Today Kit Sebastian – composed of K. Martin and Merve Erdem – share “Bul Bul Bul”, the fourth and final single from their new album ‘New Internationale’, set for release 27th September on Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder.
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Speaking on “Bul Bul Bul”, Kit Sebastian says, “this song was influenced greatly by gamelan, and our desire to mix Indonesian music and Turkish music. Unlike our other songs which rely greatly on harmony, this relies more on rhythm, The melodic instrumental hook was written and recorded on a microtonal instrument called a Gangsa Pemadé, and a 12 string guitar on counter melody duties. With most of the music written in recording sessions resulting in a more rational approach towards harmony, this was written to explore the textures that would spontaneously happen when we were on the road improvising during a soundcheck, which would be less about harmony and more about sonic texture and rhythm”.
The single arrives alongside an official music video directed, produced and edited by Merve Erdem. “Favouring a vibrant and colourful energy which accompanies both the summery mood of the song and its humorous lyrics about a love affair, the video invites the listener to dance and weep alongside the duo” the duo comment.
‘New Internationale’—their musically irrepressible and emotionally sophisticated third album, and their debut for Brainfeeder—is deliberate in a way Kit Sebastian has never really been. They wrote most of it on the road, energised by the sounds they discovered as they magpied instruments during their travels—Turkish clarinet, santour, oud, gangsa, zither, harpsichord, and on and on. They cut most of the tracks in London during brief breaks, longtime drummer Theo Guttenplan and double bassist David Richardson joining a panoply of horn, string, and percussion players. And during a year off from the road, where K. and Merve could concentrate on making sure the pieces moved together, they decamped to the French countryside for two weeks, leaving the distractions and moodiness of home. They captured vocals for 14 songs there in only half that time. Both Kit Sebastian’s busy touring schedule and subsequent break from it allowed Merve to step fully into these songs and their ever-shifting shapes, her confidence and versatility rising in tandem.
But rather than sounding stitched together from these assorted scenes, ‘New Internationale’ is a riveting synthesis of the sounds and styles that have long tantalised Kit Sebastian—French pop and Anatolian psych, vintage Tropicália and early rock ’n’ roll, with breezes of soul and prog blowing through the open windows of the pair’s collective imagination.
Kit Sebastian will embark on a headlining tour throughout the UK and Europe this October with stops in London, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Munich and more. See full list of dates below and purchase tickets below. Kit Sebastian’s new album ‘New Internationale’ arrives on Brainfeeder 27th September, with new single “Bul Bul Bul” out now.
UK/EU Headline Tour Dates
02 Oct – Wharf Chambers, Leeds, UK
03 Oct – Deaf Institute, Manchester, UK
04 Oct – Dust, Brighton, UK
05 Oct – Jazz Cafe, London, UK
06 Oct – Jam Jar, Bristol, UK
13 Oct – Le Point Ephémère, Paris, FR
14 Oct – Paradiso, Amsterdam, NL
16 Oct – Bumann & Sohn, Cologne, DE
17 Oct – Lido, Berlin, DE
18 Oct – Knust, Hamburg, DE
19 Oct – Alte Feuerwache, Mannheim, DE
20 Oct – Gannet, Basel, CH
22 Oct – PTR, Geneva, CH
24 Oct – Gaskessel, Bern, CH
25 Oct – Import Export, Munich, DE
26 Oct – Les 4 Ecluses, Dunkerque, FR
Tickets: https://linktr.ee/kitsebastian
‘New Internationale’ Tracklist
1. Faust
2. Camouflage
3. Ellerin Ellerimde
4. Göç / Me
5. The Kiss
6. Metropolis
7. Bul Bul Bul
8. Mechanics of Love
9. Odyssey
10. New Internationale
