''The Ping Pong EP'' is an EP by Canadian punk rock band

SNFU SNFU was a Canadian hardcore punk band formed in Edmonton in 1981, relocated to Vancouver in 1992, and disbanded in 2018. They released eight albums, two live records, and one compilation amid many lineup changes and several temporary breakups. ...

. Its tracks were taken from the 1996 recording sessions for the band's ''

FYULABA ''FYULABA'' is the sixth studio album by Canadian hardcore punk band SNFU. The album was released in 1996 by Epitaph Records. Its name is an acronym for ''Fuck You Up Like a Bad Accident''. Chris Walter. ''What No One Else Wanted to Say''. Vanco ...

'' album.

Chris Walter Chris Walter was a photographer of classic rock and pop musicians, who began working in London in the early 1960s, photographing mainly rock musicians. He initially began the company South London Photo Agency (later The London Photo Agency), co ...

. ''...What No One Else Wanted to Say''. Vancouver: GFY Press, 2014, pg. 194 It was released in 2000 on

Alternative Tentacles Alternative Tentacles is an independent record label established in 1979 in San Francisco, California. It was used by Dead Kennedys for the self-produced single " California Über Alles". After realizing the potential for an independent label, t ...

Background

In 2000, SNFU was searching for a recording contract after being dropped by

Epitaph Records Epitaph Records is an American independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, most acts signed to the label were punk and pop punk acts, while there are many post-hardcore and emo bands ...

three years earlier. Their previous release had been the faux live album ''

Let's Get It Right the First Time ''Let's Get It Right the First Time'' is a live album by Vancouver, British Columbia hardcore punk band SNFU. The album was released in 1998. Although the record was billed as a live album and reportedly recorded at The Starfish Room in Vancouve ...

'', and they had since undergone several lineup changes. As a stopgap between full-length albums, the band issued five outtakes from their 1996 album ''

'' as ''The Ping Pong EP'' on Alternative Tentacles. The ''FYULABA'' sessions occurred at Mushroom Studios with engineer Pete Wonsiak and mixer

Dave Ogilvie Dave "Rave" Ogilvie is a Canadian record producer, mixer, songwriter and musician. The former member of bands Skinny Puppy and Jakalope started his recording career in Vancouver working as an engineer at Mushroom Studios. He has been described by ...

, the latter known for his work with

Skinny Puppy Skinny Puppy is a Canadian industrial music group formed in Vancouver in 1982. The group is among the founders of the industrial rock and electro-industrial genres. Initially envisioned as an experimental side-project by cEvin Key (Kevin Crompton ...

. Former SNFU drummer

Dave Rees David Rees (born June 15, 1969 in Seattle, Washington) is an American-Canadian musician and television editor currently based in Montreal, Quebec. Rees played drums in the punk rock band SNFU and the alternative rock band Wheat Chiefs, and se ...

, who played on the songs released on the EP, later expressed disappointment that these outtakes were issued as new material. The EP's title came from the band's love of ping pong, in which later member

Matt Warhurst Matt Warhurst (born June 28, 1975 in Sechelt, British Columbia) Chris Walter. ''...What No One Else Wanted to Say''. Vancouver: GFY Press, 2012, pp. 213 is a Canadian musician and record producer. He has played bass guitar in the punk rock gro ...

joked the band was more interested than practicing.

Reception

The EP received positive reviews. Writing for

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

, critic Vincent Jeffries awarded the EP three out of five stars and described the band as "pound ngout light-speed skate punk as singer Mr. Chi Pig warbles, hoots, and hollers his bizarre lyrics." Jeffries concluded that the EP is "one of SNFU's stronger '90s releases." Writing for ''

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...

'', reviewer Andrew Johnson praised the EP for its contribution to SNFU's longevity, noting that the band is "still into playing at breakneck speed, making a lot of melodic noise and focusing more energy into one song than a lot bands manage to exert over an entire evening." ''

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...

'' reviewer Stuart Green gave the EP a favorable review, calling the tracks "what may be five of the best songs they've recorded in a decade."

Track listing

All songs written by

Personnel

* Mr. Chi Pig (

Ken Chinn Kendall Steven Chinn (October 19, 1962 – July 16, 2020), known under the stage name Mr. Chi Pig, was a Canadian punk rock vocalist and artist born in Edmonton and long residing in Vancouver. He fronted the hardcore punk band SNFU from 1981 unt ...

) - vocals * Marc "Muc" Belke - guitar * Brent "Bunt" Belke - guitar * Rob "Starbuck" Johnson - bass *

- drums

References

SNFU albums 2000 EPs Alternative Tentacles EPs {{2000s-punk-album-stub