(2021) The KVB - The Early Tapes (2021 Remaster)        


Review:
A compilation album featuring selected tracks from 3 of our early demo tape releases; ‘The Black Sun’, ‘Subjection/Subordination’ & ‘The KVB’ all of which were originally released in 2010 & 2011. Blending reverb-soaked shoegaze with minimalist electronic production, The KVB‘s music reflected Nicholas Wood and Kat Day’s mastery of atmosphere even as their sound evolved over the course of the 2010s. Early releases such as 2012’s debut album, Always Then, dealt in brittle beats and sonic blasts that evoked Cabaret Voltaire and the Jesus and Mary Chain in equal measure, but the duo’s style became more streamlined and sharp-edged on later efforts such as 2018’s Only Now Forever. Formed in 2010 by singer/songwriter multi-instrumentalist Nicholas Wood as a solo project, The KVB got started with a number of limited cassette and vinyl releases that included the single “The Black Sun” on FLA Records and the Into the Night EP on Downwards Records. Vocalist/keyboardist/visual artist Kat Day joined Wood in 2011, and The KVB released its debut album, Always Then, in 2012 on Clan Destine Records. The duo kicked off a busy 2013 with the release of its second full-length, Immaterial Visions, for the Minimal Wave imprint Cititrax that February, then followed it with a remix EP featuring contributions by Regis and Silent Servant that May; in November, a reissue of 2011’s previously limited-edition cassette release Minus One arrived on Brian Jonestown Massacre mastermind Anton Newcombe’s A Records label. The following year, the duo ventured to Newcombe’s Berlin studio to track what would become the Out of Body EP, which A Records released later that year. This session marked the KVB’s first recordings made outside of the duo’s own home studio as well as the first time working with drummer Joe Dilworth, known for his work with Stereolab and Cavern of Anti-Matter. Wood and Day collected some of the more experimental output they recorded in 2014 on Mirror Being, which Invada released the following June. The duo continued to move in a more experimental, heavily electronic direction on 2016’s Of Desire, which The KVB recorded with vintage synths from Invada head Geoff Barrow’s collection. The Fixation/White Walls EP followed in 2017, and that year the duo also issued a remastered, five-year anniversary edition of Always Then. For 2018’s Only Now Forever, Day and Wood took a freer, more independent approach, recording on their own in their Berlin apartment for the better part of a year. All songs written and recorded by Nicholas Wood on Tascam 414 MKII Portastudio Tape Recorder and Fostex Tape Recorder. ‘Never Enough (Demo Version)’, ‘Eyes’ & ‘In My Head’ are taken from ‘The Black Sun’ EP – originally released on cassette via FLA in May 2010. ‘Closing In’, ‘Nightmares #2’, ‘Sleep Walking’ & ‘Slow Death’ are taken from ‘Subjection/Subordination’ EP – originally released on cassette via Clan Destine Records in October 2011. ‘This Disguise’, ‘Zodiac’ & ‘Under The Weight’ are taken from ‘The KVB’ EP – originally released on business card CDr & cassette via TaqueOT in December 2011 — ra.co


   


Track List:
01. Closing In (2021 Remaster)
02. Never Enough (Demo Version) (2021 Remaster)
03. This Disguise (2021 Remaster)
04. Zodiac (2021 Remaster)
05. Nightmares #2 (2021 Remaster)
06. Sleep Walking (2021 Remaster)
07. Under The Weight (2021 Remaster)
08. Eyes (2021 Remaster)
09. In My Head (2021 Remaster)
10. Slow Death (2021 Remaster)


Media Report:
Genre: electronic, post-punk
Country: London, England
Format: FLAC
Format/Info: Free Lossless Audio Codec
Bit rate mode: Variable
Channel(s): 2 channels
Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz
Bit depth: 16 bits
Compression mode: Lossless
Writing library: libFLAC 1.2.1 (UTC 2007-09-17)


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