Review
Written across multiple European stops and recorded with a magpie’s gathering of localized instruments, Kit Sebastian’s Brainfeeder debut wrestles with the tension of modern globalism without sacrificing an ounce of groove. The London-based duo of Kit Martin and Merve Erdem have long synthesized international traditions, but New Internationale sharpens that borderless vision into something both deliberate and stylish.
Critics continue to praise their seamless historical fusions, with Treble noting how the project neatly "swirls Anatolian rock alongside French yé-yé and Brazilian tropicalia." The underlying mood is consistently alluring, characterized by microtonal bass rhythms and what Cone Magazine describes as a "cinematic, psychedelic, and distinctly European sound." Leaning into dark espionage jazz and vibrant retro-pop, the meticulously layered instrumentation feels remarkably sleek.
Beneath these lush, cosmopolitan aesthetics lies a purposeful edge. PopMatters hails the record as a "robust pop masterpiece" that delivers a "fiery interrogation of the many layers of desire that make up contemporary life." Singing in both Turkish and English, Erdem channels dislocation and ideological anxiety, anchoring a sophisticated expedition that is as rhythmically intoxicating as it is intellectually fierce.
