BIOGRAPHY

After being in seminal New York bands like Beyond and Inside Out, Vic DiCara (also once known as Vraja-Kishore das) wrote the first 108 EP in October of 1991 and headed into the studio with Zach Eller (of Blue Tip and Worlds Collide) on drums to record their debut EP, Holyname. Nearing completion of the recording, Rob Fish joined the band and contributed to the vocal tracks. Rob soon quit the band and formed Resurrection. Vic took over again on the mic and got Tony Valladerez on Bass and Norm Arenas (of Texas is the Reason) on Second Guitar. They played a few local shows, but Vic soon decided that if he was going to be a monk he might as well go all the way: he broke up the band and headed for India.

However, Vic's Krishna mentor H.H. Dhanurdhara Swami would not to let him become a spiritual hermit, and 108 dutifully reformed in 1993 with a different line-up and they immediatly set out on a US Tour with Shelter. At the end of this tour Vic (now known by his initiated name 'Vraja Kishor das'), Rob, and Tony took up residence in a small showerless storefront on the Lower East Side of Manhattan (a historic site for Hare Krishnas) a few blocks away from Don Fury's studio (a historic site for New York Hardcore), where they recorded their first LP, "Songs of Separation," in the New York Winter of 1993.

Just a little while after that, Franklin Rhi replaced Tony on bass, and played a bunch of US shows with the band. Towards the end of 1994, Franklin was replaced by the lovable Tim Cohen ("Trivikrama Dasa"). 108 embarked on a World Tour (with Refused as their supporting act in Europe). By 1995, after getting a full page photo in Spin magazine, Vic managed to convince his guru that he should stop doing music and concentrate on being a monk.

108 agreed to break up after one more recording session and one more world tour. In 1996, Tim (Trivikrama Das), Vic (Vraja Kishor das), Rob (Rasaraja Dasa) and Lenny went into Brain McTernan's Salad Days studio in Boston and began their final recording session - but Matt Cross (of Orange 9mm) took over on drums after Lenny suddenly, mysteriously, and permanently dissapeared. 108 recorded "Threefold Misery" and "Curse of Instinct" in time for their final European tour.

Indie film-maker Evan Jacobs documented this tour and later released it on Anhedenia Films as a documentary video entitled "108: The Final Tour." A show in Germany was also recorded and later released as a live album entitled "One Path For Me Through Destiny."

108 called it quits in August of 1996, playing their last show at CBGB's.

Full story and list of band members on the Static-Void band page

HISTORY OF VIC DE CARA/VRAJA-KISHORE DAS

Adapted from 'I Was a Teenage Hare Krishna' By Vic D (excerpt only, full story here)

Underground Religion – I have been drawn to supernatural stuff for as long as I can remember. But all the standard religion I encountered in my youth was too overtly traditional and conformist for me. My gateway into the supernatural world came instead through the rebellious personalities of underground music. The guy who opened that gate was an eager and avowed atheist named Alan Cage. Alan and I were playing music together in a band called Inner Strength (Later we both defected to join Beyond; much later we played together again in Burn and The Projectors). Alan was the one who turned me on to the Bad Brains and to Reggae music. I became obsessed with both, and their lyrics and vibes inspired me to pull a Bible off a remote shelf and see if I couldn't find something interesting in it from a Rasta slant. I couldn't. Another band-mate, Tom Capone, turned me on to the Cro-Mags. My obsession with the Mags inspired me to try and find out more about their shtick: Hare Krishna, so Alan gave me a book he picked up at a Cro-Mags show. "I hate this shit," he said. "You can have it." The book, an Upanishad, blew my mind straight out of the back of my head. I sat up in bed night after night; tripping out on how amazing it was to be reading concrete, rational, logical explanations of spirituality. It was exactly what I couldn't find in the Bible. Elvish & Sanskrit There is an appendix in the Lord of the Rings with a table that explains the characters and pronunciation of Elvish. As a 6 year old kid I committed it all to memory. The Krishna book that Alan gave me had an appendix with a table explaining the characters and pronunciations of Sanskrit. That book also had pictures of dudes wearing robes and carrying staffs.

