In celebration of their 10th anniversary, folk-rock trio Kabaal klankbaan will release a brand new single on 30 October. Ahead of its release, they are treating fans to a lyric video for The Flogsta Scream, the B-side to the official single release.
Representing the variety of life through sad-yet-upbeat songs whilst having fun, Kabaal klankbaan's music is mostly lyrically driven and bounces between heartfelt romanticism, melancholy, and a tongue-in-cheek outlook.
The Flogsta Scream was written one night three years ago when frontman Floris Groenwald found himself in a YouTube click hole and stumbled on a video of the phenomenon known as the 'Flogsta Scream' where, in a student neighbourhood in the Swedish city Uppsala, university students regularly scream out of their windows at 10PM, and other students scream in response.
"Initially it sounds very strange and frightening, but there's also something very primally comforting about it – other people anonymously and communally confirm and share your stresses and anxieties." says Floris. "The song is about finding comfort in other people, on a basic human level, without even really having to meet them (face to face). I found it especially relevant when we were all stuck at home during COVID lockdown, experiencing similar anxieties."
While isolated during the COVID lockdown, Floris told someone about the Flogsta Scream phenomenon, which reminded him of the song he wrote. It seemed unbelievably apt to the situation we were all living in, so he decided to record and release it. He did everything remotely over the internet, including crowdsourcing several voices for the bridge and final chorus of the song; appropriate to the subject matter and current situation at the time.
Featuring heartfelt honesty at its core based around simple acoustic guitar chord progression, the song serves as a reminder that there are always other people out there, probably experiencing the same angst as you. These feelings existed in 1893 when Edvard Munch painted The Scream, and it still exists, but today it's so much easier to communicate it.
Fans can look forward to some lockdown love, as well as hearing themselves; the band put out a call on social media for people to sing along, and a whole bunch of people sent recordings, which ended up mixed into the final song.
lyrics
Frightened, in a strange town, I’m all alone
It’s windy, it’s ice cold, It’s lonesome to the bone
Suddenly, a scream lights up the night
And then I know: You will be alright
I hear you, stranger
I’m also in the know
Our collective sigh,
Our symphony of woe
A faceless friend shouts “I’m also here”
These desolate voices looking for a sympathetic ear
A wordless expression, a primal “hello”
It’s haunting when the wind blows, and your fears echo
I hear you, stranger
I’m also in the know
Our collective sigh,
Our symphony of woe
credits
from Not Tonight, Josephine,
released October 2, 2020
Written by Floris Groenewald.
Acoustic guitar & lead vocal by Floris Groenewald. Electric guitar by Ricki Alleman. Drums by Peach van Pletzen.
Group vocals by Adèle Naudé, Bianca Gebel, Christine Tesco, Cobus Susan, Imogen Muir, Jonathan Vosloo, Lenore Germeshuys, Lilanie de Jager, Lodemé Taljaard, & Peter Toussaint.
Mixed and mastered by Paul Gioia at Asylum Studios.
Kabaal klankbaan is Gauteng-based musician Floris Groenewald’s folk-rock music project. “It’s not a stage name,” says
Floris, “but a band, of which I’m the only permanent member.” They play acoustic, alternative folk-rock, which varies from indie-pop songs, folky dystopian love songs, bluesy rock & roll, to songs about robots and video games....more
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