芸能山城組 Geinō Yamashirogumi - 恐山／銅之剣舞 Osorezan / Dou No Kenbai (1976)

The aftermath of the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami has been simultaneously excruciating and inspiring to witness. With disasters of this magnitude there is so much tragedy, and so much heroism. I've been undoubtedly feeling that "Japanese Blues" mental state so eloquently described by NØ.

When Zer0_II asked for a post out of respect for Japan and their current struggle, I immediately thought of this album. This is not the first time Geinō Yamashirogumi has made an appearance @ DM. Zer0_II posted their marvelous score for Akira in August of last year. Osorezan (Mountain of Fear) / Dou No Kenbai (Copper Sword Dance) was released in 1976 as two LP sidelong tracks of mega-intensity. This album is a startling and beautiful demonstration of the creative possibilities of a collective. The experimental atmospherics, vocal freak-outs, and prog/space rock crossed with world folk thing has been executed many times, but in my opinion this album, as with all work by Geinō Yamashirogumi, stands as an incomparable experience. Every time I listen to this recording all the way through, I feel completely cleansed and reinvigorated.

Year of Original Release: 1976
Year of Reissue: 1994
Label: Victor Japan
Catalog #: VICL-23084
Genre: Experimental, World Fusion, World Music
Media: CD
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 320 kbps

Track List:
1. 恐山 (20:00)
2. 銅之剣舞 (18:47)

Download: Geinō Yamashirogumi - 恐山／銅之剣舞 Osorezan / Dou No Kenbai
Download Size: 87 MB

World's End Girlfriend - Dream's End Come True (2002 - 320kbps)

I would like to express my deepest sympathy to the people of Japan during this very difficult time for their nation. I wanted to dedicate a post to Japan the day after the earthquake and tsunami struck. However, I have found it rather difficult to put my thoughts and feelings into words the day after the disaster, and didn't have enough free time at my disposal in the days that followed to be able to dedicate a post until now.

I was up watching Al Jazeera Live late at night when the news broke that an earthquake had struck off the coast of Japan. Although a tsunami warning was issued, I didn't expect one to form. The earthquake was first described as only being a 7.8, in contrast to the upgraded 9.0 it would eventually be categorized as. A few minutes later I watched in disbelief and horror as the massive debris-filled wave destroyed everything in its path - images which I'm sure have been burned into the minds of all who watched the widely circulated footage. My first thought was of how the destruction I was witnessing was undoubtedly occurring all along Japan's coastline, and would result in a massive loss of life.

I know what it is like to lose everything and be forced to start your life completely from scratch, although my past circumstances do not begin to compare with the loss that many people are experiencing in Japan. With that in mind, the disaster in Japan affected me in a way which I never would have imagined. I feel a great deal of empathy and sympathy for the millions in Japan who have been directly and indirectly affected by this disaster. I can't even begin to imagine witnessing such a horrifyingly surreal monstrosity swallow up everything you hold near and dear to you in person, and what it must be like to attempt to pick up the pieces after you have lost everything in such a horrifying manner. It has been difficult enough to experience vicariously. To make matters worse, the rescue efforts have been hampered by countless aftershocks, a blizzard, and the ongoing nuclear crisis, thus extinguishing the possibility of being rescued for many.

As difficult as it was for me to find the words required to express my sympathy, it was even more difficult to select which album would be the most appropriate for the situation. In the end, I decided that this album by World's End Girlfriend best captured the complex range of thoughts and emotions presented by this series of disasters. World's End Girlfriend is actually the solo project of Katsuhiko Maeda, a mysterious Japanese artist who combines neoclassical elements with experimental electronic sounds. "Dream's End Come True" was the third full length album released by World's End Girlfriend, and marks a transition toward more dark and experimental music for Maeda. The dark synths and dissonant, chaotic electronic glitches remind me of the horror and confusion that no doubt invaded the minds of the Japanese people when the earthquake and tsunami decimated a great deal of the East Coast of Japan.

