German artist Kate Pending just released her debut album Pigmented Reality, after the unveiling of a few singles since last year. It’s a bold take on electronic music, a wild joyride into her world and unique vision. Entirely produced by Kate herself in her home studio, the project stretches itself for thirteen original tracks that run into the most unusual and unheard of directions, creating an experience that feels unlike any other.
Kate does an incredible job by blending in elements and textures borrowed from a myriad of sources, such as deep house, techno and drum ‘n’ bass, and does it with sophistication and grace. The soundwaves explored by the artist are firmly rooted in the experimental electronic music, and they do so by showing an enormous range in tempo, production styles, inspirations and delivery. Pigmented Reality is an electronic album that manages to shine on subtlety and charm, without ever falling into the overused megalomaniac aesthetics of most conventional pop or EDM.
It is an awe-inspiring feat, to come up with such detailed and nuanced sounds that feel boldly experimental but still accessible and never wandering too far away from the intrinsic pop veins that spread themselves throughout the tracks. As you press play and the tracks roll on, you can get the indie pop sensibility while still feeling wonderstruck by the richness of the music itself.
From opener “Lost Ways” and its arpeggiated pattern of synths and spoken word vocals to the cathartic release that is “Status Quo” and the expansive waves that ripple through. There is a certain sense of whimsy that runs through it as well, like the soundtrack to a post-apocalyptic fairytale of the future. In fact, Kate also said that she was very inspired by a variety of sci-fi and fantasy works, like Brave New World and Star Trek.
The artist herself says that names like Grimes, Four Tet and Bonobo were huge sources of inspiration and have influenced her work as key contributions – and you can most definitely tell that Kate knows her electronics.
The fact that an album such as Pigmented Reality was entirely self-produced comes to show that Kate is also on the way of becoming a powerhouse name in the European electronic music scene.
“I suppose it is somewhat of a concept album, aiming to tell a story and take you on a musical journey”, she says before completing the thought: “I appreciate so many styles of electronic music that I wanted to see what I could create, without being restricted to a certain genre. However, despite the variation in beat, I feel like the synths, in particular, create a feeling of consistency throughout the album”.
On her first album, Kate Pending creates her own version of reality and takes us on a guided tour of it. The most impressive aspect of Pigmented Reality is that it never feels cold and distant; the downtempo production choices and spoken word vocals feel intimate and dreamy in a way like she’s holding your hand while introducing you to her universe. She sounds both proud and inspired by her own creations, taking us through it all with a sense of wonder and beauty that never wavers. It’s humbling and warm and blows you away with creativity at every single turn.
STREAM “PIGMENTED REALITY” NOW!
On her first album “Pigmented Reality”, @KatePending creates her own version of reality and takes us on a guided tour of it.
Stream on Spotify NOW! https://t.co/RGlRK1Mnzj pic.twitter.com/n9wClM77pN
— Jpgchief (@Jpgchief) May 6, 2024
Don’t forget to support this project and follow Kate Pending on Instagram, Facebook, X, SoundCloud, YouTube, Apple Music, and Spotify.
You can find some of the tracks of this album in the following Playlists: Less Than 1,000 Followers, Fresh Singles, Indie Only, Alterindie State Of Mind, Female Rising Stars, 12 New Songs This Week, Unknown but Essentials!, Sickest & Dopest, and Fueltronic My Brain.
P.S. If you enjoy discovering new artists and brand-new music, subscribe to this blog Less Than 1,000 Followers, and follow the Playlist with all the artists we have presented here!
If you enjoy this track don’t forget to give it a green heart when you’re on Spotify and add it to your favorite playlist. This little action not only saves the track on your music library but also will help the artist, you know that the game’s name for us is “support”. Thank you!!!
FOR MORE DEBUT ALBUMS REVIEWED CLICK HERE
the center didn’t hold