Yeah, I know, I’m not a very funny person. I spend too much time listening to music, reading books, watching movies, surfing the net and reviewing records. When I go out, it’s to go to gigs, to get drunk or to watch birds I will never catch. That’s probably why I’m grateful to Sack und Blumm for having brought to me some very entertaining music. Fear not, you don’t have to be as antisocial as I am to be “entertained”...

Seemingly, Harald “Sack” Ziegler and Frank Schültge Blumm spend some time alone in their houses too since their collaboration is described as an “homerecording project”. See, those two fine artists never met for the recording process of Kind Kind (same goes with their two previous albums): Blumm recorded something from his Berlin home and sent it over to Sack in Cologne who sent the tape back to Blumm and so on... Both are classically trained musicians (Sack on french horn and Blumm on guitar) and more than the work of electronic artists, Kind Kind is a work of “real” musicians. Most of the time, the instruments are played live on the multitrack recording, building up the songs gradually. This one of the reasons why this album sounds very warm (as opposed to the coldness of many processed and sequenced works).

Both Sack and Blumm basically use any instruments they can get their hands on: tabla, knitting needle, toy drums and piano, horn, melodica (very often) and, maybe most of all, kalimba (I have a couple at home, it makes me feel like trying them). These very varied sort of sounds are mixed together with a lot of talent and an ear for great harmonies. If I had to pick a few memorable songs, it would have to be Bedroom seven (sounds like a classy version of a 80’s TV-show’s music), Maria Mbira, the beautiful Baby bad bug (great kalimba line, nice baby [?] sample, cute xylophone) and Shop beats. Special mention should go to the last two tracks. First, Anna Bory is a very nice work thanks to a sing-along horn line and the great association of tabla and kalimba. Then comes album-closer and titletrack Kind Kind. Soundwise, one of the richest tunes on the CD. Somewhat nostalgic and very evocative (evoking what? I don’t know, hear for yourself).

Unfortunately, some of the songs are not as magic as the aforementioned ones. But still, Kind Kind is a very good CD. It will be released late august and is the perfect release for warm September nights.