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    The best artists and records are the ones that don’t hold your hand. They dig into your mind and give you something to think over once the final track ends. They veer away from the norm, look at music from new angles and create something new and exciting.

    Louisville native Matt Moore, the man behind the group Kaleidico, is one such artist. Moore started Kaleidico back in 2010 as a simple home recording project, and it has since expanded to include Evan Grulke and Justin Chodyniecki in order to bring the songs to a stage. “I didn’t really know what would come of it,” Moore says. “I just wanted to experiment.” This experimentation is omnipresent throughout Kaleidico’s discography, including the latest, Afro·brain, which releases January 26.

    Pinning down Kaleidico’s sound is not an easy task; even Moore is unsure of the genre it would fit into. Though he began with a 60s psychedelia sound in mind, the music has taken a different form for each new release. “It’s what keeps me from getting too comfortable,” Moore says. This makes Afro·brain a very distinguishable entry in the band’s discography.

    Afro·brain is a journey, clocking in at 12 tracks and 50 minutes, but it is never dull. Each track exudes a sort of otherworldly eeriness akin to great works of ambient or trip hop music. However, Moore says he didn’t particularly listen to much music during the album’s creation. “At times, it felt like the songs were telling me what they wanted rather than the other way around.”

    The record is essentially an embodiment of Moore himself. The cover art, a piece called “It’s Not You, It’s Me” by San Francisco artist Emilio Villalba is meant to represent the conflicting personalities that litter Afro·brain’s soundscape. The opening track, “Maes·tro’s Door,” tells with cryptic vocal effects, “My own little world. Create my own little world where I could be the one who had complete control.” The entire album acts as a sort of musical world-building. The second track and lead single, “Am·I·King?” is an infectious, if unsettling, earworm that questions the power of self.


    "It's Not You, It's Me" by Emilio Villalba

    The record takes a number of turns from there on. “The Dev·il's Itch” is deeply creepy, opening with a cyberpunk-esque voice and rocketing into some towering synths. The voices that Moore uses throughout this record forward the idea of multiple personalities at odds with each other. This trick helps Moore produce, as he is more comfortable not hearing his own voice, but it also works in the narrative of the album, making it feel complete and realized.

    Afro·brain is challenging and will take a few listens to fully delve into, but it is well worth the trip. It will bend and plant seeds in your mind, while also managing to be a very enjoyable listen as well. Music of this caliber is what makes up the lifeblood of a city like Louisville’s music scene.

    Afro·brain will be available for purchase here January 26, along with the rest of Kaleidico’s discography.

    This Saturday, Kaleidico is also hosting a listening party for the new record as part of The Living Room Series. More information on the event can be found here.

    All photos courtesy of Matt Moore
    Aaron Hartley's picture

    About Aaron Hartley

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