The Honolulu rock scene is small. In fact, it's virtually non-existent. It seems logical that any band worthy of playing for a crowd of more than ten would pack it up and head for bigger horizons. That's exactly what a group of Oahu upstarts known as Chokebore did some 5 years ago.

Guitarist John Kroll first made the jump across the Pacific a year earlier to pursue a post graduate degree in art, Los Angeles. The rest of the band played the next 18 months as a three piece, including a six month lay over in San Francisco before going south to L.A. and joining forces again in the winter of 1992. The band then toiled in relative anonymity, never getting a chance to tour let alone keep much of a profile in the overcrowded L.A. rock community, where bands often pay to play. In March of 1993, the only good demo which arrived at AmRep in Minneapolis was damn good - and it was Chokebore. What followed in May was the 7" pic disc Nobody / Throats to Hit. The band actually toured on that single, supporting Australia's Cosmic Psychos on a coast to coast US tour. Later in August, their debut LP/CD Motionless was released on AmRep.

Chokebore's initiation following their first record was a six week jaunt through the US on the Clusterfuck tour, in the fall of 1993. Accompanied by fellow newcomers Today Is The Day and Guzzard, Clusterfuck hit city after city across the continental US for over six weeks. What followed was a 10 show support slot playing with Nirvana and The Butthole Surfers on the west coast. Later, in the winter of 1994, the Clusterfuck crew landed in Europe. One bus, 3 bands, thirty shows and 11 countries. After 5 weeks the tour had served its purpose and our heroes had left their mark on the old continent. Chokebore's second full length LP/CD Anything Near Water hit the shelves in March of 1995. To people within the 'alternative' music scene, Chokebore became a commonly known entity. Anything Near Water went a step further, breaking out of its underground eggshell to reach an 'insider tip' status even in mainstream circles. In September/October, 1995, Chokebore backed up Anything Near Water with a two month long European tour. 51 shows, 15 countries, from Bergen, Norway to Barcelona, Spain. If you saw the band play live this time around, there are chances you loved them. After 6 months of touring (from the arctic circle in Rovaniemi, Finland to Sarajevo, Bosnia), recording, video shooting and hanging around in Europe, our heroes were back in L.A.

During their stay Chokebore recorded their third album in France at Black Box Studios called A Taste for Bitters. This release definitely won more converts, especially in France, where the band enjoyed a great degree of attention in the music press. Seeing Chokebore on stage really made the difference.

For the last four years, Chokebore have been a live experience for people in 21 different countries worldwide. Black Black is the absolute high point in the development of these Honolulu upstarts. The feeling and power behind this masterpiece is pure and genuine - a perfect combination of strength, subtleness and versatility. On Black Black Chokebore have gone as deep as any band could possibly go. Suffice it to say, Black Black is a very personal record. This is not only music to listen to, it's something to identify with - something to FEEL. Is it any wonder that more and more young bands today name Chokebore as an important influence?