Just wanna inform you guys and gals, I’m heading back to Terengganu today for a few days on a tragic family business; and so the page may go static again, but do keep up the bad and highly entertaining “poetry” in the comment pages though.

BTW; as I’ve always said it, ricecooker needs contributors! those interested please mail me. and send them whatevers you all have to share with the community.

Thanks in advance.

cheers,

Joe

* click on the pix to get a bigger one boss!

Selamat Tahun Baru!

Disini aku selitkan beberapa gambar-gambar malam sambutan tahun baru kita yang berlangsung di-anjung Bau-Bau Cafe, The Annexe, Central Market pada 31hb Disember.

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Extremely limited issues of Maximum Rock’n'Roll, Short Fast & Loud & Give Me Back fanzines are now available at the Ricecooker Shop:

MRR: issue #290, #292 & #293 - all RM20 each
(US postage is really high nowadays!)

Short, Fast & Loud: issue #16 - RM10 each

Give Me Back: issue #51 & Summer 07 - RM10 each

Special 5-issues:

Short, Fast & Loud - issue #10, #12, #13, #14, #15
all together in one package - RM40

Here we go again. A not so regular feature.

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To those missing out on the NegaraKuKu “controversy” here in Malaysia, read this first: here

When I first saw it, there’s an English subtitle tacked upon the video and it seemed rather crude, skipping all over the place and not very well done.

It’s like watching those Stephen Chow’s movies; you may be rolling on the floor laughing but at the same time there’s a nagging feeling a hell lot more missing in translation. You don’t know Cantonese? Your lost.

Frankly when it comes to languages I’m not familiar with, I’ll be at sea, lost and sorely missing out on whatever nuances and intentions being conveyed. Worse, I can’t even make a proper assessment without the feeling of being misled by my own ignorance.

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I don’t know why you wanna do this, but you can download the whole album here | pandaheadcurry.blogspot.com

Alright. It’s been a long time since I’ve posted about fresh vegetables and rotten tomatoes here at the Ricecooker Shop but there have been a few gems which y’all should check out:

I/D
ELITE. kVlt. Irrevocably tr00 CD
(flux-us.com.sg)

13 tracks debut from Singaporean noise-rock “supercollective” featuring members of Engineered Beautiful Blood, Hello Kitty Riots and various assorted best f(r)iends - head Flux Us and ex-Dongs Harold Seah, George Chua, Evan Tan (ex-Opposition Party and The Padres and current member of The Observatory), Ian Woo & David Pang. According to the flux-us site, the congregation is being described as “idiot-syncretic noise-rock-improv birthed in the aerodynamic cauldrons of progressive rock whilst kicked in the teeth by the bloody-mindedness of misanthropic black metal” that is “joyfully (mis)informed by the exalted likes of Supersilent, Acid Mothers Temple, King Crimson, Terje Rypdal, Last Exit, Can, Boredoms, AMM, Revenge, Skullflower, Hototogisu, Hijokaidan……”

Interesting mish-mash of improv-noise with rockist instrumentation, much like a more studious, serious and less chaotic version our very own Ciplak.

RM20 at the shop

HellSister
Freedom, Desecrate, and Hellraise CD
(Tribal War Asia - Japan)

The first and only album by this long-gone “almost-all-female” raw-punk quartet, released many years ago by Tribal War Asia. 7″-packaging featuring 13 songs in pro-CD format. A bunch of this release was found by Along while packing up his house a few days ago.

The band featured Along Apparatus (drums), Daphne (guitar, used to sing ex-Apparatus), Colleen (vocals, now with Vixxen) and Reena (bass). Political raw-punk with hints of Harum-Scarum.

limited copies: RM15 at the shop

Cranioclast
Carl’s On Acit 10″ Vinyl
(Auf Abwegen)

German electronics with experimental, ambient bent.

Cranioclast is a duo from Hagen, Germany which produce various artistic endeavors, most commonly music. Usually those two identify themselves as Soltan Karik and Sankt Klario. They have their own label called CoC and were working with a number of like-minded bands, including Kallabris, Fetisch Park and A.B.G.S.

RM25 at the shop

Ghost
Hypnotic Underworld 2xLP
(Drag City Records)

Gatefold, double-LP from Tokyo’s improvisational, free-form meets pysche, folk etc.

