XINLISUPREME MURDER LICENSE EP FATCAT SPLINTER SERIES RELEASE: OCTOBER 7, 2002 REVIEW: OCTOBER 16, 2002

“Xinlisupreme are the real fucking deal.” For once a press release that speaks the truth.
This Japanese three piece first exploded into my world this spring with their debut album “Tomorrow Never Comes”, an hour of the most joyous, brilliant noisemaking I’ve heard in ages. And although reviewers en masse have justly dropped references like early The Jesus and Mary Chain, Suicide and Pere Ubu, Xinlisupreme have definitely got an identity of their own. Blurring the line between guitar feedback and scraping electronic distortion, they make both current rock darlings like The Strokes and the whole damn Detroit scene, as well as tame electronica outfits from around the globe appear like the emotionally and creatively void opportunists they are.
With “Murder License” they take the murderous sound of their debut album one step further. The opening title track is the most overwhelming piece of music I’ve heard all year; a big corrosive blast of huge noises and thunderous drums, pierced by a beautiful, synthetic string motif, that makes it feel like a lament for the state the world is in.
The remaining six songs fail to live up to this, but are still massively impressive, ranging from pure noise meltdown to unsettling, creepy atmospheres. But no matter how nihilistic they may appear, there’s always a passionate, blood red feeling as well as a fierce integrity to Xinlisupreme’s music. It may have something to do with them sharing the Jesus and Mary Chain’s love of sugar spun pop melodies, but I’ve heard few bands revel in noise with such an amount of pure joy amidst all the sonic rubble.
And putting a plastered American flag on the cover of a record called “Murder License” is exactly my kind of humour. Xinlisupreme do everything right.

KRISTOFFER NOHEDEN