I was first tipped to Tokyo’s Crunk via No Echo’s analog to the East. As essential a read as any, Unite Asia is forever boosting the bottomless well of talent composing the Asian extreme music community and, to speak plainly, they never miss.
Dropped on anxious listeners nearly a year to the day after their opening gambit “Demo 01” comes their easily catalogued 2022 banger, Demo 02. The superlative four track set saw recent release courtesy of Japanese label and mainstay Break the Records. Sporting a killer current stable of artists like personal faves Mustang and Crude, their long running discography boasts some gems for the committed virtual crate digger.
Further recs are the long lost LP by Half Years and the essential three-way split, Croon A Lullaby. Lest I spend the day burying you in superlatives, take their veritable goldmine as quality assurance.
Though there’s scant info to be found online, I’m stoked to give these elusive bruisers the featured No Echo treatment. As if to prove the words “crunk” and “core” are deserving of sharing space, the band wastes no time ushering in their violent sound.
They snap instantly into opener “Rebuild” on a vicious and hollow snare drum pilfered from Snapcase’s practice space:
The intro points at a subtle groove lifted from early NYHC before vocalist Yuka unleashes a harrowing pierce as blood curdling as it is commanding.
The band employs what’s essentially an all-go/no slow sonic mission statement that’s as indebted to '80s US hardcore as it is to Japan’s equally lauded hardcore legacy. While it’s seemingly centered around a relentless lyricist spitting such venom, the band plays circles around last year’s output.
Forever stoked to hear a full level up, Crunk has done just that. Everything is given a sharpened and treble-heavy attack that eventually abates a touch. The last 10 seconds or so ride out on a mid-paced two step. This shit rules.
Hardcore is everywhere. Expand your family. Crunk Core forever.
Tagged: crunk
