Kele- Tenderoni

A few months ago I went to a club night where Kele Okereke of Bloc Party was doing a DJ set,  a vain attempt to see/listen to something different to the usual provincial club fodder I am perennially subjected to. As Bloc Party frontman, he'd demonstrated a wide appreciation of music, from the Gang of Four aping post-punk of Silent Alarm (still one of my favourite albums) to the more electro-minded Intimacy. I therefore felt pretty justified in hoping for an interesting and eclectic set, but i was left disappointed and disillusioned. What Kele served up was simply another load of provincial club fodder, the likes of Dizzee Rascal and Wiley getting a few spins for example, all going down pretty well on the dancefloor as you can imagine, leaving me playing the disgruntled snob in the corner. I couldn't decide whether this was what Kele really wanted to play, or whether it was a case of pleasing the crowd.

Kele Okereke- Tenderoni

With the release of Kele's first single as a solo artist, it seems this question has been answered. Tenderoni is a pretty brazen electro banger, the most noticeable aspect of which are the big meaty synths that instantly evoke the likes of Wiley's Wearing My Rolex and Dizzee's Bonkers. The vocals prove the only real difference, Kele's distinctive delivery nicely buried in the mix before coming to the fore during the euphoric rush of the chorus.
It may seem a far cry from the spindly guitar lines of Silent Alarm, but there were signs that this was the direction Kele would be heading in, particularly the one-off single Flux, all oscillating bass and soaring, piercing synth-lines.
It's not really a track I'd go back to, but it's not especially bad, i just can't help but feel that nothing has topped that debut release, and perhaps never will, with every further attempt seemingly becoming further removed in both style and quality.

Tenderoni will be released on 14th June, with the full album, The Boxer, appearing the week later on Wichita. Interestingly, it's produced by Hudson Mohawke and XXXChange, both well worth checking out/following in their own right.