New Stuff @ The Ricecooker Shop

Alright. It’s been a long time since I’ve posted about fresh vegetables and rotten tomatoes here at the Ricecooker Shop but there have been a few gems which y’all should check out:

I/D
ELITE. kVlt. Irrevocably tr00 CD
(flux-us.com.sg)

13 tracks debut from Singaporean noise-rock “supercollective” featuring members of Engineered Beautiful Blood, Hello Kitty Riots and various assorted best f(r)iends – head Flux Us and ex-Dongs Harold Seah, George Chua, Evan Tan (ex-Opposition Party and The Padres and current member of The Observatory), Ian Woo & David Pang. According to the flux-us site, the congregation is being described as “idiot-syncretic noise-rock-improv birthed in the aerodynamic cauldrons of progressive rock whilst kicked in the teeth by the bloody-mindedness of misanthropic black metal” that is “joyfully (mis)informed by the exalted likes of Supersilent, Acid Mothers Temple, King Crimson, Terje Rypdal, Last Exit, Can, Boredoms, AMM, Revenge, Skullflower, Hototogisu, Hijokaidan……”

Interesting mish-mash of improv-noise with rockist instrumentation, much like a more studious, serious and less chaotic version our very own Ciplak.

RM20 at the shop

HellSister
Freedom, Desecrate, and Hellraise CD
(Tribal War Asia – Japan)

The first and only album by this long-gone “almost-all-female” raw-punk quartet, released many years ago by Tribal War Asia. 7″-packaging featuring 13 songs in pro-CD format. A bunch of this release was found by Along while packing up his house a few days ago.

The band featured Along Apparatus (drums), Daphne (guitar, used to sing ex-Apparatus), Colleen (vocals, now with Vixxen) and Reena (bass). Political raw-punk with hints of Harum-Scarum.

limited copies: RM15 at the shop

Cranioclast
Carl’s On Acit 10″ Vinyl
(Auf Abwegen)

German electronics with experimental, ambient bent.

Cranioclast is a duo from Hagen, Germany which produce various artistic endeavors, most commonly music. Usually those two identify themselves as Soltan Karik and Sankt Klario. They have their own label called CoC and were working with a number of like-minded bands, including Kallabris, Fetisch Park and A.B.G.S.

RM25 at the shop

Ghost
Hypnotic Underworld 2xLP
(Drag City Records)

Gatefold, double-LP from Tokyo’s improvisational, free-form meets pysche, folk etc.

Each of the seven remaining compositions locates an enjoyable moment, before tearing beautifully through to the other side: “Piper”‘s forlorn whistle launches into 70s jazz-rock and back; “Holy High” introduces pulsing Celtic psych; and the ten-minute “Ganagmanag” moves from flute swells downward into plucked strings a prog time-shift, echoed shouts, Botah’s breathy count-offs, and tribal drums. Everywhere, empty spaces are lined with powerful augmentations like tiny trills, subtle noise accents, repetitions, and rock flourishes. For instance, when the Barrett cover that closes the record whispers to an end, the band kicks into a stage-clearing maelstrom of manic church organ, vibrating shouts, gongs, bells, war drums, and wiry feedback. It’s this sort of unexpected pomp and swagger, mixed with the solemn ambiance, that clearly separates Hypnotic Underworld from the tree-hugging psychedelia of yore. Much more could be said, but it’s more important to state plainly, in barest terms, that Ghost have emerged as one of the most formidable (and important) rock bands I know. And Hypnotic Underworld is their rollicking masterwork. – from Pitchfork review

RM60 at the shop

Bin Jidan
Garisan Abstrak CD-R
(Bin Jidan)

Pro-printed CD-R featuring 5 songs by the now veteran KL busker, a constant sidekick to Meor and more well-known as Nick or Nik. You may have seen him busking around town, especially at the mall beside Central Market. With a voice much stronger than Meor and songs of a more determined note, it is a mystery why Nick hasn’t been as active as Meor, Azmyl Yunor or Reza Salleh when it comes to the singer-songwriter gigs in KL. Time to haul the guy up on those stages people!

RM15 at the shop