Get all 112 OWLRIPPER RECORDINGS releases available on Bandcamp.
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of ON071 - Shackled To Meaningless Flesh We Waltz Toward Oblivion, ON070 - I Hate This Dirt, ON069 - Oblivion and Further Disaster, ON068 - estranje, ON067 - the necrophage emerges divine, ON066 - Bordernoia, ON065 - Underneath The Surface, ON064 - Ritual Six σ, and 104 more.
1. |
Dead Rhetoric Club
00:42
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--- Dead Rhetoric Club (2022) from DeadMusicClub Compilation (Tape) Dead Music Club - and Prowling For The Blasts Vol.3 (online) - Owlripper Recordings
Words:
So much spoken but little said
So much noise but nothing heard
Portray the suffering and the dead
Between beers, bongs and downward glances
So much weight of judgement and presumption
On your shoulders
How do you stand?
So many heads to tread on
Where do you stand?
Thank you for your critique of everything and everyone
But do you have anything to offer?
Criticise everything and everyone
But you offer nothing
And encourage no one
/
Explanation:
There is a difference of continuing the tradition of expressing rage about very important subjects and sometimes becoming a little predictable compared with when the same topics are on record sleeves and in lyrics purely as a style requirement, a quick route to identity or simply an uninspired topic with then an additional lack of effort to go beyond cheap sloganeering. There is a risk that all of this becomes like a historical re-enactment society where everyone plays their part in remembering something that used to exist.
Additional to this is the frustration that along with this almost role play posturing is the elitism and judgmental belittling of others, not only becoming stale traditionalists but also gatekeepers and detractors rather than being catalysts or motivators for others becoming involved or having a voice.
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2. |
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--- Another Generation Deceived (2023) Only available with this release ---
Words:
Seeking asylum from your ignorance
Trying to gain right to remain as far from you as possible
Your argument starved of fact and fueled by the same bile
That made a family flee to be safe
Illegal migration into territories of decency, honor and truth
Your senseless hate never belonged there
Like a swarm of locusts devouring the crop - eroding empathy
Foaming at the mouth with every government policy biased
Broadcast
Deciding that conspiracy and secret invasions are
More likely than documented military attacks
There is no nothing left to say
Wartorn flesh - scarred souls - turn your backs
Never wanted to know or understand
and so it goes on
/
Explanation:
There are some subjects that become tensely debated and this is usually at times where there are other political agendas that lead to them being highlighted as an issue (as a distraction, a bid for greater popularity or as a means to justify failings).
The main point of this song is to highlight that some topics have been argued numerous times but still without resolution. Recently in the UK there has been an increased interest in people seeking asylum, so much has already been said about this topic.
The main expressions within this song is related to feeling intolerant towards this intolerance whilst also feeling that this issue will heighten again in the future and the arguments on both sides will be largely the same. I was thinking about the hypocrisy of those whom lack compassion and are scornful of people seeking asylum as their hatred and prejudice mirrors the roots of the hostilities that created a situation where people have had to leave their home in the first place. The acknowledgment of human suffering is largely absent in the views being expressed by those critical of those seeking safety and instead the emphasis is on feeling that the situation is either a contrived invasion or a simple attempt to take what is theirs.
Of course, the whole time those with much greater wealth and luxury enjoy the fireworks and whilst this issue is reported alongside any difficulties being experienced within the UK at that time as a form of insinuating blame, there are no questions being asked about the significant failings that those in power have received a wage for engineering.
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3. |
Solidarity
01:14
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--- Solidarity (2022) from Grind For Ukraine (due on future volume) ---
Words:
Only destruction, violence and terror where lives used to be
Blood, gore and pain is here or a near drawing certainty
And all the dbeats in the world can't destroy this machine of war
Nor can blasts kill that putrid oppressor
Crush pretence, there are no words
That can mean anything of worth
Just a message of regret and hope for safety of friends
The truth is these screams are powerless
Just a call for the end and a plea you survive
Cathartic posture in comfort and virtue signals of disapproval
Will not save your life
The invincible moment of noise and shouting
May capture a feeling but this is of fear
If this shitty song does anything to keep you fighting, it was worth it
/
Explanation:
It felt like if a song was being written specifically for Grind For Ukraine then this should be directly related to the topic of this compilation. Before tracking the vocals I had a period of COVID and so there were only 2 lines of vocals. My friend Alex recorded the vocals to make sure that it was completed on time. The lyrics were not followed but used as a reference point to his performance on this track. So the words are really here as what was intended.
Alongside the obvious message carried within the title it also expressed the sense of hopelessness that many of us feel when we have international friends caught in such terrible situations and at this point sending some music may raise spirits but really offers no real assistance or change within this context of international crisis.
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4. |
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--- Oldest Mate Cast To Flame (2021) from One Man Grind Vol 3 (2021) The Hills Are Dead Records ---
Words:
Empty bottles. Failed Liver. Broken hearts. Such a waste, so wasted, such a shame, I know you were ashamed
Never stopped stopping but never dry for long, then had to slow because cold turkey would mean cold corpse
The world was never fast or fair enough,
Farewell oldest friend, I wish you were here, you fucking cunt.
