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Franck Biyong-Kunde | Spatial sauna

Oct 16, 2022
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Franck Biyong-Kunde | Spatial sauna https://sinusoidalmusic.com/2022/10/15/franck-biyong-kunde/

Franck Biyong can make a psychedelic paradise with very little. His fingers have a sorcery in their fingertips-and he’s a master around the sounds he chooses for us to hear. His new album, Kunde, brings this electronic paradise to us. Let’s see what kind of world he fabricates for us.

Liyep opens this beautiful album. We dive into this realm of quasi-world music, it is a touch and go at moments. With synth soundscapes that envelope the being of the song, gentle percussions help move along the story. Franck Biyong tells the tale through swells and characteristic undulations in the lead. There is little to distract, and the spatial ambience is a psychedelic thrill.

Njombi picks up a quicker pace by percussion. Biyong still ushers in the audio and spatial surround on his own, much slower with a funky guitar almost vocalizing the narrative, The sounds overlap and there is phasing that creates the unique, ambiguous sound. The electronic beats enter almost on cue, after this rich build-up. A definite dance track, there are a lot of frills and groovy elements entering the dance floor with you.
Dance Neurotica

Hyodot tries to change the direction of the overall sound, making a meditative attempt at looking at the sound. There are string and synth elements confluence like the sea and river. They merge, as this massive body of water-carrying different thematic sounds with them. The guitar parts are resonant of a very particular and unique style of sound. Tingsoba is an electronic wonderland, with a lot of experimental sounds and deep, creative overlapping going on. The sound builds to an energetic, Kenyan beat that is rich in character and sound. By the time the electronica throne enters, the sound is something else.

The title track is a 10-minute epic. It shuffles through varieties of sound and dance, between instruments and ideas. It is a rewarding experience, plotting a course through some complex waters. The sound overall is an enjoyable, learning experience for someone who really delves into the realm of world music.

Franck Biyong brings his nation to us with Kunde. It is a manifestation of a new kind of sound, by an excited and complex artist. It reaches layers and ideas that wouldn’t work otherwise-this erratic nature that reflects life. This is the sound you need to be listening to. The album was mixed using 360 Reality Audio immersive systems which you’ll hear throughout the album. The album was inspired by legendary Krautrock bands such as Tangerine Dream, Harmonia and Ash Ra Tempel- something that lead to the making of this miracle.