Review: KLÄMP ‘TOTAAL TECHNIEK’
Things have been quiet in the KLÄMP camp since 2020’s sophomore album Hate You dropped. The intervening years have seen the band’s core line-up of Greg Wynne (Manatees) – guitar/vocals/electronics/percussion, Jason Stoll (Sex Swing/Twin Sister/Mugstar/JAAW) – bass and Lee Vincent (Pulled Apart By Horses) – drums/electronics/percussion expand to include Matthew Parker (Tall Ships) – guitar/vocals/electronics/percussion, Adam Devonshire (IDLES) – bass, Rachael Morrison – synthesiser/electronics/vocals and Wayne Adams (Petbrick/Big Lad) – Synthesiser/Electronics.
Further collaborators include Doede Ghandi – Field Recordings, Oliver F Newton – vocals/electronics/bowed instruments and finally Matt ‘maud’ Neesam on saxophone/vocals.
Another change is TOTAL TECHNIEK being released on Brighton’s brilliant Human Worth label who, as per norm, are donating 10% of the album’s sales to a good cause. This time round it’s Compass Collective, a charity supporting the integration of young refugees and people seeking asylum in the UK through the arts. As someone who reviewed and enjoyed the band’s sophomore release, 2020’s Hate You for this publication, I’m intrigued to hear what the band have conjured up.
The majority of THE FIRST SONG has a dreamy Jesus and Mary Chain vibe, particularly tracks such as Just Like Honey from that band’s legendary 1985 debut Psychocandy. In fact, if you were giving the track a blind listen, you would swear it was the Reid brothers themselves. Things get a little heavier towards the end, but not overwhelmingly so, a superb, mostly blissed out start to the album.
If Wire tick your musical boxes then ZPINE is for you, however, it should be pointed out that the aforementioned band’s mid to late 80’s material is more what I’m referring to here, around the time of 1987’s The Ideal Copy which saw that band broadening out their sound and nodding to the alternative dance rock of New Order. Superb. WET LEATHER sees the band’s love of krautrock, more specifically Kraftwerk, coming to the fore. That genre’s trademark motorik beats are evident, albeit injected with more of a noise-rock energy. It’s not surprising it was chosen as the album’s preview track.
I have no hesitation in recommending that all you lovely people give it a listen ASAP…
LEPROZENKAPEL takes the listener down a far harsher, darker Industrial route ala NIN, Front 242 et al, but mixed in with beautiful My Bloody Valentine style shoegaze, this was never not going to appeal to me. The album’s longest track at over eight minutes, THE CRYING TOWEL lysergic quality feels somewhat similar to what Lou Reed would have conjured up around the time of 1982’s The Blue Mask, particularly tracks such as Waves Of Fear, but with an added contemporary stoner rock edge. Epic with a capital E and a truly extraordinary piece, definitely the album’s musical highlight for me.
EVIL PIPE, true to its title, sounds somewhat sinister and possessed with a sensibility not far removed from Sunn O))). Though to be honest, it’s a lot more varied and engaging than that duo’s recent output and the electro elements helping to elevate it above your average colour-by-numbers drone outfit.
ADULT PROPER contains the post-industrial, noise and dark ambient flavours of Einstürzende Neubauten. However, there are also nice psych touches present, making it infinitely more accessible. Finally, the title track, TOTAAL TECHNIEK, recalls Sonic Youth’s no-wave experimentations as well as the expansive post-rock of both post-reunion Swans and Godspeed! You Black Emperor. All of this results in an epic conclusion
The five-year wait for new material has been worth it, and let’s be honest, with such a cast of players, it was never going to be anything short of great. As such, I have no hesitation in recommending that all you lovely people give it a listen ASAP.
Label: Human Worth
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: Reza Mills
