The Kraken Quartet‘s track “The Gates” is our newest listen in on the band’s upcoming LP Separate | Migrate due out April 28th. The percussion-based group pulls out all the stops on this tour-de-force utilizing syncopated rhythms, changes of tempo, and intense interchanges between vibraphone and electronics. Earlier this month, the percussion-based group took time to chat with us in an interview about the album and discussing the kind of diverse genre influences which seem inform their work, they explained:
“Our roots in percussion ensemble and contemporary music definitely still influence our composition…On the other side of the coin, we draw a lot of inspiration from math-rock and post-rock groups. The clean guitar licks of bands like TTNG, American Football, and Giraffes? Giraffes! are in our ears a lot when writing mallet instrument riffs and fast lines, and we often think of bands like Explosions in the Sky and This Will Destroy You when filling out some of our more massive sections.”
While the band also cites the influence of Steve Reich on their music, as well as a whole host of contemporary composers, you can really hear the math-rock and post-rock side of the equation on “The Gates.” Sliding in and out of time while offering a terse back and forth between keys and mallets, the “clean guitar licks” mentioned above seem a perfect framework for understanding this track’s intense interchanges. While you can listen to the track below, we’ve also included a live performance of “The Gates” filmed by Audiotree Live, and it’s a great way to really see the musical intricacy of this amazing compositions. Check it out after the Soundcloud embed…
