Ki (album)
Encyclopedia
Ki is the eleventh studio album by Canadian musician Devin Townsend
, and the first of four albums in The Devin Townsend Project series. The album was released in May 2009 on his independent record label
HevyDevy Records.
Townsend, the founder, songwriter, and frontman of extreme metal
band Strapping Young Lad
and progressive metal
group The Devin Townsend Band, dissolved both bands in 2006 to spend time with his family and avoid the burnout of touring and interviewing. After a period of self-discovery and a year-long break from songwriting, Townsend began work on a four-album series to clarify his identity as a musician. Ki includes themes of self-control and sobriety, and is musically subtler than much of the artist's previous work, consisting of ambient
rock music
interlaced with tentative bursts of heavy metal
.
The album was written, produced, mixed, and co-engineered by Townsend, who also performed guitar and vocals. Townsend assembled a supporting group of Vancouver
musicians including blues
drummer Duris Maxwell
, rock
bassist Jean Savoie, keyboardist Dave Young
, and guest vocalist Ché Aimee Dorval to play on the album. While some critics found the album uneven, Ki received generally positive reviews for its unexpected musical direction, along with its production, vocal dynamics, and mix of influences.
band Strapping Young Lad
and his progressive metal
project The Devin Townsend Band in 2006, Townsend shaved off his trademark "skullet" hairstyle and gave up alcohol and marijuana. Townsend found it "disconcerting" that he had difficulty writing music without drugs, and that he had trouble identifying his purpose as a musician. He spent a year producing albums in absence of writing, but found it unrewarding and decided to "pick up the guitar and just write." This began a period of self-discovery where he learned "how to create without drugs."
Over two years, Townsend wrote over 60 songs, and found that they fit into "four distinct styles". In March 2009, Townsend announced his plans for a four-album series called the Devin Townsend Project, with the goal of clarifying his musical identity and being "accountable" for the persona he projects to the public. Ki, the first album of the Devin Townsend Project, is written to "set the stage" for the subsequent albums. The word ki represents the Japanese concept of "life force" (氣, "ki"
). Townsend chose the name as an homage to the 1981 Kitarō
album of the same name, which he "loved as a kid".
The project's concept includes a different group of musicians for each album. For Ki, Townsend chose a group of musicians he had not previously worked with. He discovered Duris Maxwell
, a blues
drummer who has played with such acts as Heart
, Jefferson Airplane
, and Tommy Chong
, in a blues club in northern Canada
. Townsend was impressed by his energy and recruited him for Ki. Townsend also chose Jean Savoie, a music store employee who plays in a Beatles
cover band, to play bass
on the album. Maxwell and Savoie were ideal for the album, Townsend explained, because they had little experience playing heavy music, and had a fresh perspective that fit with Kis subtler sound. Townsend also brought back Dave Young
, an ambient
keyboardist
who had played in The Devin Townsend Band, and recruited Vancouver artist Ché Aimee Dorval as a vocalist on several tracks. The album was primarily recorded, produced, and mixed from late 2008 to early 2009 at Devestate and Studio D; the drums were recorded at Factory Studios in Vancouver.
he is known for, while maintaining his "signature sound". The album features undistorted guitar tones, live takes, no drum triggering, and relatively quiet mastering, with a musical style combining ambient
, progressive rock
, jazz rock, and psychedelic
blues
. The album's recurring musical theme is "tension and release", a gradual build in intensity which suddenly stops and gives way to "something relaxing". The album's musical style has been compared to Porcupine Tree
, Chroma Key
, and Pink Floyd
, with Townsend's vocals drawing comparisons to Steven Wilson
and Steve Hackett
.
Ki was mixed
by Townsend, and features very little compression, in contrast with his usual wall-of-sound
production style. Townsend explained that he originally "tried doing the wall-of-sound with it and it just kind of ruined it...it turned it into a not-so-good Strapping record." The album deliberately eschews the loudness war
s, the recent music industry practice of competitively mastering audio to seem as loud as possible. "I officially pull my hat out of the loudness wars," Townsend told his mastering engineer. The album's songs were primarily written in open C tuning, except for "A Monday", "Trainfire", and "Disruptr" in open B, "Heaven's End" and "Winter" in open B, and "Quiet Riot" in standard tuning. Townsend has cited Second Nature
by The Young Gods
, Paul Horn
, Chants of India by Ravi Shankar
, and Ween
as influences on the album.