However, the album is not without its lighter moments, and features beautiful string movements and piano melodies throughout, which reminds me of the hope I feel for the future of Japan. Like the mythical Phoenix, Japan has risen from the ashes of destruction once before, and I have no doubt that the Japanese people have the willpower and resolve to do so again. The songs are lengthy, with each one clocking in at more than eight minutes in length, culminating in the 25 minute epic, "Imperfect Love Song," which closes out the album in dramatic fashion.

I want to close this post out by saying that I would like to extend my deepest condolences to everyone who has experienced loss of any type due to this tragic disaster. I wish the Japanese people the best of luck in the near future and far beyond.

Year of Release: 2002
Label: Midi Creative/Noble
Catalog # CXCA-1118
Genres: Experimental, Avant-Garde, Post-Rock
Bitrate: 320kbps

Tracklist:
1. Singing Under The Rainbow
2. Caroling Hellwalker
3. All Imperfect Love Song
4. Wonderland Falling Tomorrow

Download: World's End Girlfriend - Dream's End Come True
Download Size: 99MB

虚装束 Karasyozoku - Mischievous Sigyn 1923 cassette (2008 - 320Kbps)

On September 1, 1923, the great Kantō earthquake (関 東 大 震 災), struck the Kantō plain on the Japanese main island of Honshū. First hand accounts reported the duration of the earthquake at between 4 & 10 minutes, believed to be 7.9 on the Richter scale. The power & intensity managed to move a 121 ton statue of Buddha almost two feet. An estimated 100,000 to 140,000 people lost their lives. In present day Japan, September 1 is Disaster Prevention Day. Schools, & both public & private organizations host disaster drills. Because of these practices, the Japanese people were more prepared than most populations for the current disaster.

Karasyozoku’s debut release, Mischievous Sigyn 1923 is based on this natural disaster as well as the political & social events that accompanied it. This is the second release from Lust Vessel in the new wave of Japanese noise. It is a mixture of terrifying heavy electronics, de-constructed organ, tortured female vocals mixed with various field recordings. It has elements of Musique Concrète & old school industrial. It could easily be the horrifying soundtrack of past or current events in Japan. Not for the squeamish.

Karasyozoku is made up of three members: Dr. Torikabuto; Kichi; & Annoying Labia. All tracks were recorded & mixed late 2007 at Sacred Lust Studio. It was released on cassette with a A5 sized 14 page booklet with photos & lyrics, limited to 150 copies, currently out of print.

Year of Release: 2008
Label: Lust Vessel LV#002
Genre: J-noise, Industrial, Musique Concrete

Tracklist:
Side A -
Sigyn Turned the Basin Over Her Husband at Last
Strayers Seek Crowd, Even Though They Don't Have the Reason
Balm from the Crucible of Corpses
Side B -
Fact is More Horrible than Drama
To Be or Not to Be; Criminals as Existence
Die Todesfalle und die Dirnen

Download: Karasyozoku - Mischievous Sigyn 1923 cassette
Download Size: 113MB

三上 寛 Mikami Kan - BANG! (1980 - 320Kbps)

As the earthquake, tsunami, & nuclear disaster in Japan unfolds, we cannot help but feeling overwhelmed as we learn of the increasing death & injury toll, as we see the tremendous destruction. We have never before witnessed the magnitude of events taking place in Japan.

In the coming days & weeks, the Japanese people as well as many others of us around the world will be experiencing intense psychological feelings; extreme anxiety; depression; insomnia; bad dreams; flashbacks of the past horrible events; helplessness; numbing detachment; feelings of unreality; depersonalization; dissociative amnesia where a person can’t recall important aspects of the trauma; & tendencies to avoid anything or any thoughts to do with the trauma.

In other words, everybody will have the Japanese Blues.

