Constellation Records kündigen mit Vicky Mettler und ihrem Projekt Kee Avil einen Neuzugang in ihrem Label-Programm an. Die aus Montréal stammende Producerin, die vor drei Jahren bereits eine EP auf Black Bough Records herausbrachte und mit zahlreichen Kollegen wie Sam Shalabi zusammenarbeitete, überblendet in ihren Stücken Einflüsse des Postpunk mit elektronischer und elektroakustischer Musik, das Label nennt zum Vergleich so unterschiedliche Künstler wie Scott Walker, Björk, Matmos und Rashad Becker. Das Albumdebüt soll noch diesen Winter erscheinen, als Vorab-Single ist der Song “See, my shadow” bereits in einem Video zu sehen – laut Constellation “a kinetic assemblage of tension and release with chiselled guitar lines, plucked and pounding prepared piano, scraping metal, electroacoustic micro-samples and alternating blasts of crisp drum programming, all galvanised by Kee Avil’s intimate, inscrutable, insistent vocal.”
“A shadow’s moment, distorted. Warped piano samples, chipped ceramic cups, swirling metal, feedback assembled. I used to think this was a love song. Constructed from a demo, never finished, originally recorded for the Kee Avil EP. See, my shadow is one of my most produced songs – a large part of the work was to strip it down and find the right balance between chaos and density vs stability and drive. It will be the first song on a new album. Writing this I find myself trying to find a reason why I would ‘stand here blind, deaf and mute’ – ultimately the words are there for their rhythm, imagery and texture. The text for the ending was written in one moment, intense but fleeting, later adapted. The meaning of the song changes all the time – fittingly, it’s as though this moment has been passed on to my shadow.” (Kee Avil)
“Led by Montréal producer Vicky Mettler, Kee Avil combines guitar, voice, electroacoustics and electronic production to create song assemblages that teeter on the edge of collapse while oozing forward, like sticky resin picking up and shedding disparate elements along the way. Kee Avil evolved from playing guitar with broken cymbals and drumsticks to forging askew tempos and templates glued together by samples of screws dropped into crystal bowls. Her self-titled debut EP, released in 2018 on Black Bough Records, harnessed her improvised music and prepared guitar background toward a newfound structural sensibility and arresting vocal / lyrical experimentation; she has been immersed in the exploration of distinctive compositional architectures ever since, expanding her sonic palette with increasing and intensive detail, where twitchy, finely wrought postpunk electro-industrial avant-pop songs are meticulously assembled to resemble disassembly.” (Constellation)
Foto © Lawrence Fafard