Kimyan Law - Emblem of Peace [2LP]

[ + + + ]

£35.10

Format: 2 x LP
Catalogue No.: PlusPlusPlus001
Barcode: 4251804136532
Release Date: 09 Dec 2022
Genre: Drum & Bass, Jungle, Garage, Experimental Electronic, Film Score

Tracklist 12":
# Artist Title Duration ISRC-Code
A1 Kimyan Law Taproot 04:08 ATDQ92296001
A2 Kimyan Law Mint Ghost 03:43 ATDQ92296002
A3 Kimyan Law You Break It When You Name It 04:48 ATDQ92296003
A4 Kimyan Law Furaicami 06:06 ATDQ92296004
B1 Kimyan Law Uaminifu 04:08 ATDQ92296005
B2 Kimyan Law Saphira 03:09 ATDQ92296006
B3 Kimyan Law Morpho 03:51 ATDQ92296007
B4 Kimyan Law Until Then 06:39 ATDQ92296008
C1 Kimyan Law, ELYN Maua (feat. ELYN) 05:21 ATDQ92296009
C2 Kimyan Law Chungwa 03:32 ATDQ92296010
C3 Kimyan Law, ELYN Sol (feat. ELYN) 04:08 ATDQ92296011
C4 Kimyan Law Première Neige 04:51 ATDQ92296012
D1 Kimyan Law Lubumbashi 04:06 ATDQ92296013
D2 Kimyan Law Hibernal Epitone 06:28 ATDQ92296014
D3 Kimyan Law Cloudwalker 03:47 ATDQ92296015
D4 Kimyan Law Heaven Is Real [ Celestial Epitone ] 02:56 ATDQ92296016

Destination: [ + + + ]

A new home for Kimyan Law's creations. Less of a label. More of an entire universe.

An ever-growing, evolving map of sounds, emblems, elements and biomes. A place with its own lore and language - a con-lang developed by Kimyan himself that's rife in references from Swahili to Dutch via German, French, Latin and beyond. A place of tribes who have their own dialect and cultures. A place that's neither set in the past or the future but completely rooted in nature. It's a place that's entirely familiar to our souls, but vastly different to the western world we see with our eyes.

The clues have always been there from the very beginning, coded into everything he's created from the very start; from the concepts to his unique face markings, from the artwork to the individual sounds he uses in each track, from the titles to the little easter eggs buried deep into each of his three albums so far. Everything is connected. Everything has meaning and purpose. The more you listen, the more you find.

The more Kimyan explores and builds this unique universe, the more he finds, too. A vast traverse of drum & bass, UK garage and cinematic scoring techniques, Kimyan Law's music and art allows him to understand his own place in the world as a Congolese Austrian, a grey child forever torn between two tribes, two histories, denied connection with his family and motherland due to years and years of war. Strong themes of tension, passion, yearning and faith have drawn Kimyan to this point. But so far he's just been drawing the maps… Now it's time to temporarily transcend to this universe and meet the people. Art imitating life; Kimyan's universe is not a utopia. Silence and callousness have reigned for too long amongst the tribes. Can Kimyan's music create a sense of harmony and peace?

Only time will tell. It starts here with 'Xylo', an EP that depicts the Tribe Of The Woodland. Their fierce attitude, their intricate craftsmanship and their resourcefulness is all reflected in the sounds, pace and energy of this first in a series of EPs. More tribes will make themselves known as the year unfolds.

Kimyan's first release since 2019's critically acclaimed album 'Yonda', the 'Xylo' EP was written during some of his most productive and prolific periods of flow state to date, during a time where he finally met his family for the first time in over 10 years and spiritually reconnect with the places and people who mean the most to him. You can hear it in his music, you can feel it in his universe; [ + + + ] marks the start of a whole new creatively ambitious journey for Kimyan and a whole new immersive adventure for us, the listeners.

Uaminifu… An old Swahili word that carries many meanings. Faith, fidelity, loyalty, trustworthiness, credibility. And now it's the title of Kimyan Law's latest EP.

The second in a series of four chapters, each one revealing a different part of a much larger Emblem Of Peace: 'Uaminifu' continues to bare more of Kimyan's unique universe.

With its own language and landscape that's slowly been rolling out since his debut album 'Coeur Calme' in 2014, it's a universe all Kimyan Law listeners will be familiar with. Unveiling more of it with every creative dispatch, in many way this universe is a reflection of Kimyan's own experiences, thoughts, perspectives and relationship with the real world as he finds his place between his two homes in Congo and Austria.

