On my show this month:
Unfortunately we have to be the bearer of awful news this month. Anybody who listens to my show regularly will know that many moons ago my label released three wonderful albums by the the magical The Cambodian Space Project a truly singular band with a singer who embodied the great spirit of that country's new generation after the pol pot genocide of the 70's and 80's.
On the 20th of March, Kak Channthy was killed in a traffic in Phnom Penh returning home from a club, she was only 38 years old. There's not much more that I can say except that she'll always be remembered fondly as a bright, strong, fiercely independent woman who clawed her way up from a Cambodian rural existence and exploitation to become a true SE Asian superstar. Some have called her the Amy Whitehouse of Asia, we just believe that her jukebox memory for remembering songs she heard on the radio as a child brought a new lease of life on one of the most singular styles of pop music of the 20th century and inspired many in her country to take great pride in their modern as well as ancient cultural heritage. More than most of us could manage in 3 lives.
Also on the show this month music from Durban, beautiful pop sung in Cornish, yet another one from Brisbane's The Chats (Can't tell you how much I love that band), a new one from Parquet Courts that sees them return to form and a 15 minute modular synth, future classic. As always thanks for listening to Ring of Fire.
Finally if you like to know more about Kak Channthy the BBC penned a rather well written piece here http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-43482011 and a lot more detail in The Diplomat https://thediplomat.com/2018/03/remembering-cambodia-rock-star-kak-channthy/

Website: hockingsean.wix.com/metalpostcardrecords
MySpace: www.myspace.com/metalpostcardremixed
Twitter: twitter.com/metalpostcard1
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Biography:
Sean Hocking is the founder and owner of Metal Postcard Records and based in Hong Kong.

An avid Peel listener from the late 70’s onwards he discovered the true breadth of music available between 10:00pm and midnight for many years. Metal Postcard Records follows the Peel/Tony Wilson philosophy of play it, release it, and don’t worry about other people’s opinions too much; they all come round eventually.

"My first DJ experience aged 15 was being asked by older schoolboy Simon Raymonde (Cocteau Twins/Bella Union) to play a six form dance in the dim distant days of Dexy’s Midnight Runners and a three-piece Cure. Since then I have played Sydney warehouses, West Sussex fields, Brooklyn Bars, Cambodian restaurants, Vietnamese Riverbanks, Hong Kong rooftops and too many empty houses with dodgy fuse boxes to mention.”

“Mentioning favourite recordings would be pointless as they change from day to day but I can tell you that amongst my favourite gigs has been Black Flag at the lyceum in 1980 something, The Cramps on their Psychedelic Jungle tour, The Triffids final Sydney concert at the Paddington Town Hall, Julian Cope’s main stage sunset set Glastonbury in 1987, any Ed Kuepper performance over the last 30 years, Konono No.1 in New York a few years back and The Stone Roses at Spike Island was, without a doubt, a great day out. Oh and the three times I was lucky enough to catch Melbourne’s Morning After Girls who should all be considered for sainthood.”"

Most recently the launch party for the Cambodian Space Project’s debut single on Metal Postcard Records in Phnom Penh was a revelation as the band was joined on stage by various musical survivors of the Pol Pot genocide who sang and played their hearts out for hours on end. Couldn’t remember feeling such musical joy... Well not since Peel played The Dodgems’ ‘Lord Lucan Is Missing’ for the first time."

Tracklistings for my previous shows:
03/2018 - 02/2018 - 01/2018 - 01/2018 (Reverence or Reference) - 12/2017 - 12/2017 (Best of the Year) - 11/2017 - 10/2017 - 09/2017 - 08/2017 - 07/2017 - 06/2017 - 05/2017 - 04/2017 - 03/2017 - 02/2017 - 01/2017 - 12/2016 - 12/2016 (Poetry Special) - 12/2016 (Roaring Forties) - 11/2016 - 11/2016 (Literary Masterpiece) - 10/2016 - 09/2016 - 08/2016 - 07/2016 - 06/2016 - 05/2016 - 04/2016 - 03/2016 - 02/2016 - 01/2016 - 12/2015 - 11/2015 - 10/2015 - 09/2015 - 09/2015 (Ambient Special) - 08/2015 - 07/2015 - 06/2015 - 05/2015 - 04/2015 - 03/2015 - 02/2015 - Kim Fowley Special 02/2015 - 01/2015 - 12/2014 - 11/2014 - 10/2014 - 09/2014 - 08/2014 - 07/2014 - 06/2014 - 05/2014 - 04/2014 - 03/2014 - 02/2014 - 01/2014 - 12/2013 - 11/2013 - 10/2013 - 09/2013 - 08/2013 - 07/2013 - 06/2013 - Nuggets Special 05/2013 - 05/2013 - 04/2013 - 03/2013 - 02/2013 - 01/2013 - 12/2012 - 11/2012 - 10/2012 - 09/2012 - 08/2012 - 07/2012 - 06/2012 - 05/2012 - Nuggets Special 05/2012 - 04/2012 - 03/2012 - 02/2012 - Mash-Up Special 02/2012 - 01/2012 - 12/2011 - 11/2011 - 10/2011 - 09/2011 - 08/2011 - Metal Postcard Influences Special 08/2011 - 07/2011 - 06/2011 - 05/2011 - 04/2011 - 02/2011

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