Kallai – Forever Could Never Be

When it comes to contemporary underground music, very few bands have succeeded in gaining the attention of the broader audience lately. Whether we are talking about songwriting and composing abilities or their sonic output, it always seems like there has been something missing in order for those music outlets to resonate with full force. We already mentioned countless of times how so many acts offers same old, repetitive, predictable, bland music, recorded and played by renowned bands ages ago, thanks to the current trends implemented by tastemakers, social media, and streaming platforms. But, as is usually the case, there are artists and bands who successfully avoid all cliches by offering music that sounds fresh, unique, innovative, and exciting, just like when you first heard it on the radio. Kallai is one of those music outlets whose recordings are worth revisiting every time you crave tastefully, thoughtfully, and wisely crafted music. This Portland-based act continuously delivers some of the finest works multiple music scenes have seen in recent years, and with a new album packed with remixes, it only further proves how influential it truly is. “Forever Could Never Be” is a follow-up to “We Are Forever,” a critically acclaimed full-length released last year. It includes remixes done by artists, bands, and other music outlets such as The Stargaze Lilies, Newphasemusic, Sad Goth Girl, Hexxes, Hey Playgirl, Callière, Ten Million Lights, Reclaimed, Tears Run Rings, and Boredom and Romance. Of course, as is usually the case, these acts have picked compositions they felt most appropriate for remixing, so do not expect to hear the tracklist order like on the original album. The best part about “Forever Could Never Be” is that all the artist have done an incredible job, giving their own take to those compositions without taking too much essence from them. And although so many artists participated in this project, it never seems like the production, sound, or aesthetic is off. Quite the contrary, “Forever Could Never Be” carries a consistent sound that perfectly suits all the remixes. Also, it’s amazing how these remixes emphasize Kallai’s shoegaze, post-punk, and dream pop sound, pushing all those qualities of the band to an entirely new level while leading it to uncharted territories.

Compared to the originals, these remixes gave a whole different dimension to the Kallai’s initial sound. While the essence remains almost the same, there are certain changes in how these songs articulate. There are elevations in atmosphere, mood, and emotion, sonically pushing into more complex or simpler segments where particular vocal harmonies, orchestrations, and rhyhtmic patterns seem different yet perfectly suit the purpose. For example, “The Hymn/The Beautiful Ones” leans much more toward an echoic, reverby, luxuriant showcase sound, with all those jangly guitars and lush synths lurking around while the vocals lead the listeners on an epic journey. While the original version of “Amor Occidit Omnia” carries fundamentals of modern post-punk sound, the remixed version also goes into those shogaze waters, with guitars heavily drenched in reverb effect, synths resonating as if they’ve escaped from some eighties synthwave gig, and beats punching relentlessly, keeping everything together flawlessly. On “Protector,” you’ll hear how the entire composition seems more compressed, like the unnecessary reverb, echo, and delay effects were removed so the melodies and heavy riffs could breathe more. And while the original “Another World” might seem more expansive, the remixed version carries the same ambiance but is more suitable for a dream pop production. Each instrument articulates just like in all those good old dream pop songs, offering the same lush ambiance but emphasizing reverby guitars even more. Now, there are two renditions of “Always/Never,” and both sound amazing. The first one offers more of a darkwave, synthwave, goth vibes, with catchy synth themes and powerful beats shining in the mix, while the other resonates with more noisy, eighties shoegaze sound. The same goes for “The Wave.” This version carries everything you dearly love about eighties and nineties shoegaze and alternative sound. Heavily distorted riffs tastefully soaked in reverb, intricate basslines offering warmth, powerful beats giving that groove, and moderate pace. The first rendition of “Falling” also leans into a mixture of synthwave and shoegaze, blending synths and guitars so smoothly, cleverly, and thoughtfully. The second one slows the pace more, leaning into a captivating dream pop soundscape. This epic sonic journey comes to an end with two renditions of “As Night Falls”. And while the original version levitates between shoegaze and dream pop, these two versions retains the same ambiance, but also implement slowcore, synthwave, electronica, and many other similar styles. The heavy electronic beats serve as a counterweight to those soft guitar works, gradually preparing the listener for a closure.

Many remixes fail to depict the brilliance of the artist, but “Forever Could Never Be” does quite the opposite. This release proves that Kallai’s music, although dominantly post-punk, shoegaze, and dream pop-oriented, can be a suitable playground for so many explorations and experiments. Each artist and band did an exceptional job by paying homage and remixing one of the greatest contemporary artists, breathing fresh air into the marvelous original versions, and elevating them to new heights. “Forever Could Never Be” is definitely one of the finest remix albums you’ll stumble upon, and you should immediately place it on your music radar.