Sirkka: Kuluttava Kone cassette (self-released, 2020)
This week we’ve been starting to think about our Best of 2020 lists here at Sorry State, and I’ve been working on compiling a mix tape of my favorite songs of the year. That project has me revisiting some of my favorites that I haven’t reached for in a while and going back to some of these releases has made me remember just how great they are. In some cases (like the Ratcage LP) they’re hitting me even harder than they did the first time around.
This tape from Sirkka came out back in the pre-pandemic world of January 2020. I played it non-stop when it came out, but it had been a few months since I listened to it. I popped it in to choose a track for my mix and my jaw hit the floor… I knew that this was one of the best releases of the year, but I forgot just how great it is. It’s obviously indebted to the 80s Finnish hardcore greats, but like my favorite bands from that scene (Appendix, Lama, Riistetyt, Kaaos, etc.), the balance of blazing speed, raw ferocity, and catchiness couldn’t be more perfect. If you haven’t checked out this tape yet, I strongly encourage you to visit Sirkka’s bandcamp and give it a whirl.
Don’t get your hopes up about getting a physical copy of the tape, though, because this sold out instantly and I haven’t heard any rumblings about a repress. I would love to own this recording on vinyl and would happily fund such a project myself (in case someone in Sirkka happens to read this). I’m not even sure what the status of Sirkka is… I think it was a two-person recording project, as I never heard about any live gigs. If this tape ends up just being a brilliant little blip in hardcore’s timeline, then so be it, but I hope we hear from Sirkka again at some point in the future.