Kat Duma – System

Kat Duma’s new track, ‘System’, perfectly captures the Halloween spirit from its outset, with a gothic synth and haunting vocal forming its intro, before a cold beat kicks in and adds even more to the spooky atmosphere. One of my favourite aspects to this track is the slowed-down breakbeats, which provide this song with a rhythm through the icy grooves which form it. Even the title, ‘System’ evokes a dystopian techno-thriller, which this song could easily soundtrack. You could be forgiven for thinking that this could create an impersonal sound, but the lyrics find Kat looking inwards with an urgent energy.

This is the beginning of a new chapter for the Toronto-based producer and vocalist. After opening for the likes of Tirzah, Yves Tumor, Inga Copeland and Kedr Livanskiy, this is the start of her own new statement – an effort to reach the same name recognition as the previous mentioned artists. If her next few tracks sound as good as this, you would be a fool to count her out.

Ryan Powell