Townsend described Ki as both the introduction and the moral to the "larger concept" of the Devin Townsend Project. The album's lyrical themes explore Townsend's inner demons, past addictions, self-acceptance, and his "newfound ability to say no." The album opens with a brief instrumental that leads into "Coast", a quiet, bass-driven track that sets the stage for the album as a "metaphor for Devin's newfound restraint." Townsend described it as "the intro to the story, quiet, dark, haunted and unsure." The track builds in intensity toward the end with layers of vocals, but rather than exploding into Strapping Young Lad–style metal, fades into "loose, bluesy guitar work". "Disruptr" has been described as "a coffee-house metal track", contrasting light instrumentation with heavy metal–style songwriting and vocals in a way that one critic compared to Talking Heads
. "Gato" proceeds in a similar vein, but is set apart with backing vocals by Dorval. "Disruptr" and "Gato" continue the musical theme; each song builds in intensity toward the end but "stops and takes a deep breath" before proceeding. The album then fades into "Terminal", an atmospheric track with quiet vocals and co-written by keyboardist Dave Young.
The artist's restraint reaches a breaking point on "Heaven's End", which Jon Wiederhorn of Revolver
described as "a groovy pop song that morphs into a violent, acid-drenched nightmare." It is followed by "Ain't Never Gonna Win", a live studio jam by the album's four musicians which was described by David E. Gehlke of the online magazine Blistering
as "trippy". "Trainfire", a classic country
–style song inspired by Elvis Presley
's cover of "Mystery Train
", addresses Townsend's former addiction to pornography
, which he described as "this crazy, crack cocaine on the internet that nobody wants to talk about." The song continues the album's theme of honesty and self-acceptance, both about pornography and musical tastes. Townsend explained the song's musical style, saying "yes, I like heavy music and am good at making it, but that is not all that I listen to, and that is not all that I want to play."
The album's climax is found in the title track, described by the artist as "a personal breakthrough." "Ki" builds into a cyclical progression of arpeggios which Martin Popoff of the magazine Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles
described as the album's "proggiest" moment. It leads into "Quiet Riot", an acoustic version of "Cum On Feel the Noize
" with new lyrics.
"Quiet Riot", Townsend explained, "basically sums up the idea that, although I am 'damaged,' I'm fine, and have chosen to make my life better."
HevyDevy Records on May 25, 2009 in Canada. It was released May 22, 2009 in Germany, May 25, 2009 in the rest of Europe, and June 16, 2009 in the United States by distributor InsideOut Music
. A Japanese release on Marquee/Avalon is scheduled for August 26, 2009. When all four albums in the series are completed, Townsend plans to release an eight-disc special edition box set, including a DVD and various bonus material.
The album art
was created by artist Konrad Palkiewicz, who created the art for Townsend's 2006 ambient
album The Hummer
and directed the video
for Strapping Young Lad
's "Almost Again
". The album art was designed to be viewed with a pair of 3-D glasses
. The album cover is an image of "two faces in one". Though "not authentic", it is based on Native American
and Chinese art
. Palkiewicz directed a music video
for the song "Coast", which was released on Townsend's website July 28, 2009. The InsideOut releases come with an extra lyrics sheet and feature a green slipcase bearing the Devin Townsend Project logo, designed by Travis Smith
.
, and appeared on the UK Indie
and UK Rock
charts. It sold 800 copies in its first week of release in the United States, and debuted at number 69 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers
chart. Critical reception of the album was generally positive. Jon Wiederhorn of Revolver
called the album "well worth a listen" and praised the heavier tracks such as "Disruptr" and "Heaven's End", saying "Townsend mostly contains his rage, but he's at his best when he loses it." Martin Popoff
of Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles
found the album to have an "odd identity," with "all sorts of things going on just under the surface" that rewarded multiple listens. David E. Gehlke of Blistering
was less impressed, and found the album inconsistent. Gehlke described "Winter" as "lush and gorgeous," but felt that the album "fails to hit the mark" at other points, such as "Ain't Never Gonna Win" and "Trainfire". Tyler Munro of Sputnikmusic
called Ki "[Townsend] at his loosest and most dynamic," and praised Townsend's and Dorval's vocals, but felt the album was held back by musical repetition and its extended guitar jams. Greg Prato of Allmusic gave the album a moderate review, admiring Townsend's unpredictability but feeling the album was not "the most gripping or groundbreaking album" in Townsend's collection. Daniel Cairns of Chronicles of Chaos praised Ki as "a difficult, unusual collection of music" that "also might just be [Townsend's] best yet."
