The Asian Take on Oi

Some months ago, Jan (Shuffle Union vox, certified Pauline Black fan, certified doting momma) gave me a copy of "Skinhead! It's An Asian League", a compilation of Oi compositions of bands from various countries in Asia. This collection is a recent release of Japan's Bronze Fist Records which has been in existence since the mid-90s and is still going strong. Included in the album is The Mighty Contras, the lone band to represent the Philippines.

I would not really want to delve into the technicalities of the definition of Oi in this post. I am quite sure some quarters will be asking, what is real oi anyway? Corollary questions, mostly unpleasant, are bound to ensue. So, no, I would rather that you guys do your own research. Suffice to say that as far as the sound is concerned, I am aware that Japan produces great Oi tunes this side of the world. Apparently, Bronze Fist would like to show us something else: that the rest of the Asian nations can do Oi as well.

The guys may be right, after all. Which is why I decided to mix some cuts from the compi for your consumption. The playlist is as follows:

1. BOOTED COCKS (Osaka, Japan) - The Age
2. THE END (Jakarta, Indonesia) - Skinhead Pride
3. THE MIGHTY CONTRAS (Manila, Philippines) - Skinheads On A Rampage
4. HAIRCUTS (Bandung, Indonesia) - Merdika
5. THE RUCTION (Singapore) - Rage & Anger

(Intro is snatched from The Chronicles Of Sarnia off Final Fantasy)

Where can you guys get a copy of the album? You can probably get in touch with the boys of The Mighty Contras in their MySpace site here. better yet, go get in touch with Bronze Fist Records. I must say, commendable effort. ^^ Go get your copies and find out for yourselves.

*****

Has the erratic weather rubbed on you? You people take care of yourselves and of your health. Be happy, be safe. See you around, folkies.

From The Gathering Of Friends

June 27. Saturday. Leprechaun Bar. A Gathering Of Friends. Below is a gathering of (my) thoughts. Want Guinness? Heard one say. Yes, get me one, says another. Oh, hi! Hey! Haven't seen you in ages! Uy, pare. Coffee Break Island came first. Good set as usual. Gotta rush to Xavierville. Francis in Samar. Pink Cow just as jolly and quirky. A lot of personality. Loads of nice T-shirts. I like Spyk's. "The Loudest and Fastest Hour On Radio." Blast from the past, nearly made me cry...(old school, new school, out-of-school punk, and everything in between...aawww!) Bad Omen next. Veteran punks. Very much deserving of a place in the Pinoy Punk firmament. Segued into two Music Front songs, then segued further into Tsunami Tsunami set. Was distracted, a very very good friend was downstairs. (He said Dave Dictor is a good man, and I believed him, because I know that for a fact, and I am not effing kidding. My friend's stories very much worth my attention.) AMPON next. Almost missed them and almost bashed my head for this. Pity that someone had to say "We've been invaded by hiphop"... as far as I know, AMPON is fantastic! [Sorry dude-who-said-we've-been-invaded, we're into this for the music above everything else, so eff it.] Shuffle Union. Buy their cool CD. Seriously, and objectively. You know how, yes? The Mighty Contras. Adorable Ahmad. Want to see more of them. Drove home and nearly ran over a cat. Driving = steep learning curve. Sunday, past 3 o'clock in the morning. Good morning world ... tell it to me once again what Antoine de St Exupery said.

"On ne voit bien qu'avec le coeur, l'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux."

Mr. Antoine, you are very dear to me ... situated beside this beautiful quote of yours, all other words are empty bullet shells .... Thank you friends for your presence, and for remembering a very good man.

Thank you Jan for the Tsunami photo.

Scene Report: Sound Off!, February 20, 9 Mile

For our first "guest" article, here is a report of last Friday's gig courtesy of Jan of Shuffle Union. She also provided us with some photographs. Hana has tipped us off with her own set of pictures which she uploaded in her Multiply account; two of these pics appear in this post. Also, do check out Hana's album of pictures of the Louie Louie gig here. Thanks to Jan and Hana for their inputs.

Aside from articles, you may also contribute mixtapes and playlists, too. Just send them in mp3 format to trashradiomanila[at]gmail[dot]com or hand over a cd copy. Snail mail will do, too: P.O. Box 2999, Quezon City, Philippines. Ok, I'm done, you people now read on.

SOUND OFF!
by Jan Bautista
Photos courtesy of Jan and Hana

The night was inexplicably hot and humid, and with the season being indistinct of late, it was a sure sign that summer has finally arrived. Still, this did not stop people from trooping over to 9mile Bar in Kalayaan Avenue last Friday for SOUND OFF. Featuring bands from the ClubSka Manila scene of old, “Sound Off” was an effort to simply gather bands, play music, and have fun. This explains why, once inside, we noticed that most of the people and the bands themselves knew each other. Inside, a small crowd has gathered, chugging beers and mopping off sweat by the bucketful. It was the usual mixture of casuals, skinheads, and rudies as well as a few brave souls who dared go out that night.

First up was Rocket Punch who did a fantastic set of skinhead reggae covers. From being a 3rd wave ska act, these guys have undergone transformations and line-up changes, eventually settling into the heavier groove of early reggae. As always, this reviewer enjoyed their bass-heavy set.

Next up, delivering something from the other end of the skinhead musical spectrum was The Mighty Contras, promising to bring back the attitude that has brought them some degree of fame or infamy, depending on who you are talking to. Despite the line-up change, the in-your-face attitude has remained, as they played a blistering set of covers and originals.

Touted as the next best band to have come out of the local ska scene, the lads of SteadyMovinBeat next took to the stage dishing out 2Tone gems. Don’t let their boyish demeanor trick you into thinking they cannot play well because they are technically good. Their first attempt on an original demo was quite decent. In fact, I look forward to more original songs from these guys.

Last but not least, Shuffle Union played their set of covers and originals, with their “crowd sing-a-long” version of “Dance With Me” ending the night with heavily sweating (and heavily drunk?) attendees, enjoying music and the company of friends.

Frozen moment: Rocket Punch, Steady Movin' Beat, Contras, Shuffle Union