Foundation Vinyl Newsletter
Welcome
Hello and welcome to the latest edition of the Foundation Vinyl newsletter! We have four cracking new arrivals to get stuck into this week. First up, the triumphant return of Tijuana’s Habak with their third full-length, Mil Orquídeas En Medio Del Desierto, on Alerta Antifascista and Persistent Vision. We then have Tramadol from Leeds with their sledgehammer self-titled second EP on Donor Records.
To round things off in style, we have two d-beat fuelled albums on D-Takt & Råpunk – the lacerating Tills Du Dör from Stockholm’s Mob 47 (a co-release with Beach Impediment) and the barrelling Shove Their System Up Their Ass courtesy of Edmonton’s Languid (a co-release with Desolate Records).
Next, Antique Weathervanes And An Ecstatic Hydra takes a look back at two excellent, but very contrasting, gigs earlier in the week, featuring Franz Nicolay and pageninetynine respectively.
As always, we also have an updated London gig listing, which includes the imminent Sunday School weekender this bank holiday (19/04-20/04) and next week’s Blind Girls / Stress Positions show (23/04), plus just announced shows from Quiet Fear / Wreathe (03/07) and The Messthetics (07/07-08/07). We end with a quick rundown on some of the fine records heading our way in the coming weeks, including new releases from Discos Enfermos, Feel It, La Vida Es Un Mus, Not For The Weak, Static Shock, Toxic State, and Unlawful Assembly among others!
Finally, just a quick heads up that next week’s newsletter will again come out on Thursday, and then I’ll begin to work back to our usual Tuesday slot from there.
Featured New Arrivals
Mil Orquídeas En Medio Del Desierto by Habak / Shove Their System Up Their Ass by Languid / Tramadol by Tramadol / Tills Du Dör by Mob 47 (clockwise)
‘Mis sueños quedaron atrapados, En los engranajes del capital, Apenas logro recordarlos, Y aunque toda máquina tiene su punto de fricción, Creo que colapsare primero’ (Dejemos Hablar Al Viento) / ‘My dreams were trapped, In the gears of capital, I can barely remember them, And although every machine has its friction point, I think I’ll collapse first’ (Let’s Let The Wind Speak)
Tijuana’s Habak return with their searing third full-length, Mil Orquídeas En Medio Del Desierto (A Thousand Orchids In The Middle Of The Desert). The band continue to forge fiercely melodic crust, with hauntingly captivating passages of dark folk leaning instrumentation and shimmering post-metal crescendos braided amid the vividly cathartic blackened hardcore eruptions. A finely executed balancing act in harnessing the delicate and the discordant in tensile harmony.
From the sombrely strummed introduction to the title track opener, Habak are in confidently expansive form. Songs are allowed the breathing room to fully unfurl, without compromising the seething intensity that has always defined their music. The band weave together harrowing vocals, spoken word, and sampled interludes to mesmerising effect. Their sweeping force is, perhaps, best captured as the instrumental opener to side two, En La Tempstad (In The Tempest), clears the mind after the roiling ferocity of Alienación Y Delirio (Alienation And Delirium). It then feeds into the uplifting Notas Sobre El Ovido (Notes On Oblivion), with its flares of beautifully whispered clean singing, which in turn seeps into the melancholic fury of Hacia El Abismo (Into The Abyss).
Lyrically, the band return to the spectral imagery of an ever-expanding desert, first evoked on their 2023 split with Làgrimas, to capture the all-pervasive impact of neoliberal economics on society. Dessaraigo (Uprooted) explores how this rationality has come to saturate society’s mode of thinking (‘Not only people die, words and ideas also perish’). Meanwhile, Alienación Y Delirio tackles the relentless commodification of existence (‘We steal our own lives’) and Hacia El Abismo examines how a sense of perpetual crisis is fermented to reinforce the feeling that there is no alternative and to justify an ever more pronounced authoritarian turn (‘A collapse that seems to have no end’).
Notas Sobre El Ovido sees the band draw on the thinking of the Chilean writer, Roberto Bolaño, to examine how to create the space to cultivate fulfilling communities and to live for the moment rather than waiting for a utopia that may never arrive. As the closing track, Dejemos Hablar Al Viento, makes clear, this is not to accept to defeat, but to suggest that such resistance serves to both keep us human as well as to corrode the very strictures that bind us.
