Round Eye

They say good things come in pairs, and Genjing Records’s newest release, a split 12’ between two very different punk acts, holds true. It’s a wild ride through well-aged old-school territory and a wacky assemblage of elements that bends protocol without losing edge. Even if a sax made the record less legit, there’s Black Flag’s own Greg Ginn on one of the tracks. What?

Full Circle is the first album from Shanghai-based punk outfit Round Eye, shared with front-man Chachy’s old band back in the States, Libyan Hit Squad, on side A. The latter group’s disbandment in 2011 left some unfinished business in the shape of songs that ended up on Round Eye’s catalogue instead, with the record taking three years to complete across New Mexico, Florida and Shanghai.

Despite the fluidity in the process, there’s no mistaking the line separating the first six tracks from the remaining five. LHS’s side A opens with ‘Blown Asshole’, a fast-paced angry intro to familiar fist-raising territory (‘Rubber Shoes’), segueing onto the elaborate and disconcerting instrumental ‘Full Circle’ featuring aforementioned Mr Ginn on mean solo guitar. ‘Brave New World’, ‘Faulty Bridge’ and ‘Lift your Knees’ aren’t as intricate as their climactic precursor, but still pack surprising versatility.

On the other side (literally), Round Eye’s same-titled party starter gives way to the maddest sax ever, which alternately stands out and then blends in with other elements at will. It meshes especially well with the mean bass line on ‘Kenting’, a sugary anthem that gets you ready for the doo-wop-inspired suaveness of ‘I’m So Young’. Then comes the clap-infused roller-coaster ride that is ‘Carne Seca’, and ‘Got Her Runnin’’, the track that toys with carefree pop-punk the most.

All-around, the result is unpretentious and fun without goofing off too much; there’s attention to detail and it’s clear a lot of hard work went into making everything come together. Especially the sax. We can’t let go of the sax.

Full Circle proves that punk is just an attitude that follows no rules. - Time Out Beijing

“Round Eye from Shanghai are not any less unconventional and they are by far the best Chinese band I've ever heard of. They merge easy listening with Per Ubu style protopunk and the funky parts of Firehose and Minutemen to create their very own unique style of punk. Apart from X-Ray Spex, Round Eye are probably the only band, that uses a saxophone and it doesn't suck. Both bands on this split LP play a style of music, that sounds like a lost SST release from the mid 80s. So if you dig open-minded, experimental punk, you'll be digging Round Eye. - Ride A Dove (Germany) - Ride A Dove (Germany)

Perhaps even more curious are the tracks from Round Eye. These tracks have a strange ‘50s-type vibe and prominently feature a saxophone, which generally isn’t a good sign of punk things to come in my book. I was happily wrong. This stuff is just all over the place enough to make it work. - Razorcake

“Jazzier in approach (they have actual brass!) but no less busy is Round Eye who hook the listener in with the coy swingin’ fun of their eponymous introductory cut. The horns this outfit employs suggest an artier, more deconstructive approach, but that could be my misinterpretation as a result of listening to too many Stooges records. Round Eye certainly could have hits in the affecting doo-wop slog “I’m So Young” or the jittery open wound “Kenting”; the real joy, however, comes when the band cuts loose on a detuned party mess like “Carne Seca.” The vocals on that sexy entry could merely be a recording of drunken revelers at a twilight rooftop shindig, but the carnal undercurrent works in any setting.” - James Greene Jr. - Orlando Weekly, Author of This Music Leaves Stains: The Complete Story of the Misfits (US)

So the wizard known as Craig "Chachy" Englund moved to Shanghai, China to teach English and formed a new band. The king is dead, long live the king…

Round Eye’s eponymous instrumental intro is equal parts Funhouse-era Stooges, ’80s hardcore and expat insanity. “Kenting” and “I’m So Young” both draw from the likes of Dion, as well as The Beach Boys and Hawkwind. “Carne Seca!” is the sound of an American running free in communist China, while “Got Her Runnin’” somehow perfectly synthesizes it all into a cohesive statement.

