Homicide - Barisan Nisan (20th Anniversary Revisited)

Complete artwork for legendary hip hop band from Bandung, Indonesia.

Homicide “Barisan Nisan 20th Anniversary Revisited”. Grimloc Records, September 7, 2024.

Mixed media on paper, digital post production.

Barisan Nisan is the second album by Homicide, serving as a follow-up to their debut Godzkilla Necronometry. It was released in 2004 in a limited CD-R format. Two years later, it was reissued by Subciety Records as part of Nekrophone Dayz, which combined it with their debut. Barisan Nisan is known as Homicide's darkest album, recorded during a turbulent period when Sarkasz was absent, leaving Morgue Vanguard as the sole MC, partnered with DJ Evil Cutz (then known as DJ-E).

Barisan Nisan not only captures Morgue Vanguard's existential struggles during this transitional period, but also reflects the post-1998 turbulence, as darkness began to creep in with the fading hopes from the reform era. With music written by Morgue Vanguard, he aimed to surpass the sonic achievements of their debut album with further experimental progressions. From noisy boom-bap, spastic beats wrapped in static and ambient sounds, to landscapes of pulsating noise. Both lyrically and musically, this album is often regarded as Homicide's best work.

Twenty years later, Morgue Vanguard and DJ Evil Cutz revisited the album by re-recording all of Barisan Nisan's material, re-composing all the music, including three songs from that era that were never completed. The album, consisting of 10 tracks in total, will be released in CD format with new artwork by Bahrull Marta. There will also be a merch bundle option for those interested in supporting various community programs involved in its funding. These programs range from providing logistics for mutual aid activities in Bandung to fundraising for a collective empowerment house in North Halmahera.

Press release from Grimloc Records.