Kelvox1 - Grazed Red

  by Andy Cassidy

published: 28 / 1 / 2012

Label: Aagoo Records
Format: CD

intro

Unsettling debut album from Cambridge trio Kelvox1, who work with both conventional electronic instruments and found objects

The first thing I read about Kelvox1’s debut album 'Grazed Red' was the following description: “Haunted underwater glitch-step from Cambridge. Burial meets David Lynch meets ‘Let’s Dance’ meets Sega Megadrive.” How could I resist? Kelvox1 are a three-piece from Cambridge who work with conventional electronic instruments as well as found objects. Unlike other glitch-step groups, Kelvox1 use the space in which the recording takes place as an instrument. This lends a ghostly quality to their recording, and while the idea is hardly new – this technique is essentially a contemporary take on Spector’s Wall of Sound – it does set them apart from their peers. The group describe this process as a wilful lack of complete control which mirrors the human condition. Implicit in this recording technique is the notion that a piece of music is in itself an atmosphere to be occupied, a collection of vibrations within which the band or the listener is enveloped. Musically 'Grazed Re'd is painted from the same palette as Mount Vernon Arts Lab’s 'Gummy Twinkle' over which sit vocals of varying clarity. In many instances, the various sounds bleed into one another creating entirely new – and exciting – textures which take the listener deeper into the music. There is a mesmeric quality to the album, a sense of darkness and vague menace, a dream-like fluidity which might turn at any moment into a nightmare. I really enjoyed this album, but I would offer the following caveat – this is not an album which is easy to listen to. There is a depth to the music which could render one extremely uneasy given the right circumstances. Personally, I enjoy the minimalism of albums such as 'Grazed Red' and I find them, even with the dark undertones, very relaxing. I realise however, that not everyone shares my enthusiasm. To my mind, this is a particularly good album. I would, however, stop short of a full recommendation and suggest that it might be best to try before you buy.

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