Yesterday I heard Kate NV's "Plans" and was suitably impressed:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_NQIwVk4MQ
Today I'm listening to the new album, "Room For The Moon" and I'm stunned. So many interesting sounds, all colliding over her multi-lingual vocals! Brings to minds bits of YMO, Laurie Anderson, Jane Siberry, and more recently Glasser - but beyond those, a real feast for the ears.
I know nothing of her earlier work, how does it compare?
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Thursday, 4 June 2020 18:25 (two years ago) link
Binasu is really great, I think there are a few fans here!
― brimstead, Thursday, 4 June 2020 19:02 (two years ago) link
I haven’t heard the new one yet but Binasu and для FOR are both very good, as is her work as гш/ Glintshake.
― ShariVari, Thursday, 4 June 2020 19:06 (two years ago) link
Love Kate Nv! Excited to hear the new one - last one was lovely but quite low key and not as overtly pop as some of her previous stuff (check out the song 'Kata' for her in full pop mode). Do you know her previous band Glintshake? Fun post-punk that got a bit of exposure in western media a few years back
Xp!
― Boris the Spreader (NickB), Thursday, 4 June 2020 19:09 (two years ago) link
I've probably said it before but Binasu is the one album I've heard that captures Haruomi Hosono's aesthetic without actually having him on it. It's frontloaded but a pretty good album.
для FOR on the other hand I wasn't so hot about, just too minimal for my tastes. like those Mark Mothersbaugh Music for Insomniacs albums.
this one sounds exciting though
― frogbs, Thursday, 4 June 2020 19:33 (two years ago) link
yeah this is great. as much as I like Binasu this one is way more consistent. as you mention it's full of interesting sounds. and yeah rotating between Russian, English, and Japanese is pretty cool
whats neat to me about this is that it could fit into a bunch of different scenes from the last five decades. like I feel everyone on this board would dig this album in some way
― frogbs, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 21:27 (two years ago) link
didn't realise it was out already!
― Boris the Spreader (NickB), Tuesday, 16 June 2020 21:52 (two years ago) link
loved Binasu, so i'm stoked for this one! for some reason для FOR did nothing for me
― Karl Malone, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 22:07 (two years ago) link
the second track (Du Na) has a strong jon hassell thing going, beyond the sound of the treated trumpet
― Karl Malone, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 22:16 (two years ago) link
Holy crap it’s out?? I forgot completely
― Evan, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 22:31 (two years ago) link
"Sayonara - Full Moon Version", now that's a jam. especially the back half
― Karl Malone, Tuesday, 16 June 2020 23:39 (two years ago) link
New album is monumental
Brings to minds bits of YMO, Laurie Anderson, Jane Siberry, and more recently Glasser
Yep, I'm also reminded of Nona Hendryx's Skindiver and Letta Mbulu's In The Music The Village Never Ends.
― Tim F, Wednesday, 17 June 2020 06:47 (two years ago) link
The new album is fantastic.
― afriendlypioneer, Wednesday, 17 June 2020 14:16 (two years ago) link
Everyone otm here--album is hitting all my pleasure centers. Picking up very strong Mariah - Utakata No Hibi vibes.
― J. Sam, Wednesday, 17 June 2020 16:56 (two years ago) link
This is officially my album of the summer. It gets more interesting with each listen, I love getting bowled over out of the blue by new music!
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Wednesday, 17 June 2020 19:29 (two years ago) link
Be sure to check out Binasu too! The new one is better (more consistent) I think, but Binasu has some great moments as well
― Karl Malone, Wednesday, 17 June 2020 20:02 (two years ago) link
whoa! so a couple things. first of all, i just learned there's a nicolas godin (air guy) that came out recently. some of it is really good! and some of it i don't like so much - a lot of depends on the guest singers all over the album.
