Review: Kite Person’s “Tonight We Run”

It’s a good week for Kite Person. Today marks the dropping of his debut EP on Sub-Bombin Records and this Thursday, Kite Person will be performing for free alongside Elsphinx, The Black Ships, Party Horn, Rally and DJ Mercy at the Fuze Box. Don’t you just love when things happen in a nice, chronological order?

Tonight We Run is a collaboration between local musicians and producers Kite Person and Rawhead, both of whom call home to the Sub-Bombin roster. These two working together makes perfect sense with a very complimentary combination of distinctive vocal stylings over ambient electronica beats. Their first time working together was supposed to be a one-off single that ended up leading to a full seven-track EP. You know, lock two creative souls in the studio and see what happens. I’m not mad about it.

At first listen, I was a bit surprised. Sub-Bombin has consistently featured a lean towards quality hip hop and downtempo instrumentals and this release just goes to show taste-making is just as adaptive and open-minded an art as anything else. (In fact, I believe I said something along the lines of, “why didn’t anyone tell me this was gonna be kinda weird-in-the-good-way?”) Regardless, it fits in its own place.

Kite Person features subtle tastes reminiscent of Phantogram, Of Montreal and maybe even Ariel Pink, while also appealing to those who gravitate towards experimental electronic production. Kite Person could easily perform both on bills comprised of indie bands or of forward-thinking DJs or perhaps be the linking thread between the two genres. It’s upbeat, easy-listening that doesn’t lose its voice or point of view in its experimentation.

The lyrics and vocals alike are both a bit whimsical in nature that helps inspire an element of visual storytelling that would translate quite well to a movie soundtrack or what have you.

You can preview the song “Know Yr Rites,” courtesy of Sub-Bombin and download a digital copy over at the label’s store. Listen and get excited for Thursday.

KAB picks: “Know Yr Rites,” “Hipster Fatigue,” “Squadron Dogs”