Gangs of Kin has shared a new single from their forthcoming EP Nature Knows No King with the release of “Mass Confusion.” As the project of the artist and songwriter Joël Gaerthé, the band first teased their debut with the lead single “Liquid.” Peddling an enigmatic blend of indie-rock and frenetic pop they’ve only released a handful of singles over the years but each one is emblazoned with their curiously off-kilter but immensely funky soundscapes. While Gaerthé’s arresting vocals and spellbindingly colorful lyricism wrangle together his sardonic commentaries on life and love.
With their latest single Gangs of Kin tap into the social existentialism broiling all around us. “Mass Confusion” hones in on one source in particular — technology — and the vast unintended ways it’s not just reshaped our society but also how we interact with one another. The song actually takes inspiration from a short street documentary called “Life before mass confusion” created by Frans Bromet. Filmed in 1988, it shows the massive difference between the perceived necessity of cell phones (a precursor to the smartphone boom) between past decades and today.
“Mass Confusion” hones in on some of the answers given in the video — namely, questioning whether making ourselves more available to other people through our phones actually has any lasting benefit to our lives. As Gaerthé sings on the track against its frantic electronica, our phones seem less like tools and more like shackles. “Oh I feel like a damaged LP / I think my phone is try’na brain wash me,” he wails.
Expressing modern anxieties over an impossibly groovy collection of beats appears to be Gang of Kin’s specialty. The visualizer that accompanies the new single also gives a nod to their surrealist sensibilities, offering a visceral smothering of images that run the gauntlet of crises and beauty that still consumes our planet. “Mass Confusion” is as much a call to action as it is a frustrating declaration — one that tries to find some catharsis in its alluring sonics.
If you find yourself enamored with Gang of Kin then it’d be well worth your while to check out some of their other releases before their debut EP arrives. Like the shuddering, bass-grumbling “Broke” and the soaring pop confessional “Love Is All Around.”
Visit Gangs of Kin on their Twitter and Instagram to stay updated on new releases and tour announcements.
Words: Steven Ward
Listen to “Mass Confusion” the new single from Gangs of Kin below!
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