Keser Reviews
Keser :Esoteric Escape
FANTASTIC to get some electronica through the Sound Check mailbox, especially when it's of such high quality. The debut album from duo David Reid (bass) and Kevan Whitley (guitar /keys/ programming/ vocals), it's music for Sky HD - expansive, lush and colourfully hypnotic.
While much of the ethereal soundscapes would be perfect for watching sunsets in Ibiza or travelling on a bus through the Highlands in winter, at its heart are melodies.
Esoteric Escape isn't all about beats and layers of synths. There are great songs holding the tracks together.
So 4_Cycles conjures up a vision of crystals with its warm guitar. The album's highlight, Frozen Fireworks, has a trance beat, Kevan's repeated vocal samples and laughter, and a Keane-style melody.
A must for anyone who likes chill-out. www.keser.co.uk
Rick Fulton :The Daily Record / Soundcheck :Friday 8th Dec 06
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This is an album that will take you to heaven. If you have an ear for Sigur Ros or Ulrich Schnuass this is another recording to add to your collection.Simple electronic melodies glide you through the whole experience,then with the introduction of heavily distorted guitar riffs you can`t do anything other than go with the music and kaleidescope to a euphoric high .Try listening tp Page 21 with your eves closed.
**** itunes
Inspired by Glasgow's Underground guitar music scene, David Reid (bass) and Kevan Whitley (guitar, keyboards and vocals) founded post-rock electronic duo Keser. Fear not though, as they are not just another fake Mogwai, but they actually manage to achieve in their tracks a new sound drenched in guitar-based electronica. From the soothing rhythms of 'FM Rocker' to the angsty and mournfully elegant electro-cirlicues of '4_Cycles', Keser prove they are able to explore the syntax of electronica with awe and excitement. Sounding like a cross between a softer version of Macrocosmica with a touch of Aereogramme, Keser combine electronic tenebrous dissonance, bass-heavy rhythms and a dose of vitriol with contemplative guitars. 'Lost for Days' switches from the ghostly to the spaced out while 'Destination:Destiny' is definitely the best track on the album thanks to its crescendo of sophisticated charming sounds and its noisecore ferocity. A band worth investigating.
Is This Music (AB) Dec 06
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Esoteric Escape" (Alex Tronic Records)
One of the main reasons for starting this blog was to find and help promote great Scottish music. Although I have posted on a handful of acts already, I thought it was time to step it up a gear. First up is Keser, who were recommended to me by New York based blog I Work At Initech.
I am preplexed at how I managed to let a band such as Keser slip under my radar, and it took an American based blogger to point them in my direction. The Edinburgh based duo create a sound that masses together the intesity of Mogwai, Boards of Canada style synths and inventive programming. They also share some similarities with Glasgow based Errors.
"Esoteric Escape" was released in late August through Scottish indie label Alex Tronic, and is a thoroughly enjoyable affair. It kicks off with the pulsing keys of "FM Rocker", before their electronica influences come to the fore after a minute or so with glitchy beats forcing their way into the mix.
"4 Cycles" continues this trend, although this time it contains a more prominent guitar melody that gives an almost Four Tet aura. However, the duo show they are a big fan of shoegazer bands such as My Bloody Valentine as a huge wall of guitar distortion hits around the 3 minute mark. The track ends with crazy Aphex style programming.
The first real highlight occurs on the fifth track, "In The Next Beginning". Starting with obscured and intertwined vocal samples, the duo portray a satisfying ability of combining euphoric synths, huge wall-of-sound guitars and solid chunky beats.
Being form Scotland, it is hard for bands not to be influenced by what has gone before them. Keser have certainly studied the dynamics of bands such as Mogwai and Aerogramme, but also retain their own identity.
"Rolling V2" would be more at home on a Boards Of Canada album than a Mogwai release, while "Frozen Fireworks" is introduced with pounding Rich Hawtin-esque beats and a sample of someone talking in A Scottish accent, that is a lot less harsher than my Glaswegian dialect.
Again the duo mix those strings, beats and guitars to great effect. If anybody knows, n5md artist, Bitcrush they will know what I am talking about. "Frozen Fireworks" would have been my favourite track on the album, if it wasn't for the next one.
"Destination:Destiny" immediately made me take notice as soon as I heard it. This one I recommend playing at full volume to get the greatest impact. It is a slow-burner (around four minutes of build up) but it is well worth the wait. As mammoth sounding guitars are unleashed around after the 4 minutes . It is as forceful as anything Mogwai have ever recorded and is certainly one of those 'hair on the back' of the neck moments.
