kimetsu. [an introduction]

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‘ I write music, unescorted by concinnity.’ This is probably my favorite one line bios by an artist because of how accurate of a description it is when it comes to the artist kimetsu. The word concinnity suggests asymmetry harmony or even a ‘perfect’ structure. And to be unescorted by it in this instance simply means his music does not go with concinnity. When I think of the artist [kimestu.] the words limit or boundary are ones that are far off my vocabulary because those words just don’t exist in this sonic universe of his that he’s created .

 My introduction to his work was back in 2021 when he dropped a song titled koi no yokan a sonic depiction of the premonition of love or meeting someone with whom you know you are destined to fall in love with. The song is a perfect translation of this feeling into sound. I appreciate the beautiful visual depiction of the song that was made by 355 curations, a Tembisa based collective that is the brainchild of film director Paballo Clayton Moreti. The pacing of the video is so perfectly aligned with the song up to the color grading of the video. There are many aspects of kimetsu’s work that I thoroughly enjoy and with his next release coming out soon, I wanted to do an overlook of the things I enjoy the most about his work.

Voice recordings

 One of the things that I really enjoy and associate with kimetsu is his usage of voice notes from his friends. The first one titled ‘isbhilivane’ was included in his guestmix for Sound sessions hosted by BROKE this is a stand-alone and isn’t included in any of his projects. In this specific recording we get to hear his friend, Nhlakanipho Phiri speak so much life into him and his work explaining just what he enjoys about his music and also talking about how he received it. My favorite moment in that interaction is when he tells him that he will be known (“uzocaviwa!”) because yes his name will be known by people and these words materialize everyday with his fan base steadily growing.  

This becomes a recurring theme as we get to hear another one of his friends and fellow creative shen who is included in his 2022 release titled THE GIRL THAT MAIMED MY HEART, NGIMNCANE. A four track piece about kimetsu’s early encounter with heartbreak. shen’s  interlude is the second last track on the project, it leads us to the end of the story with a complete contrast to the overall mood and apparent subject matter of the project. Speaking about what inspires him the most about kimetsu, shen goes on to tell him how he (kimetsu) has created his own lane musically.

 The next time we hear a friend speaking to him is in his 2023 release titled ‘ WE’RE REALLY NOT KIDS ANYMORE & THAT SUCKS’ an ode to childhood and a look at some of the aspects that he misses about being a kid. The song titled “boitumelong” features LUNGĒLWA who speaks with so much love and excitement not only about his work but also the fact that she also gets to contribute via collaboration.

 The title of the song is very fitting as the music is a happy place for both musicians. In his most recent release “ I’VE SHUT MY EYES TO THE WONDERS OF THIS DUBIOUS LIBERATION’. The first song features a voice note from… well yours truly, the song is titled “ear to the sound” , the name is taken from a podcast hosted by Richard the third where he dissects and discusses the different musical scenes that can be found in South Africa, this is a very important platform that has improved my understanding of some of my favorite musicians sound. In this specific voice note I was agreeing with everything that Richard said about kimetsu, how his sound cannot be boxed into a specific genre and how you can expect anything when listening to his music but all you have to do is just listen. This acts as an intro to the project where on track four we get to hear MHMMD also a fellow musician, he too talks about what he enjoys about kimetsu’s music stating that willingness to take risks with to his music is commendable this intercession is a beautiful build up to the song ‘echoes of ivangeli’ with MHMMD as a feature again. My reason for highlighting all of this is because of how these opinions from these different people with regards to kimetsu’s music is able to add so much insight and perhaps a shift in perspective for anyone who’s not used to the kind of music that he makes. I’m also in awe at how he is able to tie these casual interactions from friends to his music, he makes the experience all the more communal.

 Poetry

 I recently read an anthology that described poetry as something that makes us see things in a new way, presenting emotions and experiences for us to share. I think that’s mostly what I resonate with when it comes to the way kimetsu incorporates poetry in his work. So far there’s only two songs that have a poetry performance, namely cimeza! (take 2) that features Eartha ( he’s also a part of his forthcoming release) taken from his project titled “ MOURNFUL MUSIC…. MASKING, MUSING MELANCHOLY” and hopeless which features atlii taken from his project called “ SONGS… THAT MY MOM WOULD’VE LOVED” I was absolutely moved by how both poets were able to interpret kimetsu’s sound and thus performing very emotive and moving pieces. Their understanding of the music is so evident with the way in which they go about expressing themselves. These are songs that I see as bold and memorable as both performers have been able to create such beautiful moments in the music. I can’t wait to hear how kimetsu further explores this in the future.

 At the core of it all is a very good storyteller. That is what I enjoy about his music he is really good at telling his story and the way he conveys emotions is an experience unlike any other. What I am most excited about with regards to his next release is finally hearing vocals on an official release of his. The only other time I’ve heard a musician serenade us over a kimetsu production was with Chipego, an artist who is also featured on his upcoming release. In a guestmix he did for FablesWRLD he started off the mix with a beautiful tune called “good omen sound”, a song that I regard as a prayer and incantation because of how powerful Chipego’s words are. As the mix progresses we hear another piece titled “Lusaka” a song that made me want more from the two because of how great it is.

 And now with “ WE FALL IN LOVE… AS THESE INCOMPLETE BEINGS” (Dropping on the 16th of November on souncloud) I am very eager to hear how the list of singers featured will interpret the work. I am very excited to experience the likes of laradá, Girlthewoman and Johnny Wxlf over a kimetsu production. These are phenomenal musicians who’s individual work truly stands out and for them to be included in kimetsu’s story is something I really look forward to. I am grateful to experience an artist of his caliber and I hope he never stops sharing his gift with us.