K.G.: Further Adventures in Microtonality

Australian rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard’s latest album K.G. picks up where their 2017 album Flying Microtonal Banana left off and continues to experiment with microtonal music. Microtonal music is a type of music that makes use of microtones, which are small pitch differences between two different sounds. When performed by King Gizzard, the resulting songs have a blistering pace and a decidedly middle eastern influence. 

In some songs on the record, this approach works beautifully. Tracks like “Automation,” “Minimum Brain Size” and “Oddlife” stun with their complex guitar rhythms and layered instrumentals making use of numerous different instruments like the violin and flute. However, other tracks like “Straws In The Wind” and “Some Of Us” feel uneven and underwhelming, as if all the disparate elements that make up the music don’t quite come together like they are supposed to. 

But even those songs that feel subpar when compared with the rest of King Gizzard’s catalogue are still commendable for their commitment to an experimental sound. The opening track “K.G.L.W.” is an off kilter folk inspired instrumental track.  The song “Intrasport” doubles down on the middle eastern influence, sounding more like a 90’s Turkish pop hit than a 2020 Australian rock song. 

Lyrically, K.G. is as bizarre and cryptic as the instrumentals. The track “Automation” is an exploration of humanity’s relationship with technology, but with lyrics like “Superorganism, Caused a schism, bending light through prisms, Cyber surgeon, Javascript person, digital cleanse, Tell all your friends the neural network’s at work,” it often takes multiple read throughs of the lyrics to understand what King Gizzard is trying to say. The lyrics of the track “Oddlife” are similarly dense. “Oddlife” is a reflection on the hectic life of a rock band hidden behind a fairytale allegory. One of the most evocative passages from “Oddlife” reads, “sugarplum fairy dances now, echoed feet on the hallowed ground, energy peaks on the voyagers crown, back to the bus for another round, managing feats by managing feet.” 

In essence, K.G. is a flawed but admirable commitment to experimentation with microtonal music and a middle eastern aesthetic. While not every track on K.G. works, the tracks that fire on all cylinders are unique and exciting enough to make this album a rewarding listen. 

K.G. is available to listen on Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp and other music streaming services. Physical editions are available for purchase on Amazon and other digital retailers.