There’s something distinctly unique about Kierkegaard. In the same way that Bowie (who we can hear is a very clear influence on Kierkegaard) was one who followed his own path, Kierkegaard is someone who is producing music that is distinctly Kierkegaard. The music is eccentric art rock. It is unique and quirky and stands firmly in the self belief of a true artist following their own path.
Kierkegaard lives in Kent, but is originally from South Korea. Perhaps this huge difference in cultures and the experiences that he has had is the reason for the development of such a unique sound. It makes sense that his experiences would be different to most.
The thing that drew us to Dependent Personality Disorder in the first places is the start of the song. The vocals have been reversed and until you figure that out, you’re left wondering what on earth language you’re listening to. This really draws in the listener and forces you to pay attention – great idea!
Dependent Personality Disorder is absolutely bathed in reverbs, making the song sound just a little distant, perhaps a little haunting and uncomfortable. Dependent Personality Disorder is filled with synths, layered guitars and sound effects, with a solid drum track underneath.
In the middle of the track, at around 2 minutes in, you’re treated to an interesting section where the top and bottom of the EQ have been filtered out. It draws your attention in and serves to maintain interest. The vocals in this section are even more distant and you’re constantly left wondering where this extremely individual artist will take you next.
Kierkegaard has some surprising and brief moments of falsetto in the closing sections of the song. Moving seemingly effortlessly from a belted vocal into a falsetto and back again. There’s a few really quirky choices of notes in the vocals and if it wasn’t for the fact we’ve started to get the hang of Kierkegaard’s music we might think that there were pitching issues. Some of the note choices are just plain odd! But… they do work. In an inexplicable way, Kierkegaard has managed to produce a timeless art rock track that oozes individuality. In the same style as the previous song we reviewed, Luna Moonlight, we struggled to discern any lyrics, but perhaps in that kind of Bowie/ Sting style, this was intentional?
From a production perspective we’d suggest removing anything below 35Hz. Most home stereos can’t cope with these frequencies and you’ll gain more headroom in the rest of the track if you filter them out. We’d also suggest a low pass around 3kHz, two wide cuts in the mids and high mids, centred around 600Hz and 4kHz. A boost of the top 1.5 octaves will add in some brightness.
There’s always room in our hearts for an artist that is following their own path. One who breaks the rules and one with the self belief to know that they may not garner the fanbase of someone who plays predictable 3 chord country songs, but is nonetheless being true to their own artistry.