A fan site for The Shizit

“I have chronic discontent, a feeling in my gut… a rage. I can see a better future and the vision drives me to scream about what’s wrong with the world,” said J.P., vocalist and programmer for The Shizit. Beside him sat Brian, guitarist and online mastermind, nodding his head in agreement. Over their three year career the modest duo had been smashing the walls between genres and creating a sound that has been described as “head-stomping digital violence” and “post-modern electronic hardcore”. But they defied being pigeonholed. “The Shizit makes music for people who aren’t scared of breaking the rules and thinking differently. You can’t put a name on that” said Brian matter-of-factly.

Joining forces in early 1999, J.P. & Brian quickly recorded their first CD, “Evil Inside”. Originally intended for purely promotional purposes, the album sold well over 500 copies and spawned an underground following on the internet. Prompted by this success, The Shizit re-recorded several tracks and released them with some new material as “Script Kiddie” which enjoyed similar success, generating hundreds of thousands of downloads from their website. Continuing the momentum, The Shizit released their first full length effort, “Soundtrack for the Revolution” a.k.a. “SoFTeR”, what turned out to be both their best and last album. In late 2002, Brian and J.P. shut down The Shizit, leaving a legacy of noise not soon to be forgotten.

Both Brian and J.P. cited most of their influence from authors and films as opposed to other bands. Among some of their most revered authors were Kalle Lasn, Noam Chomsky and Howard Zinn, all of whom contributed to The Shizit’s well-developed political views and hard-edged lyrics. But unlike many dissident musicians, Brian and J.P. were fully prepared to give you a list of solutions and engage in a heated debate. In an interview, J.P. stated “The political purpose of The Shizit is to get people thinking, not to convert anybody. Our motto is better to have had an opinion and changed it, than to have been too scared to have an opinion at all”.

“We want our music to shake people out of the fucking trance this country’s in.” And holding true to their desires, The Shizit made sound that refused to be ignored, a fast paced and high-energy assault that leaves one shocked into reality. Background music? No. Soundtrack for the Revolution? Definitely.