While the New Weird Australia label has, of late, focused solely on compilations, one of the organisation’s offshoots, the Wood And Wire label, has taken over single artist release duties. And it picks up where the former left off, with a diverse range of new and little known Australian artists. While some of these can veer into underground trendiness and repeating importing formulas, kuÄka encounters no such problems.
The shadow of Björk is a large one and unavoidably falls on any female vocalist with interesting production and, indeed, it does here as well, but kuÄka’s Laura Jane Crowther is no copyist. Production across the 6 track EP (plus a remix of lead track ‘Rewind’) is a kind of post-dubstep miasma of deep bass, electric flickers, mutant samples and shifting time signatures. Sounds begin and end sharply, undercutting any chance of becoming soothing wallpaper background, in spite of the laid back feel. The way the mellow piano samples chop in and out in ‘Polly (Serialkillersunday)’ for example, with accompanying sub-bass booms, means it never falls into the gentle trip-hop it might have in lesser hands. Crowther has a distinct singing voice which she is not afraid of utilising to full effect. ‘Sun Moon Blood Night’s sees her in torch song mode over tinkling piano, but subtle discordances, bowed cymbals and the ever so slightly out of tune piano keep it away from the cocktail bar. Hints, perhaps, of a more intimate Portishead are present but, as with all the other influences mentioned, this is merely a passing notion as kuÄka establishes her own sound.
Presenting a well formed identity is a feat not often achieved by new artists, but kuÄka does so with aplomb. She reminds me of many things I love but never enough to fall into pastiche. The influences flitter around, the combinations new and entrancing and her own personality stamped onto the whole in a way that establishes her own, individual and exciting voice.
Adrian Elmer
