Klein
Marked

As soon as I learned that a new album by Klein had been released, I knew I somehow had to exorcise it. Talking about this project is not easy: there is little information available about this Anglo-Nigerian artist who is one of the most interesting contemporary electronic craftsmen.

It is also challenging because listening to her work is a tour de force, as it skillfully immerses the listener in discomfort and sometimes in real fear; I will never forget Star in the Hood and its black star, with that loop of a few notes that chills you to the bone: far more disturbing than Bowie.

This time Klein, who already scared me with the cover, presents an album where the beloved technique of sound collage is still present, but it's infused with drone and bursts of violent pitch-black noise; marked starts lightly with a piano sample - lo-fi as she likes it - only to then hit you with a terrifying noise barrage; in gully creepa, metallic riffs overlap in a nightmare atmosphere, and it continues among demonic drones, jumpscares, and sung interludes that give the illusion of calm before the storm. Various genres are touched upon, from a semi-rap base to soulful passages; sometimes, it feels like listening to a '90s Norwegian black metal band recording in the middle of a forest, other times a project like The Caretaker.

No need to go on: some music just needs to be listened to and then handled with care...

Until next time.