Kiffie - Pixelation

Review by Karl Magi

Overall Album Impressions

Pixelation is digital-sounding, lyrically interesting synthpop showcasing Kiffie’s unique vocals and his intelligent songwriting. Ear-catching sonic interactions and fascinating synth instruments combine with propulsive drums and bass to bring Kiffie’s musical vision to life.

A major reason for Pixelation’s success is Kiffie’s voice in my view. He's a singer with the ability to make his voice sound bleak and gentle at the same time. There’s a measure of desolation that permeates his singing, but there is also an aching build up of emotion behind the bleakness. He can sound coldly robotic one moment and the next, he’ll sound deeply human. It’s a contrast which I enjoy deeply.

The lyrics on Pixelation are also a strong attraction for me. Kiffie crafts words that wander between loss, anger, pain and deep affection. His songs explore the lives we lead and our often complex and messy emotional states. I enjoy how he can deliver nuanced and sometimes devastating messages in a minimal number of words. Brevity works well for Kiffie on this album.

All of the musical elements on the album are well-judged. There are some unique instruments that generate sounds which suck me into the music and they combine to form undeniably digitized, but expressive soundscapes. KIffie has a knack for using his synth palette to craft texturally rich, tonally engaging music driven by a strong, percussive heartbeat.

My Favourite Tracks Analyzed

“Pixelation” begins as bouncing, hollow synth drums carry a slightly uneven beat as chiming sounds twinkle in the distance. The drums crescendo and Kiffiie's ghostly, drifting voice carries a wandering melody. Shadowy, elevated synth plays a repeating pulse while the drums keep the same steady pulsation. Kiffiie's vocals manage to sound desolate and hurt simultaneously while  shimmering chimes wander.

Hard-edged, growling synth slices in a compelling melody with an ancient sound, reminiscent of Nordic folk music. Elevated, repeating synth blasts out in a high cry as a snare drum and a tapping metallic sound move in. The bleakness in Kiffiie's vocals matches the lyrics as the steady drum and bass pulse flows on and an elevated, metallic sound ticks.

Elevated synth pulses like sonar over the steadily bouncing drums. The main melody, carried on a synth reminiscent of traditional pipe instruments, has a timeless and ominous quality that is matched by Kiffie’s vocal performance. The song ends on a surging sonic pulse and jangling, ringing bells.

The narrator talks about “the lies we tell ourselves” and how we don’t need “those people” as he also adds “we can all be equal.” He points out that some people are “born to rule” and they won’t give that up also adding that others “don’t obey the rules” and avoid capture. He says, “Don’t you understand? We don’t need those heroes.”

Our narrator adds that politicians don’t have to “join the people” to fight to make enough money to eat and “pay for real.” He says that if he has to “rescue you from harm” he won’t fail to take that person away from a boring life, adding “to live is to feel.”

The storyteller explains that we are lied to about the facts that  “we are not those people, we were not born equal.”  He talks about how “pixelation” is hiding from the “things they steal” and concludes that “there won’t be a sequel.”

Rapidly throbbing drums dance out into open space as “Stay Awake” starts. Kiffiie's voice is ethereal above the angular synth that bounces into an oscillating line.  Elevated sounds flow above the bursting drums that alternate with slower segments and blocks of slowly moving bass shift heavily. Kiffiie's vocals are tender yet icy in a way that suits the song well.

A raised, shining synth melody glides far above the other musical with a gritty edge.  Sharply angled synth bounces and moves through the darkly drifting pattern around them, The angular synth bursts into dynamic life while swirling, elevated sound uncurl above the gently frozen vocals. Round-sounding, cascading synths cry out above the heavy-hitting drums and bass and around Kiffiie's haunted voice.

Our storyteller addresses the song’s subject, asking them to shut their eyes and not speak. He goes on to ask the other person to “lay down under my eyes” and adds “don’t look at me so terrified.” He asks the song’s subject to lay on his skin as he says that there’s “no need to be preoccupied.” They can close their eyes and not talk. The narrator asks the other person to “close your mouth around me then lay your love upon me.” As the song comes to an end, he says “don’t say a word, it’s alright. Stay awake all night.”

“One More Night” opens on a dully thudding kick drum and a vibrating percussive sound. Trembling, bluntly gruff synth moves in uneven pulses and Kiffiie's pained, bereft vocals are joined by a drumbeat alternating with the blunt, rough edged synth pulse. I enjoy the way in which the vocals are spectral and lost over the hypnotically repeating drum and bass pattern.

