Better Done Than Better Said - Issue 1

Another awesome zine from 2003. Some awesome photos from all sorts of bands and interviews with some great bands. Pics from Boiler Frog, Cuthbarts, The Sun, Tiala, I Eat Me, Dip Leg, Yarmulke, Nitro Mega Prayer, Five Kinds Square, The Black Line Fever, 3cm Tour, Sora, Womb, After Forever. So, pretty much everybody from that era. Check it out!

Better Done Than Better Said - Issue 1

Debase and Degrade - To Err is Human [2003]

Debase and Degrade were a short-lived band from Tokyo, most notably known for Hirotatsu (from 3cmtour, Killie) playing drums. Besides their band connections, Debase and Degrade play emotional hardcore with some subtle hints of those Japanese screamo melodies. 5 songs here, and they're all pretty good. And... that's about it. Enjoy!

Debase And Degrade - To Err Is Human

1. 汝

2. September

3. Beginning Is The End. The End Is The Beginning

4. Good-Bye

5. Untitled

After Forever / 3cm Tour split [2004]

After the 3cm Tour show I attended in 2003, I was headed back to Bomber's apartment (drummer from Gauge Means Nothing who I was staying with). I was chatting with 3cm Tour as we walked to the train station. One of their friends was from the band Anthropic Disease, and passed me one of their CDs. It was super late and my destination was on the other side of Tokyo, so Hirotatsu invited me to hang out at his apartment until the trains started running. We hung out, listened to records, talked about various things. He mentioned that they would be releasing a split CD with After Forever some time the following year. I was super into both bands, so I asked if I could release it in America and he agreed.

Months later, I'm back in the States, back in college, and I have no money. I'm trying to put out the Dip Leg CD, and end up have to put it all on a credit card. Discussions around the release of this CD in America break down and eventually the project is cancelled. Ah... I still regret it now.

These are two bands at their prime, two of the best Japanese bands there ever were. After Forever keeps doing their vicious, metallic screamo thing, and 3cm tour keeps doing their pensive, screamy emo thing. You've probably already heard these tracks, or at least heard the bands, so you'll know what to expect.

Also, Ryuzaki-san (from Bright and Dark Side) did the art for this, and it is so amazingly good. This might have been one of the last things he designed, but if it isn't, it's the latest that I own. So, so good.

After Forever / 3cm Tour split

1. After Forever - A Scar Motivated

2. After Forever - Depressed Days

3. 3cm Tour - 桜散る

4. 3cm Tour - どかない女

3cm tour / Umbra split [2003]

I'm pretty sure I picked up this CD on my trip to Japan in 2003. During that trip, I caught a 3cm tour show at Koiwa EM Seven. It was pretty amazing, and arguably better than any of their recordings. There's just something about their quiet precision in a room with a bunch of other people, like you can hear the collective breath.

I am like so frickin' busy this week, so I don't have much else to write. Sorry! Hope you enjoy.

3cm tour / Umbra split

1. 3cm tour - 涼子は恨んだ

2. 3cm tour - 線路は続くよ

3. umbra - dry gray

4. umbra - it's unlikely, it's unlike me

The HD Revolution [will not be televised]

Who'm I kidding. This shit isn't HD. But what it is, is much better quality videos of Japanese hardcore and screamo bands playing in 2002 & 2003. Since Youtube storage allowances have sky-rocketed, I can now upload the full 2GB live videos that I've had yellowing in crates for the past 8 years. I broke the box out of these shows and will re-rip them and post on youtube with the better quality. Just imagine it, it's gonna be awesome! Well, at least I'm excited.

Anyways, my scanner is on the fritz, so I won't have any good releases until I get that fixed. These will have to fill the void. Here's three to start out with, Womb & 3cmTour, both from 2003: