Key Grip..?Key Grip..?
★★★★ - duncanreviews March 16 2023
"Following the map to a grand new frontier"
The year is still young when it comes to EPs released in 2023, but it seems as though Key Grip have already leapfrogged ahead of the competition to land a spot amid the best of the best. This Australian outfit is still too young to be defined by a single genre, much less a general handful of them, but the duo's first artwork is a highly interesting introduction and an appropriately self-titled gem. Key Grip...? is something to take pride in.
With the band themselves having claimed influences such as Jockstrap and JPEGMafia, the six-track Key Grip debut is futuristic yet digestible. The initial drums and glitches of Kalybaba set a high standard for production quality, and all twenty-one minutes of the experience keep this energy alive. Deep vocals lead into ethereal synths on this immersive opening tune, securing an intimate yet diverse atmosphere. The song blows up into heavy industrial hip hop territory for a moment before calming down again and shapeshifting into the cool pop-oriented breeze of Orbit. These sparkly quick-paced synths contrast nicely with the chaotic collage at the end of Razed Edge, showing off the layers of Key Grip's range while staying consistent in an overall climate.
Beginning to Forget is something of an interlude, or at least the odd one out in terms of timespan, but a soaring assembly of classical elements make this much more than a mere jingle. Acoustiic lives up to its name with a sparse unplugged style, but the autotuned singing is surprisingly moving and even avant-garde among the breaks of quiet. No Build comes full circle by recycling almost every little dreamy sound that cropped up before.
In addition to the musical twosome's cited icons, Key Grip's maiden voyage is reminiscent of acts like Quadeca, whose breakout LP I Didn't Mean to Haunt You featured a comparable array of experiments with soulful R&B and instrumental electronica. If the duo continue in this direction of humble ambition, their talents are sure to spread in a similar fashion to some of the greatest acts of the 2020s.
★★ - Themicroscopes Apr 3 2023
so much potential
the production here is absolutely insane, like it's genuinely hard to fathom how good it sounds, however i believe this ep falls short for a few reasons. it's clear that this duo is full to bursting with ideas, which i can relate to and respect, but i think that they used this EP as more of a showcase of ability and excitement to be creating rather than a homogenized, cohesive experience.
not a lot of the ideas end up sticking simply because they're washed away in a sonic experience that is worlds different by the next song. i also cannot stand the vocals. it's clear that their vocalist has talent, however, on this project they do not stick the landing with even a single performance, often devolving into seemingly undeserved croon-wailing. this unfortunately takes something that could have been incredible and makes it difficult to return to for me. i really hope this group continues their output though, because i can hear the makings of some life changing.