Capitol K, born Kristian Robinson, earned well-deserved hype as some sort of prodigy with his first two albums on Planet Mu and XL Records. With Nomad Junk, he has finally proven himself to be a mad genius of sorts, having already become reclusive when he founded Faith & Industry (at least mad, anyway, as the promo for this album showed up only with a handwritten note from Kristian on free Crown Plaza Hotels & Resorts stationary...that made me chuckle). I had thought his first self-release, Happy Happy, seemed like a total misstep on its own, but, in light of the consistent bliss that is Junk, it obviously was a step in a new, artistically profitable direction. After his first two heavily electronic glitch breaks/trip-hop LPs, the decidedly more organic and happier Happy² was something of a let down, despite or because of the massive shift from digital to analog, depending on your preference. Either way, the outcome was a largely forgettable happiness concept album that didn't really do anyone any favors. You can sure see where he was going with this album, though. Taking bits of sampled street scenes and environmental field recordings from several Asian countries, Malta, and Barcelona, Capitol K combines the better analog aspects of Happy with the raunchy, acid electronics of his early years here to come out of nowhere and challenge Four Tet for the folktronica crown (compare "Hong Kong" or the drum-and-bass-meets-indie-rock "Cosmopolis" to anything off Rounds and see). As sad as I am to see the old "City" K gone, Nomad Junk is the confirmation of Kristian as an evolving artist, trying new things, finding himself, and coming into his own...in fine style, too. More, please!
1. Jamboree
2. Hong Kong
3. Kowloon
4. Can't Lie Down
5. Taipei
6. Cosmopolis
7. Pan Continental
8. The Slow Ones
9. Tokyo Sandstorm
10. House Of Representatives
11. Barcelona
12. Proto-Guitar
More about: Capitol K