I had found a real-life group of people who wanted to read secret languages and dress up like Gandalf the wizard! That was what really, subconsciously, hooked me on the Hari's. My First Guru I first met Ray Cappo outside a club called The Brick 'n' Wood in Connecticut, when my band, Beyond, played with his, Youth of Today. Cappo was well known as the Straightedge scene's expert on Hare Krishna, so I spent the day asking him questions. Cappo and I kept in contact frequently via mail and phone calls, even after I moved to the West Coast. By the time I was in a band called Inside Out, Cappo had had quit Youth of Today and was living on a Hare Krishna farm trying to put together his all-Krishna band: Shelter, and his all-Krishna record label: Equal Vision Records. The first release on Equal Vision was supposed to be a split Shelter / Inside Out 7" called "Religious Persecution." At the last minute, Inside Out's singer, Zack de la Rocha, backed out. He told me that his previous experiences with organized religion made it impossible for him to let his band take part in something that could paint him as a member of any religious group. I couldn't argue with him, but that was the first time I considered quitting Inside Out to join Shelter. Traveling Circus Krishna Tour In the summer of 1990, Shelter, Inside Out and Quicksand did a US Tour. There were more Hare Krishna's on that tour than there were people in bands. In the vanguard was a huge Greyhound bus, converted into a temple on wheels and home to a stern looking 50 year old Swami and more than a half a dozen teenage boys and men with shaved heads and orange robes.

Behind the bus was a second 50 year old Swami accompanied by a driver and a 'personal servant' with full-sleeve tattoos. Behind was Shelter's van, followed by a crappy van for Inside Out and one for Quicksand. I never once rode with my band-mates in Inside Out. I stuck with the Krishna's. Cappo and I had these secret missions to convert key people. The two I remember best were Tom Capone and Zack de la Rocha (now of Rage Against the Machine).

The front seat of the RV would swing around backwards, and Tom Capone would suddenly find himself sitting on the floor at the feet of The Swami of the RV. Tom said, "I know the material world might be a place of suffering and stuff, but I need to learn that for myself before I can renounce it."

While on tour, I decided that I needed to be a part of this group of people who I thought were concerned 100% with spirituality. I quit Inside Out to plug the revolving-door guitar spot in Shelter. I told my parents that I was going on tour with Shelter, and then left. I didn't say a word to them again for at least half a year. I broke the silence by asking them for money. Shelter came to pick me up in San Diego. My head was shaved for the first time in the bathtub of a San Diego Krishna Schoolhouse. Before leaving San Diego, we went out one night with the local temple members to chant Hare Krishna on the streets of a posh San Diego nightspot called La Jolla. As I walked down the sidewalk adorned for the first time in sheets and a shaved head, I saw - to my utter horror and shock - my parents. They had just left a restaurant and were walking down the sidewalk, straight towards me. I closed my eyes and held my breath as they walked by. They did not recognize me, even though my father later told me he was looking for me. They had no idea to look for a kid in a bald head and robes.The Shelter Tour ended up in Philly - our new home. The Philly Temple was a deserted old hunting lodge; dirty, cold, wet, and falling apart. Shelter & Equal Vision Records occupied two large empty rooms on the third floor at the end of a long decrepit hallway.

We would wake up at 3:30 in the morning and take showers; cold showers. I didn't last all that long in Philly with Shelter. Me and Cappo started to butt heads a lot. He had a certain charisma and approach to preaching about Krishna consciousness that I thought was really sensational and irritating. The Swami called me on the phone and told me that there should be two Krishna Hardcore bands, and that the second one should be based where he lived, in the DC temple....

From this point Vic's involvement with Krishna consciousness began to decline. Though 108 toured quite a lot throughout the United States and Europe, and recorded many admirable records, doubting the established means of attaining the Supreme in this age became Vic's (and 108's) undoing. Disillusioned with problems within the movement bred a lack of trust in his spiritual guides, and on to the Hare Krishna movement and philosophy in general. Leaving the conventional Vedic teachings and straying into more esoteric and often misleading philosophy while in India, his spiritual future gradually spiralled downward and ended a decade or so after it began. 108 played their last show in New York's infamous CBGB's in 1996. Nevertheless, Vic, or Vraja-kishore as we'd like to remember him, did contribute a lot to spreading Krishna consciousness through this medium. The changes he tried to make to some problems with the movement were sincere no doubt, but change always comes about gradually through co-operation and dialogue, not fanaticism and complete exclusion from what is perceived as 'the norm'. I personally hope his efforts are recognised and that these help him to come back to the long haul we call the 'path of perfection' sometime in future. Hare Krishna. (– Vijaya-Gauranga das.)

Update Jan 2006: Well, my desire to see Vic and co back seems to have come true. After reforming for a one-off show at the HellFest in 2005 they decided to continue again in the same line-up as they departed a decade ago. Although not practitioners of Krishna consciousness as previously, though singer Rob/Rasaraja continues on his quest albeit in a different group of devotees, the same feelings and message in the songs remains with them as universal truths. Read more here: 108 Reform after a decade

INTERVIEW WITH ROB / RASARAJA DAS (SINGER OF 108)

By Jabba the Hut, from Static-Void/108 message-board

I interviewd Rasaraja Dasa two weeks after the break up of 108. 108 was probably the first band that really informed me about vegetarinismand spirituality, so they've always meant something special to me – plus the music kicked ass, especially 'Songs of Seperation' and 'Threefold Misery'. This was also the first interview i ever did. you may notice it is a really long interview and some of the questions are cheesy.