The Blues may not be native to Japan, but there is one artist in Japan at the very fore-front of what he himself has named 'Japanese Blues'. That is the legendary 三上 寛 Mikami Kan. Mikami is a guitarist, singer & songwriter, a fixture in the Tokyo musickal underground, the master of twisted Enka Blues, Japan’s king of the surrealist aside & situationist duckwalk. Kan has been around for over four decades, playing his solo material in Tokyo live musick houses regularly. He is a mainstay of the Japanese countercultural underground, having over time worked with everyone from Shuji Terayama & his Tenjo Sajiki theatrical troupe to leading lights of the PSF Records Japanese noise psych camp via his work in Vajra with Haino Keiji & Ishizuka Toshi or the Haino/Mikami/Yoshizawa trio.

When Mikami arrived in Tokyo in 1968 he was overwhelmed with the feeling of violence in modern life as a result of American intervention in Japan. So, harnessing that universal emotion, a whole new species of Blues was born. The Japanese Blues... the 'Mikami mojo'. A unifying thread of violent emotion runs through all of Mikami's recordings. It's a thread composed of brutality tempered with tenderness, angst with empathy. It's a harsh yet graceful sonic melee sung in Mikami's singular silken rasp. Perhaps the most striking of Mikami's muses is his use of anger in a powerful homegrown blend of rustic wisdom & urban cynicism.

Most people associate the blues with depressing lyrics about loss or loneliness, but that’s not completely accurate. As the famous Bluesman Willie Dixon explains, "It's got to be a fact or it wouldn't be Blues." The Blues is about life, the good parts & the bad parts, but the Blues has always been a musick of hope & healing. It reflects humanity’s power to overcome adversity & empathize with others. Here’s hoping that Mikami Kan’s surrealist take on the Blues will ring a unifying note in these surreal days.

Year of Release: 1980
Label: Sound Marketing System SM20-4144
Genre: Japanese Blues, Folk Rock, Free Jazz

Tracklist:

Side A:
このレコードを私に下さい (wo watashi ni kudasai)
逢えてよかった (aete yokatta)
華麗なる絶望 (kareinaru zetubou)
BANG!

Side B:
密漁の夜 (mitsuryou no yoru)
なんてひどい唄なんだ (nante hidoi uta nanda)
赤い馬 (akai uma)
最後の最後の最後のサンバ (saigo no saigo no saigo no sanba)

Download: Mikami Kan - BANG!
Download Size: 109.91MB

Friction - Atsureki (1980 - 320kbps)

Following the events in Japan over the course of this past week has been distressing. How the situation has been handled by mainstream US media has been a complete failure. I would like to present two facts: a nuclear meltdown to the likes of Chernobyl is not eminent and not all of Japan was hit by the tsunami. Mostly the north east coastline, Sendai region, and some parts of the south eastern coastline was hit. While the companies get the nuclear situation under control, the average Japanese in those regions face loss of: heat, electricity, food, personal belongings, loved ones, and in some cases shelter. Although the entire nation was not hit, the coastlines were populated enough to raise the estimate of dead and missing individuals to 12,000 since the previous estimate of 4,000 some days ago.

Personally, the figure does not matter since I believe that the loss of life on any scale should always be mourned in some fashion. With that, I would like to extend my condolences to the survivors and anyone else affected by this disaster. After posting Enos, I was toying with the idea of at least making a mention of events overseas but what pushed me was a request Zero sent us [the other contributors] asking if we could post something from Japan. My words may not mean much right now and I am pretty broke so the best that I can do is share a great rock classic from Japan with you all today.

Shortly after getting into punk music in general, I stumbled upon the beauty that is no wave. The band that stood out most for me was Teenage Jesus and The Jerks. Their music and Lydia Lunch were equally captivating in their audacity and creativity. So I was pleased to learn that their bassist, Reck, reinvented his old band with Chico Hige once he returned to Japan after their time in New York.