Devin Townsend
Devin Garret Townsend is a Canadian musician and record producer. He was the founder, songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist in extreme metal band Strapping Young Lad from 1994 to 2007 and has had an extensive career as a solo artist....
, and the first of four albums in The Devin Townsend Project series. The album was released in May 2009 on his independent record label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
HevyDevy Records.
Townsend, the founder, songwriter, and frontman of extreme metal
Extreme metal
Extreme metal is a loosely defined umbrella term for a number of related heavy metal music subgenres that have developed since the early 1980s. The term usually refers to a more abrasive, harsher, underground, non-commercialized style or sound nearly always associated with genres like black metal,...
band Strapping Young Lad
Strapping Young Lad
Strapping Young Lad was a Canadian extreme metal band formed by Devin Townsend in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1994. The band started as a one-man studio project; Townsend played most of the instruments on the 1995 debut album, Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing...
and progressive metal
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
group The Devin Townsend Band, dissolved both bands in 2006 to spend time with his family and avoid the burnout of touring and interviewing. After a period of self-discovery and a year-long break from songwriting, Townsend began work on a four-album series to clarify his identity as a musician. Ki includes themes of self-control and sobriety, and is musically subtler than much of the artist's previous work, consisting of ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
interlaced with tentative bursts of heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
.
The album was written, produced, mixed, and co-engineered by Townsend, who also performed guitar and vocals. Townsend assembled a supporting group of Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
musicians including blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
drummer Duris Maxwell
Duris Maxwell
Duris Maxwell , also known as Ted Lewis, is a Canadian drummer who has played with many bands, including Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers, Powder Blues Band, Doucette, The Temptations, Jefferson Airplane, and Skylark...
, rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
bassist Jean Savoie, keyboardist Dave Young
Dave Young (musician)
Dave Young is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist. He has been a member of several notable groups, including The Devin Townsend Band, Ten Ways from Sunday, Terror Syndrome, and The Matinée. He has also played on the albums Ki and Ghost by Devin Townsend and Alien by Strapping Young Lad...
, and guest vocalist Ché Aimee Dorval to play on the album. While some critics found the album uneven, Ki received generally positive reviews for its unexpected musical direction, along with its production, vocal dynamics, and mix of influences.
Background
After disbanding his extreme metalExtreme metal
Extreme metal is a loosely defined umbrella term for a number of related heavy metal music subgenres that have developed since the early 1980s. The term usually refers to a more abrasive, harsher, underground, non-commercialized style or sound nearly always associated with genres like black metal,...
band Strapping Young Lad
Strapping Young Lad
Strapping Young Lad was a Canadian extreme metal band formed by Devin Townsend in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1994. The band started as a one-man studio project; Townsend played most of the instruments on the 1995 debut album, Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing...
and his progressive metal
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
project The Devin Townsend Band in 2006, Townsend shaved off his trademark "skullet" hairstyle and gave up alcohol and marijuana. Townsend found it "disconcerting" that he had difficulty writing music without drugs, and that he had trouble identifying his purpose as a musician. He spent a year producing albums in absence of writing, but found it unrewarding and decided to "pick up the guitar and just write." This began a period of self-discovery where he learned "how to create without drugs."
Over two years, Townsend wrote over 60 songs, and found that they fit into "four distinct styles". In March 2009, Townsend announced his plans for a four-album series called the Devin Townsend Project, with the goal of clarifying his musical identity and being "accountable" for the persona he projects to the public. Ki, the first album of the Devin Townsend Project, is written to "set the stage" for the subsequent albums. The word ki represents the Japanese concept of "life force" (氣, "ki"
Qi
In traditional Chinese culture, qì is an active principle forming part of any living thing. Qi is frequently translated as life energy, lifeforce, or energy flow. Qi is the central underlying principle in traditional Chinese medicine and martial arts...
). Townsend chose the name as an homage to the 1981 Kitarō
Kitaro
, better known as , is an award winning Japanese musician, composer and multi-instrumentalist who is regarded as one of the pioneers of new age music.-Early life:...
album of the same name, which he "loved as a kid".
