Logo
DiS Needs You: Save our site »
  • Logo_home2
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • In Photos
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Search
  • Community
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • Blog
  • Community

THIS SITE HAS BEEN ARCHIVED AND CLOSED.

Please join the conversation over on our new forums »

If you really want to read this, try using The Internet Archive.

White Man Kamikaze

Be Reasonable...Demand The Impossible

Label:

1888
-Raz- by Raziq Rauf June 8th, 2002

Oh, I do sincerely hope that White Man Kamikaze are as good as the reports and this demo suggest. With personnel seemingly ever-changing when it comes to the bassist and their histories appearing _cloudy _to say the least, WMK are a band which intrigue and captivate with aplomb. It is possible for a band to seem this self-assured and slightly off kilter on record - this demo proves it.

‘E.P.I.’ is a furious punk-riddled ode to something…it’s unclear: it could be old skool punkers; it could be nu skool ‘punkers’; it could be something else entirely. With cries of, “1, 2, 3, MC4!” and the slogan-worthy, “Who will survive, and what will be left of them?” as the battling frontline to a scarred backdrop of funky beats, fuzzy guitars and throttled drums. It’s catchy. Like a hand.

A dedication to a dead Beach Boy? That's ‘Pet Sound’: a spoken word prelude with a thundering introduction then snarling vocals and twangy guitars leading up to a quaint chorus, noisily declaring “Fuck! Tsunami! El Niño!” It is presumably a raucous verbal assault on the equally vicious weather systems that led to his demise. Are the profanities unnecessary? Almost certainly. Is it required? Abso-fucking-lutely.

The use of foul language does not guarantee controversy or attention or even a good show. I numbered 9 uses of such language in ‘Asbestos Fury’ with 8 of those appearing in the frenzied last 30 seconds. Does this signal a _forced _climax or just potent vehemence, unrepressed and uncultivated as of yet. There’s only one way to really find out. I have got to see WMK live onstage to see if they’re the real deal.

Will they be as unforgiving in their allegedly bile-fuelled shows?

Will the songs stand up in a room filled with expectant faces?

Will the pressure of calculated hype prove too much for White Man Kamikaze?

All of you who remain sceptical whilst still in the eternal search for the little something that's just a little bit special, come find out.

  • 9
    Raziq Rauf's Score
Log-in to rate this record out of 10
Share on
   
Love DiS? Become a Patron of the site here »


LATEST


  • Drowned in Sound's Albums of the Year 2025


  • Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024


  • Drowned in Sound is back!


  • Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Year: 2020


  • Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter


  • Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing



Left-arrow

Viva Stereo

Try Harder EP

Mobback

The Vines at Camden Electric Ballroom, Camden, Thu 19 Feb

Mobforward
Right-arrow


LATEST

    news


    Drowned in Sound's Albums of the Year 2025

  • 106149
  • news


    Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024

  • 106145

    news


    Drowned in Sound is back!

  • 106143
  • news


    Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Y...

  • 106141

    news


    Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter

  • 106139
  • Playlist


    Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing

  • 106138

    Festival Preview


    Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alterna...

  • 106137
  • Interview


    A Different Kind Of Weird: dEUS on The Ideal Crash

  • 106136
MORE


    Interview


    "We became seminal for doing nothing": DiS meet...

  • 88284
  • feature


    Jimmy Eat World answer your questions

  • 93725

    Artist 'n' Artist


    In conversation: Liars and Deerhunter

  • 40700
  • feature


    Hi, how are you? DiS meets Daniel Johnston

  • 25941

    feature


    No Surprises? 15 Classic Albums of 15 Years Ago

  • 82815
  • feature


    DiS meets At the Drive-In

  • 12223

    Interview


    DiS meets Sleater Kinney: "We felt like it wasn...

  • 99435
  • feature


    DiS meets Pretty Girls Make Graves

  • 14541
MORE

Drowned in Sound
  • DROWNED IN SOUND
  • HOME
  • SITE MAP
  • NEWS
  • IN DEPTH
  • IN PHOTOS
  • RECORDS
  • RECOMMENDED RECORDS
  • ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
  • FESTIVAL COVERAGE
  • COMMUNITY
  • MUSIC FORUM
  • SOCIAL BOARD
  • REPORT ERRORS
  • CONTACT US
  • JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
  • FOLLOW DiS
  • GOOGLE+
  • FACEBOOK
  • TWITTER
  • SHUFFLER
  • TUMBLR
  • YOUTUBE
  • RSS FEED
  • RSS EMAIL SUBSCRIBE
  • MISC
  • TERM OF USE
  • PRIVACY
  • ADVERTISING
  • OUR WIKIPEDIA
© 2000-2025 DROWNED IN SOUND