Edward Russell
Kult Kyss is a band on the brink of national recognition; alongside Roland Tings, they accompany The Presets on their HI VIZ album tour around Australia. They are comprised of two members both hailing from Melbourne: Haxx (Jack, producer) and Rromarin (Claire, singer). But they weren’t always known under this name…
DEJA was the first known incarnation of this musical collaboration between Haxx & Rromarin. They released two EPs with the second titled “Infinite Ecstatic”. Off this record, the most notable track was ‘Sirens’ with Triple J presenters labelling their work as a “dreamy sophistication” (Dave Ruby Howe) “with the right amount of warm thudding” (Zan Lowe).
Fast forward to 2018, and although they changed their moniker to Kult Kyss, this hasn’t slowed their progression as artists. Their new tracks pound and bounce reminiscent of club bangers from decades gone by. Without being pigeonholed early, Kult Kyss go beyond the ‘club’ tag, by also creating unique soundscapes as well as choosing samples which are twisted into the futuristic ‘ritual noise’ genre (for instance, the quickened dog dark of ‘Chi Cup’).
‘Chi Cup’ is their most ambitious track across their discography, spelling big things to come if this is the new standard. Alike their originals, the band also makes their signature felt when they cover the classics. This can be heard on the track ‘Chase The Sun’, originally created by Planet Funk in 2001, as Rromarin interprets the vocal repetition while Haxx provides a nostalgic groove. Their adaption of ‘This Boy’s In Love’ originally by The Presets in 2008, takes the vintage piece up a notch, in fact, by taking the tempo down and allowing the female vocalist to embody the lyrical message.
Kult Kyss employ a strategy of fan interaction by offering free downloads. To do so, visit their SoundCloud page, click the ‘free download’ link through to ToneDen, prompting a message about following them on Spotify. I oblige happily, noting this has been the best trade deal in the history of trade deals, maybe ever. However, if seeing this experimental electronic duo in person is more your thing, check out these dates and times:
- June 21 – UC Refectory – Canberra
- June 22 – Waves – Wollongong
- June 23 – Enmore Theatre – Sydney
- June 27 – The Tivoli – Brisbane
- June 29 – Night Quarter – Gold Coast