Things are toned down slightly for the remaining three tracks. Album closer, "Kontrol/ Kaos" is an apt name for the track, as it starts calmly beofre descending into the chaos of those signature guitars.
"Esoteric Escape" is an album that can be listened to with headphones (where you will hear the intircate programming and subtle vocal samples) or you can also play it at full volume to annoy the neighbours with huge distorted guitar chords. Either way you will get a lot from Keser. A welcome edition to the scottish music scene.
Boring Machines disturb sleep -web
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Keser - Esoteric Escape
Keser are a 2 piece electronic outfit from Edinburgh, and this is their 12 track debut on Alextronic records.
They cite Mogwai and Aerogramme among others in their influences, as may be expected, but on this release things are mainly kept below the raucous level and more on a chilled out plane. The opening track ‘FM Rocker’ is a prime example of this, though it does give way, Orbital style, to the slightly more menacing ‘4_Cycles’.
‘Page 20’ has an intro not unlike The Postal Service, maybe at a push Dntel, but definitely Jimmy Tamburello sounding. Which believe me is no bad thing.
The production is slick, as is the whole presentation of the band. The 12 tracks could have been slimmed to 9 or 10 without much grief, but I’d listen to it again and on the whole it’s a thumbs up for Keser. Would be interesting to catch their live show.
www.crookedrain.co.uk
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Keser hails from Scotland, and you can tell that almost immediately from listening to their debut release “Esoteric Escape.” A one-sentence review of this album would be that it sounds like Slint or My Bloody Valentine playing a group of songs by the likes of Boards of Canada and Of Montreal. The two-piece band, comprised of Kevan Whitly (guitar & electronics) and David Reid (bass), manage to pull off a sound that at times reminds me of Air (“Lost for Days”), and Aphex Twin (“4_Cycles”), with slightly more pronounced guitar riffs.
While much of the album does not contain vocals, in keeping with most post-rock (Scottish) outfits, when there are passages with vocals they blend in nicely and add to the overall mood of the music.
Overall the album is more than just an interesting listen throughout, as Keser manage to make shoe-gazer style music in a mostly electronic/keyboard driven medium.The album is definitely worth checking out, especially if you’re looking for some electronica-fed post-rock!
Sean Clancy www.in tech .com
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Keser explode onto the Scottish scene with their debut album 'Esoteric Escape' and bring forth a new progressive form of guitar-based seraphic electronica from the sublime Edinburgh imprint Alex Tronic Records. Ambient and ethereal sounds elevate subtly, building up into crushing waves and returning back again. The vaporous instrumentals and melodic chimings are only anchored by the electro beats and unconditional ambience throughout. This 'music as a metaphor for life' mentality is evident on every track. 'Esoteric Escape' has captured both their live feel and refined recordings into 12 tracks and diverges into the realms of post rock melodic electonica. You can hear samples of '4_Cycles' and 'Teach' on www.alextronicrecords.co.uk. www.keser.co.uk
www.nemis.org
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KESER are a Scots post rock duo who, like the best artists of the genre, mix their guitar leanings in equal part with electronica. Bold to enter such an arena, as there are so many skilful exponents not only in Scotland but also Scandinavia, which I'll extend to include Finland and Iceland. (Be sure to understand that I love the music, simply. Geography interests me far less, although I am beginning to wonder if there isn't some magic in the North Sea water!)
There is something rarified about this ambitious debut. High altitude, far-reaching, call it what you will. This is a polished, sophisticated release -- an aural panorama in twelve parts, bound together by a retro-futuristic ambience evocative of airports, cities and technology. A high speed, wide-screen dream. I think we may need our passports.
The music itself blends Boards of Canada sentimentalism with the romantic imagery of The Blue Nile. Add a dash of the cheerier side of Mogwai's guitar pickings and you've pretty much got Esoteric Escape. (That's the Young Team rather than the Come On Die Young Mogwai. Think mischief rather than melancholy.) Reading back, I realize all three of those luminaries are themselves also Scottish. No escaping shadows of such magnitude, I guess? And frankly, why would you want to?
The album opens with a couple of mood-setting pieces. All the aural cues are there. Sit down, strap in and pay close attention to the safety demonstration. Guitars come to the boil nicely but it's KESER's brave beats that ties it all together. Third up, a track to luxuriate in. The lulling hypnosis of Lost For Days pours out of my speakers like dry ice, and begins to envelope me slowly from the ankles upwards. Narrated by its bass and flirting with dub sensibilities, this could almost have been a Seefeel track. Lovely.
