After many years as Dee Dee of “girl-group-gone-bad” turned “plush noir-pop” outfit Dum Dum Girls, Kristin Welchez decides to “shed her skin” for a solo project. As Kristin Kontrol, the New York-based artist also looks to the music that she loved before getting “hellbent on the rock’n’roll’ thing”: ‘80s pop and ‘90s R&B from Tiffany, Debbie Gibson, Janet Jackson, Madonna, TLC, and more. Gone are female harmonies, lo-fi fuzzed-up guitars that defined DDG’s body of work, and for X-Communicate, Welchez explores all the music that she’s identified with over the years “into one genre-less experience.” The production, handled by Kurt Feldman and Andrew Miller, leans heavily on synth-pop with new wave/cosmic disco vibes filling up the very danceable 10-tracker. Check out “Show Me,” “X-Communicate,” “Smoke Rings,” and “Skin Shed.” This is the Loser edition blue vinyl, which includes digital downloads and a printed inner sleeve.

• Loser edition blue vinyl
• digital download included
• music label: Sub Pop 2016

reviewed by buffalo fingers 06/2016