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People Club — Kil Scott

Independent, Nov. 2019

People Club — Kil Scott

November 5, 2019

People Club's Kil Scott is a sharp, 15-minute injection of psychedelic pop. Like some whispy and autumnal mutation of The Police, it's defined by syncopated grooves so laid-back that at points they border on muzak. Given the industry's near-constant glut of lo-fi indie rockers, you might take this as a criticism. But the strength of Kil Scott is in this delicacy.

No idea, musical or otherwise, is forced. Lyrics' dry wit and sincerity are given breathing space, and melodic ideas are fully conceived and explored. This work is fascinatingly self-tempering; it clips its own wings on the verge of fledging. But it's not failure to launch, or toothlessness — it's balance, nuance, and control.

Kil Scott touches on imbalances of power, both social and inter-personal. Its four songs discuss, among more topics, sexism, homophobia, and destructive relationships. All the while, People Club keep a deft handle on everything, balancing the personal with the political. Subjects are filtered through a stark, emotive and confessional voice. But Kil Scott never loses perspective; it's pointed, but never didactic.

Its first and last tracks serve to illustrate this balance. 'Perfume', the opener, explores the paranoia, venom and defeat of a dying relationship. It's internalised and brooding. 'Who I Call My Baby', though, is an outward projection. It defies an undefined source of homophobia which would meddle in a couple's love. What's impressive is how People Club approach these two pieces from the same place — one of tenderness and compassion. By the time Kil Scott finishes, you'll wonder how they packed so much in.

Kil Scott will be available to purchase and stream on the 15th of November. Stream single ‘Perfume’ here.

Words by Andrew O’Keefe

In Review Tags Jangle pop, Psychedelic pop, Funk
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Gordon Koang — Mal Mi Goa / Salaam

Bedroom Suck, Jan. 2019

Gordon Koang — Mal Mi Goa / Salaam

February 13, 2019

Music in Exile is a project run by Joe Alexander and Angela Schilling. Its aim is to create ‘space for artists working in culturally or linguistically diverse communities in Australia’. It reveals barriers artists face in producing their work, and attempts to drub them.

Its latest collaborator is South Sudanese musician Gordon Koang. Koang and his cousin fled the second Sudanese civil war, seeking refuge in Australia. Through contact with Music in Exile and Bedroom Suck, they have since released this single. Koang intends to use the proceeds from his music to bring his family to Australia from South Sudan.

The single's A-side, 'Mal Mi Goa', condemns the war and looks forward to a peaceful future. Its lyrics, in Koang's native Nuer, lilt above a modal guitar melody given sense by its repetition. There is an odd, appealing, karaoke-like quality to the song. It in this sense resembles 60s Cambodian superstar Pen Ran. A musician surpassing the limits of their equipment. But it feels exploitative to draw attention to either artist's production techniques given, as they are, to necessity.

The drumming on this release is exceptional, with a loose and jolly syncopation that belies complexity below. In fact, the all-round breeziness these singles have is deceptive in the same way funk was forty years ago. Koang is reportedly a joyful and generous person whose focus is on positivity. Mal Mi Goa / Salaam is as good an expression of this that anyone could hope for.

Fans should check out these wonderful Habibi Funk compilations. Mal Mi Goa / Salaam is available to stream and purchase here.

Words by Andrew O’Keefe

In Review Tags Desert blues, Funk, Nuer