Kanga - You And I Will Never Die

Hailing from Los Angeles, Kanga DuChamp has cultured a sound which manages to musically straddle industrial, synthwave and pop genres whilst meeting somewhere in the middle. As well as being an artist, Duchamp has developed a sideline career in working on film soundtracks (focusing on the horror genre) including ‘The Conjuring’ and ‘Insidious’ franchises. With early support in her career from Gary Numan and previous production work from Rhys Fulber of Front Line Assembly, Kanga has developed a sound which draws from a variety of themes including angst, melancholy and sexual fetishism, but shot through with an unmistakable pop sensibility. ‘You & I Will Never Die’ sees Kanga teaming up with producer Justin McGrath (NIN / TOOL) and distribution via a new label Artoffact. After the two minute ‘Preface’, ‘Home’ hits the ground running with a pulsating synth bass that recalls French synthwave artist Perturbator and this leads neatly into the single ‘Godless’. Kanga is quoted as saying that ‘Godless’ was “really satisfying compositionally, I felt like I got my masochistic Catholicism to dance”; the track documents a toxic relationship with lyrics about “loving you but you’re making me sick” and “I wanna believe so bad it’s gonna put me in a body bag”. Although lyrically dark, the track is melodic with blippy chorus synths coasting above driving effected guitars and a comparison made that this is a female NIN isn’t a million miles off.

‘Brother’ is lyrically the most twisted track; recounting a romantic relationship where Kanga herself was cast as a sister to the protagonist in the title. The artist herself seemed less worried about the controversy the incestuous lyrics might provoke; “Brother was intense. Everyone loved the instrumental but when I added those lyrics I had a handful of people say ‘no one is going to play this in a club.’ Fuck that, I bet they will! Where’s everyone’s sense of humour?? Listen to the story, don’t get caught up in the disgust!” After the midpoint break of ‘Interlude’, ‘Moscow’ is the second single from the album and follows a similar musical pathway to the earlier tracks but the 4/4 kicks are thankfully more broken down and this does provide some sonic relief. ‘Say Goodbye’ stands out with its 909 drums, anthemic chorus and background vocal sampling / bass sound which deviates from most of the other songs. The intro to ‘Waiting’ is the most overtly NIN-sounding part and the track features a more dynamic production approach. If a listener was to pick any song which lingers after the album has finished then ‘Waiting’ would be the one; less linear in approach with a vocal which wanders less predictably rather than steadfastly hitting the 4/4 beat. The sound design with sampled guitar plucks and Japan-esque synth sounds combines to produce the highlight track on the album. Consuming ‘You & I Will Never Die’ as a whole, it sometimes feels that Kanga is striving to hone that one perfect song which defines her ‘sound’, to the point where many of the tracks have a tendency to blur into one another. Most feature the same driving 4/4 kick, 16 beat sequencer bass and vocal production style; this lack of variety is a shame as DuChamp is an undeniable talent but this album doesn’t quite seem to build on the momentum created by her debut and ‘Eternal Daughter’.

That said, ‘You & I Will Never Die’ is not a bad album, it’s immaculately produced with a stunning cover design, but lacks that certain je ne sais quoi which would help mark it as a classic.

Text by Paul Boddy

Kanga – Kanga

Whenever I get the opportunity to hear something fresh and original, I instantly feel inspired to spread the word. Kanga’s debut album was released on 18 November 2016. I was wondering what “industrial but not” or “heavy pop” would stand for. And indeed, those two descriptions undoubtedly come very close to what I have heard. Kanga shows powerful and strong attitude, but in a sensual way and with a dark twist to it.

You can get hooked on the sensuality and the seductiveness from the very first track “Something Dangerous”. But the overall feel contains something more, something almost obscure and macabre wrapped in the pop cellophane. After an almost hypnotising introduction, “Going Red” sounds just a pinch wilder. But not less seductive. The chorus flirts heavily with the pop idea. The artist successfully combines “alternative” music genres’ influences with the mainstream. Perfect combination that appeals to the audiences of both. Kanga is very danceable and continues her seductiveness with “Honey”. However, this track is heavier and plays with the industrial music influences, while keeping the catchy chorus. She goes even rawer on “Viciousness” and it feels like Kanga is slowly unveiling herself bit by bit. She slowed down the pace just when I thought she would, but she kept the powerful raw feeling. “Saviour” relies heavily on the beat and it is more atmospheric and minimalistic, leaving the space for Kanga’s voice to lead the way through.

On the second half of the album Kanga keeps showing us what this album is all about: the ultimate seduction created by the sound and the voice. Heavy flirtation with pop can be heard on “Vital Signs”, which makes it a perfect track for some synth-pop fans as well. Wonderful melancholic and ethereal soundscape awaits you with “Tension”, a personal favourite of mine. Kanga has finally shown her softer and more emotional side. And just when I thought I had found my favourite, I found that she had kept one gem for the last track. “Machine” is a cleverly thought out song both rhythmically and sound wise. I like its experimental feel and I would say that this one is the closest to the meaning of the industrial music. As it reaches the finish, “Machine” gets less atmospheric and more hypnotic, even psychedelic.