CLIQUE - In Lives That Won’t Last

CLIQUE exists not as a traditional band but as a forum for radical discourse within hardcore's landscape. Formed in 2022 in California with members spanning the Bay Area and Los Angeles, CLIQUE has quickly made a name for itself through an undeniably vicious live show and a depth that's been long missing from the scene. In a world increasingly defined by individual recognition, CLIQUE operates anonymously, rejecting the spotlight in favor of their message and finding strength in collective struggle.

CLIQUE's first collection LP, “In Lives That Won’t Last”, compiling three self-released EPs - "Looters in Paradise," "A Worldwide Clique," and "Communique", set for release through Closed Casket Activities. Previously, it was only available on self-distributed tapes and then eventually through co-conspirators Criminalized out of the San Fernando Valley. This marks the first time their material has been available on vinyl. 

In a short time span, CLIQUE’s discography shows off an immediate arc in growth, rom the start, they carved out a niche delivering crushing, ignorant riffs. Most recently, “Communique’ marked the first time the band has worked with an outside entity and producer, enlisting Photographic Memory (Wisp, formerly Militarie Gun). With PhotoMem, the band cemented just how heavy they can get as a band, interspliced with vibier divebombs and guitar textures. 

Unlike many of their contemporaries, CLIQUE was formed with explicit political intent. In an era where hardcore’s content has drifted toward toothless posturing, they aim to reintroduce radical thought into a scene that has lost much of its subversive edge. Drawing from influences spanning Crass to Neurosis, Earth Crisis to MBV, they forge a sound that defies easy categorization while undoubtedly belonging to hardcore.

CLIQUE isn't interested in raising awareness for impotent establishment causes or upholding the system. Their vision extends beyond reform to revolution - the dismantling of structures that exploit people, degrade cultures and destroy the earth. Each show is an invitation for people of all walks of life to participate, a reminder that hardcore’s true strength lies in the connection of everybody in the room, erasing the boundary between stage and crowd.

Having already shared stages with contemporaries like The Body, World Peace and Candy, in packed venues across the country, CLIQUE moves forward into 2025 with momentum, recently announcing a tour with CCA labelmates Full of Hell and Harm's Way. This compilation serves as the perfect opening salvo to introduce the world to what CLIQUE represents.

As they put it: "This is a prayer for those we've lost along the way. This is a celebration of our liberation to come. This is a eulogy for the state and its worthless existence." In an increasingly commercialized hardcore landscape, CLIQUE stands apart - anonymous, uncompromising, and unwavering in their conviction that another world is possible. The message is clear: no one is coming to save us, we can only make our own future, together. This music is both a reflection of our hellish reality and an invitation to imagine and create something better. Clique up. Say nothing.