Ever since releasing a series of singles in 2016, Kllo have been drawing a huge deal of attention both from music blogs and from non-specialised publications. It’s certainly no coincidence – Kllo are part of a relatively recent lineage of electropop acts making self-reflexive, pensive tunes that serve their function both as dancefloor bangers and as bedroom-pop landmarks of wistfulness. They take their cue from artists like Jamie xx, Disclosure or AlunaGeorge, acts that could hardly be defined as trailblazers but which nonetheless deserve some praise for making music that fits hand in glove with such different scenarios.

At their best, Kllo can churn out perfectly distinctive poppy, UK garage tunes boasting slick beats and touching vocals. Lead single “Downfall” shows them at their peak of their powers, with Chloe Kaul singing over what might as well be a Burial track. But these are rare moments that stand out against a background of derivative, clichéd songs that fill a good chunk of the album. Even if it’s not long at all, “Backwater” can give the impression that it goes on for ages, and that’s mostly to blame on the repetitive sonic textures in which the album is drenched. Their instrumentation relies too much on beats that aren’t that fresh or exciting; they don’t inspire a sense of urgency that could make their music a bit more intriguing. You’d wish some of their songs had more things going on in the background – “Making Distractions”, for instance, is screaming for a bassline to go running up and down its tight beats.

Kllo‘s “Backwater” is a frustratingly teasing debut album by a band that still seems to be unsure about their identity.

Kllo don’t seem to be particularly interested in expanding the boundaries of their genre, which is perfectly fine; in the age of repetition, replica and pastiche, it’d be stupid to bash albums just because they’re not ground-breaking. But when there are so many current acts that sound just like you do, perhaps you should reconsider your strategy and try to place a bigger emphasis on the less generic aspects of your music. It becomes even more frustrating because it’s not hard to see that Kllo are better off when they step away from the dull and annoying Urban Outfitters-core aesthetic that they dearly hold on to. For instance, “Last Yearn” pairs a series of nervous beats against a mournful vocal part that is equally touching and exciting. It’s one of the few instances in “Backwater” where Kllo don’t seem to be pandering to a more palatable sound, and it’s also the only song that reaches something resembling an emotional climax. The title track also hints at another side of Kllo, one infinitely more interesting than what they let out in the large majority of tracks. Kaul’s vocals, run through a pitch-altering filter, flow seamlessly over a formless ambient background reminiscent of the most wistful work by Aphex Twin or Boards of Canada.

“Backwater” is a hit and miss debut by a band that still seems to be unsure about their identity. It’s a frustratingly teasing album, one that shows you a glimpse of the duo’s potential only to take it away from you almost instantly, instead letting most of its running time being filled with humdrum electropop songs that borrow heavily from their aforementioned peers. They fare better in the more “out there” bits, but those moments are just rare occurrences within what is mostly a mediocre and unoriginal album.

Kllo‘s “Dissolve” stays in line with most of the tracks from the duo: warmful and emotional vocals on an electronic and hypnotic production. The build-up of the track is particularly well made and this chorus is definetely infectious. The song was apparently inspired by a bad Skype call overheard while they were on tour in Cologne. “Dissolve” is already another promising track to be added on Kllo‘s discography. We are very curious to discover their debut album “Backwater”.

Kllo‘s upcoming album “Backwater” will be out on October 20 via Good Manners, Caroline Australia, Ghostly International, and Different Recordings. It will also feature the previously released singles “Virtue“, “Downfall“, and “Nylon“. The band will also support this release with a worldwide tour. Check all the dates below:

18/10 – Chicago, Shubas
20/10 – Detroit, El Club
27/10 – Vancouver, Waldorf
28/10 – Seattle, VERA Project
1/11 – Los Angeles, The Resident
2/11 – San Francisco, Bottom of the Hill
4/11 – New York City, Elsewhere
5/11 – New York City, Berlin
12/11 – Madrid, Costello
13/11 – San Sebastian, Dabadaba
14/11 – Barcelona, Sidecar
16/11 – Paris, Supersonic
17/11 – Rotterdam, V11
18/11 – Brussels, [PIAS] Nites
20/11 – Amsterdam, The Sugar Factory
23/11 – London, XOYO
24/11 – Bristol, The Louisiana
25/11 – Manchester, The Soup Kitchen
27/11 – Glasgow, Broadcast
28/11 – Edinburgh, Sneaky Pete’s
29/11 – Leeds, Headrow House
30/11 – Nottingham, The Bodega
3/12 – Berlin, Badehaus
4/12 – Cologne, Yuca
5/12 – Hamburg, Haekken
8/12 – Sydney, Oxford Arts Factory
9/12 – Perth, Jack Rabbit Slim’s
14/12 – Brisbane, Woolly Mammoth
15/12 – Melbourne, Corner Hotel
16/12 – Adelaide, Fat Controller
1/1 – Melbourne, Let Them Eat Cake Festival
19/1 – Auckland, REC Bar
20/1 – Wellington, Caroline
2/2 – Adelaide, Laneway Festival
3/2 – Melbourne, Laneway Festival
4/2 – Sydney, Laneway Festival
10/2 – Brisbane, Laneway Festival

With their more minimalistic track to date, the duo show more vulnerability by staying pure to their piano and Chloe Kaul‘s vocals. With power yet moderate emotion, they get outside of their comfort zone digging deeper into their own capacities. About the track, they explained:

[su_quote]”Nylon” is the most minimal track off the album. It was originally a production driven uk-inspired pop song but as we progressed with it, we stripped it back more and more to eventually end up with a piano ballad. It is about disorientation when growing older, but with a mind still too young to take on the serious commitments of what’s in front of you – and how suffocating it can be to try and hold yourself up to those expectations[/su_quote]

“Nylon” is taken from their debut album “Backwater” set to be released on October 20. You can follow Kllo over Facebook, Twitter and Soundcloud.

More melancholic than their previous track, the second single follows their plan to shake the synth-pop world with angelic vocals and busy yet minimalistic electronic productions. As Kllo explain, their track serves to chase away our negative thoughts:

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We wrote it on a balcony in Croatia overlooking the water. It was very beautiful there, warm and still… It’s a reminder to not get too caught up in your head, to not dwell on the negative things.”

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You can follow Kllo over Facebook, Twitter, Soundcloud and check their tour dates below.

Nov. 12 – Madrid, ES @ Costello
Nov. 13 – San Sebastian, ES @ Dabadaba
Nov. 14 – Barcelona, ES @ Sidecar
Nov. 16 – Paris, FR @ Supersonic
Nov. 17 – Rotterdam, NL @ V11
Nov. 18 – Brussels, BE @ Les TransArdentes at Palais 12
Nov. 20 – Amsterdam, NL @ The Sugar Factory
Nov. 23 – London, UK @ XOYO
Nov. 24 – Bristol, UK @ The Louisiana
Nov. 25 – Manchester, UK @ The Soup Kitchen
Nov. 27 – Glasgow, UK @ Broadcast
Nov. 28 – Edinburgh, UK @ Sneaky Pete’s
Nov. 29 – Leeds, UK @ Headrow House
Nov. 30 – Nottingham, UK @ The Bodega
Dec. 3 – Berlin, DE @ Badehaus
Dec. 4 – Cologne, DE @ Yuca
Dec. 5 – Hamburg, DE @ Haekken
Dec. 8 – Sydney, AUS @ Oxford Arts Factory
Dec. 9 – Perth, AUS @ Jack Rabbit Slim’s
Dec. 14 – Brisbane, AUS @ Woolly Mammoth
Dec. 15 – Melbourne, AUS @ Corner Hotel
Dec. 16 – Adelaide, AUS @ Fat Controller

Kllo‘s debut “Backwater” is out on October 20 via Ghostly International and Different Recordings.

Kllo are cousins Chloe Kaul and Simon Lam. They released a promising EP last year, ‘Well Worn’, and had the opportunity to support NAO on her tour.

Today, Kllo announce their debut album ‘Backwater’ and share the first single taken from it: ‘Virtue’. The track is a solid indie pop and dance offering, mixing an ethereal vibe with an infectious beat.

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Kllo‘s debut album ‘Backwater’ will be released on October 20 via Ghostly.

Check the tracklisting below:

01 “Downfall”
02 “Still Motion”
03 “Virtue”
04 “Predicament”
05 “Last Yearn”
06 “Backwater”
07 “Dissolve”
08 “By Your Side”
09 “Making Distractions”
10 “Too Fast”
11 “Nylon”
12 “Not Like Them”

Connect with Kllo via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Soundcloud.