While we love supporting our local favourites, we also
love to branch into unknown territory and hear something a little different.
The new mixtape from French collective Kitsuné offers up a mixed platter of
electronic, dreampop and soul music which makes for a great long, lazy listen.
The Kitsuné brand also expands into fashion and
merchandise, so selectivity and good taste are among their principle desires.
We know that they have already signed Two Door Cinema Club and Delphic and this
mixtape showcases all sorts of creative production, from our fellow Aussies
Snakadaktal to new material from talented UK musicians among others.
It kicks off with music from London psych band
Animatter People, which meets somewhere between the musical universes of Tame
Impala and Grizzly Bear, using real instruments among effects, and pushing
boundaries with plenty of reverb and lush sound dynamics.
But then Luxury shakes it up with tricky rhythm and
high-pitched synths. The album has an overall smoothness to it, with nothing
too shaky or controversial, but Kitsuné does stand for the underdog (or fox –
their signature logo) and so the artists who they pick are often quite
experimental.
Take Hyetal Jam, with moody yet refined electronic
music, or Kilo Kish, an American musician with her head well around modern
hip-hop.
Among the synth emerge more soulful tunes. Solomon
Grey (half-Australian, half-English duo) channel Bon Iver vibes with a
combination of production and live instrumentals, sentimental crooning and
echoed build-ups. London group Years & Years hark back to the original soul
veterans but with a modern freshness and upbeat makeover, and I dig their
vocals.
We’re quite familiar with Snakadaktal, and are fans of
their slick production. Their addictive dream pop slots in nicely into the
collection. And while their work sounds best played all together, one of their
heavier tracks was chosen for this mix, which obviously impressed foreign ears.
And while we’re often receiving new tunes in bits and
grabs, free downloads and online streams, it’s a nice treat to receive it all
in a neat bundle of chewable size.