Friction originally formed under the name Circle Triangle Square in 1971 then 3/3 in the mid-70's. This band is considered to be one of the pioneers of alternative rock in Japan. More information:

Originally formed in 1971 as an avant-garde music group by bassist Reck, saxophonist Chico Hige, and drummer Sakuro Watanabe in Tokyo, Japan. They changed the bands name to 3/3 in the mid 70s, and Reck and Chico later moved to the United States, where they would join the band Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, and later became the original founding members of James Chance and the Contortions before returning back to Japan.

Renaming 3/3 to form Friction, they recruited guitarist Tsunematsu Masatoshi, who had studied art at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts & Music. They released a live album and single in 1979, and their first studio album, Atsureki ((軋轢, meaning 'friction' in Japanese) in 1980, produced by Ryuichi Sakamoto.

-From their wiki page.

Today I will be focusing on their 1980 release, Atsureki. This album is amazingly complex. It has a very classic punk feel to it that strongly reminds me of Dead Kennedys, Sex Pistols and X. But then you get certain intervals in songs that are distinctly more inharmonious than the already very dirty rock being played. The track “Big-S” is a great example of this. All throught this song is a crazy guitar riff that sounds like someone sliding an object along the strings. About 1:35 minutes into it, the misanthropic guitar riff gets it's own solo with stable rock beats being played on the drums and some very audible bass in the background. Which brings me to how audible the bass is in the entire album as is the saxophone. The former I appreciate and the latter I appreciate only in this album (I normally can not stand saxophones). The saxophone is excellently presented in the most sleazy fashion in “Cycle Dance” and “Out.” By the way, this is a very addictive album. You have been warned.

Year of Release: 1980
Label: Vivid Sound
Genre: Punk/Noise Rock
Media: CD
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 320 kbps

Track List:
1. A-Gas
2. Automatic-Fru
3. I Can Tell
4. 1000 Years
5. Crazy Dream
6. Cycle Dance
7. Cool Fool
8. No Thrill
9. Big-S
10. Out

Download: Friction - Atsureki
Download Size: 93.12 mb

Ananda Shankar - Ananda Shankar (1970 - 320kbps)

Update: Re-upped as requested on March 16, 2011

Ananda Shankar, nephew of world-famous sitar player, Ravi Shankar, never quite matched the success of his uncle, but made a significant impact in the '70s psychedelic underground scene by combining Western electronics and Indian music to create instrumental jams and moody soundtracks.The son of famous classical dancers caught the show-biz bug in the late '60s and traveled to Los Angeles, where he played with rock musicians (including Jimi Hendrix) at the pinnacle of the psychedelic movement. At age 27, he signed a deal with Reprise Records who released this debut self-titled album; a fusion cult classic that combined Hindustani music with psychedelic.

The opener, the sitar- and Moog-soaked take on "Jumpin' Jack Flash," is performed perfectly, with every choice accent milked for maximum drama. Once the novelty of sitar-dosed covers of your favorite songs wears off, you really begin to notice how excellent the performances are on this record. Ananda Shankar manages to bridge the gap between kitsch and fine art on these tracks, from the opener all the way to the cover of "Light My Fire." One minute he is playing simple notes like it was taking the place of a guitar, at other times utilizing the full reign of the sitar's sound possibilities. The originals on the album follow an equally impressive path. The dreamy, hazy bliss of tracks like "Snow Flower" and "Mamata" is both meditative and slinky -- light melodies with twisted atmospherics and tweaked Moogs. The drum breaks in the gurgling "Metamorphosis" are worth the price of the album alone. For the most part, the album rarely strays from the East-meets-West formula, with the Eastern rhythms getting the short shrift and the focus relying on Western funk and pop styles getting an Eastern makeover. This specific track guides the listener through a space/water odyssey over the course of 13 minutes. It's a slow build that gains momentum as the music progresses and flashes of acoustic guitar help the rhythm along. The final track is a great mixture of folk guitars that takes the focus away from the sitar for once, instead incorporating vocals and a chorus that manages to lock into a repeated chant that is the unexpected highlight of the album. - Allmusic

