- Mika Hallbäck started Kess Kill with the intention of picking up where proto-EBM and industrial bands like Liaisons Dangereuses left off. "This was before techno music and the club scene," he's explained, saying that the Kess Kill sound would come from this precursory club and techno space, without necessarily sounding at odds with either. So far that has resulted in a claustrophobic two-tracker from Cute Heels and a reissue of Xaõ Seffcheque, an artist Hallbäck named as inspiration for the label. This third release comes from Stockholm, where the artist has been working on grubby machine music since the late '90s.
KESS03 is a collection of new work by Celldöd, real name Anders Karlsson, although the sound is thoroughly vintage. From the crusty-sounding gear to the snotty vocals (from Annie Gylling on "Falska Gudar"), these tracks come across like a throwback in real standing with Hallbäck's vision. Raw, gritty and squealing, the music is very punk, channeling Karlsson's earliest band, The Pain Machinery, into a one-man setup with just as much rancour. But most importantly, all three tracks speak to contemporary dance floors. In the vein of Broken English Club, Silent Servant and Terrence Fixmer, Karlsson finds fertile ground in the past. He knows the club is as good a place as any for post-punk, industrial and EBM's ragged creativity.
TracklistA1 Falska Gudar (Vocal Mix)
B1 Falska Gudar (Dub Mix)
B2 Väntar På Dig