Simply put, this is probably the best international hardcore/punk mix tape I have ever heard. Perfect selection of unknown bangers and under the radar classics interspersed with a few tracks that should be familiar with punks who have taken the time to dig a little. I dare say that a tape like this might not have been able to exist (but for an elite few) in the pre-internet years, but the ensuing conversation would detract from the sheer power of the contents of today's link. Do it.

SOLO SE OYE PUNK vol. 4

You've seen these comps before...I mean, if you have paid attention to The Escape then you have seen them before. There are four volumes of Solo Se Oye Punk (that I know of), and I might argue that this one is the most crucial (though Volume 1 is pretty fukkn essential) - basically, this is the perfect international hardcore punk mix tape. The one that your friend never made you because your friend didn't have the KORO single and had never heard of RAPPRESAGLIA. It's like internet-era punk making the pre-internet-era tape you wish had helped you change your life instead of listening to DEPECHE MODE until you were 17 and then finally figuring out that Punk Rules and that yes, you do need to listen to ATAQUE FRONTAL to be happy. This one leans heavy on Italy, USA and Sweden (I guess that's fair), but Finland, Japan, Poland, Spain and Peru make notable appearances. File under: Essential. 

HARDCORE

A fukkn perfect starter kit for the uninitiated, or simply mandatory listening for even seasoned vets. Silenzio Statico put together this mix tape as a follow up to their Latin American punk primer, and I dare say this one jams even harder. Do Punx Dance? They damn sure better when this is the soundtrack.

DO PUNX DANCE?

Wanna know one way to make a scene? Make mix tapes. Wanna know one reason why so many killer bands keep cropping up from the overlooked enclaves of inner Los Angeles? Silenzio Statico. The first volume in the never ending quest to turn Los Angeles into punk utopia featured Mexican and South American heavyweights from the '80s, and I dare say that few people could have done a better job selecting tracks from that era/area. Side 1 is dedicated to Brasil (RATOS DE PORÃO, LOBOTOMIA, CÓLERA, OHLO SECO), while the flip hit Mexico (MASSACRE 68, AGROTOXXXICO), Peru (DESCONTROL, EUTANASIA) and Argentina (LOS VIOLADORES). If you feel like you need an introduction (or a refresher course), then you probably do - and this is where you get it. 

SUDAMERICANO/MEXICANO DE LOS '80s