Year of Release: 1970
Label: Reprise
Genre: Psychedelic, World Fusion
Bitrate: 320kbps

Track List:
1. Jumpin' Jack Flash
2. Snow Flower
3. Light My Fire
4. Mamata (Affection)
5. Metamorphosis
6. Sagar (The Ocean)
7. Dance Indra
8. Raghupati

Download: Ananda Shankar - Ananda Shankar
Download Size: 216MB

Enos - Chapter 1 (2010 - 320kbps)

Enos, hailing from the UK, is one of the more fun discoveries that I made last year while running a stoner music page on Facebook. Their sound is a mix of space rock and stoner metal which is an almost seemless blend. The production on their album, "Chapter 1," is beautifully done. Every instrument has it's chance to shine, including vocal work. The band regularly does shows and promotions with comrades from the stoner underground scene in the UK like Dopefight and Funeralhag (also favorites of mine).

Never an easy task to describe the sound of music but, I will say that their music is very laid back. It's still aggressive enough to be in the metal family, but very classic '80s in some guitar riffs and drum beats. Bass' presence is strong, of course, and the distorted second guitar gives spacey sound effects in the background throughout the songs. The distortion isn't as overly done as what enters people's minds when they read the word "space." Very atmospheric and it reminds me personally of some of the effects on the X-Files soundtrack. The vocal work on this album is wonderfully dirty and complements the music well. Should also be noted that some well-timed sound samples play muddled in the background that stay true to this album's theme. Overall, awesome music with a great groove to it.

My favorite track is "Back to Earth" with "Floating" riding on it's heels as a close second. That being said, this album has an interesting theme:

"On Wednesday the 29th of November 1961 at 15:08, after several delays, NASA launched what was to be their final test flight. On board Mercury-Atlas 5 was Enos, a temperamental five year old chimpanzee. This was to be a full dress rehearsal for John Glenn’s historic flight just three months later.

The pressure was on at Cape Canaveral, the US was losing the space race. The Soviet’s had succeeded in getting the first satellite into Earth’s orbit four years earlier, and in the seven months since Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space another Russian, Gherman Titov, had safely returned from orbit.

Questions were being asked about the worth of this increasingly expensive and dangerous obsession with space. If NASA and America were to save face and regain some of the ground they had lost to the Russians nothing could go wrong with this mission. It was with this in mind that they launched the most highly trained chimp in the American Air Force into the history books.

Enos returned to Earth after completing two orbits and travelling 50,892 miles. The whole mission had lasted just 3 hours, 20 minutes and 59 seconds.

On his return Enos was a changed chimp. This once surly and mean spirited chimpanzee apparently jumped for joy, ran excitedly around the deck of the recovery ship and merrily shook the hands of the researchers. Many who met him after his return commented that it was like meeting a different chimp. This is his story . . ."

-Taken from their Facebook page.

This album is available free for download along with a short comic that delves deeper into Enos's story. I won't ruin it for you, it's an intriguing read. One more thing, I love the text on their CD Print:

Unathurised copying, hiring, lending, public performance and broadcasting of this recording is highly recommended -

They are currently working on their second album so keep an eye out for it! I would also like to thank everyone for their warm welcomes.

Year of Release: 2010
Label: The Internet (aka none)
Genre: Stoner/space metal
Media: Digital
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 320 kbps

Track List:
1. Launch
2. In Space
3. Floating
4. Transform
5. Back To Earth

Download: Enos - Chapter 1
Download Size: 95.5 mb

The Dance of Al Qaynah

Most would agree that the arts have the power to break down our mental barriers. Perhaps the reason is that the passion that drives the creators is something we can all recognize. It is the desire to communicate thoughts and emotions on a deeper level. It goes beyond just telling someone plainly. It's the desire and power to make you feel almost exactly as they do.