‘Another four year sentence, Soaked up and neutralised, Purged of all hope, Snared for the sacrifice’ (Crucifixion)
Tramadol return with a new four-track 7-inch and follow up to 2021’s Demo. Every aspect of this EP sounds simply massive and is delivered with a sledgehammer intensity. The fierce waves of metallic-edged riffage and a ferocious rhythm section coalesce to unleash an unrelenting onslaught. Meanwhile, the urgent, burly vocals explore our hollowed-out democracy, the self-serving myth of the rules-based order, and our struggle to escape an economic system that feeds off division and the scapegoating of the already marginalised.
The Leeds band kick off proceedings with the rampaging Crucifixion that bleeds into the swaggering bass line and shrieking feedback that herald the arrival of the bruising Easy Targets. The surging flip side opener, Calculated Slaughter, is bookended with brightly squalling solos, before the galloping vehemence of Lucid Dream brings matters to a suitably crushing climax. All of which is rounded off with some absolutely stunning artwork courtesy of vocalist, Thomas Wade.
‘Vandrande lik, Ett land i psykos, Religion och politik, I perfect symbios’ (Masspsykos) / ‘Walking Corpse, A country in psychosis, Religion and politics, In perfect symbiosis’ (Mass Psychosis)
The story of Stockholm’s Mob 47 is an intriguing one. The band released their debut 7-inch, Kärnvapen Attack (Nuclear Attack), in 1984, and it soon became one of the touchstone releases of Swedish mangel, fusing blistering d-beat with thrashier hardcore inspirations. The band’s second EP, Dom Ljuger Igen (They’re Lying Again), didn’t appear until 2008, shortly the band had played their first overseas dates in England the year prior. Things then went rather quiet again, until now, as the band release their debut album, Tills Du Dör (Until You Die).
Now it would be easy for a band to collapse under the expectations of a legacy that has evolved in their absence. But, if they did feel any additional pressure, it doesn’t show. The fundamentals of their sound – lacerating speed, thrashing fury – remain wholly untamed as witnessed by 16 tracks in just 20 minutes. It is, however, now unleashed with the benefit of a lifetime’s musicianship, which ensures that these attributes hit home with a power that serves to amplify, rather than dilute, the band’s intrinsic rawness. A velocity embodied by the likes of På Ditt Sät (Your Way), Den Enes Bröd (The One Bread), and Grisar I Kostym (Pigs In Costume).
The band’s political convictions remain similarly front and centre. Their fierce tirades against entrenched economic inequality (Den Enes Bröd), environmental catastrophe (Moder Jord / Mother Earth), and organised religion (Religös Farsot / Religious Plague) fuel the bristling intensity. There are also clear nods to life’s changing circumstances, arising from the often stark realisations of growing older (Ut Med Det Gamla / Out With The Old) and the bleak realities of living on Putin’s doorstep (Pest Eller Kolera / Plague Or Cholera).
‘Stamping the boot and twisting the knives, making decisions that subdue our lives, their presence of death, is the essence of life’ (Essence Of Life)
Hailing from Edmonton, Languid return with their fourth full-length and a follow-up to 2021’s A Paranoid Wretch In Society’s Games. They continue to hone a sound deeply rooted in the traditions of Swedish d-beat. This is not music propelled by dramatic shifts in tempo, but rather a relentless groove, one that is unerringly just the faster side of mid-paced. The emphasis is very much on giving the riffs the opportunity to build their unforgiving momentum, the bass lines to strut their swagger, and the solos to spiral with reckless abandon.
Meanwhile, the gruffly growled vocals lock into an uncompromising partnership with the charging d-beat of the drums as they denounce a system rigged to mercilessly exploit the many for the few, while driving the planet to the verge of extinction in the process. This riff fuelled blend is particularly compelling on the ferociously fluid Death Comes Knocking and the remorseless Doomed, before the raucous climax of the title track.
Antique Weathervanes And An Ecstatic Hydra
To Us, The Beautiful by Franz Nicolay and Document #8 by pageninetynine
Great shows can, of course, take many forms. And this was driven home with striking clarity this week, when I had the good fortune of catching Franz Nicolay and pageninetynine on consecutive evenings. The former an acoustic solo artist, the other a nine-member collective that is literally a byword for chaotic sonic violence.
It was on Monday night that I popped along to catch the folk-punk of Franz Nicolay at Signature Brew in Haggerston. Having had to miss his last London show a couple of years back, it was great to have the chance to see him again so soon. With no new album in tow, we were treated to a wide-ranging show, including a couple of thoroughly enticing new tracks. With just an acoustic guitar or accordion to call upon, all of the songs took on a sharper character than the lusher instrumentation of his albums, with a stirring reprise of Frankie Stubbs’ Tears from 2012’s Do The Struggle a particular highlight.