but whoa, kate nv guests on one of the best tracks! i didn't realize she was on it, and when the song started i assumed my spotify had somehow jumped over to the kate nv album (which i really like but am still getting to know). it's really good imo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AmYEohZIfk
― time is running out to pitch in $5 (Karl Malone), Saturday, 27 June 2020 01:19 (two years ago) link
I was getting Linda Di Franco vibes from this, really enjoyed it and a lot more than any of her previous music
― boxedjoy, Saturday, 27 June 2020 07:56 (two years ago) link
i'm not sure any description i read of this record actually prepared me for it
― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Sunday, 28 June 2020 15:53 (two years ago) link
yeah, i think it's a good argument against genre
― time is running out to pitch in $5 (Karl Malone), Sunday, 28 June 2020 16:15 (two years ago) link
i would describe this album as very cool. it sounds so cool to me
― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Monday, 29 June 2020 00:52 (two years ago) link
see, if "cool" was a genre then genres would be fine
― time is running out to pitch in $5 (Karl Malone), Monday, 29 June 2020 01:49 (two years ago) link
https://daily.afisha.ru/music/15927-odinokaya-luna-kak-kate-nv-zapisala-samyy-optimistichnyy-russkiy-albom-goda/
Interview in Russian highlighting some of her influences. Reads fine through Google Translate.
― Scampo di tutti i Scampi (ShariVari), Wednesday, 1 July 2020 12:25 (two years ago) link
this album is soooo gooood. "Ça Commence Par" and "Telefon" <3
― Roz, Friday, 3 July 2020 11:31 (two years ago) link
It is! The influences are glaringly obvious (though i've not translated that Russian article so can only assume) but she manages to transcend them.
― stirmonster, Friday, 3 July 2020 16:29 (two years ago) link
Just got the CD, which has a couple of bonus tracks. Like the old days!
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Saturday, 4 July 2020 03:30 (two years ago) link
Hour long podcast with her on Resident Advisor:
https://www.residentadvisor.net/podcast-episode.aspx?exchange=523
― this is my clean tone (NickB), Friday, 4 September 2020 16:18 (two years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmbYo7ZLqck&feature=youtu.be
I assume this is what the Cats movie was like?
― frogbs, Wednesday, 7 October 2020 15:30 (two years ago) link
whatever that is, it won't play for me :(
― kites aren't fun (NickB), Wednesday, 7 October 2020 16:23 (two years ago) link
It's not playing for me either, but I assume it's the video for Lu Na. Very cute "80s art-pop" vibes. Album is on track to be my AOTY. So much fun!
― J. Sam, Wednesday, 7 October 2020 16:28 (two years ago) link
is there a term for when you only know one musician from a certain country and they happen to be super eccentric so you subconsciously assume everything that comes out of that country is like that. maybe "Bjork syndrome" or something
― frogbs, Wednesday, 7 October 2020 21:14 (two years ago) link
ok I'll tell you what I dig about this: I used to go to this club that would always be projecting weird performance art videos against one of the walls while the music played. it was exactly shit like this and I loved it
― frogbs, Thursday, 8 October 2020 04:40 (two years ago) link
been listening to Hosono's Philharmony a lot lately and I'm starting to think she's gotten a few ideas from this record
― frogbs, Thursday, 3 December 2020 05:16 (two years ago) link
okay - this tune in particular
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKca6co0PCM
could have been translated pretty much wholesale onto any of her albums
― frogbs, Wednesday, 13 January 2021 03:28 (two years ago) link
what’s so lovely about this album is how relentlessly 20th century it seems without just being retro. It’s like some synthesis of so much that was good before digital ... or something. it seems personal but also outward looking, none of the hedonic depression synth-weed haze clogging up the proceedings
― Vapor waif (uptown churl), Wednesday, 13 January 2021 19:15 (two years ago) link
Hadn't noticed this thread but dig Room for the Moon. These observations during the 2020 poll rollout (“Telefon” at #24, w00t!) were intriguing:
Kate NV just sounds like pretty accurate soviet bloc 80s pop to me, all the way through to the kind of thin production.― emil.y, Friday, January 29, 2021Agreed, this sounds like very obvious pastiche of Russian schlager of bygone era. Never liked that sound too much in the original form, so this isn't impressing me either, but I guess it's nice to have pastiches of other than American genres on the list for change. :)― Tuomas, Friday, January 29, 2021
Agreed, this sounds like very obvious pastiche of Russian schlager of bygone era. Never liked that sound too much in the original form, so this isn't impressing me either, but I guess it's nice to have pastiches of other than American genres on the list for change. :)― Tuomas, Friday, January 29, 2021
Any soviet era pop recommendations? :)
― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Friday, 29 January 2021 14:44 (two years ago) link
this probably wasn't what emil.y or tuomas were referencing at all but zvuki mu ftw:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1phklC8tOA
― mage uluk (NickB), Friday, 29 January 2021 14:52 (two years ago) link
(i definitely think kate nv shares some of their absurdist tendencies btw)
― mage uluk (NickB), Friday, 29 January 2021 14:54 (two years ago) link
lmao really love all the shots of the audience bored out of their minds
― frogbs, Friday, 29 January 2021 15:14 (two years ago) link
Haha I know! amazing scenes
― mage uluk (NickB), Friday, 29 January 2021 15:15 (two years ago) link
if you didn't see the "Telefon" video posted on the countdown, I encourage you to give it a watch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAFNH-V4R3s
not sure what's going on with the wardrobe here, it looks like they all just put on random stuff from old comedy sketches. I can't take my eyes off the bald clarinet wizard robe dude
― frogbs, Friday, 29 January 2021 15:38 (two years ago) link
― Nag! Nag! Nag!