In the next beginning marks the start of the album's defining phase. This searing epic drops me nicely into Rolling V2, a modern spin on the gentle, early works of Durutti Column executed with panache. Teach could have been a Stafrænn Hákon and Ulrich Schnauss collaboration . Considering it is also one of the less notable tracks on the album, I think that shows the quality of what we're talking about here. Teach does however lead nicely into another of the album highlights, Frozen fireworks. (You know it's going to be a standout from the title!). Pure Schnauss again, but with a twist in the form of a neat voiceover.
Destination destiny is a mere formulaic lull in proceedings - another rocketing climax. I prefer the KESER that isn't afraid to explore their quieter side. Yet on Page 21, guitars twinkle like a Christmas Eve sky. The atmosphere is of joy and starry-eyed wonder. A track M83 would have been proud to call their own. It shows though, how effortlessly KESER can step from one guise to the next. One moment they are a soundtrack for 70's Boeing Documentary, and the next they are Richard Dreyfus entering the Mothership in Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind!
On this slick debut they've proven they can fly anything. Now, where will they take us?
Review by Brett Spaceman
www.evilsponge.org/albums/Keser
EMAIL : info@alextronicrecords.co.uk
ALEX TRONIC RECORDS
11 Hillside Crescent
EDINBURGH
SCOTLAND
EH7 5EA
Recording Studio : Tel: 0044( 0}131 556 5311 / Office 0131 554 3473 Mob : 07904713833
www.alextronicrecords.co.uk
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Escape Artist : An Interview With Keser
Who are Keser and what are they all about?
Keser is primarily the work of myself (Kevan Whitley). I write and record the songs. I can play solo for live shows or draft in a bass player if necessary. David Reid played a few shows in the past and played bass in the studiofor most of the tracks on 'Esoteric Escape'. I used to play in guitar bands for a while before going solo, I wanted to mix guitar-orientated music with electronica and see what happened.
What are the main influences that helped create Keser sound?
I've always been a big fan of guitar bands and more recently electronica artists. It seemed natural for 'post rock' to progress further into various different routes and mixing it with electronica has achieved an interesting cross-over. The plan from the outset was to create reflective,futuristic music with abalance of analogue and digital sounds... I guess my main influences wouldbe Mogwai, Aereogramme, Arab Strap, Low, Stafraenn Hakon, Boards ofCanada, M83, Fourtet and many more.
Your new album "Esoteric Escape" has just been released, you describedtheproduction as a "steep learning curve". What did you learn?
Paul Croan (Alex Tronic Records Label Manager) and I recorded and mixed the majority of the album. I had no previous experience of the process and I learned as I went along - the production process, software, using the mixing desk, editing tracks etc. I learned a lot in a short time (Paul is an excellent mentor and fantastic producer) and it was extremely satisfying to do the entire album independently.
The first few tracks were recorded at Hidden Channel in Glasgow by a good friend, Gavin
Dick. He's very talented as well so I'm privileged to learn from these guys. Geoff Allen from CaVa also lent his experience, his input at the mastering stage was class. He had great stories of working with bands I have great respect for. I had no idea what input he had on the bands' recordings but, for example, if you listen to 'Solemn Thirsty' by Malcom Middleton... At the end when the guitar melody comes through prior to the vocal melody and sets it up brilliantly...that was Geoff's idea. Small details like thatare so important on a record!
The obvious input from Geoff for us was on 'Destination:Destiny' when it gets damn heavy! Similarly, Paul has great ideas for the production and whatsounds best where, the experience he offers is priceless. To achieve the sounds and atmosphere wedid was incredible to see taking shape. The focus and effort from Paul andI had to be relentles, but we're extremely happy with the outcome.
Is there anything you would change about it now?
Not a thing. I would have preferred another couple of tracks we had recorded were on there but it would have been too long. But it's a snapshot of where the music was at, at the time, and it's a busy, vibrant picture!.
Mogwai claim their song titles are taken from magazines such as The National Enquirer, how does Keser come up with their song titles?.
Anything I see or like the sound of at the time can become a song title. "FM Rocker" is taken from an Aerosmith biography for example. 'Rolling' was just a working title in the song's early days as I thought the middle section sounded like a RollingStones song! We are Closed on Every
Tuesday is a sign on the door of my favourite Chinese Take Away. They have a great Happy Hour price but, for one reason or another,they are closed on every Tuesday.
Most bands hate to be pigeonholed, what is your take on genre's such as post-rock?
