On Saturday, April 17th @ 11AM, DJ Paint Eater speaks with songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist, Gus Lobban of the British indie-pop trio, Kero Kero Bonito.
Kero Kero Bonito are not a version of anything, other than themselves. Inspired by cherry-picked pieces of technology, the endless vista of the internet and a vast swathe of influences, they make music that is challenging and vital. The trio, who produce every part of their output and control their own career path, have amassed a supersized fanbase in the short time they’ve been together.
The latest addition to their canon is a three track EP, Civilisation II. A sequel to 2019’s Civilisation I, Civilisation II tells self-manufactured myths, using vintage hardware only, and plays with the temporal.
All three tracks of Civilisation II were produced and recorded in Gus’ bedroom, with Sarah writing lyrics as they came to her, in half Japanese, half English, reflecting the multi-dimensional way she thinks and understands language. It is inspired by early ambassadors of art-pop such as Kate Bush, David Byrne and Ryuichi Sakamoto, as well as their modern equivalent – Grimes, Caroline Polachek and Bjork, as well as trumpeter Jon Hassell, who developed the concept of ‘fourth world’ music, which unified both primitive and modern sounds.