FROM THE KITES OF SAN QUENTIN

Words by Ben Blackburn

As I fortunately reside in Manchester, I have the luxury of existing within a music scene that not only has a highly esteemed history, but that also continues to produce a constant stream of innovative and ambitious bands. There is a current crop of musicians within the Manchester scene that are sure to stir a great deal of excitement during 2012, and From the Kites of San Quentin are one of them.

Their debut EP, ‘Mitochondria’, was released on the band’s own label This City is Ours in November last year, and it was met with widespread critical acclaim, with special mentions in Artrocker and Drowned in Sound. With many publications making note of From the Kites of San Quentin’s mastery over dubstep influences and electronic undercurrents, the band brought this to life during their EP launch within the walls of Salford’s vibrantly atmospheric Sacred Trinity Church (see below video). Packed to the rafters, the performance demonstrated how the band could quite so expertly transfer this fine blend of mesmerizing synths and guitar noises to the live arena.

‘Stoopid’ is a stand out highlight from the EP; built up of a haze of distorted percussion and electronics, Alison Carney’s vocals are then warped around this fuzzy sonic vein to create a galvanizing structure within the track. It’s impossible to truly pigeon-hole From the Kites of San Quentin’s sound, and with the band’s debut album out this year, there are no limits to what new sonic experiences they can create.