Thursday, February 28, 2013

Bandcamp Picks: Revulsion Records

Bandcamp is the future of DIY, in my opinion, and I will preach that gospel to anyone who stands in front of me long enough to listen. It's an especially useful platform in South East Asia, where the postal service can be pricey and unreliable, and bands can only afford limited runs of their cassettes/CDs. So when a local label like Revulsion Records makes its releases available for purchase through Bandcamp, it's the best way to ensure that local bands will make their way to new ears overseas.

Revulsion's most recent release is a split 7" featuring Malaysian grind kings Tools of the Trade and Compulsion to Kill. Tools donate four of their most ambitious and hook-driven songs to date (including "Putus/Disconnected," which was featured on the first DoC podcast); Compulsion to Kill's side is four songs of their more straight-forward brand of fast, crusty grind. Though the release isn't currently available as a stand alone download (booooooo), a digital version comes when you order the 7", which costs $8 plus shipping.



Defy, the last full-length by Tools of the Trade, has also been newly uploaded to Bandcamp by Revulsion. As one of the most impressive releases from the South East Asian scene in 2012, it's an essential slice of Malaysian grindcore. The 18 track album is available as a digital download for $5.



Also noteworthy is Compulsion to Kill's Lack of Tolerance cassette. Apparently recorded live, the production is raw to the point of non-existence; but since the entire 10 song EP is available for download at the cost of 50 cents (!!!), I doubt many grind fans would quibble.



Two bands that have been fixtures of local shows since I've been back in KL are Sarjan Hassan and Daighila, and their Re-Defining DIY split cassette is a good representation of the Rumah Api scene. The release is more than 2 years old - Daighila in particular have come a long way since then - but it's almost impossible to find, even here in Malaysia. Plus, the digital download is twenty songs for a dollar, and you can't do better than that, homes.



Dreams of Consciousness isn't paid to say nice things about you; so just be glad when it does.