British indie rock band Panchiko formed between 1997 and 1998, but their story didn’t truly begin until years after they had already disappeared. In 2000, the band released their demo D>E>A>T>H>M>E>T>A>L. Only around 30 copies of the demo were made. Shortly after, they disbanded.
In 2016, the demo resurfaced when a man in Nottingham found a copy at a thrift shop. What initially caught his attention was the album’s cover art
When he played the album, it was warped and staticky due to disc rot. The distortion added to its hazy, dreamlike quality, making it a unique listen. At the time, there was no trace of Panchiko, leading the finder to post the demo to the /mu/ music board on 4chan, hoping someone might recognize the sound. The demo spread across the internet, and Panchiko gained an unexpected cult following.
Panchiko released their newest album Ginkgo in April 2025 and are heading out on a US tour in 2026. They will be touring with artists Dead Calm, Flyingfish, Rehash, Sundots, and Clarion.