…you play it well, KAT KOAN Cocoon
Kat Koan Cocoon LP is available on Bandcamp and on vinyl
by Walter Price
To be fair, nothing I articulate in this review will properly convey the absolute brilliance that is Kat Koan & The Lost Souls’ pandemic-conceived LP, “COCOON”. Traversing sophisticated pop, dancefloor shimmer, quirky indie, and even Pop Royalty Kylie Minogue appears (via a cover, that is).
“The album is a lovechild between myself and Belgian Producer Raymond Rose. We made it during the lockdown and are now ready to unleash it and perform it live.” – Kat Koan
The somewhat elusive album, which you’ll only find on Bandcamp and limited edition vinyl, is a masterclass in not only songwriting and style weaving but production as well. Handled by the wizard Raymond Rose, the decision to forego overdoing it with too much studio trickery and to let this album’s performer breathe her life into and imprint her raw individualism onto the 11-single-worthy tracks was a tremendous win for not only this LP’s finality but for us the listeners as well.
I will not single out any particular song on this album, but if TikTok has limited your attention span—and you need to have a lil glance before you dive fully in, dial up “Dive”, “You’re Cool”, “Stay” (feat Freddie Dickson) and/or, of course, the delicious cover of Minogue’s “Slow”.
In the ever-changing world of music releasing, the LP is becoming a lost art— It’s quite possible that Kat Koan & The Lost Souls’ COCOON will restore your faith in the discipline. Decide for yourself and stream the album in full on Bandcamp or here at the GTC.
KAT KOAN COCOON
Artist photo via Bandcamp // Quotes courtesy of Kat Koan
Recorded in Berlin and Brussels in 2021
Produced by Raymond Rose
All songs written by Kat Koan and Raymond Rose, except:
“Slow” (written by Kylie Minogue, Dan Carey, Emiliana Torrini)
“The Affair” written by Kat Koan & Freddie Dickson
“Salt” written by Kat Koan, Freddie Dickson & Raymond Rose
Mixed by Tom Stadnicki and JP Van Ham at Magnet Studios, Belgium
Mastering by Bernhard Range, Berlin, Germany
Kat Koan – Vocals, Lyrics
Raymond Rose – Guitars, Bass, Synths, Drums, Programming
Guest Musicians:
Freddie Dickson – Guitar & Backing Vocals ‘The AFFAIR’, Vocals ‘STAY’, Synth/Bass “SALT”
Natasha Jaffe – Cello: ‘LIMBO’
Audrey Henry – Synths: ‘LOST SOULS’
Thomas Beckmann – Additional synths ‘SLOW’
Ruby Smith – Vocal recording engineer ‘YOU’RE COOL
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“I write lyrics, melodies and create visuals, mainly because it’s a great excuse to escape real life. I only found out a couple of years ago that making music is a really brilliant way to get things out of my system and it makes me super happy. I have a little family, they keep me semi-sane. I love mountains, food and wine, pleasant sounds, exciting words, furry animals, and people who have a wicked sense of humor. —My band – the Lost Souls – are THE most awesome people. We like to keep it raw, real, and non-airbrushed.” – K Koan