My brain is absolutely dead right now but remind me to come back to this sometime and I will give you some.
― emil.y, Friday, 29 January 2021 16:13 (two years ago) link
Not Soviet pop, but Ann Steel is clearly an aesthetic touchstone here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23r5qqqVOu8
― J. Sam, Friday, 29 January 2021 16:23 (two years ago) link
wow Telex covered this song! I had no idea
― frogbs, Friday, 29 January 2021 16:27 (two years ago) link
Love KATE NV, highlights like "Kata" from her first album sound a lot like 80's Japanese pop to me (can't quite put my finger on who she reminds me of... maybe Haruomi Hosono?), more than Russian pop but they're both obvious references on her music and they mix pretty well aesthetically tbh.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Friday, 29 January 2021 16:32 (two years ago) link
I definitely see Ann Steel in it, yes! I really don't know why I slept on Kate NV, not sure if there was some completely arbitrary thing that put me off at some point, because right now I'm totally getting into it.
― emil.y, Friday, 29 January 2021 16:33 (two years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B05axTlKTKA
Роза Рымбаева гр. Арай
― saer, Friday, 29 January 2021 16:39 (two years ago) link
Love KATE NV, highlights like "Kata" from her first album sound a lot like 80's Japanese pop to me (can't quite put my finger on who she reminds me of... maybe Haruomi Hosono?)
Miharu Koshi. whose three best albums were produced/co-written by Hosono.
I posted this tune upthread, it's Hosono ft. Koshi on vocals, definitely feels like something she was very influenced by
― frogbs, Friday, 29 January 2021 16:44 (two years ago) link
yeah she's clearly drawing on hosono a lot
― ufo, Friday, 29 January 2021 16:45 (two years ago) link
She did some red bull academy study placement thing in tokyo iirc, so I wouldn't be surprised if she's got a pretty good knowledge of Japanese stuff. Someone upthread mentioned mariah, I think that's a really apt comparison. Definitely hear some yasuaki shimizu in there
― mage uluk (NickB), Friday, 29 January 2021 17:08 (two years ago) link
Yeah, it kills. The other songs are good too, but I think that's the best of that little list.
― emil.y, Friday, 29 January 2021 18:14 (two years ago) link
Among other things, I like how embarrassed the guy doing the rap looks
― mage uluk (NickB), Friday, 29 January 2021 18:22 (two years ago) link
lol "please get the camera off me" all over his face
― frogbs, Saturday, 30 January 2021 01:54 (two years ago) link
The “Sizike” song is so cool! Only 12,000 listens on spotify!? How!? This sounds like a classic.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Saturday, 30 January 2021 06:51 (two years ago) link
Actually emily,all songs sound great
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Saturday, 30 January 2021 06:52 (two years ago) link
I passed the Alliance one onto someone off-thread I thought might be appreciative. They were. :)
The one saer posted may as well BE recent Kate NV, for multiple bars at a time. Thanks everyone!
― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Saturday, 30 January 2021 07:07 (two years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaDoFH4zG3E
More Арай here, albeit without Роза Рымбаева. Vibes
― saer, Saturday, 30 January 2021 14:26 (two years ago) link
Ah! this is the third time I listen to the Sizike song. At this rate it will soon become one of my favorite songs of the 80’s, where has this been all my life?
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Saturday, 30 January 2021 15:20 (two years ago) link
Love how this thread has basically turned into "post all the coolest music". I do miss Роза Рымбаева from that second one, though. (I'm guessing it's Rosa something?)
― emil.y, Saturday, 30 January 2021 15:28 (two years ago) link
Thank you for all this!
― maf you one two (maffew12), Saturday, 30 January 2021 16:04 (two years ago) link
Well if this is the unofficial thread for cool 80’s music that is not similar to KATE NV but you think KATE NV fans might also like:
Mecano - hawaii bombayhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XzoOK2GZF8
Pete Brand’s Method - what you arehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mY320Jk82i4
Rare Silk - stormhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNNqWGb_vCc
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Saturday, 30 January 2021 16:08 (two years ago) link
These might be closer to balearic but I think the genre is also referenced in some of her songs.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Saturday, 30 January 2021 16:17 (two years ago) link
nicely shot live video in a guitar shop/balloon store. only four songs and the clarinet dude is **not** wearing his wizard robe but still, worth a watch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckArue3m29E
― frogbs, Sunday, 14 February 2021 19:44 (one year ago) link
Excellent - thanks frogs! :)
anyone know what the official name of that boingy instrument she plays at the start of the second song - and also at the end of 'telefon' - is?
― would a nit be nice? (NickB), Sunday, 14 February 2021 20:33 (one year ago) link
i believe that's a form of Flexatone
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flexatone
― Zach_TBD (Karl Malone), Sunday, 14 February 2021 21:12 (one year ago) link
― Zach_TBD (Karl Malone), Sunday, 14 February 2021 21:15 (one year ago) link
Aha - thanks Mr malone! Will always associate that sound with maggot brain. Bah-doinggg!
― would a nit be nice? (NickB), Sunday, 14 February 2021 21:34 (one year ago) link
Man, Room for the Moon is amazing. Way outside my usual wheelhouse but I put it on for a stoned, snowy dog walk a few nights ago based on the EOY rollout, and have been all Kate NV, all the time, ever since (interspersed with the Chick Corea fest going on in my house).
She does not fuck around filling every little space in the music with creative and unexpected sounds. Having dug back into this thread and schooled myself a little in Russian synth pop and her other influences, I now see that her mix of electronic and synthy stuff with flutes and clarinets and saxes and such is not quite as idiosyncratic as I initially heard it, but so what. Love how quickly and aggressively she builds her soundscapes while still keeping them warm and engaging. Love those thick, meaty bass lines that propel the music forward magnificently but are just unusual and complex enough to keep me alert to their role in the mix. And love the sequencing on the album, drifting farther out into experimentation than most pop albums I'm familiar with and then pulling back to dance/pop at just the right times. I think my fav tracks are Ça Commence Par and Plans, and I have a special affection for Du Na, which is seriously evocative of mid-90s Tortoise to me, one of my all-time favorite sounds (there are moments where it really sounds like it could be lifted right from Djed).
What a gem. Thanks ilm for putting it on my radar!
― Lavator Shemmelpennick, Tuesday, 16 February 2021 17:22 (one year ago) link
:)
― would a nit be nice? (NickB), Tuesday, 16 February 2021 17:50 (one year ago) link
otm
― maf you one two (maffew12), Tuesday, 16 February 2021 19:05 (one year ago) link
Are there any good compilations that cover the Russian scenes that influenced her?
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Tuesday, 16 February 2021 23:23 (one year ago) link
finally got around to watching some Glintshake on YouTube and wow, hard to believe it's the same person. almost like a Jun Togawa thing going on there.
― frogbs, Sunday, 21 February 2021 02:35 (one year ago) link
whoa -- this live video is excellent + a good reminder to revisit this record that hit me at a weird time last year.
would be rad to see this lineup the US when that is a thing again. thanks for sharing!
― dronestreet, Tuesday, 23 February 2021 21:06 (one year ago) link
Damn that video is indeed excellent, wish I spoke Russian.
The bass playing is the closest thing I've heard to Mick Karn in a very long time.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Tuesday, 23 February 2021 22:00 (one year ago) link
is that a metal neck on the bass?
