Fin Records in Seattle stands out as a rare example of a record label existing completely in service of the artists they release. They consistently put together incredible packages for all kinds of underrepresented artists in their part of the world ignoring genre labels and market research. Metal Postcard Records run by Sean Hocking in Hong King seems to be working with a similar anything goes philosophy, supporting and releasing experimental DJ’s, hazy psych or a metal duo like this single from DP. Not exactly sure what happened to these guys since Time Out HK named them one of the top 10 music acts in 2008 and their site seems to be completely something else. The music scene in Hong Kong and China is something I hadn’t thought much about until reading Red Rock by Jonathan Campbell. It hasn’t been easy for music in this part of the world, playing catch up with Western sound…and who says they should be? Is there even a regional sound to any music these days? How much does the government give a crap? There are huge challenges ahead for bands looking for their own voice and Metal Postcard is probably one of the most valuable resources you could have on that side of the world.
I grabbed this single "My Hyena" from DP out of the stack of 45’s Sean was generous enough to send - there’s still no substitute for holding the artifact in your hands and really spending time with two sides of a band like this. This drum and bass duo opens the A-Side with the title track, “My Hyena” which starts with weird quiet electronics in an attempt to get you to turn this up before the full blast of DP piles in a heavy ultra-pop sound. They’re seriously polished and massive, heavy low end and metal, a case in point of how a duo has to work harder than the average band. Starting with this severe limitation it frees them up to go big and experimental in always trying to get the biggest possible sound. Like The Ax on Whoa! Boat it’s a fiery, loud kind of post punk that blends synth as hard as polished sine wave distortions with a bizarre Sun Ra type of gleaming metal.
B-Side’s "Man Thresher" seems to adopt a southern metal Death From Above 1979 sound with guttural low-end chords that rumble with massive drum fills. Tons of metal polish and bravado on the vocal, it’s dark with a punk, frantic melody. Heavy beats and an almost piercing high falsetto vocal goes growly eventually with all hair flowing metal on the edge of a cliff. It’s a throbbing composite of metal and attitude with screamy vocals from Dave Wong on that distortion filled bass.
Sean has also written some fantastic pieces on the scene over there, which require going down some serious rabbit holes. Needless to say its still wide open for bands and no end to harassment.
Pick this up from Metal Postcard direct or their Facebook store. Click on the “Music CD’s” section for their singles.
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