post rock / electronica
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Vintage concert posters at http://concertposters.be/
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A music genre that refuses to evolve, is pretty much a doomed one. Why? Well, because the majority of fans will see new bands as copycats who have nothing new to add. Those same people also refuse to listen to bands who do have something new to add, because "they're not loyal to the scene". Yeah, I know, some music fans are full-of-manure whiny little kids who themselves have nothing new to add to the whole damn industry.
Oh, wait. I'm writing a review, not a rant on shortsighted music fans. My apologies. Sometimes I get carried away a little. But that's a good thing. Like I told a good friend on mine the other day: "good albums inspire me to write, bad albums don't". So, Swiss post-rock band Kid Ikarus shouldn't really worry about the rest of this review. The writing is going perfectly fine, so this must be a good album, right?
Absolutely. It's their second full-length, one where the band looks beyond the boundaries of the post-rock genre without losing the awesome feel that this style of music presents. The album opens with something harsh and impending in 'Master Blaster' but gradually shows more than just influences from Mogwai and Explosions In The Sky. 'Endless Fun' (and several other songs), comes with a load of synths and electronics.
So perhaps it might be safe to say that we have a crossbreed of post-rock and trip-hop here, two genres known for their mild tempo and beautiful atmosphere. But it goes even further than that. I could mention influences from acts like Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream and even psychedelic rock acts like Grobschnitt. Zürich is about 850 km from Berlin, but Kid Ikarus certainly know a thing or two about the Berliner Schüle.
Let's check out a few more songs. There's almost classic post-rock in the brilliant track 'Soft Power' while 'Sweet Secrets' smells like Jean Michel Jarre's synth hits, driving on a highly immersive bass line and illusive soundscapes. The album closes with the longest track, 'Blaster Master', which perfectly combines all of the previous elements into one massive post-rock track, certainly a highlight on this already impressive album.
So yeah, post-rock fans, ambient aficionados and vintage electronica loves should definitely check out this album. It's certainly good enough to stand next to the releases from the big names in this industry. At the moment, 'Playback Dreams' is knocking on the door to my best-of-2016 list. The competition is fierce and relentless, I know, so perhaps Kid Icarus should kick in that door with a few stunning performances to seal the deal.
Serge
Oh, wait. I'm writing a review, not a rant on shortsighted music fans. My apologies. Sometimes I get carried away a little. But that's a good thing. Like I told a good friend on mine the other day: "good albums inspire me to write, bad albums don't". So, Swiss post-rock band Kid Ikarus shouldn't really worry about the rest of this review. The writing is going perfectly fine, so this must be a good album, right?
Absolutely. It's their second full-length, one where the band looks beyond the boundaries of the post-rock genre without losing the awesome feel that this style of music presents. The album opens with something harsh and impending in 'Master Blaster' but gradually shows more than just influences from Mogwai and Explosions In The Sky. 'Endless Fun' (and several other songs), comes with a load of synths and electronics.
So perhaps it might be safe to say that we have a crossbreed of post-rock and trip-hop here, two genres known for their mild tempo and beautiful atmosphere. But it goes even further than that. I could mention influences from acts like Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream and even psychedelic rock acts like Grobschnitt. Zürich is about 850 km from Berlin, but Kid Ikarus certainly know a thing or two about the Berliner Schüle.
Let's check out a few more songs. There's almost classic post-rock in the brilliant track 'Soft Power' while 'Sweet Secrets' smells like Jean Michel Jarre's synth hits, driving on a highly immersive bass line and illusive soundscapes. The album closes with the longest track, 'Blaster Master', which perfectly combines all of the previous elements into one massive post-rock track, certainly a highlight on this already impressive album.
So yeah, post-rock fans, ambient aficionados and vintage electronica loves should definitely check out this album. It's certainly good enough to stand next to the releases from the big names in this industry. At the moment, 'Playback Dreams' is knocking on the door to my best-of-2016 list. The competition is fierce and relentless, I know, so perhaps Kid Icarus should kick in that door with a few stunning performances to seal the deal.
Serge