/
Explanation:
My oldest friend died too young as has many others that I have known. Grief is a strange experience and extremely contextual. At the time of getting a song ready for a compilation, my friend was never far from my thoughts. There were circumstances around his death that made me extremely angry but from the perspective of how friends can be angry with each other because they care about each other. The cremation, the body literally going up in smoke and leaving only ash felt very pertinent to the way my friend's life went and how this was such a waste.
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5. |
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--- Web Of Lies, Hypocrisy And Rebel Masquerade (2021) from Prowling For The Blasts Vol.1 (2021) Owlripper Recordings ---
Words:
Binary truth assimilation
Through click bait wank off frenzy
Leaves you drowning in your own fluids
A short cut to nowhere – A short cut to being lost
Identity theft politics
Keyboard warriors of pointless apathy
Leaves you drowning, the arrogance of the Elite
March of the hordes into a nothing war
The world beyond your screen still screams in pain
/
Explanation:
The concept of online content being prioritized over real life involvement and the ease at which people build their digital brand highlighting their own virtues based on a polarized identikit political identity is a waste of time.
There appears to be no real connection between the millions of words being echoed and genuine engagement in either debate or action. There also seems to be a lack of evaluation of what is being shared online and more simply a case of blind acceptance as long as it comes from the side you are on. It seems so easy to present yourself as some form of heroic crusader in the digital realm but none of this means anything when considering the real world.
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6. |
Piece Of Shit
01:33
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--- Piece Of Shit (2020) from Threat By Cassette Vol. 2 (2020)- Galloping Dandruff Records ---
- Words:
Fake Cowardly Abuser....
Must be tough being so fucking elite
Self-made creator, Icon and king
Looking down at the mirror
The truth is you are no different
You hide in plain sight
Hating. Hurting. Destroying
Superior, believer you are beyond reproach
No such thing as an innocent scene
Cool music taste does not stop
A piece of shit
From being a piece of shit
You Manipulate, You Disempower, You Ruin Lives
An abusive man is an abusive man
I don't give a fuck if you are from "the scene"
I will not defend you.
/
- Explanation:
Too many times there have been abusive situations and incidents within the DIY scene where the sense of community and trust is in many cases so strong. This idea that the DIY scene is a league of angels and there are no people that behave in the way that so often gets called out is sadly not true, and meanwhile all the holier-than-thou elitist attitudes continue to almost put people on an almost instant pedestal just because they have a cool record collection, they play in a band or run a cool label etc. The fact is that this horrible fact rots the core of something that otherwise is so positive and inspiring and therefore this song is a bitter reminder that sometimes our heroes and peers let us down and that it's not healthy to assume the average "normal" guy might be prone to abusing others but people in the DIY scene are somehow unlikely to..... this sounds dangerously close to the kind of attitudes that has in other scenarios led to groups being oppressed and assumed unworthy, decadent and immoral purely on an incrowd / outcrowd division basis. Positive discrimination like this can perpetuate harmful behaviour and marginalise / exclude people who wanted to be involved but now have left this behind them as they didn't feel safe.
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7. |
Judge, Jury, Executioner
00:47
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--- Judge, Jury, Executioner (2020) from a comp that didn’t happen (2020) ---
- Words:
Block out the life plea
Your system gives power
And takes freedom
Opinions are now “proof”
Public interest in blood
One man murdered another
But was not born a killer
He was trained and taught
Judge, Jury, Executioner
Smoke seen without eyes
Guilt is stratified
The process established
The procedure ignored
Fair trial saved for fair skin
Black lives shattered
Building the man to be “a man”
Teaching the cop to be “a cop”
I can’t breathe – You won’t breathe
You wont talk, your guilt was pre-defined
/
- Explanation:
How many more deaths do there need to be before citizens scrutinize not only the frontline and very visible prejudice and brutality but consider how this problem runs much deeper?
There is something to be said about how attitudes, egos and perspectives ingrained in the training and selection of people in uniform that allows for ethical and moral boundaries to be crossed with an arrogance that comes from an inflated sense of authority. There is also a toxic narcissistic view of identifying who is in the wrong and what is justifiable. Any job that involves judgement calls of any kind of course is difficult and it is easy to criticize from afar. However, when this appears to resemble a god complex-like domination of others to an extent that their safety and even their lives are at risk based on little evidence, this is extremely problematic.
For some this is simply the nature of any form of authority and it can’t be any different, back in reality where this isn’t going away any time soon. It is important (in my opinion) not to become apathetic and simply disengaged from this. It feels like it is taking the easy and ineffective option to just sloganeer and wait for utopia. Our world is not this utopia and so any challenge to these traditions of murder and any means to challenge oppressive practices (large or small) are so important to avoid a situation where more ground is lost.
