An album release from Kayduff Bloom delivers a wild and intense array of soundscapes that come through in the form of textures that layer top each other and give off very personal but fiery undertones and throughout the record, blends elements of hip hop and Industrial music together which creates this sort of massive atmosphere that you end up getting engulfed in.
The Angry Retrofuturism album is riddled with a vivid character and takes you through a series of pivotal thoughts, motivations, struggles, and situations that help shape the person who crafted these songs and when you listen to it all the way through, the whole thing serves almost like a diary where each track is like a chapter in his life.
There's a massive depth to where this record goes and some of these songs really feel relatable, especially when he's talking about not only himself and what he may have been through, but also the state of the world and where it's headed.
Although some of the record feels a little haunting and a little scary at times, it's all brutally honest and that is something that makes everything feel incredibly authentic which in return, is what gives it so much lush and sort of vibrant character.
The vocal approaches vary but a lot of the time are right in your face and the lyrical phrasing has a lot of intensity but surprises around the corners as well which I absolutely loved because by the time you get about halfway through the record, you begin to expect the unexpected and that to me,
This is an example of an album that was created with much fewer boundaries built around it and there's a lot that you may not be used to but this is real and I feel like that's what's most important about it.
There are times where I listen to this record and I feel like it was cathartic for Kayduff to write and release because there was a lot that he had to get off his chest.
The thing about records like this and artists like Kayduff is the fact that we all go through these different thought processes, struggles, and situations that take over our brains and make us think a little too deep at times it feels, but not a lot of us know how to articulate all of that into words let alone words and music.
For Kayduff it may have damn well been cathartic and I feel like it was but for the listener, it could be so understandable that they may feel like they're not alone in certain struggles or how they think about aspects of the world, humanity, and the state of things.
This is an artist that uses his music to spread a message and I love that because not enough artists out there take that approach.
Musically again, this crosses realms of rap, hip hop, and this gritty and hard-hitting industrial tonality at times and the combination of those things packs a punch.
There are also a lot of lyrical aspects that may be truthful and honest but also have a heavy edge to them and can seem raunchy and descriptive but this again is part of what makes it so real.
And I will say again, this is part of why I mentioned that this has much fewer walls or boundaries built around it.
This is unfiltered and I think more music should be unfiltered so that the artist can express what they really want to express.
I don't think a lot of music should be so conformed to societal standards and what people want but rather what the artist needs to get out into the world.
This was a massive record that has to be listened to from beginning to end to get a full grasp on everything it has to offer. Listening to one or two tracks will not give you the spectrum of everything the full record delivers.
With the release of such an emotionally driven and descriptively intense record, we wanted to have a sit down with Kayduff Bloom so that we could find out where all of this really came from.
Here's what happened.
RAG: Okay let's start with the Angry Retrofuturism album. This record delved into some deepening insights and personal underbelly. What inspired this record and where did it all come from?
The moment this record started to take shape was when I saw the photo my friend took and posted on Instagram. I instantly heard in my mind a new whole type of sound that could work with this cover art. I was searching for something that could freely translate my abstract thoughts and channel my inner feelings, and I found it in that moment. At that time, I was also deeply immersed in the origins of self-exiled loneliness, navigating the internet—a space where souls collectively unite in the abyss of global consciousness. While making this record, there was a lot of vibrance online that really made it click. I really felt like what I was doing wasn’t a fluke and that I’m really onto something. Albeit it took too damn long to make.
RAG: I am certainly hearing an array of musical styles on the record. Can you name some of your biggest musical influences?
The Beach Boys and Les Rallizes Dénudés. For sure. I have to say, my musical influences don’t operate in the usual way. I don’t replicate specific sounds; instead, I learn from different elements and apply them to my records. When I was making the album, I was listening to music that was the total opposite of what I was creating. Also, lot of my influences come from Poland. Paktofonika, Grammatik, Małolat and a lot more. I think the closest link to my sound is Cannibal Ox. When I heard that you can make a track bounce with no bass on Iron Galaxy, I almost lost my mind. I had one fan asking if I like Coin Locker Kid and James Ferraro. I do! But even if I now make hip-hop I listen to everything. And I’ll fuse all kinds of music styles. And then you’ll catch me listening to Merzbow, and then to Britney Spears. It’s no problem for me.
RAG: Listening to the album all the way through, it almost seems like a concept record. Is that right?
The thing about the track list is that it just sort of happened. While you can certainly search for a storyline, my original goal was to create a collection of self-contained stories that elaborate on 21st-century reality. I framed it as a narrative, but truthfully, it's more of a somber reflection on the idea that, despite the vast number of words at our disposal, it's nearly impossible to fully articulate our most complex thoughts without distorting their true meaning. That’s why the opening track is a nonsensical quote, and the final track doesn’t have a title. But I don’t want to ruin experience to anyone, I love all kinds of interpretations. I want everyone to interpret this record however they want.
RAG: This record feels like a big undertaking. Did it take you long to put this together?
6 years. Too long but at the same time very necessary. I knew no one can do this record for me, I had to learn how to properly mix to do it myself. I guess I also move just a bit slow but there you go.
RAG: Do you record these at a home studio?
Some parts yes, but mostly was recorded in the old recording studio I used to work at as an intern. Those guys later helped me with shooting my music videos.
RAG: Do you take these songs on tour or are you performing live at all?
Yes! I’m performing 16th of August at Paper Dress Vintage in London! And also 31st in Dalston, things are getting exciting. My concept of live shows is really more of like a performance, I want the audience to be focused and in tune with themselves.
RAG: Some of this record felt very personal and gave a lot of layers. Was it cathartic for you to write and release this?
More like relieved I was finally able to finish it! But even then, I could pick apart those layers and point at their imperfections, but I remember someone said: records aren’t usually finished - they’re abandoned. My obsessive perfectionism led to places I never knew I could go, like recording this album on a cassette tape and bouncing it back to digital. But yes, lots of the songs display some really anguished feelings. But once I get them out, I no longer treat them as my current struggles. I truly explored the subject, and I moved on. I guess if I didn’t have music, I would never be able to move on.
RAG: The release comes with some music videos that are as experimental as the music itself! Did you put these together on your own?
Yes, I edited them myself. Guys from 3/4 Studio build a transparent cage that fills up with smoke, hired studios and found the ballerina for the video. I directed them too; I knew exactly what I wanted.
RAG: Are you working on anything new even now? What can we expect from you next?
I want to keep showing the retrofuture from my debut record and let everyone experience it their own preferred way. This connects to my 'rabbit hole’ and ‘mankind medicine’ projects, if you know you know. I want this album to transcend language really. I know my album got some traction in Asia too, which is really crazy! I just want to keep pushing now and not lose the momentum.
RAG: Before we go, is there anything you would like to express to the people that listen and understand the music?
I want you to explore music that is not only in English. There’s a whole world of music out there where you never expect. If you’re excuse is that you don’t get the lyrics, plenty of people listen to english songs without understanding them. Or not even pay attention quite frankly, because the feeling is what it counts. Soyol Erdene is a great band, it’s just what I’m saying.
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