A prodigious beat-maker. A law student. A lover of David Attenborough (honestly though, who doesn’t love a British octogenarian describing a Bengal tiger with the enthusiasm of a pill-popper). There are many ways to describe Brisbane producer Cln. For a couple of years now, he has been fabricating some super clean tunes for our ears. Last year, he released a number of instrumental tracks and remixes to lauded success. Cln is a new breed of musical artist – like Japanese Wallpaper, Twin Caverns, KLO and many others – who has carefully enmeshed his choral-voice with rich sound-pieces. He maintains the fidelity of both his vocals and production to create vibes that feel like a sonic wrestle between Oliver Tank and Flume. It’s the kind of music you would play on a melancholic drudge through Glebe Markets on a rainy day, to make everything seem Arthouse perfect.
When he first tried his hand at vocals, and moved away from purely instrumental music production, Cln ended up with Hold On; a sweet voice deliciously spliced with future-beats. It is beautiful. His voice warps into wide whale-like cadences as it floats above a textured sonic underlay. The whole thing is incredibly moody and evocative.
In his recent release, there is a greater balance and synchrony between the vocal and instrumental. Left Behind begins with this futuristic chime and then entangles clipped vocal dubs and strings into a Flume-esque sound-circus. The chorus is a multi-instrumental furore; a subtle-but-extreme blending and layering of lush soundscapes. Speaking about both the EP and the song Cln said:
“I wanted this EP to demonstrate a wide variety of styles and moods, and so this new track is a world apart from the last one. Taking some inspiration from Caribou, I wanted to bring Left Behind back to a point where the instrumental was the focus again, rather than the vocals. I also wanted to experiment with restraint and a sort of continuous build up – it was difficult to restrain myself from just throwing everything at the first drop, but I’m really glad I did.”
Cln is embarking on his first national headline tour throughout June and July (with thanks to KOSHER artist & tiurin agency), to celebrate the release of his second EP. He will be partnering up with Elizabeth Rose in Brisbane, UV Boi in Adelaide and Dugong Jr in Melbourne. Besides the lineup of co-headline shows, Cln will be doing a solo performance at Jam Gallery tonight in Bondi Junction. So get on some fluorescent kicks, besmirch yourself in glitter and be a nightclub-fairy at Cln’s set tonight.
