(via Cantilever)
Cantilever is the most recent addition to Malaysia’s post-hardcore scene, getting together just within the past year and making its name around Kuantan. If you enjoy At The Drive In and any band that enjoys getting gritty, both sonically and literally (the band’s interest is “fighting in the store room”), you’ll enjoy this new debut demo collection, The Fall: The Rise.
Cantilever:
(via Okamotonoriaki)
Okamotonoriaki is a Japanese electronic musician and videographer who releases music on Malaysian indie label mü-nest. The original mix of “Our Happy Ending” sounds like the quiet sunrise you find on a long road trip that shares a similar wonder for lonesome peace as Yo La Tengo and Broken Social Scene. This EP includes remixes from recent mü-nest signees Dae Kim, Burnie, and Shuzhen.
From Bandcamp:
“Lonesome can appear to be a tough task to go through in our life. It, sometimes leads us to existence without purpose, find a love one or even death in drastic cases. What comes as a closure from it, can be sometimes harsh or nurture us to be who we are today. And this is what we learnt from okamotonoriaki’s third album, “Happy Ending”.
Our Happy Ending EP consists of three new affiliates of mü-nest, Dae Kim, Burnie and Shuzhen, bringing re-worked versions of the song, expressing different perspective to their happy endings.
Korea-born producer/composer, Dae Kim, captures similar serendipity with the original track. The song is quite susceptible to sappy tendencies and rather pop infused at times. The rhythms are the decorations rather than the element that carries the songs’ momentum, when rather the melodies’ and musical notes create flows and rhythm for the listeners to hold on to. Reminiscing poem subtly lies within the layers of synthesizers.
On the other hand, Burnie, who released his debut album, “Lotus City” last January through 4daz-le Records, offers rather different perspective to the mix. The song introduces itself with a sampled vocals and the poem surrounded by lush synthscapes, collaged narratively. The part that makes this remix comparatively special is when the tastefully constructed beat with well mashed amount of swing emerges into the song. Furthermore, grim yet sentimental distorted ambient guitar shifts its emotion to rather sanguine with xylophones complementing the blend, which shows the Macao producer/DJ’s own closure of the song.
Meanwhile, Shuzhen offers more minimalistic approaches to her epilogue. Classically trained pianist, who arises from Johor Bahru of Malaysia has paved her path to be a composer by collaborating with local artists for variety of different projects. The Johor Bahru composer invigorates her arrangement with subtle soundscapes and the poem. Dramatic tendencies form itself through uplifting yet bittersweet phased chords of piano slowly fading in. When the drums fades out to present contrasting synthscapes, which elaborate themselves to form complex yet sumptuous kaleidoscope of sound which reflects her distinctive feminine sensitivity.
What separates us from one to another is how we define a happy ending. For some, what defines a happy ending would be a success in life, whereas for some, it is simply to get a taste of their favorite meal. Perhaps, the happiest ending possible in our life is in us. To truly understand ourselves and what lies ahead of us.”
(via Piri Reis)
While screamo was born in North America and later developed in Europe, in the past ten years it has reached almost every corner of the planet. South East Asia is one of the liveliest areas for screamo, with several respectable bands reaching out from the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia. Piri Reis come from the latter, from the middle-sized city of Shah Alam, and they’re one of the most interesting young acts in Asia.
Piri Reis’ name originates from the Ottoman admiral who drew what is known to be the oldest world map in 1513. To get all the information necessary to its creation, the admiral Pīrī Reʾīs used ten Arab sources, four Portuguese maps and one that belonged to Columbus that was stolen from a Spanish caravel. Similarly, the Malaysian band seems to have learned the lesson of several screamo scenes from all over the world but is not content with plain imitation.
The band’s main influences include classic groups such as Orchid or Pg.99 mixed with European emoviolence while making their music personal. Violence is the most important component of their sound, but it somehow feels justified and never messy or confusing. Every guitar riff is relevant to the song’s structure as it explodes in its uproarious melody before burning out into softer nervous parts. These riffs end up being the most tense thanks to the powerful and heartbreaking vocals of singer Mira.
Piri Reis have recorded a demo and a split with Coma Regalia from Michigan, both in 2015. The latter has been released by three labels in three different continents, emphasizing the band’s international mindset. After a lot of shows in Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia, they managed to embark on a tour in Japan this year. Sooner or later the band will certainly manage to take their intense live sets even outside of Asia, and it would be more than deserved.
Piri Reis: