KERO KERO BONITO

they say in that twitter thread that the concept behind the civ eps is keeping things entirely hardware-based which is a continuation of what they did on time 'n' place, except that they're not working in the band format they did there. the results so far have been decently interesting, probably their most overtly video game soundtrack-esque music, but i don't love it as much as time 'n' place and totep.

i guess i like the sound of the civ stuff but the songwriting hasn't grabbed me anywhere near as much as what they were doing in 2018

Yeah musically the Civ stuff didn't appeal to me as immediately as the Time 'n' Place era stuff, but it's grown on me hard. The production is more sophisticated and darker than anything else they've done (though the video game music timbres help maintain a whimsical aura), and the way the lyrical focus has shifted from the personal to sci-fi/fantasy storytelling is really cool.

Man I love the new song already. Freestyle-ish beat, lush melancholy synths, wispy chopped-up vocals: yes, please

AND WE WILL BE. WELL. RESTED.
WHEN THE ASCENSION COMES

My 13-year-old son's favorite band, he plays them in the car all the time. I enjoy it.

A young man of taste he is. Civilisation II EP is out today, absolutely slays as expected. "Well Rested" is a legit 7-minute deep house odyssey

A young man walking the one true path.

Yeah this new one's great

This does sound like video game music, in a way I can't appreciate or enjoy. And why are their tunes so aimless now, when they used to be all about catchy melodies (to the point that they had a song about how great they are)?

This band is clearly going places artistically, but they left me behind a while back. Oh well

yeah "well rested" rules

"well rested" is massive!

This might be my favorite thing from them. 21/04/20 is also great and it’s coincidentally the same birthday as my significant other.

Well Rested is the best PSB song since Love Is A Bourgeois Construct

What does PSB stand for?

think of London's previous, um, house band, WHOSE MANTLE IS BEING PASSED

thinking of sarah's deadpan vocal style being in the same lineage as psb makes me appreciate it a lot more overall

Kero Kero Bonimperial phase

Oooh Pet Shop Boys... yeah I kinda hear the comparison

Especially the vocal style and the fact it's called 'Well Rested'! But KKB's laid-back pop/house investigations have always had a certain PSB-y feel to them imo, albeit a few hairs more indie

yeah i definitely hear that

i'm really excited to hear where they go next bc it kinda feels like they're just getting started really

also what the hell "flamingo" has 76 million youtube views when did that happen

Re: the tradition of deadpan British vocals, Sarah constantly reminds me of Trish Keenan

I love everything about this band. Their recent carefully constructed "mythical" vibe reminds me of the KLF in the best possible way.

I’ve decided this is the best song of the year 2021.

I just watched this recent “live” show of theirs, and discovered they did a great KKB-do-2-step remix of Metronomy last year. Unfortunately it’s not another 7 minute journey clocking in at 3 mins only.

show:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGGPMTvfYb4

remix:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMPqYibrhes

Civilisation vinyl (both EPs on one mini LP) finally landed, so getting fully immersed in these songs now. Bits of the record remind me a bit of Going For The One or Tormato-era Yes, there’s that same density of sound and willingness to embrace the cosmic. The rate KKB are evolving and improving is quite startling.

The sleeve art is something else too. Black symbols on a white background with text in a strange font that vaguely resembles hieroglyphics - which carries across to the lyrics on the inner sleeve too (thus rendering them largely incomprehensible even after you’ve worked out which letter of the alphabet each symbol stands for).

Not sure what the competition is, but "21/04/20" has to be the greatest song written about COVID quarantine

I'm surprised and relieved they aren't more common. Though I enjoyed "The Virus Diaries" i heard about on the Orbital thread here.

otm though. Hands up if you're also "ok you know the usual kinda weird"!

Yup. "Last night's pasta in a tub, out the fridge for lunch and breakfast" too

This, I like! (guess it's for an ad campaign?)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp9octRklXM

Kind of lame, IMO, cannot escape the fact that I'm listening to an advertisement for shoes. But what the fuck do I know, I loved the Bugsnax song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN_d1fkkSr0

aaaa better late than never
Sarah's EP as "Cryalot" is great, and not a big departure for KKB fans