Piri Reis - Ritma

Labels: Framecode Records/Long Legs Long Arms/Memori Records/Moment Of Collapse Records/Polar Summer/React With Protest/Shove Records/Slow Down Records/Smoothie Records/Utarid Tapes/Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 03 Jul 2022

Tracklist:

1. Merentap Sayap Malaikat

2. Burden By Beauty

3. Pusara Atas Langit

4. Heimlich Manoeuvre Tiger Suplex

5. Cigarette For An Actor

6. All Is Well, Mr. Hildebrandt

7. Arsitektur Yang Gagal

8. Curse On Pasumpahan Island

9. Berkelana ke Kelana Jaya

10. Untuk Kimi

I recently did something that's bordering on slightly irresponsible (but not criminally irresponsible, so it's okay!). To be more precise and honest, I've purchased an expensive record. That confession has nothing to do with this review though, so I'll move swiftly on. 

Talking of records though, I do own a copy of Ritma by Malaysian screamo/emoviolence band Piri Reis.  Originally released in 2022 across all formats worldwide, it received further cd and tape pressings from almost all corners of the world in 2023 and 2024. Piri Reis have been consistently pushing boundaries and pushing their music to more screamo fans globally, and while this album is a few years old now, it's still fresh.

September was another month of limited activity purely due to life, work and the universe getting in the way. I had planned for this review to round things out yesterday but what can you do! ‘Merentap Sayap Malaikat’ opens Ritma in surprising fashion, as it’s intro sounds more akin to what you’d hear in a doctor’s waiting room. That boring image is banished soon after though by layers of rabid percussion and bass, melodic/atmospheric guitars and screeching vocals. 

‘Burden By Beauty’ is more laid back and introspective for the most part, as Piri Reis temper their emoviolence with sombre post-hardcore and even some metallic/metalcore-esque touches. Frenzied outbursts of chaos are not far behind though, as the closing bars show. ‘Pusara Atas Langit’ follows with an intro of plane noise and guitars buzzing into life before things hit that high gear again. It’s not all emoviolence and madness though, as Piri Reis again use gentler vocals and instrumentation throughout. Kind of reminds a bit of Rolo Tomassi.

The excellently titled ‘Heimlich Manoeuvre Tiger Suplex’ goers for a straight-up rock/post-hardcore sound instrumentally, which doesn’t build along with the intense vocals until much later on in the song. It’s very real and oddly gut-wrenching all the same. After a few songs that have seemed more expansive, Piri Reis begin to dip back into more explosive surroundings on ‘Cigarette For An Actor’. The way they craft their music, allowing everything to work together and to exist in it’s own space is excellent.

The sampled intro on ‘All Is Well, Mr. Hildebrandt’ is hilarious (though I feel slightly guilty for saying so). It leads to another song of many faces; from post-punk riffs to blasting drums, groovy bass and raging screams. It has everything and has that song-of-the-album feel too. ‘Arsitektur Yang Gagal’ is very much a blink and you’ll miss it piece, as it flies majestically through ninety seconds of stark screamo.

This album’s great and thankfully there are still a few songs to go. ‘Curse on Pasumpahan Island’ gently ushers you in with spoken-word vocals and lightly plucked guitars before it descends into chaos once again. The lyrics are what really leap out at you here. You’ll understand what I mean when you listen to it. Penultimate song ‘Berkelana ke Kelana Jaya’ makes you want to dance (or maybe it’s just me!). The rhythms just have that aura but the rest of the band has other ideas once again, pivoting back in a more familiar direction.

Closing Ritma with ‘Untuk Kimi’, Piri Reis call time on their only full-length to date in gloriously distorted fashion. Just guitars, subtle feedback/white noise and minimalist vocals/samples cleanse the ears, leaving you feeling very uplifted. It’s emotional in the best way. It reminds me that I need to spend more time with the records I own, as the more I inevitably buy (it’s becoming a proper habit), the harder it is to choose one to put on.

