Emerging from Naarm/Melbourne, KITTLING is the creative outfit of queer audio-visual artist and analog synth enthusiast Alex Brittan, a constant explorer of sonic formulas and aesthetic goodness. Championing a personal project under the moniker KITTLING, the Aussie talent writes and produces music that feels bubbly, exciting and modern, while anchored in tradition.
‘Wax’ – Brittan’s latest single – is perhaps the clearest example of that. Sharing a strong disco-pop aesthetic, the record incorporated a plethora of diverse influences, from 80s Italo-disco to the grooviest funk tunes. What matters though, is KITTLING’s ability to frame his dynamic and luscious vocals in the perfect environment, a place where his passion for synthesisers really flourishes.
Intrigued by the project, we caught up with Brittan to find out more about his artistry and future goals. Interview below!
Hey KITTLING, how is it going? some of our readers might not be familiar with your project, how would you describe yourself, in a few words?
Hey Mesmerized, I’m good and hope you all are good too! I’d describe myself and my music as retro, funky and silly.
Your current work is the result of a long journey; What first drew you to making music?
I really like music’s capacity to re-engage your mind and your body. I feel like modern life kinda divorces your brain and your body sometimes, and sometimes you get a bit trapped in your own thoughts. Music helps realign your thinking and feeling and gets them talking again – or it does for me!
You are returning to music after a two years hiatus. Was it voluntary of forced? Do you feel refreshed and inspired again?
Definitely voluntary! I swing between feeling refreshed and inspired and being focused and working hard. With music-making, the inspiration and the work it takes to transform it into a reality are never too far away from each other. They’re like siblings… one is very serious, studious and thoughtful, and the other is carefree and silly and lives in the moment. They’re competitive, but also complementary. I’m currently trying to let the carefree sibling take over more often and more fully though!
You recently released a vintage-infused single, ‘Wax’. Where did the inspiration for it come from? Are there any specific artists you looked up to?
Initially, I got inspired by Tom Tom Club’s track “Genius of Love” (famously sampled in Mariah Carey’s “Fantasy” and others), and I was learning guitar at the time as well. So I started by making a looped, funky guitar lick and then building all the elements from there. I tend to overthink songwriting, so I forced myself to write the simplest song I could, using an ABABCB structure. It was a cool experiment and led to something different for me!
I was listening to a lot great 80s pop/rock that integrated analog synths and sound design elements, like David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” album. I definitely look up to a lot of artists and producers from that era and really enjoy the type of songwriting that was popular then too. I gravitate towards simple melodies that are decorated with cool sounds and textures, and that’s what inspired ‘Wax’.
Do you feel more confident writing music alone, or within a team?
I normally write alone, but I’m currently writing with other artists and enjoying how collaboration necessitates both invention and compromise. I think it’s good to explore options you would’ve never imagined, and to have restrictions or guidelines to work within too, they both trigger really creative solutions!
How’s the music scene in Naarm (Melbourne)? Any fellow artists we should check out?
Naarm’s music scene is saturated with talent! There are a couple of local acts I really love, but one is Assteroid, a female-fronted rock band that’s known for their lyricism and super fun live shows. My friend B.C. Slumber makes really amazing ambient music utilising modular synths, they are Naarm’s own Brian Eno in the making.
Artistically speaking, what challenges have the last two years presented you with?
The pandemic and everything that went with it presented super obvious mental health challenges, but it’s really just access to people and opportunities that was really hard! How do you build networks and connect with people when you’re living through lockdown after lockdown? The cost of living and other socio-economic factors have contributed to a lot of hardship and instability in the music industry and beyond, so it’ll be interesting to see how the local scene changes and adapts in response to all that in 2023.
Artistically, like I said, the mental health challenges created the biggest obstacles – it’s just hard to feel creative or know what you want to say with music when you go through something like what we all just went through. And asking questions like, what kind of art is valuable? Something that cheers people up, or something serious? No right answer really!
What are the next steps for your project? Anything exciting on the horizon?
Yeah, I’m preparing for the next single! Something a little more sumptuous and atmospheric, I can tell you it has a gorgeous sax solo at the end. I’m just keen to put music out regularly without stressing about it. That’s the vibe for 2023.
RECOMMENDED!
