Kanyalang!: Sometimes I Feel Weird
SUNDAY 21ST MARCH 2021
REVIEW | CHARLES PONS
The recently released Sometimes I Feel Weird by Kanyalang! on Copenhagen-based label Truth Radio is a wonderful collection of soothing sounds accompanied by my very favourite thing: big beats.
The release opens atmospherically, with pads and marimba-esque sounds that are brought together by a set of prominent hats and an accompanying break that give an upbeat twist to the opening track of the EP. Although a year into whatever new-normal version of reality we may be experiencing depending on where we may find ourselves, this accompaniment results in what is both a warm-up-ready and meditative opening track, aptly tilted This Side of Paradise.
The aforementioned breaks give way to a fitting second consort that follows suit, upping the tempo in Perfect Blue. Featuring what my ear deems to be Japanese vocals (though I may very well be wrong), these cuts give way to a melodic loop that sits blissfully side-by-side the rhythmic rest of the track. Coming to an end somewhat too soon.
The Last Dance opens with a sense of nostalgia; with a sound that has us feeling some kind of way as soon as it’s begun. It’s only fitting that this track be accompanied by a more 4x4 approach, with acidic synths playing their part to remind us of clubbing days now sadly somewhat behind us – but this is only temporary; we’d do well to remember that.
Wannabe does its job in seeing out the release in a way no better than could be expected given the standard set since its start. Opening with a big kick, breaks and ethereal pads to full effect, Wannabe has short (but sweet) cuts of the Spice Girls’ track of the same name. These cuts stray from their original insistent nature, but instead serve as a means of adding an element of depth and dynamism to the other-worldly track. Props to Kanyalang! for turning the Spice Girls, specifically Mel C, into something ethereal – a tough task to say the least.
Sometimes I Feel Weird does a fantastic job of capturing the surreality of the year gone by. Presenting this through a contrast of dreamy sounds and big beats, the EP feels a similar way to the bittersweet euphoria of the end of a set that sees the sun rise.
The release opens atmospherically, with pads and marimba-esque sounds that are brought together by a set of prominent hats and an accompanying break that give an upbeat twist to the opening track of the EP. Although a year into whatever new-normal version of reality we may be experiencing depending on where we may find ourselves, this accompaniment results in what is both a warm-up-ready and meditative opening track, aptly tilted This Side of Paradise.
The aforementioned breaks give way to a fitting second consort that follows suit, upping the tempo in Perfect Blue. Featuring what my ear deems to be Japanese vocals (though I may very well be wrong), these cuts give way to a melodic loop that sits blissfully side-by-side the rhythmic rest of the track. Coming to an end somewhat too soon.
The Last Dance opens with a sense of nostalgia; with a sound that has us feeling some kind of way as soon as it’s begun. It’s only fitting that this track be accompanied by a more 4x4 approach, with acidic synths playing their part to remind us of clubbing days now sadly somewhat behind us – but this is only temporary; we’d do well to remember that.
Wannabe does its job in seeing out the release in a way no better than could be expected given the standard set since its start. Opening with a big kick, breaks and ethereal pads to full effect, Wannabe has short (but sweet) cuts of the Spice Girls’ track of the same name. These cuts stray from their original insistent nature, but instead serve as a means of adding an element of depth and dynamism to the other-worldly track. Props to Kanyalang! for turning the Spice Girls, specifically Mel C, into something ethereal – a tough task to say the least.
Sometimes I Feel Weird does a fantastic job of capturing the surreality of the year gone by. Presenting this through a contrast of dreamy sounds and big beats, the EP feels a similar way to the bittersweet euphoria of the end of a set that sees the sun rise.