or an Italian deli would be my first go to pick.  I’d be perfectly fine just being on the mission with Nicole and our son. Keep the circle tight! 

ALEX'S PLAYLIST:

@streetsofhateny

INTERVIEW WITH

ALEX CASEY

Title

Can you introduce yourself & talk a little about what you do for people who may not know?

My name's Alex! I run Streets Of Hate Records based out of Upstate NY. We are a hardcore record label.

Streets Of Hate has a specific sound & aesthetic that hardcore didn’t have before. What motivated you to start the label? What motivates you to make it what it is today?

Our friends and the music they create is really the driving factor behind the label. Without bands like Illusion, Mindforce, or Rule Them All showing interest in working with us back when we first started, we would’ve never ended up where we are now.

The friendship factor definitely is motivating for us to this day. Almost every band we’ve worked with to date we’ve had some sort of relationship with before working on any releases together. There are some exceptions of course, but really not many. It just makes it easier knowing who you’re dealing with, and makes it easy to be on the same page with people that you’re already aligned with to some extent. 

Your parents were into hardcore & exposed you to it at a young age, but you didn’t bite right away. When did it end up resonating with you & what was it that drew you in?

I think when I started getting into skating, specifically Tony Hawk video games, is when it started to click for me. It really took me realizing that people I looked up to (other than my parents) were into hardcore for me to really give it any time of day. And that was the eye opening moment where I was like “holy shit .. this has been right in front of my face the whole time”. Pretty quickly I was obsessively watching Headbangers Ball on MTV2 and whatever music video shows were on Fuse at the time. That's when digging into my Dads CD collection started and I’ve just been obsessed with it from there on.

Title

"There’s nothing better than sitting down and listening to “Set It Off” for the twenty thousandth time."

Title

What are your favorite things about hardcore?

Not to refer back to a previous answer already, but I think a lot of the friendships and personal connections we’ve made over the years are definitely one of my favorite things about it. There are alot of people either Nicole or I have known for 10-20 years or more at this point.. brothers and sisters all over the world because of hardcore. And new friendships continue to start even at this point in our lives. 

Separate from that, the music is like the main thing. There’s nothing better than sitting down and listening to “Set It Off” for the twenty thousandth time...or listening to the Animal Instinct demo for the first time and getting that same feeling. And dancing of course...this would all be pointless without that!

Where people grow up typically has an influence on how they choose to dress, and this seems especially true for people from the New York area. Are there any specific bands, artists, people, videos, etc. that you saw growing up that had an impact on how your personal style developed?

As far as bands go, Death Threat and All Out War are two that really had a big impact on me. I’ve always travelled wherever I could to see them, still do really. They’re both just the epitome of what I want from a hardcore band. And both took me under their wing and were cool to me from a young age so I feel like I owe them a lot. 

Outside of that.. to list off a few random ones that always stick with me hardcore or not : the Beastie Boys, Freddy Madball, Henry Rollins, Big L, Rick Ta Life, Mark Gonzales, MQ, Thom DeVita, Big Pun, Dying Breed/Dead & Dying, Eddy Deutsche .. I’m just rambling now but that’s about it. 

Oh, and the picture of Sob spinkicking that guy's head off.  Put that shit next to the Mona Lisa.

If you could tell your 12 year old self anything, what would you say?

A huge regret of mine at that exact age is not going along with my dad to Posi #s 2005.  I had already been to some shows but wasn’t that invested yet so I said no when he asked me to come with.  That was the year in the dome with the classic Underdog & Cold World vids. Mistake! 

Title

"...the picture of Sob spinkicking that guy's head off.  Put that shit next to the Mona Lisa."

Title

If money/obligations weren’t a thing, what would you consider the perfect day? What would you do, what would you eat, where would you be, who would you be with, etc.?

Get up, have breakfast and coffee at home, do a workout while Dominic takes a nap, drive out to a new city we never been to before and go to any record store & thrift stores there are.  Find some dead stock True Blue Jordan 3s or a clear Chain Of Strength 7”  for cheap.  Get a second cup of coffee and look for some grub from there.  I’ll basically eat anything, but finding a good falafel spot or an Italian deli would be my first go to pick.  I’d be perfectly fine just being on the mission with Nicole and our son. Keep the circle tight! 

ALEX'S PLAYLIST:

@streetsofhateny