― Mr. Cacciatore (Moodles), Tuesday, 23 February 2021 22:20 (one year ago) link
her voice is somehow even better live
― frogbs, Wednesday, 24 February 2021 02:21 (one year ago) link
another live show, kind of similar setlist. still she's always a joy to watch so click it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLzOMaxjMNY
― frogbs, Friday, 16 July 2021 14:51 (one year ago) link
new single
https://katenv.bandcamp.com/track/d-d-dont
reminds me a lot of Jean-Michel Jarre's Zoolook. right down to the Laurie Anderson vocals
― frogbs, Tuesday, 31 August 2021 16:45 (one year ago) link
sounds kinda like foodman doing watermelon man
I'm not really into it, the way she's working with this sound is kinda played out imo
― Bongo Jongus, Tuesday, 31 August 2021 19:38 (one year ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhceRmd2Ink
some real great concert footage. this show would be so much fun
― frogbs, Friday, 3 December 2021 04:51 (one year ago) link
she uh, seems to be in a really bad place right now
https://twitter.com/kattique/status/1501975566391681024
(translates to: Today I see no way out but to just kill myself.)
― frogbs, Thursday, 10 March 2022 21:00 (ten months ago) link
i was wondering how she was doing atm :(
― o shit the sheriff (NickB), Thursday, 10 March 2022 21:33 (ten months ago) link
that's so awful. i hope she can find peace (without doing anything drastic).
― stirmonster, Friday, 11 March 2022 00:17 (ten months ago) link
happier news:Improvised music in support of "Helping to Leave" Ukraine charityit's prettyhttps://katenv.bandcamp.com/album/bouquet
― maf you one two (maffew12), Friday, 27 May 2022 13:50 (eight months ago) link
yep Bouquet is crazy good more pls
― clouds (peanutbuttereverysingleday), Friday, 27 May 2022 22:31 (eight months ago) link
this seems promising
https://www.firerecords.com/fire-signs-kate-nv-angel-deradoorians-new-project-decisive-pink/
― frogbs, Tuesday, 27 September 2022 19:52 (four months ago) link
Promising, indeed. I can't imagine what she's going through in Russia right now.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Tuesday, 27 September 2022 20:08 (four months ago) link
new song out, sounds like she's doing a Far Side Virtual thing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86UHdsbNZKs
― frogbs, Wednesday, 12 October 2022 20:41 (three months ago) link
dunno if people saw this but there's a kate nv guest vocal on the (extremely lovely) new soyuz album...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AcEiva70hUSOYUZ (СОЮЗ) Ft. Kate NV - I Knew It (Я так и знал)
― o shit the sheriff (NickB), Thursday, 3 November 2022 20:55 (three months ago) link
new album, looks like it's gonna be full of the Zoolook-style digital sampling she's been doing lately. so maybe not exactly a follow up to Room for the Moon but I have liked those tracks so far
https://katenv.bandcamp.com/album/wow
― frogbs, Tuesday, 6 December 2022 22:07 (two months ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4euYMd4-l0
ooh i do like the new single
― ufo, Wednesday, 7 December 2022 02:29 (one month ago) link
this is great
― nxd, Wednesday, 7 December 2022 17:11 (one month ago) link
Video = Kateamari Damacy
(song is awesome too)
― emil.y, Wednesday, 7 December 2022 17:14 (one month ago) link
holy smokes thats a strange video
― frogbs, Thursday, 8 December 2022 23:02 (one month ago) link
Pleasant surprise, she has a new project with Angel Deradoorian called Decisive Pink. First single is more conventional synth pop than her solo stuff but it has a nice trippy shining future vibe (via focus on dominant 7th chord): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLrdPMAguUQ
― J. Sam, Thursday, 15 December 2022 00:04 (one month ago) link
It's hitting me in my nostalgic feels. Fantastic.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Thursday, 15 December 2022 04:28 (one month ago) link
Nice. She's coming to Big Ears next year, I'm intrigued.
― a man often referred to in the news media as the Duke of Saxony (tipsy mothra), Thursday, 15 December 2022 04:56 (one month ago) link
yeah that single is nice, looking forward to the full album. it kind of sounds like a direction Stereolab could've gone in. hope they emphasize the vocal harmonies because they're damn good
in other news apparently she's also doing a show in Chicago? I might have to try to make that
― frogbs, Thursday, 15 December 2022 14:28 (one month ago) link
new song - Meow Chat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAMCVZHAi_k
― o shit the sheriff (NickB), Wednesday, 25 January 2023 00:14 (one week ago) link
meow chat has a proper video now (neow):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQf84KubJjE
― o shit the sheriff (NickB), Sunday, 5 February 2023 14:05 (yesterday) link