The project's concept includes a different group of musicians for each album. For Ki, Townsend chose a group of musicians he had not previously worked with. He discovered Duris Maxwell
Duris Maxwell
Duris Maxwell , also known as Ted Lewis, is a Canadian drummer who has played with many bands, including Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers, Powder Blues Band, Doucette, The Temptations, Jefferson Airplane, and Skylark...
, a blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
drummer who has played with such acts as Heart
Heart (band)
Heart is an American rock band who first found success in Canada. Throughout several lineup changes, the only two members remaining constant are sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson. The group rose to fame in the 1970s with their music being influenced by hard rock as well as folk music...
, Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band formed in San Francisco in 1965. A pioneer of the psychedelic rock movement, Jefferson Airplane was the first band from the San Francisco scene to achieve mainstream commercial and critical success....
, and Tommy Chong
Tommy Chong
Tommy Chong is a Canadian-American comedian, actor, writer, director, activist, and musician who is well known for his stereotypical portrayals of hippie-era stoners...
, in a blues club in northern Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Townsend was impressed by his energy and recruited him for Ki. Townsend also chose Jean Savoie, a music store employee who plays in a Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
cover band, to play bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
on the album. Maxwell and Savoie were ideal for the album, Townsend explained, because they had little experience playing heavy music, and had a fresh perspective that fit with Kis subtler sound. Townsend also brought back Dave Young
Dave Young (musician)
Dave Young is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist. He has been a member of several notable groups, including The Devin Townsend Band, Ten Ways from Sunday, Terror Syndrome, and The Matinée. He has also played on the albums Ki and Ghost by Devin Townsend and Alien by Strapping Young Lad...
, an ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
keyboardist
Keyboardist
A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
who had played in The Devin Townsend Band, and recruited Vancouver artist Ché Aimee Dorval as a vocalist on several tracks. The album was primarily recorded, produced, and mixed from late 2008 to early 2009 at Devestate and Studio D; the drums were recorded at Factory Studios in Vancouver.
Music and lyrical themes
Townsend channeled his newfound self-control and sobriety into Ki, a "restrained, melodic, and tranquil" album that is "a sharp contrast" to the heavy metalHeavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
he is known for, while maintaining his "signature sound". The album features undistorted guitar tones, live takes, no drum triggering, and relatively quiet mastering, with a musical style combining ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
, progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
, jazz rock, and psychedelic
Psychedelic music
Psychedelic music covers a range of popular music styles and genres, which are inspired by or influenced by psychedelic culture and which attempt to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues-rock bands in the...
blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
. The album's recurring musical theme is "tension and release", a gradual build in intensity which suddenly stops and gives way to "something relaxing". The album's musical style has been compared to Porcupine Tree
Porcupine Tree
Porcupine Tree is a progressive rock band formed by Steven Wilson in 1987 in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England. Their music is difficult to categorise, being associated with both psychedelic rock and progressive rock, yet having been influenced by trance, krautrock and ambient due to Steven...
, Chroma Key
Chroma Key
Chroma Key is the name under which ex-Dream Theater keyboardist Kevin Moore records. Although primarily a solo project, several other musicians have recorded as part of Chroma Key such as bassist Joey Vera, drummer Mark Zonder, and guitarist Jason Anderson....
, and Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
, with Townsend's vocals drawing comparisons to Steven Wilson
Steven Wilson
Steven John Wilson is an English musician, best known as the founder, lead guitarist, singer and songwriter of progressive rock band Porcupine Tree...
and Steve Hackett
Steve Hackett
Stephen Richard Hackett is a British singer-songwriter and guitarist. He gained prominence as a member of the British progressive rock group Genesis, which he joined in 1970 and left in 1977 to pursue a solo career...
.
Ki was mixed
Audio mixing (recorded music)
In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
by Townsend, and features very little compression, in contrast with his usual wall-of-sound
Wall of Sound
The Wall of Sound is a music production technique for pop and rock music recordings developed by record producer Phil Spector at Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles, California, during the early 1960s...
production style. Townsend explained that he originally "tried doing the wall-of-sound with it and it just kind of ruined it...it turned it into a not-so-good Strapping record." The album deliberately eschews the loudness war
Loudness war
The loudness war or loudness race is a pejorative term for the apparent competition to digitally master and release recordings with increasing loudness.The phenomenon was first reported with respect to mastering practices for 7" singles...
