Previously unreleased b-side “Baby Are You In?” from Kristin Kontrol is available today via all DSP’s worldwide from Sub Pop.
Kristin says of the track, “”Baby Are You In?” was recorded during the X-Communicate sessions and I really regret not including it on the album. It was super fun to make – Kurt Feldman and I let loose on the production, trying to pin down that nebulous aggression from Evil Heat-era Primal Scream, but let it cork off the party at the end. It’s my favorite to perform live; I really feel the lyrics…’I wake up with the sun on my face, I call this moment “morning grace.’ I wanna kiss the light cuz it’s one day later, the night’s lost its tenure, I slept off my failure.’”
Kristin Kontrol’s X-Communicate was released in late May to mass critical praise. Highlighting the singular quality of Kristin’s voice and songwriting, the album moves effortlessly between tempo and mood, using genre rather than adhering to it. “There are sparkly synth ballads and icy New Wave tunes, and Welchez finds her inner Kate Bush behind the microphone. But it all makes sense because the whole record is so relentlessly, meticulously catchy that it coheres in ways few albums this varied could,” says the Los Angeles Times. Pitchfork also praised X-Communicate for its “sleek synth pop,” crowning its title track Best New Song. Idolator called it one of “the best pop albums of 2016.”
“She’s hitting reset, forcing us to rise to the occasion and see female creators as something more than our preconceptions,” said MTV News. Stereogum observed, “X-Communicate and the evolution into Kristin Kontrol show Welchez becoming an absolute machine when it comes to hooks.” “Yes, this is a dance-pop record, but think a modern spin on Kate Bush’s The Hounds of Love, Siouxsie and the Banshees’ Tinderbox,” noted Under the Radar.
What people are saying about X-Communicate:
“She leans in heavily, indulging the upper register of her voice for swooning hooks, often backed by lush synths or brass arrangements…Drastic shifts like this aren’t easy to pull off, but Welchez has the chops and talent to succeed with Kristin Kontrol.” – Consequence of Sound
“X-Communicate came out this May and features glossy production, synths, sax and bubbly melodies. From ecstatic lead single and title track “X-Communicate” and club-ready “Skin Shed,” the album is an ode to a world of influences outside the classic rock realm. – Nylon
“A collection of pulsing synths, bouncing beats and empowering vocals, “X-Communicate’” may have seen Kristin Kontrol strip away her former image, but it’s left the singer’s sonic presence stronger than ever.” – CLASH
“Welchez holds nothing back…a powerful, genre-defying debut that fuses together everything from synth-pop to reggae, layered with melodic vocals for instant dance floor-worth hits.” – Hollywood Reporter“
“Her debut album, X-Communicate, provides a strong introduction to Kristin’s new moniker, nailing that hard-to-find soft spot between bright, fiery guitars, glistening synths and immediate radio hooks….Kristin Kontrol rides in a lane of her own.” – Bullett
“Kristin hails from an alternative-universe ‘80s, her synth-heavy songs evoking the haunt of Billy Idol’s “Eyes Without A Face,” the brash righteousness of Laura Branigan, and the windswept melancholy of Madonna’s darker balladry.” – MOJO
“Plenty of bands draw on ’80s new wave and synthpop for inspiration, but few do so while also crafting songs as solid as Kristin Kontrol…smart synth-siren.” – Alternative Press
“X-Communicate is the rare album that can actually claim influence from Krautrock, bubblegum pop and Enya alike without eliciting eye-rolls.” – PASTE