The vocal melody is full of a lonely ache as high, full synths repeat in the distance. The drumbeat has a trance-like quality followed by the chanted chorus pierced by nervous-sounding, high synths. The drums thunder and break underneath along with the undulating synth pattern leaping in a rising line before fading.

The narrator explains to the other person that he has to leave “even if you want me” and “even if you need me to stay.” He says that he can give one more night and then he has to “leave and board the plane, I need to fly.” Again he apologizes and says that he has to go, even though “I don't believe it took so long to find you and now I need to leave.”

Digitized sounding synths undulate in actively moving lines while the drum beat drives “Kissy Kissy” forward. Kiffiie's empty-sounding voice adds to the song’s robotic feeling as angular bass throbs in a shifting motion.

The drumbeat keeps hitting hard and nasal, deep synth forms a richly jumping melodic pattern. Elevated, glittering synth flicks through rapidly evolving note patterns. Kiffiie's voice chants the hypnotic line. There’s a fidgety, energized sensation in this song. All of the wriggling, trembling synth parts draw me in from the nasal, bursting bass to the flickering higher synth waves and the insistently ticking drums.

There’s a contrast between the narrator saying that he’ll take his love away but replying that no matter how long that person stays, he’ll never say “that I am fed up with the the things that you do” or throw their love away.

He adds that he won’t tire of “the silly things you do” and that he wants the other person to stay and “never take my love away.” He adds “but if you’re ever used to me and you can no longer see, I Iove you more each day” he’ll never throw his love away.

“Feline Fire Daemon” commences as airy, rapidly whirling arpeggios spin out in leaping lines. Kiffiie's voice takes on a warmer, more expressive feeling in this song and solid drums add a pulsation below the textural arpeggios.

There’s yearning need in the vocals as solid, oscillating bass moves below the tapestry of densely packed arpeggios. The drums and bass create an uneven pulse as flute-like synth carries tumbling notes. Kiffiie's vocals call out, deep with feeling.

The flute-like synth is  charmingly delicate and drifting as it contrasts with the jumping arpeggios and active bass line. As the song ends, the flute-like synth becomes clearer over the tremulous drums and soaring vocals.

This song is a declaration of love as the narrator says that he’s “falling in your eyes” and that the other person can say their goodbyes. He points out that it has been some time since "you remembered how to smile.” He goes to to point out that it has been too many days “since you had this to say” and many years in which “you have cried too many tears.”

Now the narrator has come into the other person’s life and he tells that person that “there’s no need to cry, I fall into your eyes.” He says, as he's falling to that person’s eyes, “you need me now!” As the song draws to an end, he finishes by saying that “I need you now.”

Buzzing, electronic, wide-open synth is joined by metallic, bell-like noises and thumping drums to kick off “Time.” A bagpipe-like synth plays distant and tense notes while Kiffiie's voice solemnly, emotively chants, The bagpipe synth adds the quality of an ancient lament to the music.

Kiffiie's voice is hurting and full of a timeless quality which I find pleasing. The music has a broken, twisting feel in contrast to the gentle lyrics. The constantly ringing bells lend a ceremonial quality as the drums guide the music on. Kiffiie's chanting, wavering voice calls out while dark notes descend. There’s a reverent quality in the music before it ends on metallic chiming.

This song is a paean to a deep and enduring love. The narrator says, “All this time I lay awake and dream of you In my arms.  In my arms, I breathe in you for ever more. I think of you and holding you. Holding you in my eyes 'til the end of time.”

“I Love Synthpop” starts off as full, resonant synth arpeggiates in densely rising lines and thick bass flows. Easily pulsing drums guiding the music as a hollow, ethereal pipe synth carries delicately touching melody imbued with gentleness. Arpeggios arc and undulate as the drums burst into an interesting rhythmic pattern and the breathy synth melody floats like a feather on a summer breeze.

The arpeggios add depth and dynamic motion to the track. The drums guide the music over the velvet bass while the tender melody flows. Now the track moves into a section in which rough-edged synth chords climb in between round, yearning sounds as the drumbeat pulses. Cosmically drifting, gossamer synth pipes carries the tremulous melody before ending on oscillating sounds.

Conclusion

Pixelation mingles Kiffie’s distinctive vocal style with engaging lyrics and a synthpop background that is full of aural interest and strong energy. As a whole, I felt that this was charming, touching music that made me perk up my ears and listen. To learn more about Kiffie, visit him here.