His Brooklyn, LOREN BERÍ Stray Cat Kingdom
Loren Berí Stray Cat Kingdom EP is available on Bandcamp, Spotify, Deezer…
by Walter Price
With its groove-heavy throwback synths, plenty of strange, and tons of indelible bop, the debut EP “Stray Cat Kingdom” from modern-day storyteller Loren Berí is a brilliant journey through and through. Similar to the way Adam Green, Ben Folds, and Mark O. Everett are well known for weaving fantastic tales, introducing unforgettable characters and moments, Berí’s 5 tracks are an ode to an NYC borough like no other.
In a quote provided to the GTC, Berí speaks about the interwoven EP’s origin story, “People were throwing shows in decrepit loft apartments with leaking ceilings, graffiti was being painted over graffiti from a week earlier, scrambling to make enough money for rent on a street where you can’t avoid stepping on trash, neon outfits, puke on the L train most days, famous artists hanging out in the same places as the newly arrived twenty-somethings imitating them.”
As the press material will tell you, these scenes, the songwriter’s mental health, and a plethora of personal highs and lows all contributed to this beautifully eccentric set of scenic songs. And I fully get it, after 10 years in Williamsburg and Bushwick before landing in Germany, New York City easily inspires as much as it can weigh on you. And it will change the way you view people and the world forever more.
You can stream this synth-pop masterclass in storytelling in full (the only way to experience it), here at the GTC.
LOREN BERÍ Stray Cat Kingdom
Album artwork and quotes courtesy of Big Hassel Media // Artist photo by Hannah Cohen
Stray Cat Kingdom
Loren Berí
O Mer
Kishi Bashi
Mauro Refosco
Itamar
Stereostrand Festival Aichach, DE – August 13
Summer Summit Nedlitz, DE – August 20
Facebook // Twitter // Website
“Through my experiences with manic episodes, at the end there’s always a shred of truth even when I’ve imagined other things. Afterwards there’s always something real that you can’t explain away.” – L. Berí