Nina Kraviz - Pain in the Ass

  • Share
  • Capping off an incredible 2009, Nina Kraviz arrives on one of the first imprints that spotted her: Rekids. Kraviz's debut 12-inch for Matt Edwards' celebrated label is centered around the title track, which starts out like a normal hypno-techno track before Kraviz begins to de-center things by spouting a bit of philosophical babble over top. Her voice is the irresistible force to the beat's immovable object, giving a tension to the proceedings that ups the ante even further. Reminiscent of Und's "Maxfield" or Elektrochemie's "Mucky Star," it's clear that there's just something about having a slightly unhinged female narrator wax poetic over a beat. (No doubt a "Techno Vocals"-esque parody is in the works.) You hesitate to bring sex into the equation with these things, but B-side "I'm Gonna Get You" demands it: The lyrics are raunchy, and Kraviz herself says that "sex is very important to the type of image that you create." Here, though, she seems to be taking the piss out of it all, adopting the role of the male in the situation. Despite the sleight of hand, there's a bit of a problem: On a purely musical level, the song is far weaker than its predecessor. It's a dreamy house tune that threatens to float away when Kraviz's voice turns to proper singing. As most could divine from "Voices," the girl isn't trained, something she used there and elsewhere to her advantage. On "I'm Gonna Get You," though, things fall a bit flat. Stick with the flip on this one.
  • Tracklist
      A Pain in the Ass B I'm Gonna Get You
RA