Each of the seven remaining compositions locates an enjoyable moment, before tearing beautifully through to the other side: “Piper”’s forlorn whistle launches into 70s jazz-rock and back; “Holy High” introduces pulsing Celtic psych; and the ten-minute “Ganagmanag” moves from flute swells downward into plucked strings a prog time-shift, echoed shouts, Botah’s breathy count-offs, and tribal drums. Everywhere, empty spaces are lined with powerful augmentations like tiny trills, subtle noise accents, repetitions, and rock flourishes. For instance, when the Barrett cover that closes the record whispers to an end, the band kicks into a stage-clearing maelstrom of manic church organ, vibrating shouts, gongs, bells, war drums, and wiry feedback. It’s this sort of unexpected pomp and swagger, mixed with the solemn ambiance, that clearly separates Hypnotic Underworld from the tree-hugging psychedelia of yore. Much more could be said, but it’s more important to state plainly, in barest terms, that Ghost have emerged as one of the most formidable (and important) rock bands I know. And Hypnotic Underworld is their rollicking masterwork. - from Pitchfork review

RM60 at the shop

Bin Jidan
Garisan Abstrak CD-R
(Bin Jidan)

Pro-printed CD-R featuring 5 songs by the now veteran KL busker, a constant sidekick to Meor and more well-known as Nick or Nik. You may have seen him busking around town, especially at the mall beside Central Market. With a voice much stronger than Meor and songs of a more determined note, it is a mystery why Nick hasn’t been as active as Meor, Azmyl Yunor or Reza Salleh when it comes to the singer-songwriter gigs in KL. Time to haul the guy up on those stages people!

RM15 at the shop

To those (like me) excitedly waiting for the arrival of Control, the feature film about the life of Joy Division’s singer Ian Curtis (as told by his wife, lover and friends, and directed by JD’s own fantastic photographer Anton Corjbin, who actually financed half of the budget!), here’s a trailer I found on YouTube:

controlthemovie.com | further details on the movie | Control @ Wikipedia

will it be shown in the cinemas round here? well, you’d be better off by starting up that bit torrent software come September.

Thanks to Maya (Alternation@TraxxFM) and Siang (Umbrella Records), I’ve been offered to do a once-a-month radioshow at TraxxFM on every 2nd Thursday of the month.

This means we’ll be able to reach the whole nation! Even people in Sabah & Sarawak! I’ve also asked them if I can call it “THE RICECOOKER HOUR”.

This is exciting news and also, still under “proposal”, but I can’t wait to share this with you people. If you’re in a band, distro, label etc, do send me CDs to play. Also please enclose a brief about the band/project so I can babble a bit about it.

BTW; call me DJ DUNG!

Charles Bukowski & R. Crumb
The Captain is Out to Lunch and the Sailors Have Taken Over the Ship SOLD!
RM29.00

“Any collaboration between Charles Bukowski and R. Crumb is a notable event. Each man is a consummate example of the anti-establishment artist who calls society to task for its foibles and failures. With humor and scathing satire Bukowski and Crumb have exemplified this important tradition. These unpublished last journals by Bukowski candidly detail the events of his daily life, which R. Crumb has brilliantly illustrated with five full color hand printed serigraphs and six full page black-and-white illustrations.”

more info: here

Grant Morrison & Jon J Muth
Mystery Play (Graphic Novel)
RM28.00

“From a thrilling, fast paced mystery story this mutates halfway through to become something far darker & deeper, full of psychological meaning & hallucinatory imagery. If you’re hoping for an easy read, with a simple resolution, forget it. Morrison writes a brilliantly open ended story with layers upon layers of meaning. By the final pages, you’ll be almost breathless.

Evocative, cinematic, and dreamlike, The Mystery Play is a multi-layered, tightly written & beautifully painted in photo-realistic style by Jon J. Muth.”

more info: here

MORE BOOKS BELOW

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shot, recorded, edited by Fahmi Reza. Carburetor Dung at the Stick It To The Man gig @ The Studio, CM Annexe, Central Market - Saturday 17th March 2007.

singalong..

Potong Nama, Tutup Buku

Tak boleh! Tak boleh! Tak boleh!
Aku kata tak boleh!

carburetordung.kerbau.com

expertly shot & edited by Fahmi Reza

Been getting letters asking on how to either get to the Annexe (Central Market Annexe) or the Ricecooker shop. So here’s a map, with help courtesy of encik google and some scary eye in the sky:

I was introduced to the madness and the taut but unhinged power of The Birthday Party via John Peel’s Radioshow on shortwave BBC way back in the early 80s, and from then on I have been a big Nick Cave fan. I got all of his releases (well, almost!) and that includes trying to get everything done by everyone involved with Mr. Cave; right from recordings by Anita Lane to Kid Congo Powers, etc.

Here I would like to share my excitement at the new project by Mr. Cave, where he not only sings but also plays guitar. The band also features members of his Bad Seeds gang, including one Warren Ellis who was here in KL playing with his original band The Dirty Three last year.

Anyway, this is the first official video by the band promoting their first single, I Got No Pussy Blues. Enjoy!

grinderman at myspace | at anti | on wikipedia