Oldboy

Oldboy

Byfleet Dancehall, Vol. 1

Agitated

"There’s absolutely nothing wrong with pop music. For Byfleet outfit Oldboy, they’re happy to admit they’re pushers of pop, but with the caveat that it’s “nasty pop music“. Starting out as a noisy get together between friends Max Coon and Chris Summers in an industrial estate rehearsal room back in 2019, an additional friend – Ryan Caine – was recruited for racket-making purposes in Oldboy and the band ultimately put out their debut album, ‘Bloody‘, in April of last year. Recorded with man of the people Jonah Falco at the North London Total Refreshment Centre studio in three days, it was mixed in a matter of hours down in the basement of Rough Trade West. As somewhat of an early Christmas gift, the trio are gracing us with new material – an EP by the name of ‘Byfleet Dancehall Vol. 1‘, out digitally via Agitated Records on December 1st 2023 – and we’ve got an exclusive first stream of it below! It’s definitely “nasty pop music” alright, a collection of fuzzy, hooky earworms, tailor made for shuffling feet and having a bop in the pit. With shades of Hot Snakes and Aussie lot CIVIC in the mix, vocals sound on occasion like Andrew Falkous or Joe Casey. As all EPs should, it ends in a burst of head-wrecking noise.”—BirthdayCakeForBreakfast

Oldboy

Bloody

Agitated

The debut album from pre-grunge crunch merchants Oldboy. Oldboy formed as a past-time—like golf or knitting—between old friends with a love of having a loud good time. Created by Max and Chris in an industrial estate rehearsal room back in 2019, get-togethers were few and far between but something was popping—it felt like fun. Since then, practices were again few and far between but after recruiting an old friend, Ryan, on bass (they didn't want to be a two piece—Lightning Bolt have that covered) they decided to try a little bit harder and as the world went into reverse they somehow wrote what you have here—their debut album Bloody. Recorded at the Total Refreshment Centre in three days with Jonah Falco (Fucked Up, Chubby And The Gang, The Chisel) and then mixed in three hours in the basement of Rough Trade West you get exactly where Oldboy are at. It's fast and relentless. It swings in places. It's super raw and the sound of three people having a high ol' time. Mucho influenced by the prime / premiere cuts of the late 80s / early 90s Chicago / US noise, as once released by Touch and Go, Amphetamine Reptile and Sub Pop. Pummeled home with a British post punk thWACK. It’s pop music, it’s just nasty pop music. For fans of: Tar, Shellac, Precious Wax Droppings, Helmet, Scratch Acid, Tad.... Play loud—and often.