This is it, folks – this is where east and west converge and suddenly it all makes sense even though it shouldn’t. This is who we are, beyond the confines of cultures, borders and languages. This, my friends, is rock’n‘roll. Bow down and revere, as it may lead you to a new path of discovery in your journey of life. - The Big Takeover

Old-school meets the present as hardcore punk comes comes "Full Circle" — a blistering collaboration of the American crew Libyan Hit Squad and Shanghai's Round Eye with legendary Black Flag guitarist Greg Ginn on the title track. Ni Hao, this record could forever change East-West relations! - Steven Blush, author/filmmaker, American Hardcore

Here is an intriguing split album that brings together an unlikely pairing of countries with Libyan Hit Squad representing the United States of America and Round Eye, coming forward on behalf of China, not a place normally renowned for being a hot bed of alternative music. However, somehow this release has been made possible and it's got to be said that this is one hell of a listen from start to finish with both bands making sure that both countries should be proud of their musical sons.

Up first is Libyan Hit Squad and it would seem that having Greg Ginn play on one track is worthy of a mention on the front cover of the CD version (I'm not sure if that's also the case for the LP). The first track, "Blown Asshole," comes across at times like an amalgamation of the Descendents and What Happens Next?, throwing itself around with much aplomb for a whole 52 seconds, and in the process it certainly perks up my ears. It's evident that this is far from a straightforward take on punk and that is continued with the excellent "Rubber Shoes," which has elements that remind me of the Big Boys, along with another Randy "Biscuit" Turner outfit, Cargo Cult.

Across the six tracks offered up by Libyan Hit Squad, in addition to the bands already mentioned there are influences that come from the likes of the Minutemen, fIREHOSE and Black Flag, providing a constant reminder of the glory days of the SST label that Greg Ginn ran. In fact, it's obvious as to why Ginn might have wanted in on this project as his input on the instrumental track "Full Circle" is in line with what the band itself ar doing and doesn't make me think that he'd been crowbarred onto the album. Beyond that track, the following three tunes really hit the mark, with "Brave New World" offering up catchiness mixed in with some Mike Watt-like basslines. "Faulty Bridge" and "Lift Your Knees" maintain the quality from the Floridians, with a sense of drive and purpose (which I would say on one level is to produce music that challenges but is not overly challenging to listen to) that grooves its way into my head with ease.

So, Libyan Hit Squad are not an easy act to follow but Round Eye don't seem to be phased, hitting the ground running with a self-titled track that opens with a classic R'n'B riff (and not that crap passed off as R'n'B in the charts these days, I mean more the Dr. Feelgood / WIlko Johnson kind of thing that came in the 1970s) before descending into a Rocket From The Crypt-like saxophone lead instrumental - not exactly what one would imagine might surface from the Chinese Republic! On "Kenting," Round Eye remind me a lot of Muhammadali, with a similar ability to create a melodic cacophony though a haze of sludge: quality. Surprisingly, "I'm So Young" is all about the 50s doo-wop sound, yet there is still an undercurrent of that previously heard sludge to found primarily through the bass line. "Carne Seca" resurrects the Muhammadali reference before ending on another track, "Got Her Runnin'" that cracks open an R'n'B guitar riff ahead of some saxophone histrionics which lead nicely into some vocals that at times sound like Leonard Graves Philips (The Dickies).

Reading the credits in the CD it does seem as if each band shares one particular member and also despite being recorded in China, personnel such as Bob Brown, Lewis Maplethorpe and Jimmy Jack lead me to believe that some/all of the members of Round Eye might, just might, not be native to that country. I would be happy to receive confirmation from anyone in the know!

Anyhow, this split brings together two bands (apparently) separated by some physical distance and joins them in an unholy musical union that provides a well-rounded and widely influenced album. This is one of the best splits albums I've heard in a long time. - Punknews