What bands did you grow up listening to?

The first record that I ever bought was by Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five. I think it was the first record that ever hit me as honest and expressive. That was around 1982. Then twelve years ago I heard Damaged by Black Flag and I fell in love with punk music. Basically I started buying anything from the SST catalog that sounded interesting. Soon I was listening to Black Flag, Bad Brains, and blast. From there I got into Dischord and then the whole straight edge scene.

Have you ever done drugs or eaten meat?

I became a vegetarian 9 years ago. I never took any form of intoxication.

What was your first band like?

My first band was when I was 15 and it was a straight edge band called Release. We ended up putting out a bunch of 7" records and did a tour of the east coast before breaking up in 1990. During my time in Release I started reading Srila Prabhupada's books and visiting the temple. When I graduated High School (1990) I moved into a temple in Philadelphia. Then in 1991 I moved back to NJ and started a band called Ressurection. We put out 2 7" records and 1 lp on New Age Records (CA). We toured on the US with Lifetime and then did an east coast tour with Shelter. Then in 1994 I joined 108 (Ressurection stilled played until December 31, 1994). How did 108 form? After I had been living in the Philly temple for about three months Vraja Kishor prabhu had quit Inside Out and joined Shelter. The Shelter decided to move to the Philly temple. Me and Vraja became friends. Eventually he wanted to do something different then Shelter and he wrote some songs and made a demo. 108 actually played a few songs at a show with Ressurection (1993). The day after the show Vraja called and asked me to sing for 108. The band was Vraja, me, Zack Eller (Worlds Collide) and Ekendra dasa (the drummer of Shelter). We recorded Holyname a few months later.

Was everyone a devotee in the band?

Yes, everyone in the band was a devotee. I got my first book in 1988 from a guy named Caine who played bass in Four Walls Falling. At that point I just starting reading Srila Prabhupadaís books and eventually got more serious.

Did 108 have a demo tape?

The demo was in 1993 some time but it never came out. The songs were rerecorded as the Holyname record. How was 108's first show? The first real show (when 108 became an actual band) was May 15, 1994 in Reading PA. It was with Shelter. That was the first show of US tour that lasted until September of that year.

How did 108 come into contact with Equal Vision Records?

Well, EVR was Raghunatha's (Ray Cappo's) label. So it was natural that he put out the record. We never even practiced before doing the record. Vraja sent me a tape and I came down to the studio and sang on a few songs. I think it could have been a great record had we practiced and worked more on the material.

Why is holyname all on only one track?

That was a screw up on the part of the pressing company. EVR didn't realized the problem when they first heard the cd and they told the pressing plant that the cd was good to go.

Are you still friends with Shelter?

Our first tour was with Shelter and it lasted 3 months. It was a great tour and we are all still friends.

What about Prema?

We also played a few shows with Prema. I met the guys from Prema in 1993. Ressurection played with a straight edge band by the name of Concerned. They were all like 14 and their instruments were bigger then their bodies. We became friends and eventually they became devotees and changed their name to Prema. Songs of Separation is so awsome. tell me about that record Songs of Separation was recorded a week after our tour with Shelter ended. I am proud of it and it did extremely well. It took us by suprise. We played well over 300 shows.

Who wrote the lyrics? What is death bed about?

Vraja did most of the writing. Deathbed was written about an experience Vraja had with the death of his Grandfather.

Did 108 tour Europe much?

108 did three European tours. Our support bands were Refused, Abhinanda and Veil. We played at clubs 99% of the time. When we recorded our last record (Threefold Misery and Curse of Instinct) we realized that in the 3 years the band put out 5 records, did 8 tours, and had 11 member changes but only practiced 38 times!

Do you live at a temple?

My wife and I just bought a home in NY city. We run a temple in the city (with another couple). We are starting a family as we speak.

Why did 108 go from EVR to Lost and Found records?

We decided to go with Lost and Found because we wanted our last record out before we toured. We had already decided to break up the band after the tours.

Tell me about Threefold Misery and Curse of Instinct lp's?

These records are my favorite. The band was Vraja, Trivikrama dasa (bass) and myself. A friend from Orange 9mm named Matt Cross played drums on both recordings. We recorded it in January of 1996. We did the covers for fun. Originally we were only intending to record the songs that appeared on Threefold Misery. We finished the music way ahead of schedule and decided to record some inprove songs (curse of instinct and pyro stoke (which was an improve recorded while making a demo of the lp) and some cover songs.

