Listen on Spotify HERE, and on Apple Music HERE.
Crafting heavenly walls of sound, Klangstof wowed NME and Zane Lowe on the back of debut track "Hostage", with the former describing Klangstof as a combination of "the production tendencies of Abel Tesfaye and the soaring beauty of Sigur Ros.†The past months have seen Klangstof reveal further intricate sonic beauties. The April double release of “Amansworld" and "Island" served to heighten excitement around the newcomer, with Noisey calling the former "a lilting psych-kissed tune that sounds like lust and anxiety baked in the late-afternoon summer heat". “We Are Your Receiver†was revealed in early July, a euphoric stadium ready track which Consequence Of Sound dubbed “as lush as rainforests". The album itself has been a long time coming. Speaking on the release, Koen van de Wardt states: "It feels like the album has been inside my head for a good five years now. Some songs have been around since I was a teenager, but I never felt confident enough as a producer/bandleader to work on them. My confidence kept on growing until the point where I was forced to form a band to perform at a Dutch indie festival called Grasnapolsky. "
As much as "Hostage" was the starting point for Klangstof in the public sense, it very much was for van de Wardt also. Describing his earliest demos as " very digital", it was "Hostage" which saw Klangstof begin to combine minimalist beats with retro synthesizers, acoustic drums and guitars in a bid to develop what he calls " a hybrid machine"- synths and drums working in unison to create to beautiful thunderstorm that can be heard on " Hostage".
Formerly a bass player in one of Holland's premier bands, Moss, self taught guitarist Koen yearned to create music in isolation, to craft his own sound. An admiration for Radiohead is clear but is far from defining. A fan of the likes of Kaytranada, James Blake and Kendrick Lamar, Klangstof features sounds from a broad range of influences and the album is reflective of his personal growth. “A lot of the album is about me growing up as a person. Moving back from peaceful Norway where my family still lives, to the Netherlands where I basically had to start all over again for the second time (after having moved from Holland to Norway as a child). I learned a lot about myself during this period. Finding out that I enjoy isolation, and that I get very unstable when not being able to make music for a few days. Lyrically it is very much an album I had to write to move on. All the weight I’ve been carrying around is out now. I had to lay this foundation to move on. It feels great, because from here I can really go anywhere for the next album.â€
Upcoming Live Dates:
9/10 – Bergen, Norway – Perfect Sounds Forever
9/22 – Hamburg, Germany – Dutch Impact Party @ Reeperbahn Festival
9/23 – Hamburg, Germany – Reeperbahn Festival
10/4 – London, UK – Pigeons & Planes – No Ceilings @ The Camden Assembly
10/8 – Munich, Germany – Manic Street Parade Festival
10/12 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Paridiso Noord
10/25 – Paris, France – Pitchfork Avant-Garde Festival North American Dates with Jagwar Ma
11/3 - Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge
11/7 - Toronto, ON - Hoxton
11/8 - Montreal, QC - Fairmount
11/9 - Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall
11/11 - Philadelphia, PA - The Foundry
11/12 - New York, NY - Webster Hall