#lowkey session 12 : Pasca Sini

There needs to be more local bands like Pasca Sini, and music like theirs should be more common in local airwaves. Their pop-punk sensibilities is a great pick-me up, and the contrast of the uplifting nature of their music against some of their more serious lyrics is a great way to sing (their hearts out) about things that matter. It can help make you feel better, especially when you have anthemic choruses like Semula's "Jika kau perlukan ku menemani hari mu, bersama hapus kegelepan dalam segenap perjalanan; (ku) tahu kau perlukan ku setia dari dulu, untuk kau yang terkecuali, tiada yang tak pasti, untuk mu ini janji." One thing great about Pasca Sini is their understanding of dynamics. Their bridges are often memorable, and always raising the song for one last hurrah; a final flourish to leave listeners with a sense of resolution. Awal's solo acoustic performance of Semula may not underline this, but the band coming in for Dichotomy does. And when they want to ease off the pedal a little, they come up with pleasant gems like Apa Yang Kau Mahu, a number that can easily cajole crowds to sing and clap along. It would be interesting to see if Awal makes his phrasing of "untuk mu ini jan-ji" at the end of Semula a thing - it would add much needed Malaysian-ness to what is very much an American sound. Punk, in whatever form or incarnation, will never die. Its ability to raise the mood or spirit, be it through its driving melodies and riffs or its up-tempo nature, will always make it relevant. No matter the era. That rush that it gives, be it when singing against injustice or singing about independence and love, is celebratory. The rousing feeling it gives is youthful. It injects a sense of purpose to the younger ones, while rousing older listeners to revisit the ideals and moments that shaped their youth. None of this is bad in any world, and as long as bands like Pasca Sini are around to remind us, punk will always be around to uplift us somehow. Setlist: Semula Dichotomy Apa Yang Kau Mahu Recorded on 16-08-2022 #lowkeysessions #RAImuzikkita #RAIarts #RAIartsMY @PascaSini