Given the current state of the world, anybody would be forgiven for being in a perpetual state of loss. There’s a tangible feeling of confusion, dismay and fracture on any street that leads to a preference for isolation or staring at our own private screens over physical interactions. However, what this often breeds is communities ready to ignite people with an energy to fight the malaise bred by injustice. Enter: Riskee and The Ridicule. A tour-de-force band of politics, protest and punk that practices what they preach and are spearheading such a charge. Growing up in Kent, the group had always been a staple of the UK DIY scene, but their fervent attitude and unique “Grime-Punk” rallied troops of dedicated fans across the world. This die-hard community, the seamless relationship between “artist” and “crowd”, is ever-expanding and the reason Riskee and The Ridicule have toured ruthlessly nationwide, across Europe, the USA and are now readying their third studio album, Body Bag Your Scene.
Today sees the release of the first single from Body Bag Your Scene, in the explosive shape of ‘Kaboom!’
“Our song is about the blatant scare tactics used by the right-wing media to give the illusion of danger,” explains frontman Scott Picking. “This illusion creates the fear of being attacked, which naturally creates hostility. ‘We attack each other to the sound of their applause because their assets are safe if we’re coming for yours’.
We chose the word ‘Kaboom’ because of its use in comic books ‘to indicate a large explosion’. Comic books can print what they like, and people know its fiction. Newspapers do the same and people take it as the truth.”
Musically, the band meld their genre-spanning influences with their intent to challenge preconceptions. On the surface they may appear easy to read, when in fact Scott Picking (Vocals), Jimbo Aglony (Guitars, Vocals), Jordan Mann (Guitars, Vocals) and Matt Verrell (Drums, Vocals) are a gang of progressive punks who form a powerhouse of change. Full of fierce energy, the Kent quartet have motives resting among The Clash with relentless streams of wit, literacy and observational accuracy akin to The Smiths and a background in the UK Grime scene.
Following their DIY releases Dawn Of The Dog and 2017’s Blame Culture, the band have now signed with Bomber Music to release their third studio album, Body Bag Your Scene on June 28th. It’s a record that acknowledges their position as a band and showcases both a personal and musical evolution, building upon the style of their previous two albums but with more detailed and textured approaches to songwriting. Structures are more complex and themes broach darker subjects such as drug addiction, consent and the tabloid media with denser, heavier music to match.
“There was no outside pressure for us to do the album, so we wrote and recorded whatever we wanted. It turns out that because of that freedom, Body Bag Your Scene is Riskee and The Ridicule at our peak and most brutal yet. There’s definitely a darker side of this album, but there’s just as much tongue-in-cheek wordplay too.”
Body Bag Your Scene was written and recorded at breakneck speed, a reflection of its reactionary nature to the daily uncertainty projected upon us. Taking aim at the powers that be (“Our Time”), sexual exploitation (“Sex”) and the barrage of contradictory news (“Black, White & Grey”) it’s a record that holds a mirror to the world with simultaneously acerbic and humourous analysis.
Establishing themselves as an unstoppable live band who are not to be missed, Riskee and The Ridicule are about to set fire to the touch paper and ignite a necessary attack on the current state of unease. Body Bag Your Scene is available on June 28th via Bomber Music.
Pre-order the album here: https://bit.ly/2VVJRla