If music can rend our mental defenses apart then it has already torn through our cultural barriers. Which brings me to the heart of my belief regarding music: a genre of music should never be considered exclusive to one race of peoples. In celebration of this concept, I present to you Al Qaynah.

So far this band has a demo that was released free for download on the internet in 2008. Describing their music is a little hard since it's not a genre that most people are used to. It's a genuine blend of Arabic and Indian influences within the realm of heavy metal. It's also an instrumental project. That's interesting enough but it's not the most unique thing about them. This is:

Al Qaynah is a global effort and we're composers and musicians from different cultural, religious and ethnic backgrounds.

Afghanistan thusly is our metaphorical homeland.

[....]

The collaborations for Al Qaynah are done over the internet. We exchange sound files and everything is collected in Copenhagen where cutting, pasting, mixing etc. is performed.

-From their blog post on myspace.

Truly, this project is unlike anything that I have ever come across in concept and execution. Each song on this demo was released and created on a separate year starting with "Empire" in 2003. Even so, each song stays true to the message that the band is trying to convey and they all have catchy rhythms. The band will be releasing a full-length in April if all goes well. Keep an eye out for it; I know I am.

I hope you all enjoy what I share as much as I do.

Year of Release: 2008
Label: The Internet (aka none)
Genre: Eastern Metal
Media: Digital
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 192 kbps

Track List:
1. Empire
2. Ground Zero Pilgrims
3. Coraline
4. Cihangir

Download: Al Qaynah - Demo
Download Size: 24.37 mb

Introducing Our Newest Contributor - Saturnword

I am very pleased to announce that we have a new regular contributor here at Digital Meltd0wn. Her name is Sarah, but most people know her as Saturnword. I'm not going to reveal too much information about her because I want to give her the opportunity to introduce herself to you all as she sees fit. I met SaturnWord at last.fm while trying to find out more information about music from the countries throughout the Middle East and North Africa, which have been experiencing widespread protests and revolutions. I was thoroughly impressed when she sent me back a lengthy message providing far more information than I ever expected about various bands and scenes in the Middle East and North Africa. However, her musical knowledge extends far beyond what originates in those regions. I won't spoil what she has in store for you all, but I can guarantee that she will be delivering music of the quality that you have come to expect here at Digital Meltd0wn. I'm excited to have another contributor here, as it will ensure that we can present a greater diversity of music than ever before. I believe that we may finally be able to deliver music to you on a scale not seen since 2008, when we were able to crank out 284 posts. I would like to turn things over to Saturnword now so that she can introduce herself to you all.

La Fraction - La Fraction EP (1996)

La Fraction is a punk band that formed in Paris, France circa 1992. In 1996 they self-produced this 3 song EP. All proceeds of its sale went to the EZLN. There is a very lengthy message from Subcomandante Marcos (I wonder if that is him on the cover), but it is in French. I’d love to know what it says. I have included the full album art. This EP is also known as Guerre D'espérance, the title of the first song that translates to "War for Hope".

It's another classic punk 7 inch. Every song on here, especially the first one, has the quality of being an anthem. Bands that make anthems like this hold a special spot in my heart. Part of the charm for me is in the super distortion and great reverb. Who am I kidding? Magali’s fantastically catchy vocals are stealing the show.
La Fraction has released three albums, all of them superb, and all are still available for purchase on CD or LP.

La Fraction on this recording is:
Bass - Labeflan
Drums - Boris
Guitar - Dédé
Vocals - Magali

Year of Release: 1996
Label: Fraction Production
Catalog #: La Fraction 1
Genre: Punk
Media: Vinyl
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 320 kbps

Track List:
A. Guerre D'espérance (3:12)
B1. L'hirondelle De La Nuit (2:54)
B2. Kill Him (3:00)

Download: La Fraction - La Fraction EP (1996)
Download Size: 37 MB

Zero Hour - Zero Hour EP (1994)