Stream and grab the album digitally from Piri Reis below, where tape and cd copies are also still available in limited quantities:-

Piri Reis - https://www.facebook.com/pirireispunx

 

You can also purchase Ritma on various formats below:-

Longlegslongarms - http://longlegslongarms.jp/music/products/

Memori Records - https://memorirecords.bandcamp.com/album/mr-002-piri-reis-ritma

Moment Of Collapse Records - https://shop.momentofcollapse.com/collections/piri-reis

Polar Summer - https://polarxsummer.bandcamp.com/album/ritma

React With Protest - http://www.reactwithprotest.org/store.php

Shove Records - https://shoverec.bandcamp.com/album/ritma

Slow Down Records - https://slowdownrecords.bandcamp.com/album/sdr-31-piri-reis-ritma

Zegema Beach Records - CAN/INTL - http://www.zegemabeachrecords.com/zegema-beach-releases / USA - https://zbrusa.com/collections/zbr-releases

Framecode Records - https://www.facebook.com/framecoderecords

Longlegslongarms - https://www.facebook.com/3LAdisc

Moment Of Collapse Records - https://www.facebook.com/momentofcollapse

Shove Records - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100062967532917

Slow Down Records - https://www.instagram.com/slow.down.records/?igshid=ZDdkNTZiNTM%3D

Smoothie Records - https://www.instagram.com/smoothie_recs/?hl=en

Utarid Tapes - https://www.facebook.com/utaridtapes

Zegema Beach Records - https://www.facebook.com/zegemabeachrecords

Cages - Second Thoughts

Labels: Long Legs Long Arms/Middle-Man Records/Shove Records/Through Love Records

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 21 Oct 2022

Tracklist:

1. How Quickly We Forget

2. A Sight For Sore Eyes

3. Every Dog Has It's Day

4. Someone Who's Working Really Hard On Being Someone

5. Sleepwalking In Potemkin Cities

In a sort of response to Edie Quinn's comment under the recent Drei Affen/Coma Regalia split review, I'm gonna be dropping some additional reviews over the coming weeks because I need to be less rigid in following my own schedule, but also because there's always so much amazing music that goes by me due to time and constantly catching up. This LP is a fine example of that. Cages are a band from Germany (featuring ex-members of We Had A Deal no less) and their debut EP Second Thoughts was released back in October of last year though some very fine labels, including Edie's own Middle-Man Records. On a completely separate note, this year's Brit Awards completely passed me by (don't ask) but from what I gather I didn't miss much.

With the combined experience and history of the members that make up Cages, Second Thoughts is a special release. ‘How Quickly We Forget’ plays very much on the band’s 90s emo/screamo influences without stepping into more modern-day emoviolence territories, thanks to mid-paced tempos and uplifting guitar work. The vocals do their bit as well, bringing to mind Refused and their historic album The Shape Of Punk To Come (A Chimerical Bombination In 12 Bursts) from the late 90’s.

‘A Sight For Sore Eyes’ is very emotive (an obvious point to make!) without being overly so. It reminds me a bit of when I first heard Russian band Ensslin’s Thumbsucker EP. It’s brilliantly simple from beginning to end, just really enjoyably emocore delivered in a way that comes naturally to European bands in general. That above point is demonstrated by ‘Every Dog Has It’s Day’ with it’s engrossing lead-guitar that stands tall at the forefront of the song, giving a listening experience that’s hard to find amongst many releases of a similar mould currently.

Penultimate song ‘Someone Who’s Working Really Hard On Being Someone’ starts with a sample that’s very apt for the current socio-political climate in which we live. It also mirrors the song as a whole, which seems to gain empowerment as it goes, alongside a great punk/screamo charm and Turnstile-esque positivity. I’m absolutely loving it! The pent up angst of closer ‘Sleepwalking In Potemkin Cities’ provides the closest glimpse of hardcore you’re gonna get on this release and the slightly harsher vocals are perfectly delivered without requiring the instrumentation to deviate from it’s blueprint sound.

The ears of Edie and also of those behind the other labels involved in this release can’t be faulted. If there was to be a shift in the current emo/screamo/post-hardcore community sound-wise, Cages would be leading it without a doubt. Hopefully this is the opening of a totally new rabbit hole.

You can stream and purchase Second Thoughts from the band on both physical, and digital formats below:-

Cages - https://www.instagram.com/cages_band/

Physical copies can also be ordered from the labels below:-

 

Middle-Man Records - https://middlemanrecords.storenvy.com/cages-second-thoughts-12

Shove Records - https://shoverec.bandcamp.com/album/second-thoughts

Through Love Records - https://shop.throughloverec.com/cages-second-thoughts

Long Legs Long Arms - https://www.facebook.com/3LAdisc

Middle-Man Records - https://www.facebook.com/middlemanrecords

Shove Records - https://www.facebook.com/SHOVE-records

Through Love Records - https://www.facebook.com/ThroughLoveRec