What are Mantra Six and arctic about?

Mantra Six was written by Vraja about our dependence and even addiction to technology. Arctic was also written by Vraja and it is about the struggle to develop a relationship and dedicate oneself to Krishna.

What about Curse of Instinct, thats songs rad?

Curse of Instinct was written by myself. I didnít write it about a subject rather about something I was feeling at the time.

Who chose to cover Black Flag's 'Bars' and the Bad Brains 'Coptic Times'?

Vraja was not going to ever do another band so he wanted to do a bad brains cover because they were his biggest influence.I wanted to do Black Flag because I love the band and that song. I was a fan of the earlier Black Flag records (before Rollins).

Yeah It was better before Rollins. Do you like all the old dc hardcore like Teen Idles, Goverment Issue, Minor Threat?

Yes, I liked DC hardcore. Mostly Minor Threat, Void, and Three.

Why did Lost and Found release 'Serve and Defy'?

All that stuff is on Threefold Misery. Between recording Songs of Seperation and Threefold Misery we had spoken with many different labels about puting out the new 108 records. Things werent working out well with EVR and when we were approached by different labels (roadrunner , Lost and Found, etc...) we wanted to hear what they had to say. Then we came to the conclusion that 108 should break up in the next few months which cancelled out many of the other offers (multi record offers). So we spoke with EVR and L&F. We wanted the record out right away for the upcoming US and European tour and we felt that L&F would get the job done which they did. As far as their reputation goes they have yet to rip us off and they have done everything asked of them. Every other label I have been on (excpet EVR and L&F) has ripped me and my bands off. So we are more then satisfied with how they treat us.

Why did 108 break up?

It was just the right time for us. We had accomplished a lot and we were happy with what we had done. At the same time we were all moving into different points in our lives so it was what we needed to do. We put out 5 records (Holyname (EVR), Songs of Separation (EVR), Threefold Misery (L&F), Curse of Instinct (L&F), and Invocation (L&F) had done 8 tours (over 300 shows) and we felt it was time to put it to rest.

Would you ever reform with 108?

I'll never reform

Are you still friends with everyone from 108?

Yes we are all still friends. I really appreciate them and they hold a special place in my heart.

Are you in any other band currently?

Right now I am not playing music. I am working as a Computer Technician for a publishing company and running a temple. I dont plan on touring again but I will do some musical projects eventually. In the summer I will probably do a record with some friends from Threadbare.

Do you chant your rounds?

Yes I chant at least 16 rounds a day.

Who was your guru? and what is the meaning behind the name Rasaraja dasa? I was initiated by H.H. Satsvarupa dasa Goswami in Ireland on August 28 1995. Rasa can be defined as sweetness or relationship. Raja means king. So Rasaraja is the king of relationships. And dasa means servant (or servant of the king of relationships).

Do you fast for ekadasi?

Yes.

Can a devotee go to college or after graduating high school should they move straight into the temple?

As far as going to college: Yes, you should go to college. In Krsna consciousness we dont reject the world. We reject only what is harmful to our devotional life. Rather a devotee does what he or she does for Krsna. This is called yukta vairagya. Srila Prabhupada wanted us to be "American Vaisnavas". It is not that we need to move into a temple. Just make your home a temple with pictures of Krsna and Krsna consciouss books and tapes. A Krsna conscious person is not lazy and is a gentleman. So work hard in school or work, chant Hare Krsna, follow the principles, and give Krsna consciousness to others. This is the perfection of life.

How did you meet Satsvarupa dasa Goswami?

His art on curse of instinct is beautiful. I began reading his books when I first got involved with Krsna consciousness. I began writing to him about 6 years ago.

'Curse of Instinct' cover by Satsvarupa das Goswami, singer Rasaraja's spiritual master

Why did Jack from Slapshot say "Krishnas can't be a part of the straight edge movement" and he even wrote a song bashing 108?

Honestly I dont know. Slapshot is useless.

Did 108 play many shows out on the west coast?

We played a lot on the west coast. I think we did about 14 shows in California. We also played in Seattle, Nevada, Arizona, Oregon, Utah, North/South Dakota, etc.

Wasn't 108's last show in New York?

108 played it's last show at CBGB's in New York on June 16, 1996.

Hmm anything else you would like to say?

Look for the final 108 album called Invocation. It is a live record recorded on our last tour and it has songs from every album. Thanks.

Official website of art and writings by Satsvarupa das Goswami