I first heard this 7 inch many years ago. I remember being instantly captivated by how unique and downright chilling this recording is. To this day I have never heard anything that sounds like it. Come to think of it, I think I refused to return the record to my friend. (Sorry, Dustin. I was just trying to survive.) These four songs are dark and powerful hardcore punk with an otherworldly tinge. Part of the chill-inducing power comes from the amazing female vocals by Whisper. Let me tell you, there is no whispering on this record. The urgency and emotion of her performance is contagious. It is one of those records where you are immediately compelled to grab the lyric sheet, because you just have to find out what these people are so worked up about. The other reason for the record’s strange sound is the guitar. It’s in the way it is tuned and distorted that always gives me goosebumps I think.



Zero Hour dropped this 7 inch EP and then a split LP with a band called Apeface. After that they slipped into obscurity. I love that I get to share this amazing recording with you folks. I honestly can’t overstate how these four songs helped me cope over the years. Phenomenal stuff.

Year of Release: 1994
Label: Spiral Records
Genre: Hardcore Punk, Crust Punk
Media: Vinyl
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 320 kbps

Track List:
A1. The Image of Man (3:02)
A2. I'll Never Forget (2:48)
B1. In Shackles of the Human Skin (3:09)
B2. One of the Living (3:41)

Download: Zero Hour - Zero Hour EP (1994)
Download Size: 33 MB

Red Dons - Death to Idealism (2007, Brazilian Press LP 2009)

UPDATE: This post was re-uploaded 04/15/2014. Enjoy, NØ 

Once upon a time there was a band called The Observers. They were short-lived and I didn’t come to appreciate them until they were no more. Fortunately, right around that time former members were teaming up with some other fine folks to bring us Red Dons. They take their moniker from a mysterious group of Cambridge University professors who were Soviet spies during WWII.

It did not take long for Portland, Oregon’s Red Dons to become one of my favorite bands. When I first heard them, I don’t think I had even finished listening to the first side of the LP before I fell in love. This comes from the out of print 2009 LP for the Brazilian tour. It sounds quite different compared to the original pressing that featured a very lo-fi mastering of the album. That lo-fi mastering is part of what endeared it to me. It went hand in hand with the lyrical topics of the album, like feelings of alienation, dying hopes, consumerism, and tyrannical fascist dictators. When I heard the Brazilian LP master though, it was like a rediscovery. It is so cool to have these two different versions of this album, one of the catchiest, most intelligent and inspiring punk records I’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to, and I’ve heard plenty. There have been comparisons of Red Dons to many great punk and post-punk bands of the 1980s, but there is something about the Red Dons that makes them even more indispensable for me. The totality of their art goes right for my heart and does not let go. The urgency and passion with which singer Douglas Burns delivers his lines is infectious. The music makes me wish I was at the show jumping around in the crowd. The album clocks in at just over thirty minutes, and if you are like me you will be playing it over again immediately.

Honestly, everyone should give this a listen. If this album does it for you, I implore you to buy their latest album Fake Meets Failure, which could not be a more perfect sequel for Death to Idealism. Red Dons are gearing up for a European tour in April and May. If you live near any of the places they are set to play, I recommend you mark your calendar and GO TO THE SHOW!

Red Dons on this recording is:
Douglas Burns – Lead Vocals, Guitar, Piano
Richard Joachim – Drums, Vocals
Hajji Husayn – Bass, Vocals
Justin Mauer – Guitar, Vocals

Year of Original Release: 2007
Label: Deranged
Catalog #: DY-111
Genre: Punk Rock
Media: Vinyl
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 320 kbps

Track List:
A1. Intro
A2. Walk Alone
A3. Independent
A4. Everyday Distraction
A5. Terminal
A6. Just Write, Romeo
B1. Happiness
B2. This City
B3. Incomplete Action
B4. Haji Takes a Ride
B5. No Pain
B6. Death to Idealism

Download: Red Dons - Death to Idealism (Brazilian Press LP)
Download Size: 71 MB
MEGA decryption code in comments