It’s always a joy to receive a new Kelpe album to review. I’ve been a big fan of the label from day one, with J Saul Kane’s electro hip-hop experiments as Depth Charge expanding the label to include some notable talents. The last few years has seen the label move away from these experiments, instead releasing some great material by Emperor Machine and Padded Cell to name just two, aiming more at the dancefloor, albeit a more dub/death disco sound, sluggish 4/4 beats, motorik rhythms and a distinctive krautrock sound of crazed synthesizers.
Kelpe seems to kick against this focus, and yes, there are a couple of tracks here that fit the mould (‘Microscope Contents’ being one) but Kelpe adds a more sinister edge to an otherwise disco sound. There are still ghosts from the debut Sea Inside Body and the second album Ex-Aquarium, but he has pushed sound further for this release.
The gurgling organic sound has returned with this album; slowed hip-hop beats, complex evolving electronics, and warm timbres abound. ‘Decompression Introduction’ and ‘The Blankout Agreement’ open the album in this vein nicely, the later with a more solid rhythm, and it hints at an album returning to what Kelpe does best. Its not all regression here as the sounds are fresh, and he does vary the styles considerably, which gives it a feeling of now. Chris Walmsley (All Trap’s Set, drummer for Voice Of The Seven Woods) makes an appearance on drums three tracks in, ‘Closed Cup Headroom’. He tours extensively with Kelpe as his live drummer, and it’s great to see a production with this outstanding drummer, everything he touches is worth tracking down. ‘Closed Cup Headroom’ starts off in familiar territory, electronic meanderings with live drums, but becomes a whole new beast half way in, nailing the drum sound hard, coupled with an angry bass synth on a bed of analogue madness, quite similar in effect to the new Jamie Vex’d 12”, a quasi-dubstep sound with some hard hitting drums.
‘Eye Candy Bath’ and ‘Moving Picture Three’ are more mellow affairs, retaining the beats, this time including some 80’s style synths, while ‘Wind In The Windows’ and ‘Low Frequency Fumble’ head into wonky territory, the latter especially, stumbling beats, crazed analogue tones showing that Kelpe isn’t just looking back, he’s trying to create his own path forward. Seeing out the album, ‘Clearance’ again shows his love of analogue sound with a hardened beat, while the closer ‘Gone Train Dreaming’ shows a folkier influence with Kelpe bringing the guitar to the fore for a change.
I can’t seem to get enough of this album, and would love to hear every track played live with Chris Walmsley on drums. DC Recordings have also let Kelpe loose for the next installment of the Death Before Distemper mix series, which is amazing, expect me to review this on these pages soon. Brilliant, buy it now.
Wayne Stronell
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