Enfant13

Kaa Antilope – VPRO RadioNome – April 2 1982

Kaa Antilope  – VPRO RadioNome April 2 1982  (mini LP, 500 copies) SOLD OUT

Rise Up Like A Bird…

Kaa Antilope from Belgium is possibly one of the better kept secrets from the 1980’s. Known to few people but loved by those. The reason is simple… this band was unique with their wonderful neo romantic, playful and melancholy sound. Their songs are best described as experimental synthpop with a poetic touch. Only one 7″ record was released in 1982. Even today their music stands out with its very special sound of its own. There has not been a single other band since the 1980’s that can be compared to Kaa Antilope.

This live studio session was done as part of the legendary RadioNome radioshow broadcasted by the VPRO in the early 80’s. The session has been tranfered from the original tape and is edited and re-mastered to make it available for the ultimate listening pleasure the songs ask for. The liner notes have been written by a close companion of the musicians / member of Pseudo Code.

One of the musicians is now since years head of the great independent label Sub Rosa.

Tracklisting:

A1 Tribute To Walter Spiess (2:48)
A2 Red Bushes (2:40)
A3 The Break of Day (2:58)
A4 Rise Up Helicopter, Like a Bird (3:57)
A5 Arabesque (Dear JP) (2:12)

B1 Island Girl’s Glamour (3:09)
B2 Les Rameurs (2:20)
B3 India (Blood Like Mud) (1:32)
B4 Fifty Meters Deep (2:20)
B5 Burning Ashes (1:41)

Selected press quotes:

“…Fred Walheer’s eloquently arranged synths and singer Bernard Vranckx’s John Cale/Alan Vega balancing act are nothing if not mesmerizing on “Breakof Day” and “Island Girl’s Game”, two of the most gorgeous songs I’ve ever heard. Elsewhere, the sounds are more abrasive but still somehow retain the intricacies which make their more melodic songs so unforgettable. Fantastic. One of the best records Enfant Terrible has released.” (Z-Gun)

“…Primitieve, onconventionele (toen al!) minimal wave, die nauwelijks met iets te vergelijken valt (ook toen niet!), wordt ondergedompeld in een bad van melancholie.” (Gonzo Circus)

“…an evidence of an epoch and a manifesto of experimentation without shame, wandering the neo romanticism so characteristic at the time and entering the still undiscovered prototypes from Electronic Ambient music that certainly brings Kaa Antilope as an early representative from this experience, an evidence of the past and a foresight of the future.” (Heathen Harvest)

“…Nun holt das holländische Label Enfant Terrible die Band aus der Versenkung, und zwar mit einer LP, die die erste einer geplanten Reihe von Radio Sessions der legendären Sendung „RadioNome“ enthält. Damit dürfte die Gruppe einer breiteren Hörerschaft ein Begriff werden und verdient hat sie das allemal. Wunderbarer, sehr minimalistischer Wave Sound, irgendwo zwischen Ensemble Pittoresque, Fad Gadget und frühen No More ist hier zu hören, kombiniert mit einer angenehmen DIY-Schrägheit.” (Backagain)

“…De meanderende, neoromantische electro-experimenten van Kaa Antilope zijn wellicht wat onvast en zoekend; ze wijzen vele latere acts de weg in hun poëtische kracht en ietwat ‘spielerische’ schwung.” (Kindamuzik)

“…the Kaa Antilope has gotten multiple flips on the table, likely due to the forlorn nature of most tracks. For instance, “Break of Day” grips at the loss in me in much in the same way that my favorite Absolute Body Control track “Waving Hands” can. Heavy remorse, longing for things not present, ripping my heart out in subtle words and spartan instrumentation… yeah, I’m dead for it. The one-sheet blurb makes it sound like Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, or something more adorable, but it’s not. It’s got industrial aesthetics; a cold empty warehouse and a more than lonely man projecting his thoughts and never considering it as a way to gain empathy or understanding. Cuteness is an insult to beautiful hopelessness.” (Apopaganda Blog)