A chat with Perth hardcore punk outfit Extortion on the gear that shaped their first EP in 10 years.
Extortion’s new ‘Seething’ EP is their first new music in ten years. It’s fifteen tracks of blistering outsider hardcore punk, in the succinct and sneering vein that Extortion is renowned for.
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The self-released 7″ vinyl sold out in days and their recent shows in Perth and Melbourne were also met with an insatiable fanaticism. We caught up with the rhythm section; bassist Aaron and drummer Milky, to get a rundown on what gear helps bring Extortion’s unique blend of hardcore punk, powerviolence and thrash to life.
Aaron – Bass:
Bass – Fender P Bass – Black
“I’ve historically been a Guitar player, Extortion is the first band I’ve played Bass in properly, and as such my setup is pretty simple. I’ve always loved P Basses, they look sick, play sick and sound great.”
Pickups – Lace Pickups – Nate Newton Riffblasters
“My friend Nate released signature pickups through Lace Pickups that work perfect for heavy music, so they got put in my Bass along with an Eyehategod sticker and it sounds ripping.”
Amp – Darkglass Electronics – Microtubes 900v2
“I use a Darkglass Electronics Microtubes head as it is small and light, and sounds heavy, and I’ve seen Crowbar and Eyehategod use them, so it must be the best.”
Pedals – TC Electronics Polytune3, Kink Guitar Pedals Russian Plague, Boss NS-2
“Standard tuner and noise suppressor to keep things in line/tight, but the main driver in the chain is the Kink Guitar Pedals Russian Plague – it’s unreal, a combo of a Big Muff and a ProCo Rat, can be a wild as hell distortion or a smooth fuzz, love it – mine is customised with a brutal logo so it’s obviously the best version of it, thanks to Jason from Burn The Hostages for turning me onto them.”
Milky – Drums:
Sonor Prolite Kit
22” 10” 12” 14” 16”
Ludwig Black Beauty Snare & Dw 9000 Double Kicks
“I’ve only just recently purchased the Prolite and I couldn’t be happier. The upgrade was a long time coming, as I’d been playing on a Mapex I’d had since I was 14-15 years old.”
“The thing I love most about the Prolite besides the natural wood finish are the toms, they really cut through the mix and have a resonance much louder than I’m used to. I perform a-lot of drum fills in Extortion and these toms really do it justice. The kick drum sounds huge also, my blast beats sound fatter than ever.”
Zildjian A Custom Cymbals
14” Hi Hats 18”, 19” Crash, 20” Ride
Zildjian 18” Orientalist China Cymbal
“The Zildjian A Custom Cymbals have been my go-to cymbals for a while now, can’t really go wrong, loud and bright, perfect for heavy music.”
Listen to Extortion’s ‘Seething’ EP here.
