Vinyl Notes

On a long drive from Harbor City to the Valley, I popped in Kissey  Asplund as an alternative to completely rocking out. My taste in music may be eclectic, but when I’m driving I like the music loud, abrasive and super high energy. But I digress…

Having never heard of Asplund before, my aunt began asking me questions trying to get an idea of what I think (my family may not like my music, but they respect my analysis). I told her that I liked Kissey’s style but that her voice was not that great.

“That’s interesting,” said my aunt. “I wonder why it is that Americans put so much emphasis on vocal ability as opposed to the quality of the content.” (more…)

Kissey Asplund recently crept onto my radar by way of the viral underground. Like many new artists coming out in the last couple of years, Asplund was able to use MySpace to network and find people to work with. It was through MySpace even, that she began connecting with various producers and beat makers, eventually establishing a formative bond with French producer Papa Jazz. The result of this union was her May 28th debut release, Plethora.

Described by Andy Kellman from AllMusic as a “Swedish space cadet…fading in and out of consciousness or singing in her sleep,” Asplund’s sound is futuristic and abstract, fusing jazz, hip hop and soul in ways both sensual and esoteric. As her voice flutters in a strange staccato over pulsating synth rhythms, Asplund fluidly straddles talking and singing; blurring the line between spoken word and vocal jazz.

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