Woooofffff, this one lands just right. How did ARTIFICIAL JOY inject ’80 Sunset Strip energy into snotty, femme-fronted modern hardcore stomps? I don’t know and it doesn’t make sense (though I did blast RATT for a solid six hours the other day), but ARTIFICIAL JOY makes me feel like that even though they sound like a ripping 2020s DIY punk act. And this, my friends, is wonderful.
There are just some releases (and some bands, period) that you’d be a fool not to love. Tokyo kängpunk and BDSM enthusiasts SKITKLASS are such a band. If you don’t get what they’re doing, you get the sense the door is right over there and you can throw yourself out. Their side of this split consists of three previously released slabs of raw, pissed-off, Sweden-indebted punk re-recorded in Japanese, and other than that, their formula has hardly changed one bit (which is a really good thing). On the flipside you have a recently-formed and quickly buzzed-about L.A. band ARTIFICIAL JOY, whose two tracks are shrieking, contorting neo-classics that hold their own alongside SKITKLASS. If you aren’t already paying attention to this band, these songs will convince you to take notice; the energy is full on and the band seethes with self-assured chaos. Altogether both sides of the split form a wonderful vibe check to the global punk scene. Get onboard or, you know, get lost.
