Review: Kele Okereke 'The Hunter EP'

KELE OKEREKE
The Hunter EP
[Wichita]

Noel Gallagher of Oasis once famously described Bloc Party as "a band off of University Challenge". While he was trying to be disparaging, he was actually bang on - and Kele Okereke, the on/off frontman for the accused, did little to disprove that statement with his debut solo album, The Boxer (2010). His new, 7-track EP, The Hunter, continues in a similar, brainy vein. Yes, this is electronic indie-pop music, sure, but there's thought and heart in every groove. Again working with album producer XXXChange (Spank Rock, The Kills), Kele has crafted a diverse collection of tracks, with his keening vocals the common thread. Opener What Did I Do (featuring Lucy Taylor on vocals) sits comfortably alongside the pop-dubstep of Katy B, while Devotion blends New Order with Vangelis by way of Magnetic Man. Love As A Weapon begins with a glitch-laden, bubbling beat with gives way to a mesh of swelling samples and layered pianos, and closer You Belong To Someone Else sounds like an Eastern European accordian festival being raided by rave horns and fat bass drops. And Kele's retort to Gallagher? "They've made stupidity hip." No danger of that here, as The Hunter keeps listeners on their toes throughout.

3 and 1/2 stars from 5

Yeah, I know it's his official site, but it's the best place to check out his new EP. And hilariously dramatic/dramatically hilarious cover art.

Originally appeared in Waikato Times

Review: Karlmarx 'The Karlmarx Project'

KARLMARX
The Karlmarx Project
[Loop]

"An instrumental soundtrack for a retrospective science fiction movie that was never made." So reads the press release accompanying this album. I usually blithely ignore marketing blather, but in this instance, it's accurate. Karlmarx is brothers Isaac Aesili and Mark McNeill, and The Karlmarx Project is their debut album. It's dripping with spacey soundscapes awash with vintage synths, off-kilter drums and space-invader melodies - imagine Vangelis playing PS3 with Dam-Funk while tripping on LSD. Though there's a dark finish, with three of the last four tracks beatless, the mood is uplifting. Standouts include Knight Rider's alternate theme tune ( !! ), Leaning Shadows; the loose-limbed haze-funk of Wakatipu; and Transform, with its Gary Numan referencing bassline. Despite the lack of vocals, traditional melodies or song structures as such, the bulk of these tracks build beautifully, revealing their charms over repeated listens - but treat this as background music at your peril. Compelling.

3 and 1/2 stars from 5