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8. |
Not Dead Yet
01:08
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--- Not Dead Yet (2020) From Death To Capitalist Grind Vol.I (2020) ---
Words:
NOT DEAD YET
The fire still burns inside us all
Never gave up, still defiant, still raging
The traitors and thieves
Tried to sell our soul
Still standing, for what it's worth
For us all
Not Dead Yet
Still doing it for ourselves
Not for profit
We are not cool
But still alive
We’re still fighting for something
Not like you
We’re not moving
We’re not resting
Fuck capitalist grindcore
/
- Explanation:
Not much needed, after deleting a 7” of material and having not recorded anything for Question Everything for a few years, a compilation asking for submissions re-ignited my interest with its spirit. In some respects this song was a reaction towards the use of grindcore as a strange sort of cool descriptor for bands that had excellent merchandise but appeared to lack interest in DIY and in playing grindcore as such. Although aging, I still feel passionate about DIY and that grind should be in some way rooted in punk; ethically, sonically and lyrically.
Not ready to stop blasting, still thinking and asking questions.
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9. |
An Unflinching Populous
01:25
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--- An Unflinching Populous (2013) From Give It Back Vol.2 Benefit Comp (2013) 1859 recs ---
- Words:
Yet more tragedy, suffering and devastation
And this is (just) what the media reports
Reality is far more bleak
And incriminates many more of the puppet masters
All the stories are received, and then transmitted in conversation
At most you will hear insincere sympathy
But all accept and remain unflinching: despite the horror
World news breaks of a corporation's negligence
The resultant ecological disaster continues
No action is taken for several weeks
And still, where is the rage?
An unflinching populous plod on with “their” day
Within months, news of severe flooding - killing thousands
An unflinching populous remains, clicking “make donation” at most
and at least a response of an apathetic sigh
/
- Explanation (recollection):
The world had become much smaller thanks to the information age which, although not without its limits, censors and bias has given people a greater sense of what is happening beyond our immediate situation. However, with so much information and the speed at which it travels, it creates a barrage of at times multiple/competing tragic events. Unfortunately, this can become white noise and dull our sense of humanity as opposed to strengthen our sense of solidarity and compassion.
Before long, the news however it is received, is processed with the same apathy as an advert; inconvenient and somehow invasive. It is sickening that this turn away reaction happens and upon noticing, it leaves the impression that we have become more desensitized to the suffering of others than when the information moved slower, was shorter in supply and was more consciously sought.
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10. |
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--- Will You Ever Fucking Get It? (2013) From Ripping Thrash Zine Comp (2017) ---
- Words:
There is no god of any kind
The concept of a higher being or masterplan is completely manufactured.
It's just another means of control
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- Explanation (taken from the video 2013):
To have an atheist viewpoint is for some reason treated with utter intolerance. The presumptions tend to be either you have no respect for other people's beliefs or are somehow devoid of morality. This song is a direct expression of my atheism and belief that religious organisations are just another mechanism to restrict a person's liberty.
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11. |
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--- Grindcore Is Not For Sale (2012) from Fuck S.C.I.O.N Comp 2012 ---
- Words:
SCION wants your band
To be part of its marketing plan
SCION wants your soul
To sign you up on their payroll
Fuck your corporation
And fuck your shallow ploy
Fuck your sponsorship
This scene is not your toy
Grindcore and hardcore punk
Is not about rockstars getting drunk
No need for a sponsored stage
Don’t be baited into their cage
This is either a tax break
Or a publicity stunt for fuck's sake
Do the suits really give a shit
About fast music for zero profit?
/
- Explanation (taken from the video 2013):
Opinions are like arseholes, everyone has one and in the DIY punk community, these opinions are very strong especially when it involves the actions of our beloved bands. Recently opinion has been divided as to whether bands working with SCION is just another example of grind/punk/crust etc etc etc bands taking something from a company and using it for free or whether it is nothing short of selling out. My stance on this is there are free services owned by big business that can be used to strengthen links within the DIY network with the hope that the adverts surrounding the content is ignored (fb and myspace for example), in this scenario no money changes hands and the company does not influence the activities of the people involved.
The affiliation with SCION is not as simple as “getting free stuff from companies without buying into the bullshit” as it requires the bands to work directly with the company. Sponsored events and releases are branded with the logo of a corporation which to me is simply not in the spirit of DIY. Grindcore is not for sale.
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12. |
Aero Zeppelin
03:22
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--- Aero Zeppelin (2021) from Grindcore Tribute To Nirvana (2021) Sudden Strike Records ---
Explanation: Grindcore Tribute To Nirvana sounded like a good challenge to see how a song by a band I really loved from a fairly early age could be interpreted. After not listening for many years, it was refreshing to revisit some of these albums as well as other bands from this time.
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13. |
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--- A Wormhole to a Corpse Blockade (Remixed by The Owl) (2023) Only available with this release ---
Original track is on a forthcoming split 12" with Active Minds, Night Like Winter and Western Power Grid.
The Owl (Leeds, England, now Orlová, Cz) - Audio/visual experiments since 1994; as The Owl since Autumn 2018. 100+ releases at theowl.bandcamp.com
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OWLRIPPER RECORDINGS Orlová, Czechia
FastSlowRiffs
LoudQuietNoises Experimental Everything
No submissions.
No tolerance for
intolerance!
Digital only.
Codes: dlcm.app/owlripperrecordings
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My Bandcamp Fan collection: bandcamp.com/theowlripper
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