Describing the album as being written “with the smell of kelp always in the air”, Jean’s Hill makes a meaningful statement. It tells us that he’s greatly influenced by his surroundings. In other words, his art is informed by his life path. Moving to a small South African coastal town with his growing family, the talented musician had time and space to build a compelling instrumental record, the kind of album that’s difficult to categorize. It’s electronic but in a vintage sense. It could definitely be a video game soundtrack, as it reminds us of the Mario Bros. soundtrack energy and it exudes a light 8-bit flair to it.
Tilted ‘The Kelp Diaries’ – naturally – the record engages the listener over five theatrical, melodramatic pieces. ‘Scatter’ is perhaps the most cinematic effort on it, making big use of standard orchestral elements, such as piano and strings. This creates a stark contrast with other artificial episodes on the album, such as ‘Beetle’.
Describing the idea behind the record, Jean’s Hill explains: “I’ve lived my life with words – I was reading books way before I entered school, and eventually I made a career with words. First as a journalist/columnist, then as a scriptwriter for TV and films. Telling a five-act story without any words, only through the five tracks contained in this EP, was a wonderful challenge. I hope each self-contained song, as well as the whole, will be testament to that.”
Recommended! Discover ‘The Kelp Diaries’ on Spotify:
