Staff Reviews

Kelpe - Cambio Wechsel

Review by Daniel B. Yates

[The following is a IMAGINING of the process that may have occurred at an IMAGINARY ad agency that led to Kelpe's 'Quick Broken Harp' to appear on a recent mobile phone advert. So nobody sue, yeah?]»

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for his third studio album on dc recordings kelpe, aka kel mckeown, has made a mighty progression from his acclaimed previous output that will stun and stagger both fans and new listeners alike. with a nod to his peers in the world of hip hop, electronica and post-rock, kelpe's sound takes leave of all the aforementioned and heads into uncharted waters for this glorious new album. if the slumping glow of intro 'decompression introduction' is a reminder of kelpe's signature sound from the past then it is also the point from which the rest of the album diverges into something entirely new. the epic melodies and huge pneumatic bass that surge forth in the proceeding track 'the blankout agreement' is a remarkably fresh and curiously psychedelic dose of 21st century music. contrast that with the lounge-some, squashed funk of 'moving picture three', or the itchy melodic discord of 'wind in the windows' that seems to inflect bbc radiophonic style analogical bleeps with a menacing hip-hopular swagger and you begin to grasp the sheer scale of vision apparent in this new sonic vista. more suprises come in the form of 'after gold' with its anatolian guitar drenched in sepia, dappled with sleepy percussion. 'microscope contents' twists some classic electro motifs into something entirely new and 'low frequency fumble' is a staggering colossus of bass driven arrhythmia. the heavy funk rhythms of 'closed cup headroom' are provided by kelpe's live collaborator all traps set (aka chris walmsley) on drums. 'cambio weschel' marks not only a clear progression from the warped narratives of 2004's 'sea inside body' and the manphibian stoccatos of 2008's 'ex-aquarium' but also the maturing of a now seasoned producer into clearly what is close to being a master of his art.
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