Hey peeps,

Yea, I'm back from South Korea. Was in Seoul for one day + one
night and met the guys/girl from new school HC record label,
GMC Records and also the singer/guitarist for Captain Boot
Bois, all very, very nice people. Got a lot of free CDs and also
managed to visit their own very small basement club called
Skunk Live Hell which is operated by street-punk band Crux.
Anyway, will do a full report on that as soon as I can get off my
deadlines.

cheers

Joe

p/s: below is an announcement from Ibrahim Ganyang zine. The
DIY scene is back with "proper" gigs! excellente!

FAKEBOOK LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRESENTS

One, Free and Borderless Musical Show

With the appearance of:-

RED KEDGE (Singapore's Emo Violent) PLAIN SUNSET
(Singapore's Pop Punk) MARCH TWELVE (Emo Rock from
Singapore) CUSTOM DAISY (KL's Technical HC) DASH OWN
(Klang's very own HC bands) MUCK (Hypnotized lo fi pop from
Ipoh) ELIZABETH TEARS (New breed of Emo Rock from Ipoh)
TOXIN 99% (Long awaited appearance from Ipoh)

DATE: 20 April 2002 (Saturday)

VENUE: Teratak Dangdut & KTV, Parking Lot 4th Floor, City Villa
Hotel, 59 Jalan Haji Hussien off Jalan Tunku Abd Rahman,
Chow Kit, KL (Nearby Menara Kota Fire Station)

ADMISSION: RM10

TIME: 1 p.m. onwards

INFO: steadmiral@..., 012-2894870 or 012-2809006

BRING ALONG YOUR DIY STUFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Plain Sunset and March Twelve Bio provides by Sham (Plain
Sunset)

PLAINSUNSET

Plainsunset started out as an indie noise band way back in
1994. They were called DUM (don't ever ask what that means) at
that time. The band members were Amin (vocals), Hasbi
(bassists), Wan (drummer) and Sham (guitarists). They had
their first show at the World Trade Centre Ampitheatre with other
acts like Kristie's Doll (Ronny's former band), Meaningless
Migrane and D'Anzio (Nizam fronted this band, he is on vocals
and guitars). Amin (former vocalists) left the band after a while.
Hasbi (former bassists) bought Green Day's second LP
Kerplunk and DUM started to play pop punk. Ronny was called
up by Hasbi and Sham to be on drums and Wan (former
drummer) was on guitars. With a new drummer they called
themselves Plainsunset. Played a show at Singapore
Polytechnic with bands like Voice Out and Swirling Madness.
Obviously the hardcore kids and punks did not like pop punk or
punk rock very much. But they keep on playing what they like.
Wan (former guitarists) left the band. Sham was in LaSalle
College of the Arts at that time and saw Jonathan play this
Ramones song on some acoustic guitar in school. He asked
Jon whether he wanted to play in the band. Jon agreed and after
a few jamming sessions, we played a show at the opening of
the Core Club (which is now Insomnia) which was the best
show they ever had and that was the first time Plainsunset
played with a moshpit in front of the stage. With that line up they
played a few shows. They even recorded a demo at TNT studios,
which was never released. Hasbi wanted to leave because of
some reasons so they called Nizam who did not have a band at
that time. And he agreed on the spot! So that is the current line
up of Plainsunset. Started jamming and playing shows at Tower
Records, the Substation, HMV, Borders, the Youth Park and
many other places in Singapore. They recorded 'Runaway' which
is their first LP in 1998. It was released under Straits Records an
independent record label. A song entitled Regina is missing
from that cd. That was a manufacturers fault. After two years
playing lots of shows and gigs. They decided that its time for an
EP. Recorded in the year 2000 called
'LoveSongsForTheEmotionally Wounded'. The cd was only
released in 2001 under Wake Me Up Music. With that cd they did
a tour of New Zealand. Played a total of 5 shows in New
Zealand. They learnt a lot from the bands there who had a
professional approach towards their performance and shows.
When they came back, they launched the cd in Singapore playing
shows at the substation, viva music and the launch of the cd at
Zouk club together with Fishtank.They are also involved in the
three compilations, which is the 10-year Substation Anniversary,
3 letter sessions and the Stockbrokers Consortium featuring
bands from Singapore and Hong Kong. Another compilation that
is yet to be released is by Mohegan Records. Recently they had
just finished a short tour. They played in Hong Kong and
Shenzhen China. It was for the Stockbrokers Consortium cd
launch. You can buy the cds by contacting
www.wakemeupmusic.com. It was a good experience. Latest
update is that they are recording the next cd which is yet to be
titled. More information log on to: http://plainsunsetonline.cjb.net

MARCH TWELVE.

