SOME PEOPLE INSTINCTIVELY FEEL A NEED TO TAME THE CHAOS THAT IS OUR WORLD (like our garden-fascist neighbors for instance who apparantly hate nature). THEY TRY TO CLASSIFY, LABEL, ORGANIZE, PIGEONHOLE, COMPARE, AND REDUCE ANY IDEA OR OBJECT INTO A TIDY GENRE OF UNDERSTANDING. THUS IT IS EASY FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS TO OPERATE IN AN ACCEPTED FASHION, KNOWING THAT WHAT THEY DO OR PRODUCE FILLS AN ALREADY ESTABLISH NICHE IN THE UNIVERSE. CALL IT WHAT YOU WILL; SAFETY, COMFORT, PREDICTABLE, CONFORMITY, EASY OR BORING.
THEN THERE ARE THE ELEMENTS OF DISORDER [enter Pan stage left], THE GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS THAT CANNOT BE CLASSIFIED, LABELED, COMPARED WITH OR GENRE-BOUND. THIS HAPPENS IN EVERY ASPECT OF OUR EXISTENCE, ESPECIALLY IN OUR ARTS. OCCASIONALLY THERE ARE THOSE THAT SHATTER PRECONCEIVED NOTIONS, THAT ALTER OUR PERCEPTIONS OF WHAT IT IS WE KNOW, OR EXPECT, OF ART. THINK OF ROTHKO, JOYCE, ARAGON, DUNCAN, LLOYD-WRIGHT,….
WHICH BRINGS US TO DE KIFT. A MUSICAL GROUP FROM THE NETHERLANDS THAT HAS DEFIED CLASSIFICATION SINCE ITS CONCEPTION IN 1988. THEIR TEN ALBUMS IN THE PAST TWENTY-THREE YEARS HAVE CREATED A SOUND THAT IS BEYOND THE CONVENIENCE OF GENRE LABELS. THEY SOUND LIKE…..DE KIFT. SOME HAVE USED THE PHRASE “FANFARE WITH PUNK & ROCK ELEMENTS”, BUT THAT’S STILL A MURKY DESCRIPTIVE SEA (although more than we’ll try here!). YOU COULD ATTEMPT TO REDUCE THEIR MUSIC BY ITS INSTRUMENTATION, BUT THAT IS STILL NOT SUFFICIENT. TRUE, THEY USE HORNS, GUITARS AND DRUMS. YES, THE VOCALS ARE SOMETIMES SUNG, BUT OFTEN THEY ARE RAPID-FIRE, HIGHLY POETIC SPOKEN NARRATIVES (in Dutch). AT TIMES THE SONGS APPROACH TOUCHING POP BALLADS, OFTEN THOUGH THEY ADHERE TO THEIR OWN FORM AND STYLE. ONE MUST SIMPLY LISTEN TO UNDERSTAND IT, WHICH IS WHAT WE RECOMMEND YOU DO.
THERE IS NO PARTICULAR ALBUM WE SUGGEST YOU HEAR FIRST….. START AT THE BEGINNING IF YOU’D LIKE, OR JUMP IN ANYWHERE IN THE CATALOG AS THEY ARE ALL UNIQUELY BEAUTIFUL RECORDS. WE’VE INCLUDED A PHOTO OF THEIR SECOND ALBUM, 1993’S KRANKENHAUS, AS IT HAPPENS TO BE ON OUR TURNTABLE THIS MORNING, WE LIKE IT A LOT AND BECAUSE THERE IS A NEW DOMESTIC PRESSING (including english and german lyric translations) AVAILABLE COURTESY OF THE DOMINO SOUND LABEL (OF NEW ORLEANS, LA). ORDER IT ONLINE THROUGH FORCED EXPOSURE OR CONTACT DOMINO SOUND RECORD SHACK @ 504.309.0871.
REALLY, YOU SHOULD.
the Aural Dustbin 