KINGBASTARD - System Restore

I have seen an infinite amount of albums dedicated to the loss of a friend or family, or even a beloved pet but I do not think I have ever come across an album that dedicates itself to the loss of a laptop. However, thanks to UK's Kingbastard that unheard cry has finally gone noticed with his album, System Restore. As explained via Kingbastard's Facebook page, his eight plus year old laptop and partner Metal Mickey went ahead and died. That is a long time to spend with a laptop, and I've had a few machines die on me here and there so I feel his pain. 

Anyway, Kingbastard is an electronic music producer who makes a variety of different tunes ranging from 8 bit retro styles to more pop-ish electro tracks. He started back in 2004 and comically suggests that he's been widely ignored since then, though I do think some people have caught onto his shenanigans and what not. Come to 2016 and you'll find his latest album System Restore has been released via Odd John Records, a label whose focus is on releasing other oddities and the such and prides itself on doing so. 

Now, System Restore is available from both Kingbastard's Bandcamp as well as the Odd John Records Bandcamp page. However, the OJR version includes one extra bonus track titled 'Silicon Heaven' so keep that in mind when putting your money where you want it to go. 

Anyway, System Restore  is a 23 track LP that might seem intimidating to get through, but don't let the longer than normal track list get to you. Most of the songs fall under or near the three minute mark, so the album runs for close to what a standard length is. 

I am going to start with the negative first because if you so happen to listen to any of these tracks as you enter the album, you'll probably never want to visit again. All of the vocal tracks are absolutely horrendous: 'Personal Space Invader', 'You've Fallen In A Wormhole', and 'Mydoom' (even though the last one only really has some humming and non-lyrical singing) all contain some kind of singing that is atrocious and cringe worthy. 

However, skipping over those three tracks you'll find yourself in a web of other songs that may or may not fit you. That's one thing that I do like about Kingbastard; he doesn't really stem from one genre or the other, so each song is a surprise. It is also a curse, as some songs will be absolutely enjoyable and other will just be alright. But I will say that, aside from the vocal tracks, none of the songs fall below average to a non-listenable level. 

I'll go through a couple of my favorites. 'KB's Got A Koobface' is a very neat and chill IDM song that could easily be used in a futuristic cyber setting. The D'n'B short song 'Bings That Go Thump In The Night' was a welcome change, though I was hoping to hear it break out into a full song with wicked drops and the like. Still, for only 59 seconds it is. I also appreciated 'Un-PC++' not only for its club sounding dance rhythms, but also for the combination of 8-bit music in the song. I will also give a special mention to 'Silicon Heaven', as it is an atmospheric ambient track and shows that Kingbastard can perform more than just techy bits of electronica. 

So, all-in-all I find myself a rather bit mixed in regards to System Restore. There are times when I see genius on this album, and there are other times when I want to kill my own laptop to stop whatever noise Kingbastard has made from coming through my speakers. But, discover this on your own, see what you like and what you don't. There is bound to be something you'll enjoy on this album. 
Feb 03 2016