A collection of news items sieved from emails and stuff. Note, this is only halfway through. More items to be added and pictures too, problem is I’m battling with FEVER and with a searing sore-throat, I have to stop smoking! Dang!:

LAMAN-LAMAN WEB BARU:

Local musical adventurers Akta Angkasa now has their own suitably “arty”, flash driven website. Still wanting content-wise but promising of more.

Fans of classic thrash metal riffage should point their browsers to thrashneverdies.com, a homepage of never-ending support for the return to the times when Cliff Burton was still pumping out devilish bass for Metallica. Seriously, it’s a headbanging timewarp, a good one.

A promising Indonesian on-line zine Threefold is now live for you to visit. Currently, it features some news, interviews and reviews of the more DIY of Indonesian music. Go here: threefold.tk

While Indonesian “kaos” label, i.e. an independent t-shirt designers, makers and merchant, by the name of Enefres has also started a website where you can download their catalogues for order.

There seems to be a lot of of merchandising “entrepreneurs” in the local scene now. It’s nothing new and the kids have been making and selling their own t-shirts and merchandising items for years and years now but I think a lot of the new breed (mostly from the “Youth Crew Hardcore” side of things with a lot of “x”s in their names) are using the Indonesian business model, where fresh funky vector-art designs released every few months and aggressive “marketing” via the net and gig-micro-sponsorship utilised to the hilt.

A lot of the local ones are very visible on the MySpace community. The most active is Suicidal Clothing with a lot of spiffy designs.

However I must say, from my very personal point of view, all that “hardcore” sloganeering clich?©s are very tired indeed, just check out the new design (see picture). Kinda cute in a nostalgic kinda way but it feels the same as seeing a street punk wearing a “Punk’s Not Dead” t-shirt. It’s a bit like carrying a denial billboard!

Other local t-shirt or merchandising labels or related:
DysMerch

That said, all this fresh “MYHC” (AKA Malaysian Hardcore) grouping is said to be a more of a “do it together” kind of affair, unlike the old mid-90s KLHC (Kuala Lumpur Hardcore) which was briefly dependent on one person and his label before slowly and messily disintegrating. It’s MYHC Gen 2, hope it works better.

MYHC Gen 2

Speaking of enterprising kids and MYHC Gen 2, I heard a bunch of the more active people in the Straight Edge part of the local Hardcore town has came together and formed a record label and promotion company by the name of United Front (or UnitedxFront, you can’t miss the x).

unitedxfrontrecords.com

I heard there are a lot of projects coming up from the newly minted (and registered) UxF, including a CD from Kids On The Move, followed by a full Malaysian Tour; but the first thing they will concentrate on is a gig called BRIDGING OCEANS! Malaysia-Singapore HC Fest which will be held at the now popular Titan Club, KL on Sunday July the 30th.

Bands slotted to play are locals XelevenX, Last X Minute, Against My Will & Blood On Wedding Dress. The Singaporean bands planned to be playing are Shortfuse, Bloody Rejects, Overthrown & 7 Pound Vein. Ticket is RM15.

A special tribute to Youth of Today CD is being put together by a new local label started by a veteran fanzine editor. Titled as Standing Hard, it’s a global compilation featuring two local bands. According to its MySpace site, Embrace Records is a label interested in “indie, emo, punk and hardcore” and beside the tribute YOT compilation, a CD rerelease of New Jersey’s indie/emo band Elemae is on the cards.

Embrace Records @ MySpace

This next item is not a gossip though; Unquestionable Distro has just released a new list of rare videos on VCDs! To those interested to get the list, do email Unquestionable Distro email

TOOLS & TRADE

There’s a very good grindcore band from Kluang, Johor by the name of Tools Of The Trade, but there’s also a music shop by an almost simlar name of Tools & Trade operating out of Campbell Shopping Complex. I haven’t been there myself but I heard it has something to do with members of the band Negation and it’s a shop very much for a lot of us who hunt for the hard-to-find stuff. There’s punk, metal, hardcore, etc. on sale there. I also heard they have Carburetor Dung’s t-shirts and it’s not us who gave it to them for sale! Hmmm.

