Made up of players from Brussels' experimental scene and a Burkina Faso-born griot,
Avalanche Kaito uses their self-titled debut album to create a new cyborg language out of ancient traditions and futuristic approaches. Vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Kaito Winse brings his eruptive compositions to drummer Benjamin Chaval and guitarist Nico Gitto, the trio reshaping ancestral proverbs from Winse's West African griot background into new forms that are driving and relentless.
Avalanche Kaito's intensity is apparent from the rumbling bass notes and noisy electronics that begin opening track "Sunguru." A metallic polyrhythm sets up an industrial backdrop for Winse's hypnotic vocals, and strands of static soon enter the picture along with floating synthetic sounds. It all feels like a dark ambient take on African traditions until Chaval's drums are introduced on "Lebere." Propulsive and frantic, the rhythms meld with the ugly bass tones and Winse's combination of chants and screams for a sound that brings to mind a more abrasive
Faust or
Can. "Douaga" is one of many songs where Winse adds flute to the mix, and the speedy riffing that follows is like a damaged, minimal reading on hardcore. Throughout the album, the sounds keep changing, with the 10-minute "Eya" moving from spare electronics into tight, simplistic grooves before shifting quickly into frenzied time signature changes and outbursts of computeristic noise. The electronic undercurrents take center stage on standout track "Toulele" which merges distorted drum sounds and electronic pulses until they're indistinguishable. Winse's multi-tracked vocals feel detatched, meeting up with the rest of the song from another time altogether.
Avalanche Kaito is at its best when this synthesis of realities is on full display. It's an excitingly disorienting listen, one that merges different worlds and creates a new one in the process. ~ Fred Thomas