Tony Williams, aka Kline Coma Xero, is a software engineer by day and analog synth-tapper by night. The twisted inversion of Williams' career in technology and moonlit passion for analog modulators serves as just one example of the blurry timewarp he's drawn to. You'll find yourself feeling some sort of saudade when listening to the pulsing minimalist electronic drone of Kline Coma Xero's forthcoming self-titled debut.
In the new video for "Mannequins," that same "what decade is this?" feeling comes through loud and clear. A more downtempo Devo comes to mind just as easily as does Dirty Sanchez' NSFW early-aughts ode to nightclub indecency. And how could we forget the internet aesthetic of today, with its genodes and minimalist angularilty in imagery and sound that overflows from the wells of Tumblr art and Brooklyn's Bossa Nova Civic Club.
Williams' brand of back- (front? side?) looking synthgaze remains on its own alternate soundcloud, not quite fitting any of the molds out there. Perhaps that is because his inspiration comes from literature; the science fiction annals of Philip K. Dick, William Gibson and JG Ballard (from whence the name "Kline Coma Xero" came). Between tingly synthetic notes, the lyricist has something to say about molds. "We're all mannequins" echoes against the cavernous melodies.
Watch the whole video below to get thrown into the Williams' time space continuum. You can also check out his other mannequin motif video for "Left Behind" and preview the whole album, streaming on bandcamp before it's released on June 12 via Medical Records.
