Album Review: Kungs Serves “Layers” of Techno Ease
Hailing from the South of France, Kungs, real name Brunel Valentin, brings the French techno/elctronica scene to America through cool, mystifying melodies that make you not so much want to move but sway. The difference lies in your connection to his music. When you say, “MOVE!”, it is as if you are physically possessing music by using your body as your own rhythmic force. Yet, when you sway, you are spiritually connecting to music, and allowing it to give you whatever fulfillment you need. Kungs understands that that fulfillment comes through and in Layers.
Kungs’ Layers feels like it was made for an Ibizan nightclub, which makes sense as the young artist has opened for the literal king of Ibiza: David Guetta. It captures the Spanish island’s supernatural/ energized feeling of raving, which has garnered its acclaim. As someone, whom has journeyed to the island, I know first-hand that those that go to Ibiza do so to give all of themselves. The desire/ motivation is clear: escape to other worlds/ dimensions through swaying sounds. Hence, Layers is a musical observance not of techno’s bouncing abilities but its pacifying ones.
Techo music/ electronica has away of entering you like a breeze, to which Layers amplifies through beats and lyrics that spell-bind listeners with ease. Each track is like a magic cast over its listeners, with lyrics that are surprisingly nuanced in their discussions of love, self-doubt, and the overall desire to be “more” in this world, which is what is more emblematic of youth than “more”. When you are young you want more of life; money, sex, love, career, prosperity, beauty, wisdom, etc. Layers captivates those sentiments with an overarching, sonic sense of wanting to devour life like it is the juiciest fruit. For this, Kungs’ recruits some phenomenal features. In “I Feel So Bad” the trumpet solos, the space-defying bass, and the rasp regality of the Ephemerals’ voice makes you feel so good, despite it being a song of guilt. In “When You’re Gone”, featuring Grace Kelly, the lyrics are subtly poetic in describing the longing for a lover and has the catchiest whistle hook ever in song. Meanwhile, “You Remain” is fresh and enlivening in every way by drawing out the romance of Ritual’s voice. Overall, Kungs shows that electronica can be introverted and intimate in delivery. Yet, songs like “Bangalore Streets (feat. Freia)”, “Freedom” (feat. Wolfgang), and “Wild Church” show the global scope of Kungs’ talent by bringing Asian-Inspired musicality, rock edges and even spiritually inspired vocals.
I loved every single song of Kungs’ album, which left me shocked. Usually, as can be seen in my previous reviews, you have your favorite tracks, which I list. Yet, what surprised me of my love for this album is that I did not expect a techno record nor a DJ’s debut to feel like a complete selection of his highest works. Kungs really has seized his opportunity to formally introduce his music to a wider net of music lovers, and created an album that is perfect and total in his artistic essence. Layers’ reveals every bit of Kungs’ talent and unique style with no hesitation. It is a strong, confident debut that is must “club” album for anyone whom needs a records to pop in when they just want to “feel” good and sway to music. To buy Layers on Novemebr 4 and learn more of Kungs Click Here.
