The dialect this EP communicates in is one of intense waves of meticulously well crafted sound, intricate yet heavy beats and deft female vocals. All in all, a great EP, especially for a debut, and one which should, if there is any justice, be given the attention it deserves.
[Release page] Kissing Cousins by Vittoria Fleet is a dense and intricate EP with a sophistication which belies the fact that this is their debut release, and that, as an outfit the duo have only been around for a short time. The pair are currently based in Berlin, Germany, having recently decamped there from London. That’s about as much as I know about them, other then they are “an Electronic Collaboration who have been writing together since 2009.”
All that aside, this EP is in fact quite stunning! Sometimes it is better to let the music speak for you. The dialect this EP communicates in is one of intense waves of meticulously well crafted sound, intricate yet heavy beats and deft female vocals. The first couple of tracks are a barrage of cleverly constructed beats with huge bassy throbs and melodic synth lines that are subjected to the push-pull treatment associated with a heavy handed use of compression. The first track, entitled “InBoccaallupo” is very reminiscent of material from the album Body Riddle by Clark (Warp records, 2006), which happens to be one of my favourite recordings of all time. It is a very difficult thing to balance that sort of all encompassing wall of sound with, well anything else. So the fact that there are some rather delicate and lovely vocals in the mix, not to mention the subtleties incorporated into the rhythms and beats is quite an accomplishment.
Vittoria Fleet are an electronic and (female) vocal duo, something which is far from unheard of these days. These guys manage to avoid clichés however, and whilst not alienating the listener, they don’t pander to the commercial expectations of wishy-washy sultry poutings that many have fallen for in the past. There is an obvious parallel between themselves and a certain Icelandic female vocal and electronic pioneer, so if you are a fan of said songstress (and most people are – including me), this is an outfit you should find interesting, although maybe they draw a little more heavily then strictly necessary from her. It’s Björk I’m talking about, obviously, but I didn’t need to say that did I? I don’t want to dwell too much on the Icelandic influence, but it is hard not to fall back to it as a point of reference. If we’re talking about comparisons, and we do appear to be, let me make a few more: Lamb, Autechre, Plaid, Metaphra. I think you get the idea. It takes the best bits of the Warp/IDM sound in its hey-day, and mixes it with captivating vocals (if a little surreal in places), then throws in a bit of heaviness and drama for good measure. It’s a knob tweaker’s dream, with suitably quirky vocal stylings taking the foreground, keeping the listener on his/her toes.
The end of the EP is a slow atmospheric piece called “Savuka,” which is a ten minute chilled out ambient marathon. It’s good, but I definitely prefer the heavier no-nonsense end of things. Luckily for me that’s pretty much the rest of the EP, so I can’t complain. All in all, a great EP, especially for a debut, and one which should, if there is any justice, be given the attention it deserves.
Kissing Cousins EP is available now. [Release page]
