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information and a timeline of the Maoist insurgency that is active in the country, although at this point it's a bit outdated, because in 2008 they were able to abolish the monarchy and establish a secular parliamentary republic.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...

Download link:

Rai Ko Ris!