Kilamanzego | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Kilamanzego’s new song “the edge of twilight” continues to innovate and impress
West Philly electronic soundscaper Kilamanzego just released a new song, “the edge of twilight,” a collaboration with Atlanta’s Skullkid. The song is already attracting attention on Kilamanzego’s Soundcloud and once again their electronic collage of dance beats, eclectic samples, and masterfully layered sound has made for another fan favorite. Over the past year, Kilamanzego has been releasing their own signature brand of unique beats that combine their history as a instrumentalist, punk band member, and music obsessive. They are devoted to their sound and dive into every track with laser focus. “the edge of twilight” is no exception.
The sparkly beat begins builds from a spacious opening to a vibrant triplet-feel mid-section. It feel like for each second that passes, Kilamanzego adds a new layer, takes one away, skip, and flips the song around. It’s a sound in motion that surprises you from start to finish. At the 1:20 mark, the sound opens up and sampled vocals flit through the background. It’s merged back into the opening sound, now with more energy, and the tight three-minute piece comes to a buzzing conclusion. Really, this is a song you could listen to a thousand times over and hear something new each time.
Kilamanzego is known for her undulating sonic textures and in an interview with the Key last March, remarked “I’ll stretch sounds to an unrecognizable state, record stuff using a hand-held device, pitch things up and down, or I’ll mangle it with some effects processing. I never apply just one technique every time.” They advocate for a broader definition of trap music today and encourage listeners to tune into a beat before dismissing it. “Did you not just hear that vulture and pin drop sound combined playing in reverse? That’s the hi hat. Genius!”
Kilamanzego’s passion for electronic music is as infectious as the sounds themselves and surely someone who is so passionate will continue to produce invigorating music. That’s what Kilamanzego does — they invigorate. They give life to synthetic sound — informed by their years as an instrumentalist and family’s roots in Ghana — until it forms a heartbeat all its own.
Check out Kilamanzego and Skullkid’s new single “the edge of twilight” below.