I have nothing but admiration for anyone who is willing to get on a stage, and to do it as a solo artist takes a particularly masochistic streak. This is something that Franz explores in his highly recommended tour memoir, The Humourless Ladies Of Border Control. Yet despite the fear that must be coursing through his veins, he is a warmly engaging stage presence throughout, with tales of antique weathervane thievery and the manifold pitfalls of guitar hire in Dublin. All of which ensures that smiles are rarely far from everyone’s lips But, perhaps, my biggest takeaway from the evening was just how difficult the accordion must be to master – the equivalent of playing three different instruments simultaneously, while grappling with a large tortoise. As I say, not easy at all.
Franz Nicolay at Signature Brew on Monday 14th April
Things took on a rather gnarlier dynamic the following evening, with pageninetynine at the Scala. Shows of this scale rarely appeal these days – the security, the eye-watering beer prices, the heresy of crowd barriers – leave me more than a touch cold. But I’m glad that the strength of the line-up overcame my initial reluctance.
I had only ever ventured to the Scala a couple of times over a decade ago, but little has changed. A hugely imposing building that looms near Kings Cross station, it feels oddly proportioned once your inside – all height, little depth. I’ve had the pleasure of catching the swaggering brutality of openers Moloch a few times over the years, but it was my first time seeing Thou, who delivered a fiercely groove-laden battery, propelled by an absolute beast of a drumming display. Though I must admit that I have rarely encountered a band as comfortable with a contemplative in-between song silence – no crashing immediately into the next song nor idle chatter entertained here.
pageninetynine then arrived with a full complement of nine members: twin vocalists – one all wild-eyed, sinewy hyperactivity, the other roaring bearded avuncularity – four guitarists, two bassists, and drummer. The convulsing bodies on stage conjured images of an ecstatic hydra lost in a particularly fevered feeding frenzy and were mirrored by a frenetically seething pit throughout. That they unleashed such convulsing chaos was to be expected, but when the band locked in together, there were passages that took on an unexpectedly hypnotic, euphorically charged edge. A searing, utterly mesmerising rendition of The Hollowed Out Chest Of A Dead Horse embodied this perfectly.
After such a visceral performance, brimming with a wonderfully unbridled positivity, it was hugely unfortunate to see it end on a sour note. As they returned to the stage for a final song, a genuinely harrowing scream filled the auditorium, and it emerged that a female member of the audience had been assaulted. To their credit, the band swiftly responded and ensured that she received the support that she needed, before rightly calling proceedings to a close. A rather depressing end to an otherwise great evening.
So, two very different, yet equally rewarding shows. And both reminded us of the basic humanity and decency at the heart of hardcore punk, even in the face of the most cowardly malicousness.
pageninetynine at the Scala on Tuesday 15th April
Shows And Tours
Public Acid play New River Studios on Sunday 25th May
This section lays no claims to being a definitive listing! It is simply gigs coming up in London that catch my eye and that I think people who read this newsletter might be interested in. I will always try and highlight where a show forms part of a wider UK tour.
April
18th Cowboy Hunters, Eelmen, Zeropolis (New River Studios)
18th Shelter, Dynamite, No Relief (The Underworld)
19th Disaffect, Haavat, Leashed, Catastrophe (New Cross Inn)
19th Sunday School Weekender featuring, Belgrado, Sanctuary Of Praise, Traidora, Lash (New River Studios)
20th Sunday School Weekender Operant, Beau Wanzer, The Shits, Urin, Brood x Cycles, Hellish Torment, Skintern, and Spine Portal (New River Studios)