Tools & Trade
Lot 134, 1st Floor, Campbell Complex,
Jln Dang Wangi 50100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Open Everyday 12pm – 9pm
Tel: 017-247-2181 – Mawie / 012-377-5688 – Madie

Tools & Trade @ MySpace

Among the new stuff being sold there are:

1. Devilica‘s 11:11 CD, a 6-tracker of top-notch frantic, stop-on-a-dime post-hardcore chaos released by Third Arm Records. Go to Devilica @ MySpace to check out the very busy nature of than band’s sound. Related site: revoltandchaos.com

2. Cruelty Devastation CDEP (pro-pressed, not CD-R!) by local Thrash Metal revivalists Morgorm. This debut release features 5 tracks including one featuring Necrotic Chaos‘ Adik on vocals. It is available for RM10 (+ RM3 by express post) from the band itself; contact them here:

Morgorm email or Morgorm @ MySpace

Other outlets when you can get the CDEP:
Jaie Sil-Khannaz’s Nebiula Shop (Campbell Complex, KL), Kodai Sopan (Terminal One, Seremban), Symphonic Sound Studio (Seksyen 13, Shah Alam) and Sirr Studio (Wangsa Maju)

BLACK-CLAD & POSSIBLY BALACLAVA-ED

Raub’s Black Konflik Records has just released a discography tape of Tokyo’s “power violence trash punk” band Brutal Terrorism (a band recently featured on 625’s compilation Japan Thrash Revolution CD).

The discography tape is available for RM6 ppd (local) or USD4 (Asia) and USD5 (Worldwide) – all price including postage paid by airmail. Trade and cheap wholesale are welcome, but please write first.

BLACK KONFLIK RECORDS
c/o Aizu,
NO 59, LORONG 3, TAMAN KENANGA
27600 RAUB, PAHANG, MALAYSIA

Go geocities.com/blacxkonflik or email here. Also visit Black Konflik @ MySpace

Recent visitors to our shores, Melbourne’s Pisschrist (featuring our friend Yeap) has just released two different vinyl recordings. The first is an LP or 12″ vinyl of their album “Nothing Has Changed”, now out on Yellow Dog Records in Germany. Contact Yellow Dog here. Or visit the label’s site: yellowdog.de or Yellow Dog @ MySpace

The other release is “Total Fucking Pisslickers” EP which out on Endless Blockades, a Melbourne label which has been instrumental in introducing the band to the world at large. Contact:email

Future Pisschrist releases includes a split with Sweden’s Kvoteringen which will be out under Endless Blockades and also a split 7″ with locals Apparatus which will be released by Yellow Dog Records.

Check out Pisschrist @ MySpace. The band is now on a lengthy European Tour.

PUNK ROCK FOR SISSIES!

The local Indie-Rock sky was a bit stained recently when ace power-pop quartet Couple announced that the band’s bassist Hana (also of Lucy in the Loo & Free Love) is leaving “for very personal reasons”. Her last appearance with the band will be at The Laundry Bar this July 20th, which is mainman Aidil’s birthday. Go to band’s site here.

Apparently Couple will be playing California, USA in August. The band is now looking for a replacement. Here’s what Aidil said;

“So, any of you kids out there who can play a decent guitar and can harmonise, please drop us a line at our email: here or give Aidil a call: 017-3568994. Remember, we’re looking for ANYONE, boy or girl. As long as you can play a decent guitar and can harmonise, just drop us a line!! Looking forward to hearing from you… “

Umbrella Records‘ Mr. Siang has been urging me to listen to this radio show he kinda curated (he sometimes selects the songs to play) but I have never remembered to do so. Anyway, apparently on every Thursday at 10.15PM till 1AM, his mostly local and overseas independent selection appears on a show called Rock It, on Traxx FM 90.30FM (Klang Valley). Check the track listings on his blog: umbrellarec.blogspot.com.

Force Vomit hasn’t been visiting Malaysian soil that much nowadays but we heard that the band and their fellow Singaporean brethren will be in Bangkok later this weekend. Here’s a list of a few dates:

july 7 fri Force Vomit [Singapore], Stoned Revivals [Singapore], Faye [Singapore], Ghost Story at Cosmic Caf‡?â; a/a, B100, 7pm [acoustic show]

july 8 sat Apartmentkhunpa, Brandnew Sunset, Force Vomit [Singapore], Stoned Revivals [Singapore] at 3Some; 20+, B150, 9pm [Astreal not playing]

PAUL’S PLACE: NO MORE?

According to a recent Peter Hassan mailout, Paul’s Place has changed its name to a rather industrial moniker; SOLAR POWER TRAINING PLACE! Very PC that one. Anyway, it seems like the management has decided to distance itself from the notorious “Paul’s Place”. That said, it will still be a venue for shows. The management had also opened a restaurant cum performance space called GIGGERS on the ground floor. There were a few live acoustic shows last weekend announcing the arrival of GIGGERS but I was too busy to go.

MORE TO BE ADDED SOON!