Iamamiwhoami wouldn’t be possible in many ways without the wonder of the internet. I for one am in debt to it – all this wonderful music I discover daily! “Kin” is the first full release from the lady who has yet to put any clothes on since her début collection of singles.
Opening with “Sever” the album starts off with a sinister tone with airy electronica bleeding around echoed vocals and soft clasping beats. It’s a great opener to set the tone for the rest of the upcoming album which soon descends to a waving trance with the manic “Drops” which relies on heavy arpeggios, thumping beats that have been faded by the sun and some wonderfully obscure lyrics as ever. The chords chosen throughout the album are ones that are so close to being a massive tune but are often minor keyed or twisted. You’re always listening for the strange cue from something. This is what I love about Kin and Iamamiwhoami as a whole.
“Good Worker” is a breakdown in low-fi electronica and harks back more towards the previous set of works. The heavily processed vocals pierce through the depressed run down trance keyboards and pressed beats to give a very oppressive feel – one that shrouds the album overall. “Play” has an awesome bending note melody and a very catchy bridge. It again has this “I’m falling apart” feel to it as a track and it absolutely makes the track so lethargically elating – it’s a strange way to describe it but it’s how the song makes me feel. It is superb though.
“In Due Order” goes for the grizzly bass discord to drive a wedge in your brain as the vocals start in tune and slowly drift off on their own. It’s effective especially when the instruments switch on and off quickly at their own intervals. “Idle Talk” is the 80’s spangling track of the album with all the downtrodden excellence and heavily processed arpeggios breezing over your ears. It’s as melancholy as it is melodic. “Rascal” is a buzzing low-fi number that wallows in its ethereal ways.
“Kill” sounds exactly like how I’d imagine a collaboration with Royksopp working! Fun bass, cute drums, darkened minor key littered melodies. What more could anyone really need? Also props to the great tempo change at the end. The closing track “Goods” also sounds like someone writing an 80’s pop song with a broken 2012 DAW! It’s got the main rhythm and melody but everything is tweaked just that little bit to detuned so even though this is easily the most straight forward track on the album, it’s still surreal and slightly abstract.
“Kin” is a complete success. If you are fortunate to get the CD+DVD version, the videos just add to mystery as big furry creatures chase Iamamiwhoami around and about. The album just works perfectly as a broken down collapsing heap of everything you’ve ever worked for falling through your fingers in glorious synth pop heaven.