108 is an American hardcore band founded in 1991. Their music reflects the Hare Krishna faith of the band members.
History
After splitting from the
Zack De La Rocha
Zacharias Manuel de la Rocha (born January 12, 1970) is an American musician, rapper, singer, songwriter, and political activist. He is best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the rock band Rage Against the Machine. Through both Rage Against ...
-fronted band Inside Out, guitarist and Hare Krishna devotee Vraja Kishor das (aka Vic DiCara) formed 108 in 1991. While recording an EP, Rasaraja dasa (aka Rob Fish) joined on vocals. Following in the footsteps of the Cro-Mags and Antidote, they made sure to place their
Krishna Consciousness
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), commonly known as the Hare Krishna movement, is a religious organization that follows the Gaudiya Vaishnavism, Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. It was founded on 13 July 1966 ...
at the forefront of their music.
Their first records, ''Holyname'' and ''Songs of Separation'', were released on Equal Vision Records. These releases were followed by their participation in two documentary films, ''108: The Final Tour'' and '' N.Y.H.C.''
Following a prolonged break-up where DiCara relocated to India to become a
monk
A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...
, they planned to reform at
Hellfest
Hellfest (), also known as Hellfest Summer Open Air, is a rock festival focusing on heavy metal music, held annually in June in Clisson, France. Its high attendance makes it the French music festival with the largest turnover. It is also one o ...
in 2005. Due to legal issues, that festival was cancelled at the last moment but 108 successfully re-booked special gigs in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
. They self-released a collection of demos and b-sides followed by a new full-length recording entitled "A New Beat From a Dead Heart" with Deathwish Inc.allmusic (((108 > Biography)))/ref>
On March 23, 2010, before the release of '' 18.61'', it was announced that Rob Fish had quit the band, discontent with the band not being able to "redefine" its ties to faith.108 singer quits, band breaks up Retrieved Tuesday, March 23, 2010, 8:32 AM (Rob and Vic were no longer part of
ISKCON
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), commonly known as the Hare Krishna movement, is a religious organization that follows the Gaudiya Vaishnavism, Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. It was founded on 13 July 1966 ...
by the time of the bands reformation.) The remaining members of the group later released the following statement: "108 has not broken up. Rasaraja ka Robert Fishhas left the band, but 108 will continue in full force with a new direction and focus. We will be writing, recording and playing shows this year to support ''18.61'' and create new music."
Rob Fish rejoined the band in September 2010.
In May 2016, the band embarked on a series of reunion shows. May 21 in
Flemington, New Jersey
Flemington is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in and the county seat of Hunterdon County, New Jersey, Hunterdon County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.
Caroline Records
Caroline Records is a record label that was founded in 1973. Founded in the United Kingdom to showcase British progressive rock groups, the label ceased releasing titles in 1976 and then re-emerged in the United States in 1986. The label rel ...
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...