s, the recent music industry practice of competitively mastering audio to seem as loud as possible. "I officially pull my hat out of the loudness wars," Townsend told his mastering engineer. The album's songs were primarily written in open C tuning, except for "A Monday", "Trainfire", and "Disruptr" in open B, "Heaven's End" and "Winter" in open B, and "Quiet Riot" in standard tuning. Townsend has cited Second Nature
Second Nature (The Young Gods album)
Second Nature is the fifth album by Industrial band The Young Gods.-Tracklisting:# "Lucidogen" - 4:10# "Supersonic" - 4:19# "Laisser Couler " - 5:42# "Astronomic" - 5:45# "Attends" - 4:01# "In The Otherland" - 7:34# "Stick Around" - 2:53...
by The Young Gods
The Young Gods
The Young Gods are a Swiss post-industrial band. The band's lineup has generally consisted of a vocalist, a sampler operator and a drummer. Their instrumentation often includes sampled electric guitars, drums, keyboards, and other samples. The lyrics are depicted in English, French and...
, Paul Horn
Paul Horn (jazz musician)
Paul Horn is an American jazz flautist, and is considered by some to be a pioneer of New Age music.-Biography:Paul Horn was born in New York City, and began playing the piano at the age of 4 and the saxophone at the age of 12...
, Chants of India by Ravi Shankar
Ravi Shankar
Ravi Shankar , often referred to by the title Pandit, is an Indian musician and composer who plays the plucked string instrument sitar. He has been described as the best known contemporary Indian musician by Hans Neuhoff in Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart.Shankar was born in Varanasi and spent...
, and Ween
Ween
Ween is an American alternative rock group. They formed in 1984 in New Hope, Pennsylvania when central members Aaron Freeman and Mickey Melchiondo met in an eighth grade typing class. Ween has a large cult underground fanbase despite being generally unknown in American pop music...
as influences on the album.
Townsend described Ki as both the introduction and the moral to the "larger concept" of the Devin Townsend Project. The album's lyrical themes explore Townsend's inner demons, past addictions, self-acceptance, and his "newfound ability to say no." The album opens with a brief instrumental that leads into "Coast", a quiet, bass-driven track that sets the stage for the album as a "metaphor for Devin's newfound restraint." Townsend described it as "the intro to the story, quiet, dark, haunted and unsure." The track builds in intensity toward the end with layers of vocals, but rather than exploding into Strapping Young Lad–style metal, fades into "loose, bluesy guitar work". "Disruptr" has been described as "a coffee-house metal track", contrasting light instrumentation with heavy metal–style songwriting and vocals in a way that one critic compared to Talking Heads
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American New Wave and avant-garde band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991. The band comprised David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison...
. "Gato" proceeds in a similar vein, but is set apart with backing vocals by Dorval. "Disruptr" and "Gato" continue the musical theme; each song builds in intensity toward the end but "stops and takes a deep breath" before proceeding. The album then fades into "Terminal", an atmospheric track with quiet vocals and co-written by keyboardist Dave Young.
The artist's restraint reaches a breaking point on "Heaven's End", which Jon Wiederhorn of Revolver
Revolver (magazine)
Revolver is a bi-monthly rock and heavy metal magazine published by Future US. Before covering heavy metal, rock & hard rock solely, it was a more mainstream oriented magazine. The magazine is structured in a manner similar to publications such as Spin while covering many avenues within the heavy...
described as "a groovy pop song that morphs into a violent, acid-drenched nightmare." It is followed by "Ain't Never Gonna Win", a live studio jam by the album's four musicians which was described by David E. Gehlke of the online magazine Blistering
Blistering
Blistering, founded in 1998, is an international online magazine dedicated to heavy metal and hard rock music. Its editor-in-chief is David E. Gehlke, an American music journalist who has written for About.com, Metal Maniacs, and Throat Culture...
as "trippy". "Trainfire", a classic country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
–style song inspired by Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
's cover of "Mystery Train
Mystery Train
"Mystery Train" is a song written by Junior Parker and Sam Phillips. It was first recorded in Phillip's Memphis Recording Service and Sun Records at 706 Union Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee in 1953. Raymond Hill plays tenor sax and Matt Murphy plays lead guitar with Bill Johnson on piano, Pat Hare on...
