It’s an old cliché to say, ‘oh, electronic elements have always been there in my music’.
But in the case of Kele Okereke, that’s actually true. Right from Bloc Party’s debut, flecks of electronic have appeared in his work, culminating in the storming electro-tinged house of debut solo LP ‘The Boxer’.
Since then, Kele has poured himself into dance culture. DJing almost every weekend in cities across the globe, his sound – pieces of 2-step, classic house, Italo Disco – has in turn influenced his songwriting.
New album ‘Trick’ drops on October 13th, and – while no less easy on the ear – it’s rather less pop driven than ‘The Boxer’. Seeming to scoop up the Venn diagram between sharply produced American R&B, neo-soul and electronic culture, it’s a provocative yet deeply British return.
Clash is able to premiere the Plaitum remix of album cut ‘Doubt’. It emphasises the fragility inherent in Kele’s songwriting, with the singer seeming to turn the outward euphoria of the club experience into an introspective, inward journey.
The Plaitum remix emphasises these cross-currents, with the dilapidated, degraded sound turning each snippet of Kele’s vocal into an aural ghost. Check it out now.
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