ALBUM REVIEW: PENGSHUi – PENGSHUi

An abrasive, DIY spirit is rife within the ranks of bands breaking through alternative music at the moment. More than anything else, it’s this raw mentality that has made the youth of everything from rock, to deathcore so exuberant. But you’d have to look hard to find a band who blend originality with a DIY ethic quite like grime/punk trio PENGSHUI. The band’s debut, self-titled record is a gas canister just waiting to be ignited with its ultra brash, enthusiastic bravado.

There’s an ever present energy that rips through the bones of the record quite literally from the first second, to the last. Opening track Wickedest Ones starts modest, with vocalist Illaman‘s chants of “Yeeeees mate” before a declension into a low tuned, techno blast rears its head. But it’s not until the minute mark of the track that you get your first full sense of what PENGSHUI are really all about. Illaman‘s rapid fire MC delivery hops across the drum rhythm laid down by Pravvy Prav, it’s just about as sinister as grime has ever sounded.

It’s Pravvy that might end up being the unsung hero of the band’s debut record – as at first glance his effect does seem limited, but look deeper and you’ll see how vital a cog the drummer is to PENGSHUI‘s entire sound. Tracks like the heavy techno based Leave It and the ultra aggressive No Joke just wouldn’t be able to land with the same menace without the drummers nuanced, snare based platforms for Illaman to lay down his lyrical excision.

As you’d expect from an album of this ilk – production is key. And bassist/producer Fatty does a particularly commendable job of making PENGSHUI sound a violent mixture of both tight, and raw at the same time. There is the occasional sense though that this record may have been better served as an EP – as the record’s lack of variation tends to stick out towards its latter half, and the album’s four interlude tracks, though effective in their own right, could have made for the best track on the album if combined.

Finding an area where blending grime, punk, and techno together works is somewhat of a monumental task. The fact that PENGSHUI have not just attempted this mixture, but have found a genuine sound for themselves out of it is somewhat astonishing. As new, raw, and untested at the bands formula currently is – this first offering lays down a charismatic marker which will no doubt serve the band moving forward. PENGSHUI are in the building.

Rating: 7/10

PENGSHUi is set for release on February 21st via MVKA. 

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