To make it clear, I’ve gotten high less than 10 times, and during the handful of times I’ve had a bad trip, only music can calm me down and stop me from feeling like I’m sinking into myself. Electric Guest has never failed to be a go-to for that mental nirvana. A little history on the power duo that makes up Electric Guest: Asa Taccone hails from Berkeley (ayyy) and Matthew Compton from Virginia. Electric Guest released their debut album Mondo, which was filled with magnetic energy and pulsing beats, in 2012. Next came Plural in 2017, which did not disappoint in a more danceable, heart-pounding bass. Finally, we’ve reached Kin, which has deviated from their original sound but still somehow keeps the tonality that allows listeners to recognize them. According to Taccone, the name Kin was chosen due to the process of the album being a collaborative “family affair.” Kin gives off exactly that feeling: you belong, you are a part of something bigger, and even if you’re having a bad moment in your life’s timeline, you are in a safe space and your feelings are very real. Kin includes lyrics about feeling lost (and broke), love, personal renaissance, uncertainties, and a critique of materialism.
Taking the time to listen to an album without hitting the shuffle button really allowed a profound analysis on the shaping of the album. After feeling the effects of the joint, I sat down and pressed play and record. For 37 minutes and 28 seconds I transcended into a world of magnificent energy and in playback, I said “whoa” and “oh my god” well over a dozen times. Electric Guest has that romantic and electrifying stamina in songs like “1 4 Me” and “More,” that magnetic energy and extra spring in your step when walking with your headphones in with “Dollar” and “I Got The Money” and finally the “screw you” bad b*tch emotions with “Get Out.” Kin incorporates young adult nostalgia mixed with the fear of becoming an adult with real life problems (materialism, emotionally, romantically) and realizing you are present. This album made me explore the innocence I had lost when I started paying taxes, when I started voting, when I started paying rent. It made me realize that so much has happened — so much has been felt…and yet, here I am. It allowed me to reflect on that transition and to be excited about the future without taking into account the materialism and sadness so prevalent in today’s world. In other words, Kin gave me that sparkle of hope I did not realize I had been missing so much.
You can listen to Kin here, buy it here, and experience it live here.
Article by Stephanie Enciso