Labels: ape must not kill ape
Review by: Joe Caithness
Ok, first off let me explain this record to you. A girl in Switzerland called Marianne Hofstetter has been running a label called Ape Must Not Kill Ape for a few years now, and she decided (maybe not for ever) to kill her label off in glory. This is how she did it. The idea of the record is simple; diy bands, the independent scene, whatever style, as long as its good and has passion. This sentiment is repeated in the letter she includes with the record, a letter to the DIY scene from her heart, some of it’s actually really moving, mainly connecting struggles in life with the DIY movement. I am sure many of us, if not all of us, can relate to this. I know I do…
The packaging of this record (I have a special version I believe, due to being in one of the bands on here), is absolutely mental! Takes about five minutes to get into it! I gues the best way to describe this is it being wrapped up like a parcel with the labels logo stamped on it instead of an address, it has string and everything! It also comes with a lyric booklet and a poster of all the bands ugly faces! One thing that is a shame is that there isn’t many female faces here… ok I am going to put all this stuff to one side and bring out the vinyl!
Ok… the way I’m going to do this is to go through every single band (yes there is loads!) and give a lil description and any thoughts that come to mind… I wouldn’t normally do this but my arm is bleeding from tattoo action and I need something to make the time pass!
Cleaner: starts off really quiet, just some vocals and some ambience clicks here so far, interesting way to the start the comp… really haunting actually…kinda freaking me out now!
Raein: This is ace, totally hits in hard but melodic as fuck, swinging emo mayhem! Some properly cheesy emo riffs, the way we like it no less! should have been the first track is you ask me!
The Third Memory: Some twinkle and reverby drums going on here, mixed screamed and sung vocals, this is all a bit text book for me I think. I don’t really like this…the chorus is a bit better once it gets there, sounds like this is the first tune this band wrote or something, doesn’t really.. work…
Katyn:I like this much more! really raw emo violence, some great German (?) or easten Europeon talking group vocals over the breakdown here also, really ace stuff here, I hope to hear more from this group!
Daitro: Feedback and screaming, followed by some dischordantcomemelodic riffage in the background, nice start! vocals are really desperate, some ace punky bits here also, gives it a bit of a kick up the arse
My Precious: Some mental clicking action, drummer must be on drugs or something, some violent sassy stuff here with some kinda cool sung female vocals, this band is from Singapore or somewhere, I think! it certainly doesn’t sound American, that’s a good thing!
Room Two37: This tune is really ace, reminds me of some of the current melodic hardcore bands in the US like Books Lie, but with a pretty strong riffy thang going down, another new band I will take away with me from this comp!
Utarid: This is nice, very modern screamo type shindig, production reminds me of Jeromes Dream or Orchid, but with the kind of riffing you get in current Europeon bands
La Quiete: oohh La Quiete! one of my favourite bands ever, the guitarist told me this is song is crap, lets just say he’s wrong!
The Apollo Program: Twinkly delay prettiness to start off with, lets see what this builds into.. nothing much, just yer average euro screamo
Francis Brady: Wow this is a bit more in yer face, squeely vocals, violent screamo.. I am left thinking this band would have maybe be interesting a couple of year ago though.. nothing too bad
Bravo Fucking Bravo: Much more interesting start here, yeh riffy and spunky stuff here, some of the riffs give me this kind of Nation of Ulysses feel, but with screamy vocals, it’s a great mix here, I hear they broke up? shame if its true!
Snowman: This is my band, weird, well yeah we have since changed our name and got a new guitarist, this was our worst tune as well! hmmnn I can’t really review this one.. production is sounding shit though..heh.
Wilderness Medicine: I quite enjoyed this bands tune on that comp on Owlsa last year, this tune is more of the same, dreamy indie rock, lots of distant guitar tones, the harder bits are similar to the Hal Al Shedad. Really nice.
Humousexual: Humous is sexual, especially with fresh white loaf! Acoustic eh? sounds like someone is dropping some peas on the guys head while he is singing, which annoyed him so know is humming in protest, nyum nyum nyum ny nyum nah!? what the fork?! WOW! its explaining how to make Humous, best spoken word vocals ever!
The Pine: This band would be a lot better if they didn’t make so many records, I know it’s very cool to slag off the Pine but this band has very little or no staying power in my head…the acoustic cd was pretty cool though!
Catena Collapse: This is more like it! I love this band, their split with La Quiete, awesome vocals: one is like the gruff dude from Moonraker and the other is more laid back and singy, I much look forward to hanging out with these guys in a month!
Belle Epoque: French Emo, can’t fuck with it! basically! (it’s a tune off the demo)
The Machines Will Take Over: Another UK band! nice to see.. quite catchy indie rock stuff, similar to another uk band Spy vs Spy in style, I have heard people say this is their “old stuff” but I hope they haven’t changed too much!
Lobo’s Son: Lo Fi acoustic stuff, can’t really dislike it, kinda Lucero esque, but less countryfied.
A Light in the Attic: Opens with an tuned down evil riff, is it going to sound like Uranus or something…yes! amazing! oh wowwy this is completely brutal! duudududdudud! yes please sire.
Sheltek: The production on this is so different to the previous tune, comes as a bit of a shock, sounds like its live or something, sounds quite similar to A light.. actually, I know nothing about this band, if they got into a studio and layed this stuff down I’m sure I would
Simfela: Screamy hardcore punk here, no ifs or buts about it!
Gantz: This is nice, kind of reminds me of some of the 90s Ebullition label records like Manrae or Ex-iGNOTIA, quite brooding slow, head nodding, nice use of some clashing chords and stuff on the guitar side of things, vocals are quite deep and desperate, yeh I really like it.
Tidal: Last tune! I can go get lunch in a minute!
So there you have it! My extremly long in detail review of this record! Only took about 2 hours!