Silence Kills by Kinoteki & Kelbin

Frequent collaborators and mortal enemies Kinoteki & Kelbin met at a URL festival for charity in early 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, finding similar interest in experimental music that still followed dance conventions. Despite being 3000 miles away (New York and Venice respectively) the two would collaborate on tracks via sending files and audio stems back-and-forth on Discord. Their collaboration “Displacement” would appear on a Dead Link Recordings charity compilation alongside artists like Mr. Bill and Gyrofield. Kinoteki’s nostalgia-infused knowledge of dance music and Kelbin’s glistening modular experiments fuse into a record that sound simultaneously familiar and futuristic.

The pair melt into each other with astonishing chemistry on their first collaborative album Silence Kills - a bittersweet and spacious look through upbeat club and bass structures. “Impact” and “Hurt You in 4K” are dreamy and euphoric in their contents, embracing breakbeat’s darkest melancholic corners and comforting textures. Comparatively, “The Whisper” (the album’s main single) and “Cease and Desist” are anthemic in their catchy progressions, dreary tones and driving grooves. Despite the album’s downcast mood and shimmering synths, its intensity and labored sound-design make it an intense, upbeat and enjoyable deep listen.

Vessel Pilot

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