kyoka: is (is superpowered)

The significant novelty of Kyoka's first full-length album Is (Is Superpowered) is that she uses her own voice much more often than usual, in the form of short snippets as well as longer sung melodies. These elements are set and arranged as if they were an autonomous instrument. Sometimes these voices give the impression of being a Babel-esque language mix-up, or even a kind of cryptic message for the listener, as found in the song "Meander." The production process of the record was heavily supported by her label-mates Frank Bretscheider and Robert Lippok, which is, in this way of forming a production team, a unique constellation in the history of Raster-Noton. Whereas Lippok focused on preserving the roughness and complexity of Kyoka's compositions, Bretschneider concentrated on refining them regarding their fluidity and focus. Both tried to keep the vitality and hyperactivity of the initial tracks without losing their distinctive eccentricity. Although Kyoka's sound is often kind of chaotic, it is by no means stressful but rather energizing and easy to enjoy. The only exception to this can be found in "Piezo Version Vision," the noticeably roughest track of the record. Her particularly progressive style is best reflected by the song "Re-pulsion," a rolling groove combined with unusual clicks and snares and topped with crazy-sounding voice fragments. The album thus further deepens what was already initiated with her first EP Ish, released as part five of Raster-Noton's Unun series. It presents a stylistically broader spectrum of Kyoka's music, but at the same time exhibits the fresh and positive, sometimes even child-like attitude she is already known for.