aaamusic | On 11, Mar 2012

Kelvox 1 are from another planet, erm, I mean Cambridge. But with sounds of electro, an eerie, almost dubstep feel and hypnotic bass and drums, Kelvox 1 produce something that sounds almost interplanetary, save for some elements evocative of earth’s 1980s, particularly the vocals and electronica. Grazed Red consists of two tracks, Hanged Man being 13 minutes and Stephen Grazed Red enduring over 20 minutes long: Kelvox 1 are not for those with a short attention span. Still, they can be interesting and enjoyable to those with the right type of mind, in the right frame of mind.

Hanged Man opens with what sounds like electronic birds chirping, which is continued throughout amidst a field of moans and malfunctions. This gives an image of birds feeding on a dead man; that’s what springs to mind. It gives the whole song a sinister quality and the melancholic vocals enhance this. Stephen Grazed Red on the other hand is distinctly sci-fi and with its robotic qualities, feels as though it could be the soundtrack to an extra-terrestrial video game.

There’s something reminiscent of 80’s goth about it all, Hanged Man in particular. It might be the imagery, the morbidity or the shadow of Joy Divison that echoes in the style. Whatever it is, Kelvox 1 emit a sound which is hard to pinpoint to a single, or even a number of genres. The utter diversity of the music is what makes it so rich, full of depths and layers. However, it is quite experimental in some ways, very imaginary and spacey, and this might be a turn off for some, especially those sceptical of experimental art forms. But to those willing to approach it with an open mind, Grazed Red certainly offers something interesting and vibrant (in a melancholy kind of way).

 

Rose Benge