Back

Joe Kidd / The Ricecooker Archives

Malaysian punk godfather Joe Kidd in his everyday surroundings in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur (1993)

Founded by Malaysian punk pioneer and cultural historian Joe Kidd, The Ricecooker Archives is a community that explores and shares the history of rock’n’roll in Southeast Asia. Dedicated to being a “Southeast Asian Rock’n’Roll Treasury,” focused on collating, documenting, and sharing the deep history of underground music in the region. These selected artifacts provide an essential, non-academic narrative of Malaysia’s punk subculture, offering vital documentation of a history that often flew under official radar and illuminating the cultural contradictions and resistance within the predominantly Malay Muslim scene.

Underground Music Performances in Malaysia

Underground Music Performances in 1990s Malaysia
Underground Performances at the First Rumah Api Punk House in Kuala Lumpur (2010–2017) (Photographer:Choi Chin Loong)

Malaysian Punk Zines, Music Tracks & Cassette Collection

Malaysian Punk Zines, Dhani Archives, aedes #6 (1992)
Malaysian Punk Zines, Voices 01
Malaysian Punk Zines, Sangap, Issue no.1
Cassette Collections

Special thanks to Koleksi Zine Punk Rock by Dhani Ahmad Malaysian Punk Zine Collection.

Music Column The Blasting Concept in The Sun

Joe Kidd launched the music column The Blasting Concept in Malaysia’s English-language newspaper, “The Sun”, where he introduced readers to underground music from both local and international scenes. The column became a formative entry point into music discovery for a whole generation.

Newspaper clippings dated 1 May 1996, 3 July 1996, 1 January 1997, and 6 August 1997
The Blasting Concept 1st, April 23rd, 1994
The Blasting Concept 2nd, April 30th, 1994