Kleptokrat - The View at Bethlehem
Brooklyn’s art-rock outfit Kleptokrat premieres the music video for “The View at Bethlehem” on Rawkcus.
Kleptokrat | Photo: Julia Drummond
The song is from the band’s latest EP, Momentarily, to Grace, which portrays the touring experience as analogous to flying, susceptible to unexpected turbulence. The EP’s intriguing title – Momentarily, to Grace – was, well, borrowed. According to bassist Danilo Randjic-Coleman, “We stole it from Jimmy Carter’s press secretary’s obit.”
The band’s name is from the term “kleptocracy,” a society whose leaders make themselves wealthy and powerful by means of stealing from those they govern. In effect, the name is the band’s way of acknowledging their own musical petty larceny, that of adopting elements from a variety of genres to create their own sound, which is sui generis.
Or as Coleman puts it so neatly, “It felt like our Kleptokracy consisted of taking inspiration from all these different influences and putting them into our own musical stew.”
Taylor’s voice, crystalline and cashmere, delivers a delicious inflection, imbuing the lyrics with tender compassion and quixotic charm.
The origin of the band occurred in 2016, when Coleman pulled together a group of musicians to perform the songs he had composed. A kind of alchemy, or musical chemistry took place, and Kleptokrat was born, consisting of Coleman, Teagan Taylor (vocals, lyrics), Alex Carter (sax), Graham Galatro (guitar), and Walker Esner (drums).
Kleptokrat’s sound encompasses anything and everything, including rock, jazz, metal, Afrobeat, soul, and psychedelic, along with Taylor’s pop-flavored hooks.
“The View at Bethlehem” rides a creamy, oozing jazz-flavored melody featuring a cool percolating sax exuding velvety textures. Gleaming guitar riffs infuse tight, stylish accents, as the bass line and drums provide a polished rhythm, measured and undulating. Carter’s lush sax solo gives the tune a bluesy spectral mood.
Taylor’s voice, crystalline and cashmere, delivers a delicious inflection, imbuing the lyrics with tender compassion and quixotic charm.
“The View at Bethlehem” fuses washes of posh jazz with savors of dream-pop surfaces, resulting in resonant gliding energy.
