– THE PEACEFUL PROTEST –

Kinkajous are a London-based five-piece consisting of Bass Clarinet, Drums, Synths, Rhodes/Piano and Bass.

They draw their influences from a wide variety of soundscapes including orchestral music, jazz, world and electronic.

Their debut album Hidden Lines was released last week, from which Jupiter is taken.

Reviewed elsewhere this week is Sans Soucis – an artist whose name also means a number of other things, all of which are entirely in keeping with her style of music.

However, according to Wikipedia, “The kinkajou is a tropical rainforest mammal related to raccoons and the ringtail… also known as the ‘honey bear.’” It goes on to say that Kinkajous are “playful, generally quiet, docile, and… dislike sudden movements [and] noise.”

Now, I have to say, unlike Ms. Soucis above, I have absolutely no idea what that creature has in common with this band, who appear to revel in unpredictability, sudden movement and generally causing quiet chaos.

None more so than on Jupiter where the Neil Cowley Trio-esque piano lines disguise a fiendishly complex rhythm part. It’s the sound of a band hitting their stride; knowing how to push the envelope without sacrificing musicality.

“Jupiter was written some time ago, at a point when we were exploring new ways to define our sound, deciding what route to take next” say the band. “It feels like it became a bridge that opened up a world of possibilities and showed us the way. This is our thanks to what has been and our welcome to what is to be.”

Hidden Lines is out now through Running Circle Records.

MORE FROM THIS WEEK’S MIX

ABSTRACT ORCHESTRA: AIR
SAMPA THE GREAT: FINAL FORM
BUBBY LEWIS: GAME OF LIFE
SANS SOUCIS: UNCHAIN

P.S. You can find all of the tracks reviewed above in the 45 Revolutions per Minute playlist below or click to access the 45 RPM Playlist on Spotify itself.

If you like what you hear (or even if you don’t), please engage in dialogue with me @45rpm_Reviews on Twitter. And, if you’d like to receive updates weekly, please subscribe to the email list to get these recommendations sent to your inbox weekly.

– SV –