Sun Kin - "Doom Scroll"
Kabir Kumar has shown themselves to be a musical chameleon of sorts with their project Sun Kin. The Los Angeles-based artist’s sound is impossible to pin down, sometimes existing within indie-folk and psychedelia, and at other times venturing deep into house, R&B, and disco. Their willingness to experiment and traverse between genres results in songs that are always fresh and invigorating, each a new sonic adventure with rich textures and to explore. His most recent collection of songs, After The House, succeeded in blurring genres lines and conflating influences that may seem distinct in theory, but in practice, Kumar skillfully parses out the most complimentary elements, melding them together to make something truly unique and aurally satisfying. Today, Kumar is sharing their latest single, “Doom Scroll,” which we’re excited to premiere today on Look At My Records!
Kumar recently tweeted, “every year I drop a banger in early-mid November and I promise this year will be no different.” I’m reluctant to work in a sports analogy here, but as a New York sports fan, I love a good called shot (e.g. Namath, Ruth, and Messier). “Doom Scroll” is a banger made for our times, addressing how tech companies infiltrate our personal relationships in an attempt to extract value from them. Kumar leans a bit more into folk on this track, as their mesmerizing fingerpicking on the guitar guides the song from its dulcet intro to the glossier mid and endpoints, where their wispy French language vocals and a tight electro-drum groove settle in comfortably.
Kumar recently shared a bit about the inspiration behind the track:
The song was inspired by IG infographic culture, by the recent idea that we can find community simply by correctly diagnosing our friends and buying their goods and services; this mediation by tech companies and so-called experts meddling in our friendships and separating us even further from each other via dissection of every minute interaction. The first half is in French because the vibe reminded me of French pop singers and bands like Charlotte Gainsbourg, Air, and Phoenix. I also spent 5 childhood years in Canada, so it was partly a nod to Leonard Cohen, who did something similar in his song 'The Partisan'.
Stream “Doom Scroll” below!
You can check out Sun Kin’s entire discography on Bandcamp or stream it via Spotify. Keep up with Sun Kin by liking them on Facebook and following them on Instagram!
Cover art by Dylan Balliett (Twitter, Instagram)
Photo by Arianna Cannonier
