[1] Kilo of Black Bondage- Fear the Windows

Artist: [1] Kilo of Black Bondage
CD Title: Fear the Windows
Label: Ronda
Reviewer:Matthew Johnson
Date: 11-19-05

Less a band in the traditional sense than a collaboration by three avant-garde solo artists, [1] Kilo of Black Bondage consists of Aka_bondage (Nicolas Marmin, who has played with such bands as Colder, Damo Suzuki’s Network and Permanent Fatal Error), Black Sifichi (French radio DJ and singer for the group Tempsion) and SomeKilos (of the group My Own). Musically, this diverse group has put together forty-five minutes of beatnik-inspired experimental electronic music, clearly inspired by late ‘50s jazz and poetry but not in the least retro or contrived. These tracks range from laid-back breakbeats on “Murder CBP” to the frantic, jazzy wailings of “Earth Multi Hop Whistlers,” but it’s the spoken-word tracks that demand the most attention. Black Sifichi’s style is hip enough to snap your fingers along to, but thankfully he has his own lyrical style, rhythmic and compelling but not burdened by Ginsberg or Burroughs affectations. “Muhlet” is a tale of a schizophrenic, suicidal transvestite, while “Static Charge” evokes the image of a lonely soldier, camped out in winter with nothing but radio static for company. “A Bark for Fate” is more abstract, a poem against poetry, Sifichi railing against the constraints of art over sinister ambient noises and a deliciously fuzzy upright bass, while final track “Too Broken” is an angry homage to one of the project’s literary forefathers, with double-layered shouts of Bukowski lyrics and abrasive trumpet screeches. This album is unique and compelling; check it out if you’ve got a yen for the ‘50s avant-garde but can’t stomach the idea of wearing a beret to a poetry reading.

For more information on the artists involved in this project, please visit the label’s website at www.ronda-label.com, Aka_bondage at https://akabondage.free.fr, Black Sifichi at www.romanapoli.com/black and SomeKilos at www.2kilosandmore.com.