What can I tell about myself? I’m a 30 year old scumfucker, which grew up in the eastern part of the Netherlands. About a year ago, I decided to move to the southern regions of this country to live with my girlfriend. In that part of the Netherlands, an important part of my musical development started.

From the age of 9, I was already hooked to guitar-music. At that age, the obvious bands I started with where bands like Guns ‘n’ Roses, Europe and AC/DC. In the mid nineties I got in touch with people from the southern part of this country. They played in a Hardcore/Grindcore band called Insult. When I got their first demo in hands, I immediately decided that I should start up a record label. So I did! It was called Balowski Records, named after the landlord from the British comedy ‘the Young Ones’. My label was focused on the Hardcore/Crustcore and Grindcore scene in general. I put out vinyl and CD releases from bands such as: Insult, Betercore, Point Of Few, Voorhees (UK), Mihoen, SAF (Skulls And Flames), Narcosis (UK, discography now on Earache Records) and many more… Organised tours with Insult and two huge European tours with Narcosis. After 6 years I called it the quits, because I couldn’t cope working 45 hours a week, in 3-way shifts and working the same amount of hours on my label in a week. I was burned out… I wanted to take a rest, but the sabbatical for my label is still going on these days.

Although I was fed up with music for a while, I never ever turned my back on music that I love so much. The music that is the fuel to my life, the music that shaped me into the person I’m nowadays… “We all salute…to those about to Rock!”

Roy Balowski

Music that makes the world a bit better:

AC/DC, High On Fire, AIRBOURNE, My Dying Bride, Tenacious D, Blood Duster, 13, Buzz-Oven, Municipal Waste, Acid Bath, Dismember, Obituary, Bolt Thrower, Grave, Celtic Frost, (old) TurboNegro, the New Bomb Turks, Zeke, Cellophane Suckers, Led Zeppelin, Clutch, Yob, Crowbar, Down, No Mercy, Dean Dirg, Cephalic Carnage, Iron Monkey, Narcosis, Insult, Rise And Fall, Deadstop, Disrupt, Grief, Dove, Beaten Back To Pure, Assuck, Torche, Melvins, Disabuse, Skitsystem, Asschapel, Capricorns, Cult Of Luna, Neurosis, Tank 86, Heavy Lord, the Sword, Toxic Holocaust, Victims, Black Sabbath, Greenmachine, Rose Tattoo, Cryptic Slaughter, D.R.I., Excel, Soilent Green, (old) Anthrax, Nuclear Assault, Monster Magnet…and that’s the stuff from the top of my hat!