A date in someone's diary, the fervor that guides the lives of five
people. A band that has a date for a name, but whose music is
never dated. Call it what you will, but the heartfelt delivery of
melodic indie rock songs spell out the truth on human
relationships. The good and bad, the love and hate. The ups and
downs of life painted on a soundscape that belies the band's
youthfulness. Life as march twelve began on that date in 1999,
and their various live shows prove to show that their music has
struck the right chord with listeners. An infectious and positive
energy pervades the songs, providing the balance to the
passionate themes. Dewi marie (vocals), writes the words and
sings the songs. Her soaring vocals wrap itself around the
music and provides the thematic anchor on which the band
works. a fine arts graduate of the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts
(NAFA), she also expresses herself through photography and
web design. She is also a founding member of the band.
Joseph cinco (guitar), puts in the hard riffs and melodic breaks.
Part of the twin guitar attack of march twelve, which forms the
base of their songs. A member of the mental health profession.
He also plays guitar in shereen's closet. Farizwan fajari (guitar),
shares six-string duties with Joseph and rocks all out on stage
every time. Plays fast and furious, and certainly the most fun to
watch during a March twelve show. Currently studying fine arts at
NAFA, he also plays guitar in dyfectra. Mad noor (bass), is easily
the most relaxed in the band, but this is not to say he is carefree
with his parts. In his second year at NUS, he also sings and
ensures the bass keeps going in the punk rock band the
moderates. Ronny laily (drums), speaks softly but hits the drums
hard. The veteran in the band, he had previously put out
underground zines and had a music distro running. also plays
drums in plainsunset. More info on March Twelve log on to:
http://marchtwelve.cjb.net

MUCK

The energetic lo fi pop bands from Ipoh that had reclaimed their
own sounds in various aspect. Their spectacular tunes had
captured each angle in their musicianship. Begin with the demo
track called "blastosit" with merely influenced by Sonic Youth and
Dinosaur Jr. this band begins to evolve with their own tang.
Currently their miracle composition had escaped from the typical
Seattle sounds that worshiped by many sub-pop influenced
bands here. I am proud to say that they are in line with the
intelligent bands like Sebadoh, Pavement, Sugar (Bob Mould)
and even you can hear Red House Painters. But the most
important thing that the band members itself contribute
preciously towards the Ipoh DIY scene where the studio that had
been set-up to develop new talent and miraculously the band
who come from the Bodysurf music itself begin to explore in their
own dimension of musicianship and they proud to say that They
do it their own self, Ipoh also a platform where you can see the
borderless musical style where it had been ignored by most of
the scene here without loosing the fact that music is an art and
idealism that should not be controlled by the mass media. More
info on this scene and bands log on to:
http://bodysurfmusic.tripod.com

ELIZABETH TEARS

Coming from the endlessly effort of Bodysurf music community,
featuring several members of Ipoh's HC bands such as Flag of
Reality and Fat Flat, if their music become the main highlight I
could say that they are in between Grade, Boys Set Fire, Pylon,
Zeidun and a strangling guitar string of The Cure. This is their
first appearance to the masses from their own cocoon in the
Practice room in Ipoh. Wake up and smell the sounds of this
new hideout talent.

TOXIN 99%

Featuring 4 original line up in 1995 and come from the same
years of Muck when it all had been started in Ipoh. But due to
their commitment in life this band seems to be forgotten by many
of us. Released a demo tape a few years ago with astonishing
sounds of Ska Punk, their appearance in gig are rarely realize. In
this gig we take a chance to wake them up from the long sleep
and join the party of ours. Currently I could describe their sound
as Gold finger meets Skankin' Pickle. One more bands to dig on
that day.

DASH OWN

Started as a New School HC band from Klang and now evolved
to the European Emo HC sounds. Active in the gig circuit in
Peninsular Malaysia even their appearance had been realized in
our neighboring country. Part of the Collective called Sober which
their main anthem to spread positive lifestyle in the HC scene.
One of the core elements in the existing of One Voice Studio in
Klang. For those who are eager for their technical sounds and
marvelous arrangement in some parts you should take this
opportunity to witness this good band playing alive, and for those
who are eager with stance their have, I confess that this guy is
quite political (if it means something to you). More info on this
band log on to: http://dashown.tripod.com/evold

CUSTOM DAISY Fronted by the most intelligent musician in KL, if
you say Linkin Park or Slipknot could rules your day, just try to
forget it. This guy comes with new edge of Technical HC that
you'll ever see so far. I confess that this band is one of the
tightest bands around with this kind of music. Even though their
existence would create attention especially from the major label
but this band still stick with their own idea that music is not for
the commodity purposes. I am sure that they will rock that day
which their own capability and creativity, one of the band that you
should not miss.

RED KEDGE

Maybe I should not tell more about this magnificent band, check
up whom they are "I don't what to say but all I can say is that we
play between emo and some heavy stuffs. We are a political
band from Singapore. So far our EP entitled "Through the
greatest death" cassette is sold out by NAT records, our 4 way
split CD is on anakliar records, following soon would be our split
CD with Bridewell hospital on Stonehenge records and Thelma
eleven maybe on some Malaysian label. Our full length would be
out by this December" - quote by Red Kedge in BYOFL website