A vast and celestial cinematic escape

Camila Fuchs’s newest album Kids Talk Sun provokes both the feeling of floating aimlessly in space, as well as the nervous exhilaration of facing the vastness of uncharted territories. This new project seeps into the mind with unending soundscapes of interstellar sounds, otherworldly pulsating drones and truly transcendent vocals.  

While the band is currently based out of Lisbon, Camila Fuchs was conceived in London. Camila De Laborde, originally from Mexico City, and Daniel Hermann-Collini, originally from Munich, came together to form the form the group back in 2012. Kids Talk Sun follows their 2018 release Heart Pressed Between Stones, which accrued some serious international attention, and led to several appearances on festival circuit. The band worked on the new album oceanside with producer Peter Kember at his Sintra, Portugal studio.

Kids Talk Sun takes a different approach from their last album, leaving behind the industrial tone and choosing a more celestial soundscape. For example, “Sun” springs into action with a slowly developing yet mesmerizing arpeggiated synth. Interestingly, listeners will notice that this track is drumless, and lets Camila De Laborde’s airy vocals invoke the feeling of floating in the vacuum of space.

“Roses,” Camila Fuchs most cinematic effort on this project, immediately stands out as a highlight. This song presents the overarching sound of Kids Talk Sun at its best in every way. The vocals, alongside experimental sci-fi sounds, calm the mind, while the droning drums lend a sense of uneasiness that is oddly pleasant. The song is an almost seven-minute exploration of the deep spaces within the brain.

“Mess” offers the same spatial soundscape as “Roses” but takes on a completely different feeling. This is the moment in the sci-fi movie when tensions rise and the enemy is near—this track is the uncertainty within the main character’s spaceship. Vocally, it takes a minor tone with long-held notes as the beeps, glitches and drones grow. “Sandstorm” evolves and grows within its own runtime, weaving vocals calls throughout the song. With each vocal pass, the song thickens and grows, with every element eventually dancing harmoniously together.

This project focuses on atmospheric tones as well as earthly evolution. These evolving tones can be heard in “Gloss Trick,” where each element slowly coalesces into a better whole. Camila Fuchs creates different feelings, some out of this world, others closer to home, with each adding to the evolution of the song (and album) growing stronger and stronger. Notably, this track is solely instrumental, but the band sacrifices none of their impact for this creative choice.

Camila Fuchs transports the listener to a celestial soundscape on their album Kids Talk Sun, and it is one hell of a ride. Each track provides a different feeling, some exploring the weightlessness of space and others giving way to a more uneasy yet welcome feeling. The band has crafted a complex album that lives mostly in slow tempos and gorgeous, all-enveloping, cinematic odysseys. Simply pressing play on the record and closing one’s eyes will let the mind wander to distant unearthly places. Though people’s feet remain planted on earth, Kids Talk Sun will let one venture far into uncharted space.