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For the last three years PIG DNA have been unleashing tape after tape of cacophonous noise reaching their peak with their debut "Control You Fucker #3" EP released last year on Nightrider record. Heavy rooted in hardcore punk but with an eye firmly set on harsh noise their output has been kept mysterious and somehow scarce. Their ability to confuse has reached new heights with this new mini album which sees the band re-located yet again between Portland, Philadelphia and Oakland but still comprised of Shit Zoo, Chelsea, THC and Leatherfist. Their sonic attack is uncompromising and un-doubtly extreme, conceptually trying to understand DISCHARGE. When some people see noise for noise sake they see art and so do we. Mob Shity is a collection of nine new tracks which go from repetitive noise punk blast to industrial passages. Influenced equally by ZOUO, GAI or singles era SPK. Not for the faint of ear or for melody lovers Mob Shity is an statement against modern punk music. Which side of the fence are you?
Our take: Sorry State has been following Pig DNA and carrying their early tape releases for some time now, so it's nice to see them move to a bigger label like LVEUM and continue to refine their aesthetic. Speaking of aesthetics, I was kind of surprised when I saw how this record looked. First of all, it's kind of striking just to see a modern band nail the aesthetic of early 80s Japanese punk so perfectly. I mean, obviously they're liberally borrowing fonts, imagery, and stuff like that, but it's still impressive to bring it all together as expertly as they did. It's also an interesting move because it's quite a different look than their tape releases, and seems self-consciously retro in a way that I wouldn't have really expected from this band. While clearly they're they're part of a lineage of very, very noisy hardcore bands that goes back to Confuse, Gai, the Swankys, and whatnot (not to mention Discharge), they're forward-thinking in a way that most noise-punk tribute acts most definitely aren't, and while the cover looks very cool I worry that it lumps them in with less accomplished bands. And accomplished this is... I can't think of another release in a comparable style aside from D-Clone's Creation and Destroy that has hit me this hard. For me, the key with noise music (not just hardcore punk-based noise, but more abstract ends of the genre as well) is not to be a one-trick pony, to incorporate different sounds and textures in a way that allows the music to move and breathe. Pig DNA do that brilliantly. I also have to say that if you like your music confrontational, that you're not going to do much better than this. Mob Shity is genuinely obnoxious noise... if I'm not in precisely the right mood for it, hearing it is the most grating and annoying thing I can imagine. That is by design, of course, and this album deserves to exist if only for the new level it reaches in terms of sonic harshness. So, if you are on board with what Pig DNA are trying to accomplish you should definitely check this out... it's absolutely brilliant.
Our take: Sorry State has been following Pig DNA and carrying their early tape releases for some time now, so it's nice to see them move to a bigger label like LVEUM and continue to refine their aesthetic. Speaking of aesthetics, I was kind of surprised when I saw how this record looked. First of all, it's kind of striking just to see a modern band nail the aesthetic of early 80s Japanese punk so perfectly. I mean, obviously they're liberally borrowing fonts, imagery, and stuff like that, but it's still impressive to bring it all together as expertly as they did. It's also an interesting move because it's quite a different look than their tape releases, and seems self-consciously retro in a way that I wouldn't have really expected from this band. While clearly they're they're part of a lineage of very, very noisy hardcore bands that goes back to Confuse, Gai, the Swankys, and whatnot (not to mention Discharge), they're forward-thinking in a way that most noise-punk tribute acts most definitely aren't, and while the cover looks very cool I worry that it lumps them in with less accomplished bands. And accomplished this is... I can't think of another release in a comparable style aside from D-Clone's Creation and Destroy that has hit me this hard. For me, the key with noise music (not just hardcore punk-based noise, but more abstract ends of the genre as well) is not to be a one-trick pony, to incorporate different sounds and textures in a way that allows the music to move and breathe. Pig DNA do that brilliantly. I also have to say that if you like your music confrontational, that you're not going to do much better than this. Mob Shity is genuinely obnoxious noise... if I'm not in precisely the right mood for it, hearing it is the most grating and annoying thing I can imagine. That is by design, of course, and this album deserves to exist if only for the new level it reaches in terms of sonic harshness. So, if you are on board with what Pig DNA are trying to accomplish you should definitely check this out... it's absolutely brilliant.