Kit Sebastian have deeper record crates than most. The duo have released two albums on esteemed imprint Mr Bongo, blending club sounds with a desire to explore different corners of the world.
Snapped up by Brainfeeder, Kit Sebastian have been testing out fresh sounds with a London residency in a vintage clothes shop. Joined by a close friend, the quarterly club night moves from the mid 1950s all the way to the present day, touching down on multiple continents.
An act of musical globe-trotting, this forms the backbone of their album ‘New Internationale’. Out now on Brainfeeder, it finds Kit Sebastian – K Martin and Merve Erdem – blending all manner of sounds, the mosaic-like effect blurring into something cohesive.
Inspired, CLASH naturally asked to go crate-digging with the beat duo.
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Alpay – ‘Daglar Engel Oldu’
‘New Internationale’ got us experimenting a lot more with Turkish instruments that we previously had difficulty getting our hands on (thanks to a year of trips gigging in Turkey during the writing process).
This song and those that incorporate Turkish folk instruments were definitely an inspiration. A fun fact about Alpay is that he was a professional footballer-cum-singer-cum-composer, a feat that (as musicians ourselves) seems impossible with time and energy constraints.
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François Bernheim – ‘Tom’
Discovered on a compilation from one of our favourite labels – Born Bad Records – this track (and other French songs of this era) really influenced us to go further with orchestration, to play with orchestral sections and pit them against each other, to find extended techniques that string or brass players could do.
French pop songs of the late 60s have such a rich quality to them, at times Wagnerian, or at times like Gerschwin. The secret was that they used classically trained arrangers (or even seasoned jazz club musicians) that had spent years arranging, most often since the days of (what in France is called) ‘Java’. This may have made for a more gate-keeped, less democratic industry, but one which produced records that today seem ingenious. To date, the arranger of this track, Jean-Claude Petit, is credited with 2035 entries on Discogs.com, and those are the records that have bothered to credit him.
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Girma Béynéné – ‘Ene Negn Bay Manesh’
We were blessed with a Farfisa organ before knowing its extensive use in so many African records, from the west to east coast. In this case, Ethiopian, and it fits so well in this track.
This song definitely had a mood which resonated with us, and felt very much like it fits into the category of music we play: an indifferent kind of tragedy under an unmistakable groove. We were listening to a lot of Ethiopian music (and you may hear a track off our new album which hints at certain Ethiopian scales) but this track seems different to the others, perhaps it communicates the feeling of the end of summer when the landscape seems like it’s tired and withered.
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Evinha – ‘Espera Pra Ver’
Before signing to Brainfeeder, we had had our first two albums released by Mr Bongo, a record label who have reissued so many great Brazilian records, so Brazilian music is somewhat within our DNA. This track particularly gave us a blueprint of heavy riffs over groovy drums that you may hear on our record.
Not much information is available to the English speaking world about this singer, apart from her being part of a group who had some success outside of Brazil named Trio Esperança. The album of which ‘Espera Pra Ver’ is taken off has become legendary, but we are left wondering how many thoughts were given to it during the months following its initial release by listeners?
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Sevil – ‘Yollar’
We can’t mention our inspirations without mentioning this vocal group and their pianist/composer Vagif Mustafazadeh. We’ve spoken about them a lot as they’re little known outside of their country of Azerbaijan. Until last year this was the only album released by Sevil (now around 40 songs have been reissued) so we studied this record and this track very closely. Besides the general mood, production and singing, it is the phrasing of melodies that are unique, unique to Azerbaijan and to Vagif Mustafazadeh.
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Louise Forestier – ‘Quand T’es Pas Là’
We love the vocal experimentation and raw emotion that Louise Forestier brings to ‘Quand T’es Pas Là.’ Her delivery is both powerful and deeply resonant, blending vulnerability and intensity. The contrast between aggression and fragility in her voice creates a unique texture that makes her unforgettable. We’re also inspired by how she merges folk, jazz, chanson, and pop into a style that feels completely her own—something we strive for in our music as well. Her emotional storytelling is moving and a big influence on us, one can hear it on Faust.
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Ramesh – ‘Sharme Booseh’
The bass, percussion, keys and all the other instruments joining the track one by one introduce us to a song that’s so rich in arrangement and a beautiful fusion of styles. Ramesh is one of the greatest singers of Persian pop from the pre-revolutionary era, and her voice carries a depth of emotion that captivates us. The way she blends traditional Persian melodies with Western influences creates a unique soundscape that feels timeless.
The production and the layering of instruments are masterfully done, allowing each element to shine while still contributing to the overall atmosphere of the song.
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Alain Goraguer – ‘Un Homme Traqué’
It’s no secret that we have a deep appreciation for French and Italian library music. Alain Goraguer stands out as a great composer, having collaborated with legends like Serge Gainsbourg and Jean Ferrat, and is particularly renowned for his work on La Planète Sauvage. His music consistently carries a sense of melancholy and tension that resonates with the essence of some of our own songs.
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Brigitte Fontaine – ‘Je suis inadaptée’
Brigitte Fontaine is definitely a standout with her edgy vibe and super authentic voice—you know it’s her as soon as she sings the first word. Her lyrics are playful, mixing her everyday experiences with sharp social and political commentary in a witty and interesting way.
The combination of spoken word and singing, along with simple yet sophisticated instrumentation, all comes together beautifully. She doesn’t strive for perfection; she just incarnates authenticity. That’s not an easy thing to do in today’s music industry, but it’s something we’re trying to achieve!
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Love – ‘Maybe the People Would Be the Times or Between Clark and Hilldale’
We love the album ‘Forever Changes’ and this track has very straightforward yet touching lyrics. This album definitely influenced a slightly newer direction in our English lyric writing. While it may seem like an indirect connection, we believe that without ‘Forever Changes’, the chorus of ‘The Kiss’ would not have come to being.
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‘New Internationale’ is out now.
Photo Credit: Dan Medhurst
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