", addresses Townsend's former addiction to pornography
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
, which he described as "this crazy, crack cocaine on the internet that nobody wants to talk about." The song continues the album's theme of honesty and self-acceptance, both about pornography and musical tastes. Townsend explained the song's musical style, saying "yes, I like heavy music and am good at making it, but that is not all that I listen to, and that is not all that I want to play."
The album's climax is found in the title track, described by the artist as "a personal breakthrough." "Ki" builds into a cyclical progression of arpeggios which Martin Popoff of the magazine Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles
Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles
-External links:* *...
described as the album's "proggiest" moment. It leads into "Quiet Riot", an acoustic version of "Cum On Feel the Noize
Cum on Feel the Noize
"Cum On Feel the Noize" is a rock song originally released by Slade in 1973.Written by Jim Lea and Noddy Holder and produced by Chas Chandler, "Cum On Feel the Noize" was Slade's fourth number-one single in the UK and their first to enter straight at number one...
" with new lyrics.
"Quiet Riot", Townsend explained, "basically sums up the idea that, although I am 'damaged,' I'm fine, and have chosen to make my life better."
Release and artwork
Ki was released on Townsend's independent record labelIndependent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
HevyDevy Records on May 25, 2009 in Canada. It was released May 22, 2009 in Germany, May 25, 2009 in the rest of Europe, and June 16, 2009 in the United States by distributor InsideOut Music
InsideOut Music
Inside Out Music is a German independent record label based in Kleve, in the North Rhine-Westphalia region, and dedicated to the publication of progressive rock, progressive metal and related styles music albums.-History:...
. A Japanese release on Marquee/Avalon is scheduled for August 26, 2009. When all four albums in the series are completed, Townsend plans to release an eight-disc special edition box set, including a DVD and various bonus material.
The album art
Album cover
An album cover is the front of the packaging of a commercially released audio recording product, or album. The term can refer to either the printed cardboard covers typically used to package sets of 10" and 12" 78 rpm records, single and sets of 12" LPs, sets of 45 rpm records , or the front-facing...
was created by artist Konrad Palkiewicz, who created the art for Townsend's 2006 ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
album The Hummer
The Hummer
The Hummer is the ninth solo album by Canadian musician Devin Townsend, and his second ambient album. It was released on Townsend's label, HevyDevy Records, on November 15, 2006.-Music:...
and directed the video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for Strapping Young Lad
Strapping Young Lad
Strapping Young Lad was a Canadian extreme metal band formed by Devin Townsend in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1994. The band started as a one-man studio project; Townsend played most of the instruments on the 1995 debut album, Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing...
's "Almost Again
The New Black
The New Black is the fifth and final album by Canadian heavy metal band Strapping Young Lad. It was released on July 11, 2006, debuting at #200 on the Billboard charts...
". The album art was designed to be viewed with a pair of 3-D glasses
Anaglyph image
Anaglyph images are used to provide a stereoscopic 3D effect, when viewed with glasses where the two lenses are different colors, such as red and cyan. Images are made up of two color layers, superimposed, but offset with respect to each other to produce a depth effect...
. The album cover is an image of "two faces in one". Though "not authentic", it is based on Native American
Native American art
Visual arts by indigenous peoples of the Americas encompasses the visual artistic traditions of the indigenous peoples of the Americas from ancient times to the present...
and Chinese art
Chinese art
Chinese art is visual art that, whether ancient or modern, originated in or is practiced in China or by Chinese artists or performers. Early so-called "stone age art" dates back to 10,000 BC, mostly consisting of simple pottery and sculptures. This early period was followed by a series of art...
. Palkiewicz directed a music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the song "Coast", which was released on Townsend's website July 28, 2009. The InsideOut releases come with an extra lyrics sheet and feature a green slipcase bearing the Devin Townsend Project logo, designed by Travis Smith
Travis Smith (artist)
Travis Smith is an American graphic artist best known for designing heavy metal album art. He has been called "renowned" by Alternative Press and "unquestionably one of the most talented graphic artists in metal today" by Chronicles of Chaos...
.
Sales and critical reception
Ki reached number 26 on the Finnish Top 40 and number 179 on the French Top 200Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique
The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry...