20th Comeback Kid, Shooting Daggers, Last Wishes (The Dome)
21st Chat Pile plus support (Heaven / UK Tour)
23rd Blind Girls, Stress Positions, As Living Arrows, I’m Sorry Emil (Moor Beer Vaults / UK Tour)
24th Great Falls, Glassing, Helpless (The Black Heart)
25th Final Dose, Läbrys, Ekstasis (Helgi’s)
May
3rd Condor, Tramadol, Hitmen, The Dogs (The Shacklewell Arms)
6th Blow Your Brains Out, T.S. Warspite, Always Watching, Hellscape (The Grace)
7th Agnostic Front, Crown Court plus more (The Underworld)
14th Muro, Second Death, Secrecy(New River Studios / UK tour)
17th Boom Boom Kid, Traidora, plus more (The Shacklewell Arms / UK Tour)
19th Time Heist, Uncertainty, Equals What? (New Cross Inn / UK Tour)
20th Whores, Help, Ritual Error (New Cross Inn)
21st Indikator B, Koridor, Es, Hellscape (New River Studios / UK Tour)
25th Public Acid, Tramadol, Stingray, Traidora (New River Studios / UK Tour)
25th Onelinedrawing, Secondary Education (The Waiting Room / UK Tour)
30th Lawful Killing, Imposter, Frisk, Last Orders, Scab (New River Studios)
31st Shove plus support (The Old Blue Last / UK Tour)
31st Feral State, Regimes, Do One, Vile Rapture (New River Studios)
June
3rd Ultras, Xiao, Grandad, Aku, This Hurts (New Cross Inn)
9th Moral Bombing, Blossom Decay, Diall (Blondies / UK Tour)
14th P.A.I.N, Hiatus, Zero Again, Instant Ruin, Ancient Lights (New Cross Inn)
16th Alien Nosejob, Middleman, Fatberg (New Cross Inn / UK Tour)
17th Contention, Long Goodbye, Hour Of Reprisal (New Cross Inn)
18th Iron Lung, Bad Breeding, Frisk, Total Con, Casing (New River Studios)
18th Terror, Jivebomb, No Relief (New Cross Inn)
19th Cicada, Necron 9, Total Nada plus more (New River Studios / UK Tour)
22nd Fuckin’ Lovers, Hez plus more (New River Studios / UK Tour)
July
3rd Quiet Fear, Wreathe , Death Of Youth (Paper Dress Vintage)
3rd Destiny Bond, Big Laugh, Flesh Creep, Closed Hands (New Cross Inn / UK Tour)
4th Fentanyl, Kute, Do One, Unreal Cruelty (New Cross Inn)
5th All Out War plus support (New Cross Inn)
7th Stick To Your Guns, Love Letter plus more (Downstairs At The Dome / UK Tour)
7th Xibalba, Extinguish, Mutagenic Host (New Cross Inn)
7th /8th The Messthetics & Brandon Lewis (Cafe Oto)
8th Terminal Sleep, Spaced, Still In Love (New Cross Inn)
October
30th Godflesh plus support (Scala)
November
3rd City Of Caterpillar, Incaseyouleave plus more (New Cross Inn / UK Tour)
Coming Soon
For Progress… by Ultimate Disaster
24th April
Bondage ‘El Fin! El Demo’ 7-inch (Discos Enfermos)
EVA ‘II’ 7-inch (Andalucia Űber Alles)
Oust ‘Rather Be A Fuck Up’ 12-inch (Discos Enfermos)
Proteststorm ‘Den Typ Som Överlever’ 12-inch (Fight For Your Mind)
Ultimate Disaster ‘From Progress…’ 12-inch (Kick Rock)
30th April
Artificial Go ‘Hopscotch Fever’ 12-inch (Feel It / Restock)
Earth Ball ‘Actual Earth Music: Volume 1 & 2’ 12-inch (Upset The Rhythm)
Gentle Leader XIV ‘Joke In The Shadow’ 12-inch (Feel It)
Motorbike ‘Kick It Over’ 12-inch (Feel It)
Private Lives ‘Salt Of The Earth’ 12-inch (Feel It)
Sweeping Promises ‘Hunger For A Way Out’ 12-inch (Feel It)
May
Axon ‘Axon’ 7-inch (Not For The weak)
Cicada ‘Wicked Dream’ 7-inch (Unlawful Assembly)
Cinder Well ‘Cinder Well’ 12-inch (Contraszt)
Destruxion America ‘Self-Titled’ 12-inch (Unlawful Assembly)
Fugitive Bubble ‘What Happens If We Stop’ 12-inch (Sorry State)
Grand Scheme ‘Grand Scheme’ 7-inch (11PM)
Headsplitter ‘Curse Of Life’ 12-inch (Toxic State)
Innuendo ‘Peace And Love’ 12-inch (Unlawful Assembly)
Iron Lung ‘Adapting // Crawling’ 12-inch (Iron Lung)
Kaleidoscope ‘Cities Of Fear’ 12-inch (La Vida Es Un Mus)
Mother Nature ‘Loving, Joyful And Free’ 12-inch (Static Shock)
Mutated Void ‘Tarnished’ 7-inch (Unlawful Assembly)
Necron 9 ‘People Die’ 12-inch (Unlawful Assembly)
Nisemono ‘Nisemono’ 12-inch (Toxic State)
Plasma ‘Mua Et Voi Omistaa’ 12-inch (Sorry State)
Shatter ‘Deny The Future’ 7-inch (Desolate)
Stress Positions ‘Human Zoo’ 12-inch (Three One G)
Svffer ‘Eternity Moment’ 12-inch (Contraszt)
Tàrega 91 ‘Ckaos Total’ 12-inch (La Vida Es Un Mus)
Xiao ‘Control’ 12-inch (Twelve Gauge)