Laziness. Some people need to be told what bands are like without finding out and forming their own opinions. Summing up a band into a couple of words is ludicrous. The best thing is to do is hear them for yourself. We'll sometimes use the term 'post rock electronica' as we feel we fit into this genre, it has sufficiently vast connotations so as not to be too 'pigeon-holed' but at the same time appealing to a niche musical genre.
Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth) recently expressed concern about websites such as Myspace'influence over the music world, in terms of development of bands. What is your take on this?
I have not seen this so I can't comment. Myspace seems to be an excellent medium for music at present though.
Many bands develop over the years, what do you see as Keser strengths at themoment, and what weaknesses (if any) would you like to improve on?
I guess our main strength is our hard-working ethos, from the band and label. You can always improve, though.
Back to the album, Is there any significant meaning in the title "Esoteric Escape"
Yes. It's about striving to achieve truth about our lives, escaping the mysticism of why we are all here, why anything is here and seeing a bigger perspective. It was a theme of many of the songs so it was an apt summation. I am surprised that there is not a lot of focus on this in general when it is easily the single most important thing.
Your record was released on Edinburgh based label Alex Tronic. What is this label all about and what other bands are on it?
Alex Tronic Records is an Edinburgh-based indie label and studio run by Paul Croan. Alex Tronic Records has four artists so far on the label, Pockets of Resistance, Åsa, Keser and Alex Tronic himself (Paul Croan). Alex Tronic has released and licenced music to many labels notably Koyote/Peyote Records and Cherry Red Records. He has also dabbled in scoring the music for film and TV. The label has a stall at theupcoming Spectrum Festival at the Queen's Hall on Sunday October 22nd alongside other labels such as Benbecula Records. This will prove to be excellent exposure for a relatively new and underground label.
What is your favourite track from "Esoteric Escape".
"4_Cycles". This song was unique in that it wasn't written before entering the studio, it happened as we went along. Paul let me have free reign for a couple of hours, at one point he heard the guitar riff, put his paper down and said "that's it! let's go" and we started from there. Most of that song is first takes throughout and was completed in a few hours, we're both extremely happy with it and it's an enjoyable song to do live.
Your set up involves a drum machine, would you consider using live drums in the future?
Yes, there were even plans for using live drums in "Esoteric Escape " so it should happen at some point.
What is Edinburgh's music scene like. Is there any bands I should check out(apart from Keser) the next time I'm there.
It's doing well despite some of the recent closure of venues..........
'This is Music' (www.myspace.com/thisismusicedinburgh), 'New Found Sound'(www.myspace.com/nfspromos), andTaylorMadeMusic (www.taylormademusic) do extremely well to promote the live scene, as do Bannerman's (www.myspace.com/bannermans) to name a few. There's a lot of great bands here, I'll have to forward you some links.
Many 'critics' have lamented the poor state of the music scene in the UK. Do you agree?
Wholeheartedly. The scene that we hear and read about anyway. There is so much more to the scene that sadly does not receive as much recognition as the established and hyped acts, but this has been the case for a long time. I found recently an old article in my old room at home from 1995. It was aboutRadiohead, 'Britain's Best Kept Secret' the headline read. The press should have been ashamed. They attracted little and dismissive attention in the early days and that headline summed it up..then the UK press realised how good they were but were too late. They covered themselves by proclaiming Radiohead to be 'the best band in the world' after OK Computer, this was obviously dertrimental to the band's state of mind at the time. I digress.
Are you for or against the use of file-sharing networks such as Soulseek and Limewire?
I prefer having the records physically, the album sleeves, lyrics and notes etc and a good quality recording over anything else.
There are some pictures on the web of Keser partying with Mogwai. Are the mighty 'Gwai fans of your or are they more like a big brother?
I don't know if they are fans but Barry has the album at least! I have met them at various gigs and know them a bit from that. The picture is from the ICA in London, they had just finished the last day of a 5 day residency. It was a great show and was attended by the likes of Alan McGee and legend Martin O' Neill. Martin gave them a pep talk in the dressing room before the show, I guess after that you have to play well!.
What records could you not live without?
There are far too many to list!
OK, Have you any thoughts on an album of the year yet or is it too early?
"Hmmm. Everyone else is pretty much screwed when Mogwai have a release! It has to be "Mr Beast"!
What is the best gig you have ever attended?
Cecil at The Works, Aberdeen in 1997. They became Voy, then disappeared!They were amazing so it's a shame.
The record is out now. So what is next for Keser?
Touring is next up, the focus will be abroad as well as the UK. The release date is still delayed for the shops, there will be launch gigs when it is announced as well. Then it's back to the studio for the next album.
