CONDOMINIUM IS A LONG-RUNNING HARDCORE PUNK TRIO FROM MINNEAPOLIS. THEIR SOUND IS PEPPERED WITH AWKWARD TEMPOS, RHYTHMIC CHANGES, AND WEIRD CHORDS THAT HAVE MADE THEM A CHALLENGE FOR THE MOSH-MINDED, BUT THAT GENERATE A SATISFYING MAELSTROM OF DISSONANT RAW ENERGY.
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12-02-23 UNSHEATHER + SPURR + TYL + ICEWALL @ GRANDMA'S HOUSE
12-04-23 SPIRAL DEMISE (DEBUT) + CAPILLARY + PURITAN + BAD IMAGE @ GRANDMA'S HOUSE
12-06-23 MEM//BRANE @ REPEATING GOSSIP (BLUE ROOM)
THIS SHIT GETS ME RILED! VERMIN WAS A GREAT BAND FROM GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA, THAT EXISTED BETWEEN 2013 AND 2015. THEY DELIVERED A STREAMLINED MID-TEMPO ATTACK THAT DRAWS HEAVILY FROM U.K. ANARCHO AND PEACE-PUNK TRADITIONS. VERMIN THEY PLAYED MANY SHOWS WITH A TOP-TIER ROSTER OF SCENE CONTEMPORARIES SUCH AS PROCESS, ECTOPLASM, ALLERGY, EXIT DUST, SODA, AND SUCKLE. SOME OF THESE BANDS SPAWNED OUT OF THE REMNANTS OF THE MIGHTY MAUSER THAT ENDED AROUND 2012.
IT SEEMS LIKE VERMIN EVEN MADE IT TO THE WEST COAST, BASED ON THE FOOTAGE OF THEM PLAYING LOS ANGELES AND PORTLAND THAT I FOUND. FOR GREAT DOCUMENTATION OF THE GAINESVILLE PUNK AND EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC SCENE, THE ANDREW CHADWICK ARCHIVE IS A GREAT RESOURCE. HERE'S A YOUTUBE PLAYLIST I MADE FOR THIS BAND:
I REFUSE IT! WAS AN EXPERIMENTAL HARDCORE PUNK BAND FROM FIRENZE (FLORENCE), ITALIA, ACTIVE 1982 TO 1987. SUPPLEMENTAL PERCUSSION, BIZARRE VOCAL AND STUDIO EFFECTS, VARIETY IN TEMPO AND TIME SIGNATURE, OCCASIONAL HARMONICA OR SAXOPHONE BLASTS, AND TAPE MANIPULATION IMBUE THEIR RECORDINGS WITH A QUIRKY CHAOTIC INTENSITY NOT SO REMOVED FROM THE OFF-KILTER STYLINGS OF AMERICAN PUNK BANDS LIKE FLIPPER AND SACCHARINE TRUST. DIG IT!
SFREGIO PERMANENTE (SPLIT LP WITH CCM) (1983)
SOGNI A DOPPIE VIE 7" EP (1984)
M 12" EP (1986)
DEEP RECESS HAS RECENTLY SHAPE-SHIFTED INTO QUARTET FORM WITH ADDITION OF GUITARIST COURTNEY AND PLAYED TWO BELLINGHAM SHOWS - MAKESHIFT ART SPACE ON 11-4 AND THE WATERFRONT SKATEPARK (CHESTNUT OVERPASS) ON 11-10. THIS WEEK WE ARE EXCITED TO RECORD OUR FIRST CASSETTE WITH OUR FRIEND AIDEN BLAU. CHECK OUT SOME VIDEOS BELOW:
FOOTAGE 11-04-23
FOOTAGE 11-10-23
WE HAVE ALSO BEEN BUSY SCREEN-PRINTING TWO ORIGINAL SHIRT DESIGNS WHICH WILL BE AVAILABLE AT UPCOMING SHOWS AND ALSO (POSSIBLY) ONLINE. HERE'S A PREVIEW OF ONE OF THE DESIGNS:
DEEP RECESS IS CURRENTLY KYLE (GTR/VOX/SAMPLES), TYLER (BASS), COURTNEY (GTR), AND DANIEL (DRUMS).
