IWKC – Misha
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Starting out as a punk band in Moscow in 2008, IWKC – which stands for I Will Kill Chita – soon transformed into a post rock band, before turning their minds to more experimental and industrial sounds. With so many stylistic changes going on, you should not be surprised that once again IWKC have changed their musical orientation, and in a totally unexpected way this time. I was quite surprised when I read that the quartet is now playing electronic acid jazz and hip hop. Frankly these are not my favourite genres, but I still thought they deserved a chance. And to be honest, words are hard to find to describe what is happening on Misha. I mean: have a look at the cover artwork, showing an exaggeratedly happy man in a red flowing tunic. What is that about?!? The band is currently playing drums, keyboards and DJing material. They furthermore insist that everything is reproducible in a live setting. To flesh it all out, nearly 20 guest musicians are adding (mostly wind) instruments and vocals. This high number of people make sure that things never become boring. The opener, title track and pre-release single Misha is a hip hop influenced crossover rock song with lots of scratching and brass parts that has an uplifting 90s vibe. The following Tonight feels a little darker, comes with ultra-cool female vocals and has a chilly 80s mood. It’s those two decades which have influenced the band the most and which feel like a running thread throughout the album. Hydrophonic combines brass parts with strange vocals that remind me of The Residents. MCPD is quite an aggressive piece of music that sounds like Mr Bungle jamming with John Zorn. Total coolness is achieved with Reboot, a prime example of dark wave revival with pop appeal, not unlike what John Maus does on his better days. I really dig the ultra-deep vocals on this track, but the synth bass is not bad either. Holier Than Thou is at under three minutes the album’s shortest track and feels more like an interlude than an actual song. Snakes is unfortunately an in my opinion skippable track, because the mock Oriental atmosphere overstays its welcome over a length of nearly seven minutes. THC is an authentic dub track where you can smell the green: deep basses and lots of echoey effects make for a mind-expanding adventure. The concluding Sex In Space is a tribute to everything electronic from the 90s, from The Prodigy to Scooter. What better way to end an album than in an all-out dance the night away anthem? It's somehow hard to believe how many genres IWKC have plundered during their many years of existence. The very jazzy Misha may surprise as a radical tangent of their earlier industrial sound, but the varied songwriting makes for a more than entertaining listening experience. This may very well be the band’s most accessible album to date. |
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9 songs |
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41:20 minutes |
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***** *** |
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Genre: electronic acid jazz Label: Addicted Released: 4th October 2024 |
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