VARIOUS ARTISTS - Kito Sounds (Volumes 1 and 2)

Various Artists - Kito Sounds

12 songs
58:28 minutes
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Chez Kito Kat

 

Let me be straightforward: I don’t like reviewing compilations because it’s impossible to rate every band, and you can’t also judge a band by one contribution only. Yet there are some such releases that absolutely deserve to be mentioned due to their essential nature. Therefore we will have a quick look at Kito Sounds from early 2008, and Kito Sounds 2 which was released a good year later by Chez Kito Kat, a Metz based organisation that also does concerts and works as a collective of artists mainly from Metz but also from other places.

Both compilations contain each more than fifty percent artists from Metz, although especially on the second instalment, you can find somewhat more popular bands, like for instance Picastro from Canada who are signed to Polyvinyl Records. The only Luxembourgish band (featured on the second volume) is Fracture whose label Schnurstrax works very closely with Chez Kito Kat. Local concert goers might be familiar with artists like Komparce, Dog Bless You, Zéro Degré,… who played already live shows in Luxembourg.

The interesting thing is that Chez Kito Kat do not restrict themselves on one genre, but highlight everything from heady electronica to lo-fi indie post rock sounds. Don’t expect anything of the pop or rock persuasion though! Everyone eager to discover obscure underground music should have a perfect time listening through these two records. Kito Sounds 2 is slightly more appealing than its predecessor, as it features more songs, is therefore longer, and covers an even broader territory of genres.

Chez Kito Kat releases many of its records under the Creative Commons licence, which means that you can download them free of charge on the Internet. This may make you wonder why these compilations cost five euros each. As running such a collective is not only time intensive, but also needs a certain amount of financial input, fans that love discovering original artists who are in it only for music’s sake should therefore not think twice before getting these compilations. Both come as self-made CD-Rs with simple yet stylish cardboard packaging. Highly supportable!

Various Artists - Kito Sounds 2

15 songs
74:21 minutes
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Chez Kito Kat

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