Kopper breaks down the door with big post punk boots on the double single "How Can You Be Sure"

"my oh my, how much pain could you survive?"

Definitely, most definitely, UK bands are ahead of the curve when it comes to producing a broad array of alternative music that shouts, that protests the politics of their respective world or that speaks to matters in the world in general. Kopper out of London is one of those outfits. At the center is Kent born experimental musician Jon Williams who was into ambient electronica and "psychedelic theory" and prolific with his music. He moved to London, eventually joining forces with Ed Smith (aka beatboxrobot) and Tim Robins (aka War Rooms) and, as the boys say, "take audiences on an absurdist psychological post-punk blitzkrieg".

I can say that the sonic barrage on How Can You Be Sure from the Double Single of the same name (the B side being the jagged post punk Fake It) is the musical equivalent of jack booted thugs knocking down your door, pinning you against your couch and shouting their diatribe while spitting on you. Now while that sounds, horrific in real life, from an artistic and mass cathartic aspect it is fucking glorious. The band describes the song in this way:

[“Unapologetic and cutting attack on human behaviour - it’s our way of investigating the norms around us, allowing us to take note of who is exploitative, in a world where glamour & fame often hosts a shady background of polarisation. The song points out the spectrum of shifting morality within people. Ultimately, the track asks how individuals should be wary of the hypocrisy within public figures who often speak with changing degrees of accuracy, and believe to be in a divine right to only be correct.”]

Amid the feral guitars and drums, Jon Williams vocal aesthetic is a guttural wail on one side that reminded me (somewhat of Joe Talbot - just a little bit) but when he shifts into a more singing mode (for lack of a better term) he has an edgy post punk commanding lilt to his well animated voice. The fuzz laden musical breaks are heavenly heavy. There is so much to love here.

-Robb Donker Curtius



THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM - PRESS NOTES:

kopperuk.bandcamp.com
facebook.com/Koppermusic (216)
instagram.com/_kopper_ (108)

Kopper (2018) is the brainchild of experimental London musician Jon Williams. Born in a soporific small town in Kent, the artist wrote music prolifically, explored psychedelic theory and dabbled in ambient electronica, before packing up to London to build something louder, fiercer and more anthemic.