Wednesday 8 August 2012

Review| Holy Konni- lgpt_princess


It’s no secret I’ve worked with Holy Konni a multitude of times in the past. As a result, it might be rather difficult to convince anyone reading this that the impending torrent of hyperbole and descriptive rimming is an unbiased portrayal of what lies within ‘lgpt_princess’. However, one listen to this release and it’ll become clear that whether I’d even heard of Konni before is a total irrelevancy to how good this release is.
The first two words that comes to mind when spinning this disc are summer and swag. Both opening numbers lurch forwards with graceful groove and optimistic atmosphere, cradling body-morphing basslines and a plethora of background tweaks to ensure multiple listens are a viable and profitable undertaking.
The third opus opens with a slightly unsettling cascade of samples; wailing voices and demented horn-like sirens, which in turn give backbone to the liquid candy melody which sneaks up out of nowhere, followed a few minutes later by a wavering bridge section of an industrial tinged synth before double-taking to the previous slow groove. The sample madness doesn’t stop there (the title has ‘lgpt’ in it so it’s not unexpected) with ‘Slushie House’,  a momentary relapse from the wide-eyed-grin of previous tracks and instead a delve into middle eastern melodies and drum beats that always seem on the verge of teetering out of control into a breakbeat frenzy. The tension and structure of this track surpass anything else on this release, forming an unforgettable motif and unique groove that is difficult to pigeonhole into any particular style or genre.
‘Happy End’ does as its name suggest, sounding like a forgotten track from Peer’s release ‘Dances’, cradling an ever-changing and seemingly undecided (though clearly a creative decision for intended impact) melody with soft chords overlapping in the background. Whilst without the obvious groove of previous tracks, the track still holds its own as is difficult to shake from you brain.
In the idea of fairness, there are a few gripes. The penultimate track ‘Dat White Boi’ sounds unrealised and slightly misplaced, ‘Happy End’ could and should have been more explosive (Konni has shown many times he can do epic as well as ‘Emperor’) and the overall track ordering could have been tweaked slightly for a larger reaction and better flowing dynamics.
That being said, it’s all really pointless when you listen to the album as whole. Whilst the album may not be perfect, the way Konni has tackled his chosen style IS perfect, he truly has mastered what he set out to do, which only makes me more excited for the future. Full of unforgettable tunes and an awe-striking level of groove, if you were waiting for a summer album to see you through the sunny daze, it has just arrived. 

Get it here!

Tracklist:
1. Nice Body
2. #dolphincrew
3. Wua fua sua RAVE 
4. Slushie House
5. Dat white boi
6. Happy End
7. Fuck You (Bonus Track)