UPDATE
Kite and Blanck Mass released their first collaboration, a song called “Teenage Bliss.”
You can find “Teenage Bliss” at Spotify. No word yet on the next Kite EP.
There’s also a rather hilarious music video that features wide-eyed teens dancing in what appears to be a vintage club from the ’80s or early ’90s.
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Swedish synthpop duo Kite has been in the studio this year working on new music. They announced on Facebook today that they are recording two new songs with British artist Blanck Mass. What an unexpected but oddly compelling combination.
If you’re not familiar with Blanck Mass, it is the solo project of Benjamin John Power, one of the members of drone band Fuck Buttons. As Blanck Mass, he makes noisy, destructive, bass-heavy electronic music. His most recent album, Animated Violence Mass, contained snarly, indecipherable vocals reminiscent of aggrotech.
In other words, it sounds nothing like Kite! I definitely did not expect them to go in this direction, especially given the somber, reflective tone of their most recent song, “Tranås/Stenslanda.” I have no idea what this combination is going to sound like.
This news could actually be a big boost to Kite’s profile, which has been steadily rising over the past 10 years. Blank Mass has a massive fanbase, and his music gets reviewed on mainstream sites like Pitchfork and Stereogum.
There’s no news when this music will be available. Kite typically releases EPs with roman numeral titles, so presumably the next one will be called VII. It’s been 5 years since Kite’s last EP, VI, which contained incredible songs like “Up for Life” and “Nocturne.”
Kite + Blanck Mass
Here’s a sound experiment: Let’s listen to a Kite song immediately followed by a Blanck Mass song to truly appreciate how weird and wonderful this combination could be.
