Klaus Von Barrel is the mastermind behind The KVB, a musical project that fully encapsulates the darkness that is inherently found in the shoegaze sound. The KVB is based in the UK (London/South Hampton), and has a strong presence there in the independent post punk and dark wave scenes. Von Barrel’s somber, mysterious lyrics, clever lo-fi synth work and post punk attitude combine to create a dark shoegazey force to be reckoned with.
Von Barrel started The KVB in 2010, initially as a solo project; later his girlfriend Kat joined on synths and vocals, which led to The KVB evolving into a full-fledged recording and touring band. Their sound is a mixture of influences, from kraut rock, shoe gaze, industrial, psychedelic, post punk, and so on. The post punk tag tends to be the most prevalent – The KVB is often likened to Joy Division in reviews and by the media. As usual, this is far too lazy of an assessment; listeners will find The KVB much too complex to pigeonhole so easily. It is also worth mentioning that Von Barrel is the lead member of Die Jungen, a retro dark pop band with a cinematic style, as well.
Since 2010, The KVB has released a handful of EPs and singles, as well as two full length albums, Subjection/Subordination (2011) and Always Then (2012) (both via Clan Destine Records). The latter, Always Then, has only just been recently released and already it’s receiving significant critical acclaim from fans and tastemakers in all genres – a good sign that the LP is on its way to classic status. Check out The KVB via the bandcamp page to stream some music and get a feel for what it’s all about – it’s irresistible stuff.
Links:
- http://thekvb.bandcamp.com
- http://thekvb.tumblr.com
- http://twitter.com/#!/TheKVB
- http://www.vimeo.com/thekvb
- thekvb@gmail.com
- http://www.facebook.com/thekvb1
