Conquering Animal Sound – Kammerspiel

The sight of woodland shards in the artwork, and the sound of Maschine trickling into life via stuttering bells, syncopated handclaps and double-tracked vocals, intimate a solid metaphor for Conquering Animal Sounds’ aesthetic: the organic and the electronic coexisting beautifully.

Various comparisons flicker into earshot: Anneke Kampman’s vocals are Björk-like on some tracks, reminiscent of Sally Shapiro on others; the gentle instrumentation has close affinities with Iceland’s Múm or Sweden’s The Deer Tracks throughout; while a domestic thread is traceable from Wild Things’ mechanical wash to Mogwai’s Rock Action. But following such threads never threatens to unravel Kammerspiel’s gracefully busy tapestry of scuffling electronic loops and toy-box tics.

It’s difficult to believe this is their first full-length release; all parts interlock with crystalline clarity, the complexity of the whole is secreted beneath precisely-placed layers of sound. For some, this is confirmation of the significant promise demonstrated live; for others, it will be a remarkable unveiling. [Chris Buckle]