For those uninitiated Kristin Kontrol is the new musical endeavour from Kristin Welchez, (aka Dee Dee, leader of internationally acclaimed rock outfit Dum Dum Girls).
Melding new wave with synth pop and infectious cosmic disco, Kristin Kontrol is today unveiling her debut solo album X-Communicate.
With Kristin Kontrol, Dee Dee made the decisive move to shed her skin, and ditch Dee Dee – the name she had assumed for the Dum Dum Girls – for her given name, Kristin.
This new project sees Kristin define herself artistically. “For me as leader of Dum Dum Girls it felt very stoic and serious, and I am serious, but anyone who really knows me knows I’m silly, too; I smile a lot,” explains Kristin. “As the years went on, it was so weird that I kept so much of me out of what I was doing creatively.”
To celebrate this impressive release, Kristin has penned a track by track run down of the record which you can check out along with the LP stream below check it out. X-Communicate is out today via Inertia/ Sub Pop.
Show Me
I didn’t write songs with intention with the exception of this one. I tried to tap back into the simplicity of my earlier stuff — born of a novice but resulting indirectness.
I also wanted to, for a change, write a positive song, something that would encourage universally. It felt good. Oh, also it was really fun to arrange saxophone!
White Street
I started with the guitar riff and it just skies high from there. I’ve never written such a narrative song before.
I’m basically just recounting an evening, line by line. My favorite part, sort of self-indulgent, is that in the first verse I mention walking “the length of four Eno songs” and then in the outro I name them off.
The producer, Kurt, really nailed how to sort of “accessorize” with shoegaze guitar elements, which I then mirrored in the vocals.
Don’t Wannabe
This song was a puzzle for Kurt and I. I had written about five different parts and we had to whittle them down to the most important. I love the looped Enya-esque vocals in the intro.
I wrote the guitar lead and Kurt played it even more beautifully than I expected. And my reverse guitar solo — why not? My favorite part, and maybe why I consider this my best song to date, is how it falls into “I don’t wanna be your friend tonight, call me your love one more time” … it only happens once but I mean it the most.
X-Communicate
When recruiting my two new producers, Kurt Feldman, and Andrew Miller, this is the song I sent them a demo to reimagine.
They both came back with really strong, really different versions, and I knew we would make a great record together.
Skin Shed
I wrote this was pretty late into the writing session, and it was really just an experiment in dance music. I figured if there was a classic “girl group” chord progression (cue quite a few DDG songs!) there was probably a classic house chord progression.
I ended up reading a ton of stuff on Attack Magazine’s website and then losing eight hours of my night to experimentation. Andrew was able to navigate my demo and put together something compelling and entertainment.
Fun fact: in some of the backup vocals I reference an interview with Stevie Nicks and anarticle on Nina Simone that both touched on the solitary artist’s life.
Drive The Night
When Andrew brought in the neo-Motown vibe a la Edwin Collins’ brilliant “Girl Like You” I was so psyched. That fuzzy guitar lead is so key too.
What Is Love
I wanted a straight up stunner of a piano ballad. I rewrote the verses to this song, both melodically and lyrically, probably fives times before landing on the final version.
I think anyone who has drowned their emotions in working non-stop will feel this. The line “it’s just a balance of holding on and letting go” feels like it’s my mantra these days. My favorite part, though? The moving guitar solo Kurt added — gives me goosebumps. Plus all the sparkling sythns supporting it.
Face 2 Face
This was a real weird song that lacked the pop appeal I’ve always sought so I reworked the verses and landed on something that supported the call-and-response style chorus.
Instrumentation wise, I told Andrew to reference the heavy percussion of The Creatures. Aside from some minor flanged guitar and the pulsing kinda dubby bass, that’s really all it is aside from a lot of layered vocals.
I wrote the little lead line on keyboard originally, but Andrew took it where it should be on guitar. The bridge was a late addition and when that moving bass comes in, damn if I’m not satisfied as fuck. Is this my “I’m Coming Out” ?
“Going Thru The Motions”
The first line of this song references The Ear Inn, which has a giant ear statue mounted on its wall. It was a literal thing that lent itself to something metaphorical. This song is supposed to take you on a virtual walk around downtown NYC. I really did look up on day and see graffiti that said LOVE IS ALL. Finally got in a modulation as well.
Smoke Rings
We were down to the last two days of mixing the album but I still felt like a song was missing. I’d tried reworking a reject from Too True but it wasn’t working for me, so I took its sentiment and wrote a new one.
I sent Andrew a frantic email (he’d already returned to LA after a month in NYC with me) and a minimal demo and asked him to just “do his thing.” It felt good to trust him so implicitly and he quickly sent back something that was perfect. I think I realized then that I’d found my music partner.
I’ve never been too collaborative before this album, and I found it so rewarding. Seeing how he and Kurt took my songs to just wildly new and different places — it was practically spiritual for me.
