Erudite and open-minded in their knowledge and passion for music from all over the world, as well as being fanatics of movie soundtracks – as evident by their Instagram posts – Kit Sebastian are primarily a duo of Turkish-born vocalist Merve Erdem and French-British musician Kit Martin but also have regular help from drummer Theo Guttenplan and double bassist David Richardson. As their new album title suggests, New Internationale is an album that embraces the idea of migration, whether musically or on an everyday life level. The concept concocted by Kit Sebastian during the long tour schedule and is also expressed in their social media post entitled 5 films we love on the theme of migration.
Despite many influences though, Kit Sebastian somehow form their own cohesive identity in an album that through Merve Erdem’s exotic and talented vigour and Kit Martin’s choice of nostalgic and culturally rich instruments (Turkish clarinet, santour, oud, gangsa, zither, harpsichord are some examples) make it consistently alluring and entertaining and held together in an adequate package of ten adventurous yet replayable tracks.
‘Göç/Me’ and ‘Metropolis’ express the central theme to the pretty well. ‘Metropolis‘ takes the perspective of an artist moving to foreign country and how they want to both belong in the new city and hope it’s a place where they can make money from their creativity. “Easiest way is to departure, change of scenery might do the trick.” As singer Merve Edem is now based in London, the line “toss your fears into the depths of North Sea,” could be a thought that she had when taking the leap of faith into having a life in the UK. With a woodblock keys, psych fuzz, samba rhythm and applying a technique in multiplying voices to sound a choir, it’s a charming track. The group have always been influenced by Azerbaijani music and this a track that they admitted is influenced by the melodies of that genre.
Instantly addictive single ‘Bul Bul Bul’ is inspired by Indonesian music instead. It’s cleverly takes Merve Edem’s native Turkish language tongue and puts over the top of the Indonesian instrument bonang. However the pairing of a Middle Eastern vocals with a funk twang and the way the bonang is performed makes it sound like Israeli musician Liraz if she was partying in the swinging sixties. ‘Göç / Me’ and ‘Ellerin Ellerimde’ also hear Edem sing in Turkish; on the latter – which translates as “Your hands are in mine” Martin performs a groovy rock and roll guitar riff behind analogue synths and Edem’s vocals, before the sounds of crowds can be heard. This field sound is appropriate when knowing that New Internationale is inspired by the sounds Kit Sebastian heard during their touring as well as the people they encountered, showing that not only do Kit Sebastian connect with their music but they also empathize with the people.
Recorded in the French countryside, a place where Kit Martin spent much of his childhood, New Internationale also gives Martin opportunities for singing moments. Working well as an opener because Merve Edem’s theatrical passion instantly pulls listeners in (although she is even wilder on The Last Dinner Party flavoured ‘The Kiss’), ‘Faust’ also includes Martin’s voice in a subdued yet Serge Gainsbourg tone. Subsequent track ‘Camouflage’ works better as a duet; with the pairing sounding somewhere between Captain and Morabeza Tobacco.
By the time you have reached the title track closer ‘New Internationale‘, you will already feel like you have been accompanying Kit Sebastian on their world travelling journeys, but a multi-chapter sound awaits. After zither gives it a Portishead vibe and the flutes and Italian analog synth give it a woozy psychedelia, listeners undergo a hypnotic spell with Merve Edem incantating: “From ashes of history is born a time without fracture and disappointed desires / Projection of existential and new romantic history rendered obsolete / collective salvation in the making before the mention of the New Internationale”. The intellectual words and position at the end of the record make this sound like a mantra they brewed on their tours and that they would like to share in an effort to connect the world together.
