In a vast sea of contemporary music, you can stumble upon so many known and unknown genres, offering a one-of-a-kind experience that can either take you to familiar or uncharted territories. What you pick or decide to listen to is entirely your choice, but you can not deny the fact that all those artists and bands sound as creative as possible. On this rainy Monday, I’ve decided to give some Krautwave a listen, a genre I was not entirely unaware of but was more avoidant of. As a big krautrock fan, I now realize how big a mistake I’ve made, as krautwave is entirely a different sonic animal worth discovering. It’s a style as expansive as it could possibly be, with all those luxuriant vocal harmonies, beautiful melodies, and complex rhythmic patterns popping from all possible sides and indulging the listening apparatus. For this particular sonic voyage, I’ve picked “King Michael II And The Trial of the Axe,” a recently released new full-length album by BBCC, an outstanding French band that leads you on an entirely different, exciting, captivating path with each sonic turn. With thirteen composition, this band not only explores Krautwave, but an entire musical palette, built upon carefully, thoughtfully, tastefully, and wisely chosen styles. And how they’ve picked particular compositions does not matter as much as the way listeners perceive their music.
Baroque pop, art rock, avant-pop, experimental, synth, you name it, “King Michael II and the Trial of the Axe” has it. And the list goes on and on with each upcoming song. But even with this comprehensive collection of styles, BBCC sounds entirely unique, fresh, exciting, and innovative, to the point you’ll get yourself questioning, “what am I listening to right now?” You have to admit bands that are able to throw you into that emotional state are quite rare nowadays, but it seems like these folks are crafting and recording their song with such ease. For example, “The Axe,” an introductory piece, transports you into that lush late seventies, early eighties synthwave electronica with an entire amalgam of sequences, melodies, themes, and leads, while “Celestial Light Of Body” carries an almost funk, soul, disco rhythmic pattern until straying into Devo-sque art rock sound. “The Death Of Slumberjack,” “Mr Blacksmith,” and “Castleman” combine all sorts of synth, indie, and experimental electronic music with an art rock foundation, but each composition differs in one way or another, demonstrating BBCC’s impressive range, taste, and ability to transform a music genre into something they can call their own. But there are also moments when you think you’re in it for some lush, calm, soothing, relaxing, ethereal, otherworldly synth or indie pop, but the band all of a sudden transits into one of the finest moments indie rock has to offer. “Campfire” exemplifies that particular moment where all those styles collide harmoniously, creating one of the finest experiences you’ll hear in a while. After a beautiful instrumental interlude, “Amour Courtois,” the band delivers two renditions of “Knight Knight.” The first one leans heavily into retro synth electronica and disco music, while the other combines synthwave, avant-rock, and art-rock. And while the first part one is more of a danceable anthem, the second rendition showcases BBCC’s more raw, unfiltered, aggressive side. “Accessory To Murder” merges beautiful vocal harmonies and luxuriant synth works in a baroque pop style. “Bon Appétit” is another Devo-sque art-rock anthem where complex rhyhtmic patterns meet intricate bass lines, abrasive synth works, acoustic chord progressions, and lush vocal arrangements. “Sanguinis Karakous” is definitely one of the most unique compositions on this material. What starts as almost a trip hop voyage, transforms into an expansive synth pop song, empowered with narrated text, revealing like a story, while the beautiful sonic maneuvers provide a perfect soundscape. This epic sonic journey comes to an end with the title song, which in this case, serves as an epilogue. It’s an instrumental that sums everything together so perfectly, making this material so worth revisiting all over again.
If you’re looking for an album that will not only indulge your ears but also expand your musical vocabulary, then “King Michael II and the Trial of the Axe” will be a perfect choice for you. What BBCC achieved here is not only another brilliant full-lenght album, but another epic journey through the expansive sonic universe that hides so many gems, surprises, layers, nuances, while showcasing the tremendous experience, knowledge, skills, talent, and creativity of an entire band. BBCC’s “King Michael II and the Trial of the Axe” is a one-of-a-kind listening experience you should immediately place on your radar. Do not miss it!
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