We Speak Music
Konrad Kinard’s ‘War Is Family’ Is A Cold War Odyssey in Sound
War Is Family situates Konrad Kinard at the intersection of memory, myth, and sonic experimentation. The Texas-born composer blends spoken word, field recordings, and layered instrumentation into a sprawling, twenty-track album that reads as both memoir and performance art. It is an audacious work, a “radio drama without the drama or the radio,” that navigates the anxieties of a generation raised under the Cold War while never losing sight of its deeply personal core.
Kinard’s collaborative approach adds rich texture to the album. BJ Cole’s pedal steel glides alongside the mournful resonance of cellists Eleonora Rosca, Emily Burridge, and Matthias Hejlik, while harmonium, contrabass, and rhythmic tap interjections create a dynamic, otherworldly soundscape. Each track feels like a miniature vignette, from the tense paranoia of “The Bomb Shelter” to the surreal whimsy of “Siddhartha Goes To Alabama”, revealing Kinard’s knack for constructing both narrative and atmosphere through sound.
What makes War Is Family compelling is its refusal to adhere to genre conventions. Kinard seamlessly blends Americana, experimental, and avant-garde textures into a cohesive whole, giving the listener a sense of immersion and introspection. The album’s emotional weight is matched by its sonic inventiveness, producing a listening experience that is as intellectually stimulating as it is viscerally affecting. Kinard’s exploration of cultural and familial anxieties is profound, resulting in one of the year’s most ambitious and haunting releases.
International touring musician and multi-instrumentalist Nadav Tabak returns to the UK with his immersive solo project and the release of his new single, ‘Electric Roots’, a powerful instrumental journey blending driving electronic trance with raw, organic instrumentation.
Following years of international touring, Tabak has carved out a distinct sonic identity: a live performance that merges hypnotic beats, tribal textures, and virtuosic guitar work into a dance-floor ritual experience.
Electric Roots represents the core of his sound both literally and metaphorically. The track explores the fusion between the electric world of trance and the rooted, earthy essence of acoustic instruments. Pulsing basslines and driving techno rhythms intertwine with organic timbres, live looping, and expressive instrumentation, creating something that feels both ancient and futuristic.
Unlike traditional DJ sets, Tabak performs entirely live, building layers in real time through looping, percussion, and melodic improvisation. The result is an instrumental experience that is rhythm-driven, immersive, and uniquely his own.
The upcoming UK tour will showcase this evolving sound in intimate venues and festival settings, offering audiences a high-energy, genre-blending performance that moves seamlessly between dancefloor intensity and organic atmosphere.
With Electric Roots, Nadav Tabak continues to push the boundaries between electronic music and live instrumental performance grounding trance in something human, physical, and deeply rooted.
Get tickets to see Nadav Tabak on his UK tour here: https://nadavtabak.com/shows
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