Subscribe
now to receive all the new
music
Kayla Painter creates,
including this release
and 14 back-catalog releases,
delivered instantly to you via the Bandcamp app for iOS and Android.
You’ll also get access to
subscriber-only
exclusives.
Learn more.
There’s a world of depth to Kayla Painter’s new EP. The Bristol-based musician has always made tracks which are thick with texture, and Cannibals at Sea takes that approach to greater heights than before. From ‘Sentimental Swagger,’ which builds a steady tension with vocal snippets and percussion, to ‘Sacrificial Magic’, which takes more traditional vocals to create an atmosphere, the engrossing details are what connect the EP’s different parts together. ‘Greeting Your Enemies’ has a loose, swung rhythm, filtered through the glitchy sound palette that Kayla has quickly carved out for herself. ‘Eating Your Enemies,’ on the other hand, starts out loose and unspooled, taking shape slowly into a dark, percussive groove. And ‘Kenopsia,’ the warmest track on the album, is a pensive meditation, coloured by the piano chords which punctuate it.
It explores her mixed heritage, between Fijian and British, and what it’s like to grow up in a household where two different cultures are present. She probes traditional Pacific islander beliefs, comparing those superstitions with traditional British working class values. In particular, the idea of cannibalism in Fiji, and how that might be a way of looking at her identity between Britain and the South Pacific island.
“Fragmented beats, heading towards uncharted musical territories” - Crack Magazine
“Kayla is responsible for some of the most insidious, original and beguiling sounds to have blessed my airwaves. Off kilter, unpredictable and thoroughly 21st century” - Adam Walton BBC Radio Wales
credits
released October 26, 2018
All tracks written and produced by Kayla Painter.
Sacrificial Magic vocals by Neil Gay.
Kensopia, strings played by Prabjote Osahn and additional keys by LTO.
Mastering Dave Holder
Artwork Ed Bidgood
supported by 48 fans who also own “Cannibals at Sea”
REALLY wish I'd subscribed sooner to be able to enjoy this on vinyl! Curious the artist cited 12 Monkeys and not La Jetee as one of the key inspirations. For me, this has a more somber, introspective and timeless feel more akin to La Jetee than 12 Monkeys (though I also am a big fan of Terry Gilliam). Gorgeous music and you get the bonus of a list of excellent movies to enjoy (another note to the artist: Time Crimes is also a good film to watch). Now to somehow procure a vinyl copy... Anthony Childs
Klahrk & KAVARI explore club music at its most tense and unnerving on this harsh but fascinating LP on Genot Centre. Bandcamp New & Notable May 24, 2022