If there was something decidedly fishy about the career to date of sea-loving Stoke Newington-based 'headnodtronica' producer Kelpe, then his third album, Cambio Wechsel, deliberately shifts the tides away from dominating nautical overtones.

Taking its mantle from the Italian and German words for change, it continues to evolve his signature hip-hop / electronica / post-rock-informed beatcraft, developed over blissful preceding full-lengths 'Sea Inside Body' and 'Ex-Aquarium'.

"It's an anti-concept album, if you will," elaborates Kelpe, or Kel McKeown to his postman. "It refers to the fact that I changed the sound a little compared to the last album and the sound changes more within the album. And finally a change from sea-themed titles as I was growing a little tired of those.

"I do like the sea a lot but at the same time as an accidental theme I felt a bit bogged down by it, realising that if you studied my back catalogue you'd think I was some sea-obsessed freak. It will be interesting to see if anyone buys this new record or if the only people that got my previous albums were just sea-obsessed folk, in which case I'll go straight back to sea themes!"

Feeling kinship with like-minded artists such as Prefuse 73, Lone, Bibio, Flying Lotus, Hudson Mohawke and Bullion, pinning down McKeown's music proves problematic regardless even for the man himself.

"It's difficult," ponders the 32-year-old. "Usually when someone asks me what kind of music I make I just say instrumental music that has lots of drum beats. Or Boards Of Canada rip-off!"

The confused could do worse than seek out the video to single 'Microscope Contents', however, which certainly lends a decent visual idea of what to expect from 'Cambio Wechsel'. Journeying inside a string of onlookers' gaping mouths, ostensibly swallowing the camera, is something that brings back nasty memories of unpleasant past oral experiences for McKeown.

"The weirdest thing I've ever eaten is rabbit shit," he recalls. "When I was a young kid I tripped over a spiky gorse bush in Scotland or somewhere and I was lying down getting sympathy from my mum, then my older brother lent over and popped some rabbit poo in my mouth. I chewed for a bit before realising and spitting it out. I also tried sheep's testicles that a friend ordered in a restaurant."

McKeown celebrates the October 19 release of 'Cambio Wechsel' on the ever-consistent DC label with a smattering of live shows aided by drummer Chris Walmsley, before turning his attentions to a cinematic project.

"I've just started working on a soundtrack to a short film funded by the Scottish Film Council called Labour and also a couple of remixes, so it will probably be a little while before a chance to produce new Kelpe material, but I'm looking forward to that a lot. At the moment I'm really happy with the live set-up I have, but I can imagine a full band if a particular album suited it. I would never say never."

WORDS Adam Anonymous

 

 

• Kelpe
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• DC Recordings

Related Links:

• Eric Haze Special Edition G-Shock
• Old Skool Classic: Out-Phaze - Re-activate.
• Foreign Concept Guest Mix
• Broken Audio Raise The Bar
• Sepalot's Change Competition

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