ANYONE WHO'S EVER TALKED TO ME FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME ABOUT HARDCORE PUNK HAS MOST LIKELY HEARD ME BRING UP HOLOGRAM. PECULIAR EXPERIMENTAL ELEMENTS SEEP INTO THE SEAMS OF THEIR CHURNING AND BRISTLY OFF-KITLER SONIC ATTACK. THE SPECIFICITY OF VISION AND PRECISION OF EXECUTION MAKES IT UNSURPRISING TO FIND THAT THE 'BAND' IS IN FACT THE BRAINCHILD OF A SINGLE PERSON: ONE BRENDAN REICHHARDT, CURRENTLY OF RICHMOND, VA (PREVIOUSLY OF WASHINGTON D.C. AS WELL AS AUSTIN, TX).
THE LIST OF TOP-TIER PUNK AND HARDCORE PROJECTS WITH BRENDAN'S INVOLVEMENT IS NOTHING SHORT OF INCREDIBLE- FROM THE FEROCIOUS AND PSYCHEDELIC NASTINESS OF KOMBAT TO THE VAN VLIET-ESQUE DIVORCE HORSE AND CHOIR CHERRY, FROM THE BREAKNECK FASTPUNK OF CLOSET CHRIST, CRYIN' HAND, SQK FROMME, CICADA, HAUNTED MANSION AND DAUNTING NIGHTMARE, TO THE ABSTRACT ELECTRONIC EXPERIMENT LANGUAGE AND THE NO-WAVE OF THE ORIGINAL DREAM HOME CS. AND THAT IS JUST TO NAME SOME OF THE MORE RECENT PROJECTS ASIDE FROM HOLOGRAM WHICH HAVE POPPED ONTO MY RADAR. MANY OF THESE BANDS AND PROJECTS ARE REPRESENTED IN THE EVER-EXPANDING CATALOG OF BRENDAN'S DREAM HOME LABEL.
I FIRST WITNESSED HOLOGRAM PERFORM AT THE SMELL IN LOS ANGELES ON THEIR FIRST WEST COAST TOUR IN 2019. THAT SET IS DOCUMENTED HERE. THE MOST RECENT TIME I HAVE SEEN THEM WAS AT THE VERA PROJECT IN SEATTLE IN 2022. I HOPE TO CATCH THEM OR ANOTHER BRENDAN BAND LIVE AGAIN IN 2024! EXPLORE BRENDAN'S MUSIC BELOW WITH SOME COMPILATIONS OF FOOTAGE AND DIGITIZED CASSETTES:
HOLOGRAM (2018-)
DAUNTING NIGHTMARE (2022-)
SQK FROMME (2021-)
CHOIR CHERRY (2017-18)
CLOSET CHRIST (2016-17)
KOMBAT (2015-17)
KREMLIN (TORONTO, ON, CAN) IS ONE OF THOSE RARE BANDS THAT TAKES EVERYTHING I FIND GREAT IN HARDCORE PUNK AND FUNNELS IT INTO A SUPREME SYNTHESIS- POWER TRIO, NODS TO D-BEAT, TAPED TO 4-TRACK, BAND ARTWORK DONE BY A 2 OR 3-YEAR-OLD, THE RIFFS!THE RIFFS!THE RIFFS! A NATURAL CHEMISTRY BETWEEN THE BROTHERS BURGESS ON STRINGS AND THE RELENTLESS FURY OF IVAN ROBERTS-DAVIES'S DRUMMING CONSPIRE TO GENERATE A SONIC ONSLAUGHT THAT BALANCES THE RAUCOUS WITH THE PRECISE, GERMINATING SOMETHING ULTIMATELY APPROACHABLE WITHOUT COMPROMISING INTENSITY. EXPLORE THE KREMLIN DISCOGRAPHY BELOW (CLICK THE PICS):
KREMLIN'S SECRET SIBLING, BASSIST HARRY'S SIDE PROJECT HARHAA WAS A DELIGHTFUL RECENT DISCOVERY FOR ME. A COUPLE HOME-TAPED CASSETTES FROM 2012ISH IS ALL WE CAN REASONABLY EVER EXPECT TO SEE FROM THIS PROJECT. LISTEN TO DEMO 2 HERE. I'M CURRENTLY ON THE HUNT FOR THE OTHER TAPE, ENTITLED FUTURE DISORDER.
DRUMMER IVAN HAS BEEN MANY PUNK GROUPS CENTRAL TO THE TORONTO SCENE OVER THE PAST TWO DECADES, AMONG THEM: TERMINAL STATE, SCHOOL JERKS, S.H.I.T., AND FARANG.
