Digital Ecstasy is the first multi-song release for Christchurch based artist Kennydubone. This is fitting for an EP full of the “chaotic, high energy soundscapes of digicore and hyperpop”. Among contemporary hip-hop and electronic communities, these genres are experiencing an era of heavy development and experimentation. While the layered and heavily synthetic production of this sound can be confronting, it’s encouraging to see Kennydubone tackle it head on and blend it into their own Kiwi sound. International artists such as Slayr and Jane Remover are seeing widespread success with this “rage” sound, and as the digital world interconnects New Zealand to these movements, it’s important to see our own artists entering these ever evolving territories too.
The EP opens with the standout track Talk and doesn’t hold back in letting the listener know what they’re in for. An energetic high-pitched synth rolls into a rhythm overlaid by vocals reminiscent of earlier trap artists such as Trippie Redd. Kennydubone’s vocals also take influence from the self-described digicore sound with a strategically pitch corrected sound adding to the layers and energy of the track. Sonically, the song sounds happy and inspiring. A distorted, broad bass runs alongside the lyrics “count it up, stack it up, rack it up”. While not containing the most lyrical depth, this combination instills a feeling of victory in the listener, like beating your older brother in his favourite video game for the first time.
It’s worth noting the visual element of this work too. As a genre associated with digitally native generations we see an increasing interweaving and importance of visual elements alongside the music. This is reflected in the colourful and playful album artwork and also the visualiser, which can be seen on Spotify, for Talk. The visualiser features constant movement and barrage of colour and visual effects, which serve as a beginning to the world building and lore of this emerging artist.
The next track My Plasmatic Love continues the glitched out hyperpop direction of the first track but this time with a twist of love that leans slightly toward RnB sensibilities. The lead synth and melody wouldn’t have sounded out of place in an early 2000’s club hit from the likes of Ne-Yo. The production however makes it clear that now is not then. It does beg the question, though, as to whether the new wave of this rage sound is making its way into the mainstream.
Almost to illustrate this point, the last track Larp comes in with vocals that sound much more like traditional hip-hop. This song has a feature from LJ RY and the vocals of both lyricists sound different to the previous two tracks. While this sound is undoubtedly heavy hitting, at points the rhymes feel a bit forced and don’t flow quite as authentically as the last two tracks. The diversity in tone and addition of a feature artist make a nice close out to a promising debut EP. Kennydubone has since released a new track Star, with a cadence that suggests this namesake might just be what he has his sights on.
