The Ping Pong EP

Background

In 2000, SNFU was searching for a recording contract after being dropped by Epitaph Records three years earlier. Their most recent previous release was the faux live album Let's Get It Right the First Time, and they had since undergone several lineup changes.

As a stopgap between full-length albums, the band issued five outtakes from their 1996 album FYULABA as The Ping Pong EP on Alternative Tentacles. The FYULABA sessions occurred at Mushroom Studios with engineer Pete Wonsiak and mixer Dave Ogilvie, the latter known for his work with Skinny Puppy. SNFU members such as drummer Dave Rees 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 joked the band was more interested than practicing.

Reception

The EP received positive reviews. Writing for AllMusic, critic Vincent Jeffries awarded the EP three out of five stars and described the band as "pound[ing] out 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, 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! 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 SNFU

Musicians