Kuhn Fu - Kuhnspiracy

Picture the scenario a cross between the Rock In Opposition movement, Jazz-Rock, and throw in a huge dosage of the Avant-Rock genre, you’ve got yourself a strange dosage to make sure you add a bit of humor into the music. That and one of the most strangest and insane bands I’ve listened to called Kuhn Fu. They formed five years ago in the Netherlands and carrying the torches between Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart, Magma, Univers Zero, and King Crimson.

They have toured seven countries and performed 100 countries over. They don’t want to take themselves too seriously. The music and the band describe that their music deals with failure, death and humanity. Their second album, Kuhnspiracy is not just one of the maddest and scariest albums I’ve listened to, but for me, a Holy Shit album! The band recorded the album in about two days last year at the Clouds Hill Studios in Hamburg.

And from the moment I put the CD on, I was hooked right from the get-go. I can imagine they are continuing where Don Van Vliet had left off during the continuation of the Trout Mask Replica sessions. The band considers Christian Achim Kuhn who is not just a guitarist, but also a composer who wrote the material on the album. Alongside Christian himself, Ziv Taubenfeld on Bass Clarinet, Esat Ekincioglu on Double Bass, and Lav Kovac on Drums.

Featuring the odd signatures, blaring noises, operatic vocals, and snarling noises from the double bass and bass clarinet, it feels that it reminded me of something straight out of a short silent film directed by the late great Luis Bunuel as if they recorded a score for either Un Chien Andalou or L’Age d’Or. The screeching sounds from Taubenfeld’s Clarinet, growling yet roaring guitars and late ‘60s vibration at times done by Kuhn himself, along with Esat and Lav’s droning and jazzier double Bass and Drumming, they create this mind-blowing work at times it’s weird, raw, and insane.

I will admit, Kuhnspiracy is not an easy album to listen to, but since I'm very new to the music of Kuhn Fu, they have blown me away. They took everything in the kitchen sink and made it powerful, mind-boggling, and in your face. However, be prepare to turn this up very loud and you will be ready to be surprised when it make you leap at certain moments and terrifying sounds like a volcanic eruption ready to explode at any minute.