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(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: