RAI KO RIS "Himalayan Frostbite" EP [BatAttak Records, 2003]

One of my most favorite punk records released ever. Absolutely one of best records released in the 2000s. RAI KO RIS were a punk band from Kathmandu, NEPAL and played a super bouncy, fuzzy, noisy and completely original style of punk. I think this is one of the most unanimous records that I show someone where their eyes go wide after the guitar kicks in the first song, it's a look of complete amazement and disbelief at how great the record is. Someone even asked me "How do their guitars sound like this? Nepal barely had the internet in 2003!". Some insight from my friend from Nepal, Spawn, is that the leader of the group, Sareena Rai, was raised in the UK and immigrated back to Nepal as a young adult and started the band. There is a ton of info and perspective about RAI KO RIS on their website HERE.

Lyrically they are very political and local-focused, it really makes the record completely authentic, instead of trying to pander to a western audience, they are singing for the here and now and present reality of Nepal in 2003. The first track is about how the government(monarchy) would shut down the country if any protests were happening. The second is about Nepalese people immigrating or working abroad and sending money back to Nepal. The final track is one of the most heart-breaking songs that I'm aware of or ever created by a punk band. Every time I listen to it I can feel my heart sink in my chest. Not enough punk songs can instigate that kind of an emotional reaction, which I think is a shame. 

The back of the lyric sheet has information and a timeline of the Maoist insurgency that is active in the country, although at this point it's a bit outdated, because in 2008 they were able to abolish the monarchy and establish a secular parliamentary republic. The main political affiliations are now Communists, Social Democrats and Hindu Nationalists. I can't imagine existing in one of the worlds 'least developed' countries during a political transition from Monarchy to a 'democracy' via Maoist insurgency, all while playing in a punk band and releasing a ton of music over the span of 10+ years. This is one of the main reasons that punk outside of the first world is so much more interesting to me and holds so much more merit. Punk is too easy in the US, Europe and Japan. There is no daily struggle, everything is handed to you and accessible. It's always disheartening to have people be dismissive of punk that doesn't fit into their narrow-minded, elitist western punk worldview. Such a shame...

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Rai Ko Ris!

キャ→ "Slapdash" EP [AA Records, 1985]

This post's band is one of the most criminally underrated, overlooked and unknown Japanese hardcore punk bands. キャ→ or KYAH! were a 4 piece, all women punk band that released two EPs and two 12"s throughout their existence, they even had three tracks on a compilation 8" record along with the LOODS that I might post further down the road. Their "Slapdash" EP is their second EP and I think this along with their first 12" is their best material. Super high energy, catchy hardcore punk rock with superb song writing. I only wish they included lyrics with the release so I knew what they were singing about!

The first track on the EP is their 'hit' as far as I can tell, ピラニアBoy, which translates to Piranha Boy. I read somewhere that it's rumored or factual that the members of LIP CREAM and LAUGHIN NOSE did the back up vocals for it? I think that was just speculation that I read on another blog once though. Stomping one-two-one-two beat with really catchy guitar and a sick bass and guitar solos in the middle. Next track 'Mine' is such a banger, totally frantic sounding. The last song finish out side A is アステロイド or 'Asteroid' is a great great mid paced punk song, lots of pounding drums and great guitar licks that sound like they're are mocking you as they come. 

Side B has my favorite track of the EP, which is also the title track, Slapdash. Totally taunting vocals, and circus guitars in the background with the sickest drum breakdowns with the collective growl before going right back into everything imparts so much energy in the listener. Excellent song all around! And the pace isn't lost with the last song of the EP 'Bike' which is just as top notch as the other tracks. 

Check out this amazing live video of them as well!

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Kyah!

HERPES "Medellín" EP [Self-Released, 1989]

This is one of the most blistering, brutal, pummeling, insane records that I am aware of. Really stretches the sheer brutalness that a punk record can have while being a hardcore punk record. Some would classify this a simply a grindcore/noisecore records but to me HERPES from Medellin, Colombia really capture something special with this EP that no other record comes close to emulating, besides their other project ATAQUE DE SONIDO, which I will absolutely post in the future.

Like I said, HERPES are one of the most intense bands I've ever come across, you can feel your mind and ears melting to this EP. It sounds like what being caught in a nuclear explosion could be like. For historical context, the late 80s and early 90s was the time that Medellín was the most violent city in the world, and I think the scene in Colombia at that time absolutely reflects that in the music, bands like HERPES, ATAQUE DE SONIDO or IMAGEN play some of the darkest, most brutal punk to come out of anywhere in the world at anytime. And it feels so much more genuine coming from somewhere where daily life is actually an absolute struggle and violence is something that is all-encompassing. You can see from their lyrics that they delve into more abstract themes, while addressing the society that they lived in. 

Download link:

Herpes - Medellín!

PSICODENCIA "Cahuí" EP [M.O.D.L., 1990]

Today's record is Mexico City's completely original, taking the punk sounding and making it completely their own PSICODENCIA. Buzzsaw mixed with mosquitos guitars raging over grooving bass lines with pounding drums and completely varied parts and song structures. Completely atypical from what someone would expect to hear from Mexico or anywhere really. 

Great lyrics that attack the blind following of people as we destroy the world, against the police, cities making people crazy. You can see for youself below.

Psicodencia existed from 1990 to 1999 and released just this one EP, a demo in 1995 and participated in all three of the excellent "El punk no es Muerto" compilation tapes which I hope to someday post here!

Download link:
Psicodencia!

FFLAPS - Untitled EP [Recordiau Anhrefn Records, 1987]

Here is a great woman fronted Welsh language band started in 1986. Fflaps is pronounced 'Flaps' like you would in English. The Welsh language uses the single F to make a V sound, so the FF is the classic English F sound. I see them as a part of the lates 80s wave of nationalist, for lack of a better term, bands that started to spring up in the alternative scenes in Europe. I say 'nationalist' in terms of celebrating a minority linguistic tradition or culture from whatever mainstream culture they coexisted with. In the late 80s there was a surge of Basque language punk bands in Spain that established their own scene. Likewise, Wales had their own Welsh language/culture alternative, indie, punk scene going. Fflaps seems to be an anomaly in that they were bilingual and originally preformed songs in English and switched to Welsh shortly their inception, which was met with ambivalence from both the English and Welsh scene alike. 

Fflaps music is raw, melodic and catchy, and creates a totally unique-to-them atmosphere. Their LPs are equally excellent and still retain their raw sound found on this EP. One of the best Welsh language bands I've heard for sure. Here is an excellent live video of them playing some television show...

Download link:
Fflaps!

HONG KONG UNDERGROUND [Rebel Planet Records, 1991]

The 3rd in 4 tapes of underground music compiled by Lük Haas pre-Tian an men 89 Records and released by Rebel Planet Records based out of Germany. Hopefully sometime soon I'll be able to track down the Malaysia Underground Tape which has what appears to be a great collection of early Malay Metal and Punk acts. 

Today's tape is an excellent snap-shot of the early years of the Hong Kong alternative music scene, although highly political/alternative bands had existed in Hong Kong since at least 1984 as demonstrated by BLACK BIRD (黑鳥), who are also on this tape. First song is by a metal band ANODIZE (亚龙大) who started in 1989 and released 3 albums in the mid-90s according to the metal-archives. Then it's a crazy, heavy, fuzzy live recording of BLACK CHURCH, their original song is awesome, I wish there was more material on the tape to check out, sounds like a post-punk band in tone and atmosphere but delivered with tons of energy and totally still Punk. Then they kick off a cover of the SEX PISTOL's "Anarchy In The UK". CONVICTED are next with a melodic UK sounding punk and a reggae song following. The singer even sings in a British accent. Not the most exciting but still cool to have existed. Finishing off Side A is FIREWORKS with a crazy keyboard laden rock'n'roll song called "Big City Night", really great!

Side B is far more representative of a more distinct, uniquely Hong Kongese punk sound. REBEL ROCKERS are a sick rockin' punk band that remind me of the 70s influence early punk of Japan, at least in vocal delivery. They even dive into a CRASS 'do they owe us a living?' cover for a measure or two. Looks like REBEL ROCKERS even made it onto a cassette compilation released in Poland called HC-PUNK 100% AZJA in the late 80s along with other Asian acts like Singapore's OPPOSITION PARTY and Japan's THE STALIN. If I had to guess, the tracks on here where from the live cassette "From The Underground = 地下音乐会 2" Tape released in Hong Kong in 1987 which features other FIREWORKS tracks and two other bands NOVEL and CRISIS. If anyone has that tape, please send it my way! 如果有人有“From The Underground = 地下音乐会 2”磁带，请与我联系！

Finally there's BLACK BIRD, who were, to my knowledge, the most political and outspoken band in Hong Kong, the first two tracks aren't the most interesting, but their song "An Odd Number" is a crazy song with scratchy violin with a stomping pogo punk part and breakdowns into a ballad sounding part, totally wild. Super varied style between their songs. I recently tracked down their 7xCD discography collection that spans from 1984-2004. I plan on making a 'best of' post with my favorites from those CDs.

Download Link:
Hongkong Underground!

G-3 "Un nuevo enemigo" LP [2008 reissue of 1987 tape]

G-3 were a mid/late 80s Peruvian band from Lima, created from the ashes of Autopsia, they played really original, fast hardcore punk with more melody than you find in most bands, especially with their sung vocals. Their name comes from the fact it was three members named Gonzalo, Gabriel, and Guillermo. The whole atmosphere is great, it's really urgent and desperate sounding while being somewhat melancholic, a truly unique gem in world punk. Maybe a good description is if you took the approach of late 70s punk, especially the Latin American variety and sped it up to early 80s DC hardcore speeds you'd have a ballpark reference for G3.

Not only is their music exceptional, but their lyrics match it, which I always appreciate. They call for the type of self-questioning and environment-questioning that I think is crucial to punk but often never implemented. How is someone who is against society and popular culture at large still utilized and manipulated, how are people blinded by their own self-righteousness, how to people and society create violence within themselves and people. Totally sincere delivery in every way.

This is a rip of their 2008 LP reissue put out by Lengua Armada of their 1987 self released tape, which was recorded live in an hour and a half. It's great when labels bring modern attention to old bands and releases that are otherwise completely overlooked on a world scale. And it seems like there's always more to uncover, the recent reissue of Argentina's Soberania Personal's tape is a good example of this. 

download link:
G-3 "Un nuevo enemigo" LP