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PREMIERE: Kalacoma, “Kaleidoscoper”

Kalacoma are a five-piece band out of Melbourne with a real knack for blending organic and electronic instrumentation, to create intriguing, intricate music for those with an ear for curious detail. Today, we’re debuting new track Kaleidoscoper, from their forthcoming sophomore EP. Immersive, intense and remarkably dark, Kaleidoscoper is both beautiful and pained at the same time.

The track opens with a glitchy, wooden percussion beat, before off-kilter piano lays a melodic backbone ahead of the vocals. The steely trip-hop melody glides in and immediately crawls right under your skin. The distant vocals sound wafer-thin at first, and a rich, gothic tone adds warmth and depth as the track moves along. There’s an obvious Radiohead influence throughout, but in a way that genuinely does feel influenced – as opposed to copied.

The track progresses at a gentle pace, but feels panicked nevertheless, a result of the duelling rhythms which swell and intertwine as they progress. A gorgeous, dynamic track full of subtle embellishments and an off-beat sensuality, it’s so easy to lose yourself among this soundscape.

We wanted to get to know the influences behind the music, so we asked Kalacoma’s multi-instrumentalist Alan, who focuses on keys, percussion and vocals, to share six albums which changed his life.

Radiohead, The King of Limbs

Yeah yeah, everyone loves Radiohead, but c’mon, King of Limbs is pretty hard to look past. It’s just a phenomenal example of music that is both unique and experimental but still utterly accessible, engaging and I dare say danceable. It’s still super relevant too.

Grizzly Bear, Shields

These guys make beautifully ballsy folk-not-folk that is both parts epic and delicate. Every track is always made up of such a crazy array of parts that flow and link so well. They also have such brilliantly melancholic chord progressions and harmonies, it makes you sad and happy simultaneously.

Flying Lotus, Reset EP

This is the first time I heard FlyLo. Who’d have thunk that this dude was gonna turn beatmaking on it’s head and take over the world. Really such a awesome sign of things to come, so straight to the point with so much vibe, tone and subtlety. Would have chosen all his stuff really, but you gotta pick one. Also gotta put in a nod to his rhymin’ alter-ego Captain Murphy.

James Blake, James Blake

Minimal post R&B soul electronica from a thin white guy from the UK, go figure. Really a big fan of his less is more approach, so much space in his music for it to breathe. And dat voice, dayum.

PVT, O Soundtrack My Heart

First saw these guys supporting Sigur Ros and only caught the title track from this album which was pretty wild live. As the name suggests this has a pretty filmic vibe, this was before they introduced vocals and so is way more textural and atmospheric.

Battles, EP C/B EP
Weird choppy beats, poly rhythms and generally just a bit hectic. This is probably their most experimental stuff and pre any vocals. It’s funny that their trajectory went seemingly in reverse, they started avant-garde and became more poppy. Good on people for taking notice of some strange ass music.

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