First impressions are critical. In the internet age, a ‘good entrance’ can set emerging new talent apart from the never-ending stream of new music that appears online. KE THU stands as a perfect example of a well-calculated entrée- their debut comes in the form of a new single, “Looks Everywhere,” accompanied with visuals by Eightfold Collective.

Watch the video premiere:

KE THU is a Detroit-based electronic duo featuring instrumentalists Tim Barrett and Steven Stavropoulos. The track’s intro is deliberately careful. Mirroring their emergence into music, the slow build captivates through technical mastery and attention to textural detail.

Live manipulation is a vital component of their artistic process. “Looks Elsewhere” presents an augmented version of their performance style, complete with close ups that show them creating the sounds in real time, without revealing too much. Their music explores the space between the nightclub and nature, employing a variety of hardware synths, samplers, and live instrumentation to create tracks fit for both traditional venues and after-hours settings.

“The music video is meant to show our performance process. We wrote the song with the intention of performing it live, which is something we wanted to get across with this release. The track has been dismantled and restructured since this recording, but we feel the performance captured is a good representation of who we are and what we do.” 

When asked about their influences:

“From a performative perspective, we love Nicolas Jaar and Dave Harrington’s Darkside project, Four Tet, David August, Christian Loffler, Kiasmos, Nils Frahm, etc. These artists perform their songs in a way that’s very interesting to us.”

Barrett and Stavropoulos have more than 20 years of combined experience playing in bands and production that draws upon indie, experimental, electronic, techno, and house styles. The release comes in anticipation of the group’s debut live performance happening next week at Tangent Gallery, where they will be supporting DJ Boring at his first Detroit appearance, along with Jorissen and PRGM.

The show promises to be a particularly captivating Thursday-night move, hosted at one of Detroit’s most eclectic venues and featuring a lineup that builds on itself without being repetitive. Anyone that shares KE THU’s commitment to meticulous preparation runs the risk of seeming over-rehearsed, but fortunately we can promise enough skill and musical intuition to retain an aura of guileless spontaneity.

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