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Far from the maddening crowds of London, the spirit of punk is alive and kicking, as South Wales witnesses a resurgence in the DIY music scene centred on punk. By Louis Pattison
There has been much conjecture about the apparently "artificial" nature of the Welsh music industry, a simulated experiment in business propped up by European funding. Critics suggest that such tactics lead to a sterile music scene characterised by excessive red tape and a lot of well-meaning but ultimately unsellable records. Luckily, the reality appears to be anything but.
Isolation from the stifling homogeneity of London-dictated cool - as well as from the purse-strings of the international major labels - has always proved a cue for invention within Wales' borders. So perhaps it is no surprise that the most startling evolution in Welsh music in the past 12 months occurred far outside Cardiff and operates on a largely DIY footing. Yet, if the early signs are anything to go by, this new music has the commercial potential to change the face of British rock in the year ahead.
Melodic hardcore, emotional hardcore, Screamo, Extremo -...