KRATOS HIMSELF is the singular musical vision of Jethro Kratos Hopmans, whose mission is to meld icy electronics, potent cinematic beats and an expansive library of sound recordings in order to take you into a place of dark breaks.
He’s set to release his fifth album of the past decade, Vectors, on February 26th via Los Angeles imprint Friends of Friends Music (Shlohmo, Somni, Perera Elsewhere, Kyson, Deru etc).
Vectors is, Kratos says, thematically and musically inspired by surrendering to the currents of life and where they take you. It was written and recorded in peripatetic fashion, between his parents’ house, across subsequent house moves of his own; his friend’s producer Marc Blom’s studio and more, all of which took him across The Netherlands to Japan and back again.
He’s released a first single with a simple and a lovely animation, “Shift”, which you can slide into below. It’s got tough beat components, a little Japanese instrumental feel, moving forward with crisp groove as if it was issued on Mo’ Wax’s celebrated Excursions series.
As suggested by “Shifts”, each track title on the album corresponds to physical movement, and in particular to the cyclical journey water takes to get from one point to another using different states: thus “Nimbus”, “Mizzle” “Tides”; corresponding to the changes in Kratos’ own fluidity of lifestyle during its conception and making.
Musically, you’ll hear flavours ranging from Swedish psych to Macedonian gypsy-folk to Belgian experimental rock to Bollywoo; as well as influences from albums by Sault, Bibio, Steve Reich and Caribou.
There’s not enough filmic breakbeat about at the moment, for my money; step forward into the breach, Kratos.
Kratos Himself’s Vectors will be released by Friends of Friends Music on February 26th on digital and LP formats; pre-orders are now open for business.
Follow Kratos Himself on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; at his own website and at Friends of Friends.
