What is happening here that’s landed right on my lap? It is something kosmische and something out of this world by bringing the essence of the genre with a mixture of new wave, post-punk, and hitting you side by side by adding in the elements of the electronic drums, synths, and surreal nightmarish tones that crawl up your spine. Of course, I’m talking about Kling Klang’s new album Half Life which is released on the Wrong Speed label.
The synth ensemble from Liverpool have been around for 26 years, making music using cheap keyboards and operated drum machines through distorted amps. How punky can you really get? Truly punk to the core when it comes to making a tip of the hat to the Krautrock genre by adding more fuel to the fire when it comes to the music.
Championed by the late, great John Peel, originally, they released a few 7” singles and invited to perform with bands such as Mogwai, Stereolab, Clinic, and Trans Am, according to the All-Tomorrow’s Parties website about them. They unleashed their 2003 EP debut Superposition on the Rock Action label which featured the stoner gem ‘Heavy Dale’ and received excellent reviews including from Jack Osbourne himself who was ecstatic about them and gave them an excellent review in Kerrang magazine.
Their new album Half Life, is as experimental, in your face, trippy, and kosmische to the core. This isn’t just a mind-blowing album; this is a wildly brilliant and wildly electronic as good as it can really get.
‘Tone Defeat’ is as where they travel into the far distant planet with its space maddening voyage into the unknown as electronic synths collide with loop holes, ‘60s psychedelic organisms, and bits of Motorpsycho thrown into the mix with Hawkwind’s golden-era from the United Artists years. And boy, do they know their source material very well.
It does have a video-game like section in which they would sometimes use an 8-bit sound into their music that speaks volume whilst the surreal, futuristic droning sections behind the ‘80s vibration on ‘Floating District’ and then on ‘Point Dix Sept’, it brings to mind the music library of Radiophonic Workshop and De Wolfe Music in a nutshell as they turn up the synths to a higher level before raising the gauntlet, preparing for battle.
As I’ve mentioned, I wouldn’t compare to the kraut-punk sound, but nods to the late great Delia Derbyshire that comes to mind. And for Kling Klang, they take it as a tip of the hat to the late genius behind the scores that she had done between Doctor Who and White Noise’s 1968 album, An Electric Storm that comes to mind.
All in all, this took me on a whole other level that is on the brink of a hypnotic adventure that is waiting for you and is ready to live the most wonderful experiences that the ensemble has endured with its fantastic voyage. You will not be disappointed when it comes to the Half Life album.
