Kathy Katouzi has been building her presence in the Toronto music scene for more than a year, a gradual drip of richly-produced, melancholy hyperpop earworms ensuring continued coverage in the lead up to her first EP, I AM*.
Her story is compelling: having spent much of her early life in Iran, she has seen first hand the effects of an oppressive regime on creativity, especially by women. In a show of defiance and creativity, I AM* was written, composed, and produced entirely by Katouzi.
The seven songs on I AM* (out June 6) function as the soundtrack to young adulthood, the all-consuming minor dramas, relationships, breakups, and the difficulties of figuring out what you’re all about. Despite starting with the sound of someone loading a cassette into a tape deck, Katouzi’s sound is ultramodern hyperpop. “INTRO” is a glitchy opener, weaving found sound pitch-shifted vocals, distorted and richly layered production.
Throughout the seven tracks on I AM*, that production is varied and ambitious. Katouzi is at her most compelling on tracks like “FLATL!NE”, with a blown-out, maximalist sound that somehow still seems restrained, and the first single “AFTERPARTY!”, a towering beat behind melancholy lyrics detailing a toxic relationship.
The second non-single track (after “INTRO”) is “BOTP”, which has the strongest bass groove on the record, with vocals that take a strange turn at the halfway point, evoking the dissonance of being in an unwelcoming environment.
Last spring, when she released “AFTERPARTY!”, I first heard it on (the essential) Buffablog, and within days it was showing up on several indie music blogs I follow. I posted once when she reached my imaginary three-single threshold, and and I’ve eagerly awaiting each release since. As she describes in this interview with Gabzzz, that song proved drew attention from major labels too. She hasn’t signed though: she talks throughout that piece about the importance of full independence, even if it means struggling to break through in a hip-hop dominated Toronto music scene.
Another benefit of full independence is setting your own release schedule. In that Gabzzz interview, Katouzi also talks about another potential EP release this calendar year. That seems realistic: I AM* has been ready for release since at least last October.
She’s got a show coming up on June 14 in Toronto and has been hinting at debuting some of the new material. I wish I could make it — it might be the last chance to catch her perform in such a tiny venue.
