A few days ago we dropped the video for Konnichiwa’ s ‘Maiden China’ from their début album ‘Visions’. We’ve had a chance to listen to the full album now, and it’s pretty special.
The thing I like about Konnichiwa is their points of reference. Most 80’s inspired acts draw their influences from Europe, particularly England (and being English, I do hear a lot of it!) whereas Konnichiwa, although defiantly an 80s SynthPop influenced duo, produce a sound more akin to the Electronic Pop that came out of the US in the 80s, a sound that tended to be a bit more upbeat than it’s European counterpart and made more extensive use of burgeoning sampling technology. This sound eventually gave way to a particular North American brand of EBM/SynthPop (think Information Society) and it’s this poppy, yet borderline EBM, groove that I can hear running through Konnichiwa’s record. Lots of FM synthesis and sampling make up the music. Percussive and driving it forms a stable basis for Kaela Noel’s crazy, reverb washed, vocal style. Almost oriental and kinda’ operatic in a weird way, and with a touch of Karin Dreijer-Andersson to it, Kaela’s vocals form a strange and alluring focal point for the tracks.
Check out ‘Constellations’ on of my favourite tracks from ‘Visions’
‘Visions’ is out 22nd March on Rainbow Body Records.
electronic rumors 