Members:
Hektor - Bass
Jose Padilla - Vocals/Guitar
Richard - Drums
John - Trumpet
Diana Alvarez - Saxophone
Tomás - Guitar
Carlos -Trombone/2nd vocals
Adolfo - Percussions
Mario - Trombone

Genre: Ska Punk

Web site: http://www.geocities.com/mata_moska/

Contact: matamoska@hotmail.com

Interview ((May-12-2002)):

How Long have you been playing?

For about a year

How did the band get started?

I was into Sekta Core, Nana Pancha and then the local bands started playing like Resistencia, Gabriela Penka. I´d seen Chelsea, Chencha Berrinches, Double Agent.

When did you record your demo?

Last year in August

How many copies did you get?

Less than 200, because we burned it ourselves.

What does the name mean?

When we were in high school we used to know this guy that a lot of people used to think he was the shit, they would be around him like flies and we weren´t, we were like matamoskas, we weren´t tagalongs.

We used to be part of two other bands. I used to be in Calabaska and Padilla was in a band called Skadillas and then we just merged together. They used to be together back in ´98, ´99.

Where are you from?

From all over the place, the vocalist is from Montebello, the trombone and the saxophone player are from Bell Gardens, John is from Lynwood, Thomas is from L.A., I´m from Artesia, and the drummer is from La Puente. We all met because we went to the same high school.

How would you define your sound?

I don´t know I see it like skapunk, and a lot of people say we have a retro sound. When we recorded our songs, I noticed we had a similar sound to Nana Pancha.

What do you like in music?

Hektor: I like hip hop, old school punk, traditional mexican music like Sonora Santanera.

Diana: Everything

Padilla: Everything too.

What do you talk about in your music?

Cagapalo is about a guy who was going to join the band, he was well a cagapalo [he bugged a lot] and I like to base it on stories, something that makes sense because some bands they just blurt out something but I guess it mostly focuses on love or stories. I like Spanish because you can put down people with words. We have to work on our lyrics, but I´d like them to be poetic, that has meaning to so many words, like a nother point of view to show other sides. But mostly love.

Who writes the songs?

Hektor: Me, Richard and Jose. Sometimes all of us get together. Sometimes we wrote the lyrics right on the spot, like when we recorded.

And the music?

I didn´t want it to be a simple kind of ska. So we come down with a guitar riff or a baseline. We try to mix it with metal or something. I just like to do something different. I´m not trying to seem like we´re weird. It has a lot of changes, don´t be predictable.

Padilla: We all pitch in for songs. Diana likes jazzy stuff.

Where you born here?

I was born in Mexicali, but most were born here with Mexican background, except the trombone player is half Mexican and half Salvadorean. The saxophone player is Salvadorean.

Why are all your songs in Spanish?

Well I´m kind of like the founder and I didn´t want it to be just Spanish, but they hadn´t heard a lot of bands but they heard a lot of Spanish, Mexican ska bands and that´s why. We want to work on having English songs. It´s funny because we play a lot of places and people don´t know Spanish but they still sing along, they don´t know what it is. I´m very impressed by the Mexican scene.

How do you see the scene here in L.A.?

Hektor: The scene is good, it has good bands. But I didn´t like the latest thing they did, which was a Battle of Bands and they started putting people against each other. I think all the bands are good cuz they´re good in their own way, we din´t invent ska but they all have their own sounds, their own songs. Everybody could get along, they shouldn´t do those battles.

Padilla: It´s growing. It used to be just limited to south central area but now more bands are playing and people are gathering in other places.

Do you think there´s conflicts between bands?

Yeah. You could tell when there´s better bands. I know there´s better bands than us, and better than other bands. They shouldn´t get like that cuz some bands have certain years on. I know some bands are barely coming up, barely have like three months and they already want to be in a position like Viernes 13 o 15 Letras and you can´t, those guys worked their years to get up there. People get jealous about certain shows that bands get. There´s people that have connections and because they have problems with other people they don´t let them play.

When did you start playing music?

Diana: In sixth grade in concert band and then in marching band in high school.

Padilla: I started playing music when I was 13.

What do you like the most about being in a band?

Padilla: I like being tired all the time

Diana: I just like playing anywhere

Padilla: We like meeting people. Weird people, like one time a guy mooned me. It was the hairest thing I´ve ever seen.

On stage?

No, [offstage].

What is the craziest thing that has happened to you on stage?

Padilla: When I cut finger my finger at a Peter Piper´s show about two months ago. There was blood all over the guitar, on the floor, on my face. Everybody thought it was like a death metal show.

Diana: Nothing, just when I mess up.

How do you feel about being the only woman in the band?

I feel protected, It feels cool. Like having a lot of brothers.

What are your plans?

Padilla: Record.

Do you work? Study?

Diana: I´m going to school and looking for a job. I´m studying culinary arts, I want to be a chef.

Padilla: I work, I´m the Chuck E. Cheese mouse.

Band´s Message:

Padilla: To have fun and not kill each other. Don´t let your ego get too big, for fun´s sake.

Last Words:

Padilla: Thank you mom

Diana: Thank you everybody for supporting us, for going to the gigs.