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Various: Systeemi Ei Toimi 7” (P. Tuotanto, 1982)
A few weeks ago, Usman was purging some duplicates from his collection and I picked up a few things. Bangers only, of course, but the one that really surprised me was this 1982 Finnish compilation. It’s funny, I could be remembering wrong, but I think didn’t actually ask to buy this record… Usman just brought it to work one day and told me the price and that I should take it. He was 100% right. I had no idea there was a Systeemi Ei Toimi-sized hole in my collection, but Usman saw it and fixed it up like the good friend he is.
I can’t remember ever listening to Systeemi Ei Toimi before, though I’m sure I’d scrolled or read past it on lists of 80s Finnish punk records. The compilation originally came out in 1982 on Vote Vasko’s label P. Tuotanto, which also released several of the rarest and most essential early Finnish hardcore records, including the Kaaos / Cadgers split 7” and Riistetyt’s first EP, Laki Ja Järjestys. Systeemi Ei Toimi features four tracks each from three bands: Kaaos, Laahaus, and Vapaa Pääsy. Since it’s only three bands and each has so much material, it doesn’t have the scattered feel of a lot of compilations. It’s more like a three-way split, as each band’s contribution feels roughly the length of one side of a 7”. I much prefer comps like this where you get a few tracks from each band… you get more of a feel for what each band is about rather than everything just whizzing past you faster than you can process.
Of course, everyone knows Kaaos rules, but the surprise here was the two other bands, both of whom were compilation-only bands whose only vinyl release was this compilation (Vapaa Pääsy also appeared on a couple of other cassette comps). Laahaus (“Dragging”) has a very down-the-middle Finnish hardcore sound that any fan of the classics will love, but their songs here are distinguished by being just a little more ragged and primitive than you might expect. The way the opening guitar riff to “Keskiluokan Painajainen” kicks off the record by punching you in the face and the simple tom accents on the chorus to “Mun Elämä” both remind me of S.O.A…. very straightforward, all impact. Their other two tracks are a little more punky, like a more stripped down Appendix. It all rips.
As for Kaaos’s tracks, they are gnarly as fuck. Usman can correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe these tracks are exclusive to this compilation and otherwise only appear on the Totaalinen Kaaos collection. Listening to them just after Laahaus’s tracks, it’s remarkable how fast and vicious they are. Laahaus are ripping (I don’t just blithely hand out SOA comparisons!), but Kaaos takes it up several more notches. The guitarist’s right hand is so fast and relentless that it sounds like it’s going to buzzsaw right through the strings and into the body of the guitar, and the rhythm section is blistering fast, riding right to the edge of the cliff where it feels like at any second they could tip over into complete chaos. Jakke sounds like a wounded, snarling animal. It’s so fucking punk.
Vapaa Pääsy (“Free Admission”) holds down the back end of the compilation and changes up the vibe a little. Their first track, “Pakaluokka,” has a thin and scratchy guitar sound, a classic punk-inspired riff, and multi-tracked vocals that are a mix of hardcore snarl and punk snot. Something about this track reminds me of old Italian punk… perhaps it’s the punkiness of it mixed with how over the top the vocals are. Their other three tracks have a similar production, but the guitarist speeds up his strumming to hardcore tempos, which the lack of distortion really accentuates. These tracks remind me of Peggio Punx, but Amdi Petersens Armé fans are gonna be 100% on board, too. Vapaa Pääsy’s songs are a great way to end the comp… nearly as intense as Kaaos’s contributions, but coming from a slightly different direction.
The 1982 pressing of Systeemi Ei Toimi is a super rare and expensive record, but P. Tuotanto repressed it in 1990 on green vinyl, which is the version I have. Two other Finnish labels, Ratbite and Rock ’n’ Roll Bullshit, teamed up to repress the record once again in 2012, and this version is probably the easiest to find. It looks like the same two labels teamed up again in 2015 for an official reissue of Pohjasakka’s Maailma Täynnä Vihaa EP… I’ll have to keep an eye out for a copy of that so I can upgrade my bootleg, though I wouldn’t be bummed if an original crossed my path first…