Top 5 Best Records From Asia Region In 2022
I would assume that no one's gonna write for some Asian band's releases in this webzine so I think it would be awesome for me to throw out the idea and I hope that this article would broaden out some readers about this small Asian music scene.
The year 2022 is pretty much a mixed taste of the Asian scene. Some bands were putting out a good record during the pandemic and some bands also "tend to state a hiatus" (Yes you know life is hard sometimes). These are some good records I would assume are worth checking and getting a highlight for being Best Records of the year
1
Xingfoo&Roy - Green Around The Gills
Tired Records, 2022
Singapore is believed for being a place that always producing good emo bands since year 2000's and I guess that's not a hyperbolic word to say. As a matter of fact that Singaporean bands never stopped to impress everyone. So glad that Xingfoo&Roy put out something new this year and honestly I've been taking a notice of this band since they put out the EP Late To The Party. The band has put out cool tracks ever since and one of them is the awaited "Green Around The Gills".
Among so many twinkle bands around the globe, I would say that only a few of them were good at songwriting. Xingfoo&Roy putting what's best for them to write songs on this LP which resulting heavily rotated songs compiled on "Green Around The Gills". These are songs that'll get you shed tears during the solitary pandemic days.
2
Sobs - Air Guitar
Topshelf Records, 2022
I'm not a big fan of indie pop or city pop music but Sobs' "Air Guitar" is a perfect record. So perfect that even a person like me, who's not into indie-pop or city pop music, would love this record. Sobs is a band that has been existing since 2017 and I remember the first time I listened to the band's song "Girl". I found this band via youtube recommendation after streaming into Forest's live recorded performance! Yes I know it's weird indeed.
The band took a break for 4 years to produce a new album and I did assume that this band has gone forever! This year Sobs produced an infecting city pop album that anyone should check out. No wonder a label like Topshelf Records would get this band a release offer and I think the label has just done the right thing. The LP comprises 8 new songs with one 1 cover song from Gwen Stefani. This album offers you non-stop sweet melodies and city pop tunes that'll get you to play them over and over again. I'm not bullshiting about this.
3
without - Be Corny
RAFT Records, 2022
I guess what makes the Japanese emo scene a bit different than any other place in Asia is that the scene has always been consistent in maintaining its songwriting and musical style. One of the examples is without. We know that twinkle emo music style is an emo music style that has its biggest fan today and without's "Be Corny" is a record that is worth getting a highlight for its consistency bringing a mixture of emo sound and punk rock.
Two bands that I would like to take compare for this album are Jawbreaker and Hot Water Music. I wouldn't say this band sounds alike to those two bands but without, on this album, totally knows how to put a good mix between punk rock and emo.
4
The Jansen - Banal Semakin Binal
Demajors, 2022
Well, I never know how everyone would get a definition of Eggpunk, or at least I discovered it through word of mouth from friends on the local scene. The Jansen is one of the biggest and most favorite local acts on the Indonesian scene today. And by the qualities of the songs they write, I guess the album "Banal Semakin Binal" is stuff that is worth checking by everyone around the globe.
Through "Banal Semakin Binal", The Jansen has been successfully emulating the velocity of punk 77 with some Buzzcocks/The Undertones heavy-driven melody vocals. The album contains 12 tracks that'll get you non-stop dancing and singalongs.
5
Hong! / Toast - Punx Cinta Damai EP
Wwav Records, 2022
Among many subgenres of punk music, American early 80's hardcore punk style is a music style that grows vast and major in Indonesia's music scene. So I would like to put out the stuff from the scene on this list and both bands are 2 of my favorite bands on the local hardcore punk scene, Hong! & Toast.
Hong! is a band that is recognized by its intensity and velocity among all the songs it produced. Let's say you could hear Circle Jerks singing in Bahasa as you take to listen to their songs. And their splitmate on this release, Toast would present more straight punching tunes on this split compared to their previous stuff which incorporates a bit of emotive element. You will 100% get mosh to this one I promise you!
