In the realm of modern industrial music, KANGA has proven to be a force in her short time on the scene. Her 2016 self-titled LP, mixed and produced by the renowned Rhys Fulber (Fear Factory, et al), helped to launch the Negative Gain artist’s career, and her several appearances at the Cold Waves Festival have let her make her mark further. This fall, the LA native dropped a new EP, entitled Eternal Daughter, a six-track showcase of an evolved sound. Clocking in at just over twenty minutes, this newest offering is escapist listening, the kind of thing one pushes play, puts on their favorite earphones, and lets the soundscapes and dreamy atmosphere wash over them for the duration.
The intro track sets things up. Rather than thumpy bass grooves, things start off with a lush, full sound before bleeding into the track “Burn.” Even with its driving pace, a sense of urgency behind the execution, it goes down smooth. The synth line dances and the percussion pounds the song along, but not forcing things on. The vocal lines dance along in stereo in the next track, “Daughter,” and the subtle power of KANGA’s own vocals make this track a must-listen, possibly my personal favorite of the EP as a whole.
“Run” is another great track, with its guitar work and the on-air-feeling synth work. Picking up the pace just that little bit serves the song well. “Cocaine,” the disc’s penultimate offering, has a bit of djent-sounding guitars with a synth line that dances just like the ones that came before it. It’s the “harshest” track of the album, by which I mean there are features of heavier, harsher industrial music that are minimal or absent from other tracks on this record. Finally, “Control” comes in floating with the greatest of ease, possibly the most dance-worthy song in this collection. This, along with “Daughter,” would be my first pick for display if someone asked me what I thought of KANGA.
Short and sweet is never a bad thing when it’s done well, and Eternal Daughter is exhibit A of such. It’s accessible, yet untouchable, with the perfect blend of pop sensibilities with industrial soundscapes. The future of futurepop is now, and KANGA is the wave on which it rides.
