By Keith Walsh
Slovenia’s Kontradikshn, led by Petar Stojanović, is on the verge of breaking big. Not taking into account the apparent aversion of Western record labels and radio stations to music from Eastern Europe, one would expect Kontradikshn to break through in a big commercial way.
Their electronic beats combine the fury of Nine Inch Nails, the despair of Linkin Park, with the melodies of Depeche Mode. Kontradikshn’s new album, Ahead Of Ourselves is an 11-track set that should open the ears of Westerners to the passion and intellect of music from Slovenia.
The opener “Come In” is an adequate rocker, while the second track “Nostalgik” has a catchy beat that’s ready for radio. In previous interviews Stojanović has told me of airplay on local radio in Slovenia. He’s hard to get ahold of at the moment, due to tours, but I hope to get some replies soon.
As with their debut Reframing, Kontradikshn is all about beats, melodies and stories. Electric guitar is more prominent on Ahead Of Ourselves, and that’s a welcome change as distorted guitar can more clearly portray the angst of the band’s message. Fascination with psychology and the darker side of the human condition are on display here, as on their debut. For example, “We Know” portrays a subdued populace at the mercy of an authoritarian regime.
The delicious rock and techno beats of “On Demand” document the struggle of an artist who might ‘change the world’ with his art, who is at the same time confronted with the increasing oppression of technological society informed by the apparent dogma of psychology.
The quirky “Berlin” pays tribute to the city (and maybe even the synthpop band from Orange County, California) in a song featuring lovely choruses about salvation. It’s about the intersection of Marxism and erotic domination, and it works so well.
“Excess” is an unconventionally structured electro rock jam that lives up to its title. “Press D” is a techno pop trip that vocally seems to evoke the stylings of Barry White. “Dogs” is trippy, in a similar way to the Pink Floyd tune of the same name. It’s no surprise: Kontradikshn must surely be inspired by the legendary British prog rock band.
“No Man’s Land” starts with an acid inspired electronic bassline. There’s a great song of the same name by Pink Floyd founder Syd Barrett. It makes me wonder if these are coincidences or deliberate. Given the fascination with psychology of all three artists – Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett and Kontradikshn –I’m inclined to ascribe this less to coincidence and more to influence. As it is, “No Man’s Land” by Kontradikshn is a quirky glitch rocker with a rap chorus featuring Yung Voodoo.
“Kernel Love” is a confessional song of surrender set to an electro dance beat, in which the narrator Stojanović eschews the opinions of his lover’s mom and even Sigmund Freud while claiming his identity in the face of adversity. That’s the message of Kontradikshn in a nutshell – it’s a message of authentic rebellion in the face of pseudo intellectual mumbo jumbo employed by those who would seek to oppress us. The last song, “Ne-Bo” is a glitchy dance number with sexy vocals by Adrijana Jelen in the choruses.
Ahead Of Ourselves is on Implicit Division and available everywhere you can stream. As Petar Stojanović is busy bringing his music to audiences, I can only hope to get an interview with him.
Kontradikshn dot com
Kontradikshn On Facebook
Kontradikshn On Instagram
Kontradikshn On Twitter
Yung Voodoo On Instagram
Adrijana Jelen On Instagram
Kontradikshn’s “027” On Synthbeat
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