12" EP - Milky Clear w/Black Splatter
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BTR031
12" Vinyl LP of "Gebo Gomi" by The Suicide Machines and Coquettish. Includes printed inner sleeve.Â
Second Pressing:
200 Milky Clear with Black Splatter
300 Neon Green
First Pressing (sold out):
200 Milky Clear w/ Olive, Neon, and Doublemint Splatter
300 Toxic Pinwheel (Yellow and Black)
500 Solid Purple
200 Neon Green w/ Black Splatter (Bad Time Record Club variant)
Exclusive Variants also available from PUNKMART in Japan and BROOKLYN VEGAN.
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This may be similar to what just happened to you, but when I saw this pairing and realized that it would be happening on BTR I nearly passed out. GEBO GOMI has been a collaboration in the works for a very long time, pairing two of the absolute best bands playing heavy ska punk in the entire world, and I could not be more excited to finally help bring it to life.
To say that The Suicide Machines have been an influential and important band to me would be like saying “water and oxygen are kind of OK I guess”. I can vividly recall sitting my lazy 14 year old ass in front of a TV in my basement on a blazing hot summer afternoon, N64 controller in hand, desperately trying to pull off 900s and grind combos for hours on end, only pausing briefly to hit “skip track” and keep one particular song in constant rotation. That song made me want to do something better than sit in front of my tv. It made me want to play music with my friends. It made me want to skateboard. It made me want to go to ska punk shows. It made me want to run through a fucking wall. It turned me into a lifelong TSM fan who would wind up devouring their entire catalogue, and trying my best to emulate their angst, energy, and chaotic energy in my own music, for frankly, the rest of my life. It would have been easy for The Suicide Machines to rest on their laurels, ride the wave for a while, and cash in and check out like so many of their peers at the time… but they are one of those rare bands who have never forgotten where they come from, why they do it, and for who. If you heard “Revolution Spring” in 2020 you know the band not only never lost a step, but probably gained a few. GEBO GOMI is the perfect extension of that… proving that the band had their energy and faith renewed, and is now coming full circle to hit their writing and performing stride all over again. “Awake” is maybe the catchiest TSM track ever, that even the members joke would probably have been a better choice for the Tony Hawk soundtrack if it was written in 1996… but tracks like “Accelerate The Decline” and “Slipping Into Darkness” show that band at it’s heaviest and angriest, pulling no punches and setting their targets as fiercely as ever. I don’t think this band has ever sounded better or more intentional, and if I wasn’t clear… that’s from someone who’s been KINDA into them for a long time.
While The Suicide Machines are probably the band that jumped out on you on this split, it would be foolish to ignore the power and history of Coquettish. Legendary in their own right as one of Japan’s heaviest, fastest, most energetic punk ska bands (“PUNK SKA AS FUCK” as they like to say), it’s easy to see why Coquettish and TSM became lifelong friends on tour together in 2018. Both bands have an undeniable ferocity in their approach to ska, with over-powering relentless rhythms that effortlessly mix in danceable ska in a way that almost sneaks up on you. From my own experience getting to briefly tour Japan in 2019, I was blown away by a common thread I found amongst the heaviest punk ska bands that is extremely apparent in Coquettish… a manic energy that constantly feels like it’s teetering on the brink of chaos, but is purely by design. Because of the technical prowess of the band, Coquettish is able to keep their performance extremely tight and locked in despite often feeling like it’s going to go careening off the rails at any moment. Honestly, it’s the best type of ska punk there is, and it’s on full display on Side B of GEBO GOMI. Songs like “I Feel” force you to move your feet and bang your head, even if it feels just slightly beyond the range of how fast you think you’re able to dance, while tracks like “Burn” are just straight up moshable party tracks that will make you yearn for a cramped smoke filled club somewhere east of Lake Biwa. While I was a fan before this split, GEBO GOMI has turned me into a Coquettish lifer… seeing them destroy a club in Tokyo one day has crept towards the top of my ska punk bucket list.
The significance of this collaboration will probably (hopefully) be discussed by the bands and anyone talking about the album, but I believe that it hinges one important idea; that music and friendship cross all borders and boundaries. This is for sure a hallmark record for ska punk partnerships with some amazing songs, but it’s really about two bands who could not have been born and raised further apart or in more different circumstances finding commonality through music, and sharing a bond that they’ll have forever. The songs on this split complement each other so well, you might think Coquettish grew up just down route 96 in Lansing or something. Music is the great equalizer, and this is such a great example of friends and peers coming together to make something special. I truly hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I’ve enjoyed helping to bring it to you.
… and oh yeah, GEBO GOMI roughly means PUKE TRASH.
- Mike
