Exactly a decade after their first album, KONTRAJELLY revamped their release with even more polyester, energy, and glitter. The band shared that “Konsequence” — riffing off their first album named “Sequence” — would be “tescorock,” a blend of techno, disco, and rock. What that means is they’re here to host a party where the dress code is neon nostalgia.
The album begins in a glow-in-the-dark rollerskating rink. In “Smultronstället,” the synths are blurry, the keyboard is rubbery, and the bass is busy. It’s a shimmery slush of a song to open the album and quickly shows that KONTRAJELLY is willing to get messy for the sheer delight of it.
The vocal melody is the most simple element of the track, sounding almost like a children’s song. Though it’s not as evident in the album version of the song, it’s a bit better highlighted in an acoustic setting where the melody becomes more haunting. That being said, it still is a KONTRAJELLY song, which means there’s a twist: a kazoo.
After taking a spin at the rink, the next natural step is to visit the arcade. In “Photosensibilité,” vocalist You-jung shows off her voice over a crunchy soundscape that includes, I’m pretty sure, sound effects from Galaga, the classic arcade game.
Track three is one of two instrumental tracks and kicks off with buzzing layered synths. The arrangement is a chunky mix of acoustic percussive sounds and gleefully electronic ones. To best appreciate the song, make sure to catch how the sounds swing from right to left. But make no mistake; though it features lots of ear candy, it’s still a tightly woven song.
The next three tracks are vocally focused and for the most part function as standard songs with a healthy sprinkling of KONTRAJELLY flavor. “Vagabundus” is a shiny, groovy song followed by the chugging “Degauss.” The Korean title of “Degauss” is potato, which is very different from a word relating to a process about magnetic fields. But for the aspirational name, the song itself is more tame. “Konsequence,” the namesake of the album, features a train and more sizzling synths.
Then the album launches into outer space with “Rollabeach.” KONTRAJELLY had been playing with the idea of a company called Rollabeach since 2021. Set in 2116, Rollabeach is a company that tricked people into applying to their company to explore space. The track features narration over a slightly frenetic instrumental, and makes me wish there was some animation set to fully realize the band’s idea. For now, though, they have a music video.
“The Spell” starts with a wriggling synth. It’s a bit unsettling and then gets confusing as You-jung hops into the fray calling out names like a kindergarten teacher. It feels like there’s a vision with the song, which is further supported by the music video, but I found the track a bit too busy. Unlike the earlier tracks, the synths felt distracting rather than working with the other instruments to create an overall soundscape.
The album ends with a track that diverts from its predecessors. It starts quietly and then brings in a more textured string sound. Unlike the rest of the album that felt like emotions at full volume, “From the Deep” feels gently curious and almost whimsical. Later, the track does flesh out to a fuller sound, but the choice of the plucked lead anchors the song in something that feels more grounded compared to the rest of the album’s whirling concoctions.
Interestingly, the last track was one that was a remake from the first album released a decade ago. Considering that it feels very different compared to the rest of the album, I wonder if it’s just as a nod to the original album or if it’s a hint toward the direction KONTRAJELLY wants to move towards.
Writing about KONTRAJELLY is such a delight because the music itself feels like it was made with delight. I can also confirm that the band — made up of vocalist You-jung and instrumentalist Yeon-gu — is lots of fun in person as well; I saw them perform in a bar in Itaewon and they didn’t miss a beat (though they had a few drinks) and even had a dance break in “Photosensibilité.”
Kontrajelly’s music reminds me of visiting an arcade, where everything feels simple and fun, but in reality involves many moving parts. The duo manages to make their music thick without letting it get matted, and it feels like drinking coffee that somehow has five other flavors in it and chunks of candy.
The band is wonky but owns it, continuing to deepen their vision as seen on how they remade tracks 1, 2, 4, and 9 which originally were in “Sequence.” I’ll definitely be tuning in to see what they do next, whether it’s adding another genre to their sound or inviting us back to the rollerskating rink.
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Written by Ashley J Chong for Korean Indie.