And right now we find our place zooming in on the people of Kimyan's universe and their tribes. The inaugural 'Xylo' EP introduced us to the Woodland tribe. Now we head due south to meet the Wetland tribe. And these four tracks are the soundtrack to the encounter.

Like the richness of the land itself, the EP is one of Kimyan's most diverse and far-reaching collections so far. 'Uaminifu' reveals his junglistic soul; battle-ready with its well-carved breaks and thundering bass. 'Saphira' brings a techno sensibility; relentless but shimmering like the rains. 'Morpho' brings light and beauty while 'Until Then' brings the EP to a two-step conclusion. A closer laced in hope and faith, once again Kimyan hints at something much bigger before wheeling us back to reality, leaving us yearning for more… And trust, more is definitely en route.

Its people may be old, but this universe is still young. The Emblem Of Peace is slowly revealing itself.

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Short Info:
Kimyan Law started making music using instruments improvised from various everyday objects at a very young age. He soon graduated from using wood, glass, and his own voice to a mastery of drums, piano, mbira, and a multitude of African percussion and traditional instruments, channeling his childhood difficulties into creation. Deep explorations into his African roots have led him to create complex mosaics of ancient sound with modern aesthetics. Having its roots in Drum & Bass, the music flies far beyond the confines of that often-formulaic genre, expanding sonic ranges and disrupting standard arrangements.

With three internationally critically acclaimed albums under his belt, the enigmatic Congolese/Austrian musician quickly gained support from the likes of Blu Mar Ten, London Elektricity, and many more. His musical output got him short-listed for 'best newcomer' at the DnB Arena Awards - and nominated at the Amadeus Austrian Music Awards in 2017.

Kimyan's first release since 2019's critically acclaimed album 'Yonda', the 'Emblem of Peace' was written during some of his most productive and prolific periods of flow state to date.
With 'Emblem of Peace' the young multi-instrumentalist inaugurates his own, newly founded label [ + + + ], which marks the start of a whole new creatively ambitious journey for him and a whole new immersive adventure for us, the listeners. From the stories to the instrumentation and production, to the painting and designing of the artwork, Kimyan Law is one hundred percent involved and active in every aspect, working continuously on building his unique universe, having an interdisciplinary approach to realizing it through his artistic vision.

The 'Emblem of Peace' introduces us to four tribes, four individual timbres and aesthetics, four elements, emblems on their way to coexistence, unity and peace. Each tribe has its respective EP, sonically showcasing its unique cloud of sound and natural sonic environment. On the 25th of November all four tribes will be collated onto a special double vinyl gatefold, unifying them into the 'Emblem of Peace'.

PRESSTEXT
Kimyan Law belongs to the African Diaspora. The son of a Congolese father and Austrian mother, he resides in Vienna, unable to return to his homeland due to the devastating Congolese Civil War.
Born on Christmas Day 1994, Kimyan Law was a melancholic child. A lone black youth studying in all-white environments he was a victim of racism; a difficult and depressing atmosphere which led him to find respite and consolation in music. Making recordings using instruments improvised from trash he soon graduated from using wood, glass and his own voice to a mastery of drums, piano, marimba and flute, channelling his childhood difficulties into creation.
At the age of 12 he started exploring the possibilities of electronic music, experimenting with primitive looping on a PSP and then pursuing audio-engineering courses, learning so fast he rapidly started tutoring others. The last couple of years have seen Kimyan Law blossom into the artist we see before us today. Deep explorations into his African roots have led him to create complex mosaics of ancient sound with modern aesthetics. A true 'artist' rather than the all-too-common 'engineer' found in modern electronica, he constantly talks of the themes, meaning and imagery in his music, referring to his tracks as "portraits" or "pieces" and of them having "fragrances".
Having its roots in Drum & Bass, the music flies far beyond the confines of that often-formulaic genre, expanding sonic ranges and disrupting standard arrangements. Kimyan Law incorporates African instruments and influences into his set up, achieving a rare organic and human quality amongst the cold electronics. Glittering cascades of tuned percussion are expertly weaved into layers of state-of-the-art bass and the result is a stunning, future/primitive array of romantic and cinematic music that, with its sheer humanity, seduces everyone who experiences it.