Review: KatzKab – 'Objet N°2 I/III'

KATZKAB
'Objet N°2 I/III'
SELF-RELEASED

Mixing cabaret, deathrock and electro-punk Berlin's KatzKab's first album 'Objet N°1' set the group apart from their previous incarnation as Katzenjammer Kabarett and asserted themselves as a whole new beast. Fast-forward two years and they return with another, albeit briefer, dose of iconoclastic genre-hopping Dadaist pop that recalls the likes of The B52s, Lene Lovich and Soft Cell.

Vik B. channels 80's post-punk heroines through her quirky vocal performance while the band blend catchy post-punk rock with kooky electronics and jazzy retro elements to weave a rich, energetic and engaging whole that is hard to resist.

'New Vision' kicks things off with a nice punky guitar riff and surf rock organ accompaniment for a B52s meets The Cramps sound. 'The Spell' follows on with a more modern electro-punk flavour that drops in a little coldwave meets batcave to keep things interesting. 'Boys' on the other hand is opens with a nice mournful cabaret piano intro before jumping straight back into a harder punk territory. The EP closes with 'Not My Home' which is pure electro cabaret with it's creepy opener interspersed with bouncy electro-punk.

The EP is nicely produced with a strong 80s leaning throughout. But in terms of the mix and overall sound it is bang up-to-date and preserves a nice pop appeal throughout, no matter how off the wall the band get.

This is a short, but nonetheless very sweet offering from the band. They've built upon the themes from the first album nicely and have continued to develop what was so enticing about their diverse approach. With this being the first of a trilogy of EPs that will make up the whole of 'Objet N°2' it hopefully shouldn't be long before we hear what else they have in store for us.

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Review: KatzKab - 'Objet N°1'

KATZKAB

'Objet N°1'

PROJEKTRECORDS

Rising from the ashes of Katzenjammer Kabarett, Paris' new electro-punk cabaret quintet, KatzKab have some exciting shoes to fill. Formed around the duo of Klishee (Piano/Synths) and Mr Guillotine (Bass Guitar), the new project is just as diverse as its predecessor, but gets a whole new vibe courtesy of new members Vik B. (Vocals) and Mr. Monsterhead (Guitar). The band retains the iconoclastic genre-hopping sound and Dadaist mentality yet has a playful pop appeal in the vein of The B52s, Lena Lovich and Soft Cell.

From the get go the band set out to challenge the listener. The quirky vocal style of Vik. B, which can only rightly be compared to Katie Pierson of The B52s, underpins a sound that combines jazzy basslines with gypsy violins, danceable synths, deathrock embellishments and post-punk guitars. Songs like 'Miracle', 'Harold And The Body', 'Let's Burn The Rich', 'Voodoo Catwalk' and 'Lithopedion Boy' all show off an incredibly diverse range that has a strong dance appeal. Despite it's often complicated construction the songs all make good use of strutting beats, memorable melodies and sing-a-long lyrics which will see this play well to both club and live audiences.

The band have opted for a sharp and punchy attack that sees the songs weigh in at around three-to-four minutes in length, and with only eleven songs on the album it does feel like a “love you and leave you experience”. However the one minute 'Interlude' does feel a little superfluous as it blends itself into the intro to 'Lithopedion Boy'.

In terms of production this is a great example of how to keep a band's pop appeal without dulling their experimental edginess. There is no set template and every song feels like it has been constructed to individual merit rather than to some set overall plan, which is very refreshing to hear.

This is a very strong début from a band looking to surpass it's predecessor and forge ahead. KatzKab feel fresh and interesting and with 'Objet N°1' have easily defined themselves in an ever burgeoning scene.

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KatzKab present 'Objet No. 1'

Rising from the ashes of Paris' Katzenjammer Kabarett comes the new electro-punk-cabaret outfit KatzKab.

Having spent the past two years honing their mix of cabaret, deathrock and synthpunk on stage, the band have announced their début album 'Objet N°1' will be available through US darkwave label, Projekt Records on February 26th.

The band will also present the album's stage premier at the King Kong Klub, Berlin,
on January 17th.

For more information on the album and to keep up with the latest news from the band, please check out their official website.

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