, and appeared on the UK Indie
UK Indie Chart
The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered...
and UK Rock
UK Rock Chart
The UK Rock Chart usually refers to the Top 40 Rock Singles and the Top 40 Rock Albums Chart compiled by the Official Charts Company from physical record sales in British retail outlets with larger than average genrespecific sales....
charts. It sold 800 copies in its first week of release in the United States, and debuted at number 69 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical...
chart. Critical reception of the album was generally positive. Jon Wiederhorn of Revolver
Revolver (album)
Revolver is the seventh studio album by the English rock group The Beatles, released on 5 August 1966 on the Parlophone label and produced by George Martin. Many of the tracks on Revolver are marked by an electric guitar-rock sound, in contrast with their previous LP, the folk rock inspired Rubber...
called the album "well worth a listen" and praised the heavier tracks such as "Disruptr" and "Heaven's End", saying "Townsend mostly contains his rage, but he's at his best when he loses it." Martin Popoff
Martin Popoff
Martin Popoff is a Canadian-born music journalist and critic who covers the genre of heavy metal music. The senior editor and co-founder of Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles magazine, he has additionally written over twenty books that both critically evaluate heavy metal and document its history...
of Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles
Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles
-External links:* *...
found the album to have an "odd identity," with "all sorts of things going on just under the surface" that rewarded multiple listens. David E. Gehlke of Blistering
Blistering
Blistering, founded in 1998, is an international online magazine dedicated to heavy metal and hard rock music. Its editor-in-chief is David E. Gehlke, an American music journalist who has written for About.com, Metal Maniacs, and Throat Culture...
was less impressed, and found the album inconsistent. Gehlke described "Winter" as "lush and gorgeous," but felt that the album "fails to hit the mark" at other points, such as "Ain't Never Gonna Win" and "Trainfire". Tyler Munro of Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic, or simply Sputnik, is a music website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites...
called Ki "[Townsend] at his loosest and most dynamic," and praised Townsend's and Dorval's vocals, but felt the album was held back by musical repetition and its extended guitar jams. Greg Prato of Allmusic gave the album a moderate review, admiring Townsend's unpredictability but feeling the album was not "the most gripping or groundbreaking album" in Townsend's collection. Daniel Cairns of Chronicles of Chaos praised Ki as "a difficult, unusual collection of music" that "also might just be [Townsend's] best yet."
Track listing
All songs written by Devin Townsend except where noted.Charts
| Chart | Provider | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| Finnish Albums Chart | YLE | 26 |
| French Albums Chart | SNEP Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
179 |
| UK Indie Chart UK Indie Chart The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered... |
OCC | 22 |
| UK Rock Chart UK Rock Chart The UK Rock Chart usually refers to the Top 40 Rock Singles and the Top 40 Rock Albums Chart compiled by the Official Charts Company from physical record sales in British retail outlets with larger than average genrespecific sales.... |
OCC | 31 |
| US Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical... Chart |
Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... |
69 |
Musicians
- Devin TownsendDevin TownsendDevin Garret Townsend is a Canadian musician and record producer. He was the founder, songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist in extreme metal band Strapping Young Lad from 1994 to 2007 and has had an extensive career as a solo artist....
– vocals, guitar, fretless bass, ambience, programming - Duris MaxwellDuris MaxwellDuris Maxwell , also known as Ted Lewis, is a Canadian drummer who has played with many bands, including Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers, Powder Blues Band, Doucette, The Temptations, Jefferson Airplane, and Skylark...
– drums - Jean Savoie – bass guitar
- Dave YoungDave Young (musician)Dave Young is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist. He has been a member of several notable groups, including The Devin Townsend Band, Ten Ways from Sunday, Terror Syndrome, and The Matinée. He has also played on the albums Ki and Ghost by Devin Townsend and Alien by Strapping Young Lad...
– keys, piano, ambience
Additional musicians
- Ché Aimee Dorval – additional vocals
- Ryan Dahle – additional vocals (first "us or them" in Gato)
- Bjorn, Peter, Christopher, Grant, Corey, Jeremy, Ryan – additional vocals
Production
- Devin Townsend – production, mixing, engineering
- Adrian Mottrim – recording assistance
- Mike St. Jean – preproduction assistance
- Brennan Chambers – mixing assistance
- Sheldon Zaharko – recording
- Ryan Dahle – production, mixing (track 12)
- T-Roy – mastering
Release
- Konrad J. Palkiewicz – visual consulting, layout, artwork
- Erich Saide – photography
- Omer Cordell – photography
- Jeff Cohen – legal, management
- Mike Mowery – legal, management
External links
- Ki (InsideOut)
- Devin Townsend (MySpace)