Kim Kim cassette
Downtempo and moody, the tape launches with a dreamscape of moaning vocals and percussive, fuzzed-out bashes of guitar. The first track builds up to a goth wall-of-sound that one could imagine issuing from the opening of an unexpectedly illuminated cemetery crypt. Also, the track is about the Roman emperor Nero’s sordid story. And that’s just the first track. The tape proceeds to defy genres, introducing metal guitar riffs, then minimalist post-punk drumming, stirring in some legit darkwave dance grooves, and then warping itself back into crushing waves of sludgy metal. The track “Wild One” channels a twisted rock’n’roll vibe aligned with the early CRAMPS. While there are plenty of familiar sounds, nothing about this sounds derivative or cliché. There is a forlorn richness throughout the tracks. The power of the vocals drives the songs forward and lends some cohesion to a collection of otherwise varied elements. I would not be surprised if these folks end up famous.