Kinbotte - In The Subway (Color Squad Records)

Published on 2019-01-07 00:00:00 by Artyom Malevich

Contrary to its name, this album can be enjoyed elsewhere than In The Subway… In your room, in aconcert hall, on the bus, in your car, and so on. The feeling of inhabiting an empty subway, searchingdesperately for some warmth, fighting to survive in the cold, pervades its tone. Wobbly, crankydistortion lacing the backdrops of burning pads, as hot as burning barrels. A plethora of locomotiverhythm charges through the tracks, as consistent as the chugging of rapid transit. Indeed, theassortment of experimental house and electronic curiosities radiates a particularly odd, highly texturalstyle.

Though tracks like “Palindrome” verge on the dissonant, their resonant backgrounds serve ascounterparts to obsessively determinate beats. The composition is as switched on and off as easily asones lights, though layered in a way that builds up and breaks down very particularly, much like yourold LEGO set. The titular “In The Subway” crowds its descending tom-like lead with a precociously funkypercussion section, while the bass ominously hums away. Combining all this just to strip it away andmutate into yet another more calming section tied together with exquisitely harmonious strumming,and returning yet again to its ever-modified chorus.

The main critique I would have of this is the synchronization. At times it may come off as pleasantlyorganic, while at others it may simply be off-putting and sudden. Beyond that, I can appreciate the livemodulation and/or analog limitations, if that is the case. Overall the composition and selection ofsounds highly benefits a release that oscillates between the traditional and the avant-garde.

Kinbotte hails from Portugal has been releasing ambient and electronic music since 2015. In The Subwaywas released as a digital release on Color Squad Records in August 2018. He has released music on theirnetlabel since early 2017.https://colorsquadrecords.bandcamp.com/album/in-the-subway

Written by Artyom Malevich