INTERVIEW: Kult Kyss's Rromarin on single 'God Is A Bassline': "Music is an intrinsic part of our higher selves linked not only to our physical but spiritual state of being"
Melbourne duo Kult Kyss, comprising Rromarin and Jack Arentz, made their return to music at the end of June with the release of their single ‘God Is A Bassline’, their first new music since 2019. A pulsing electronic anthem which merges heavy beats with lead singer Rromarin’s distinctive, calming, hypnotic vocals, the song celebrates the innate power music has to connect with the human soul.
Kult Kyss have been releasing music since 2016 with their career taking off late the same year when Australian band The Presets noticed their single ‘This Boy’s In Love’ and invited them on their national tour. Solo performances at major festival BIGSOUND and a record deal with Risqué Music soon followed with their music being critically acclaimed around the world. ‘God Is A Bassline’ sees Kult Kyss continue their run of releasing music of the highest order with remarkable depth to both their lyrics and music. We recently caught up with Rromarin to talk more about their music.
Hey Rromarin! Thanks for chatting to us. How have you been surviving in the world of isolation and lockdown?!
Hello, thank you for having me :) I’ve been doing okay; the latest wave of restrictions in Melbourne has been a bit of a challenge as once again we’re in a limbo state, unable to see friends and family, make plans, and progress in the ways that we’d hoped. But I’m focussing on being grateful for what I do have, trying to be proactive and stay positive in this strange new world. Thankfully lockdown hasn’t stopped our ability to make music, so I’m still chipping away at everything in that realm. During this time I’ve also been learning a lot about gardening; planting seeds, watching things grow, looking forward to spring and summer
Congratulations on the release of the new Kult Kyss single ‘God Is A Bassline’, it is such a great song! Can you tell us a little about the inspiration behind the track?
Thank you! The song started with the lead vocal hook ‘Ohh, God Is A Bassline’, which is actually sung by the other member of Kult Kyss, Jack Arentz. He normally sticks solely to production, but more recently has been laying down vocal ideas when creating instrumentals. As soon as I heard the hook, I knew he had created something special, and it was from this that the song was born. I love the idea that music is an intrinsic part of our higher selves, linked not only to our physical but spiritual state of being. The rest of the lyrics are inspired by this concept; melody is heartbeat, your voice is my music. There is something so transcendental and immersive about music, and we wanted to capture that feeling with this track. Funnily enough Jack wanted his voice to be removed from the song; but I loved it so much, and insisted that we keep it. I love the way the two vocal sounds work against each other.
The song really connects with just how music is inextricably part of us as humans: ‘melody is heartbeat’. It is probably an impossible question to answer, but what does music mean to you and why does it have such a hold on us?
It definitely is an interesting question for me to answer, because my pursuits as a creative mean that music has taken on so many different forms and meanings for me as an individual. Ultimately though, for me music means connection - a direct and personal connection with the artist who created it, a deeply profound connection to our innermost feelings and higher selves, and a connection forged with others when we enjoy music together. I think that this is, in part, why music has such a hold on us; it connects us, transforms us, inspires us, and allows us to experience the world in so many different ways.
What was the creative process like for this track? Was it created pre-lockdown or in the brave new world of social distancing?
The creative process for this track was our usual one; Jack started with an instrumental, I added my initial vocal ideas, and we worked together to arrange and develop the song from there. The production and vocals for ‘God Is A Bassline’ were finished pre-lockdown - and luckily for us, lockdown hasn’t affected our ability to create music - but with the arrival of COVID we weren’t able to get it mixed as originally scheduled, or release it as early as planned. Thankfully we have a wonderful team and network of creative collaborators who we could work with long distance, and managed to compile everything remotely.
For those who may be new to Kult Kyss, how did the band form?
The band formed in 2016; Jack and I had been involved in a different music project, but had started exploring new genres and ideas, and felt inspired to start something fresh.
For you personally, what role did music play in your life when you were growing up?
Music has been an integral part of my life for as long as I remember; from a very young age I started singing and learning classical piano, and then went on to study classical music at university. As a child, however, my main passion lay in the cool and crazy music videos that I saw on TV every Saturday morning, and this morphed into a full-blown love of artists like Radiohead in my teens, and pop and electronic music in my adult years. Music has been my escape, muse, confidant and friend since I was a little girl.
Who were the artists that inspired you, or who you looked up to, when you were a child?
Female artists were definitely my main inspiration as a child - girl groups like The Spice Girls rocked my world, along with artists like Kylie Minogue, Björk, and The Corrs. In addition to the music of acts like these, I’ve always loved the incredible styling and performance aesthetic of female pop artists. I think this has definitely been reflected in my love for niche fashion designers and visually engaging outfits for live performance.
The music industry has traditionally been very male-dominated, both front of stage and behind the scenes, with women generally not getting the same respect or exposure as their male peers. What are your thoughts on gender equality and sexism in the music industry?
This is an interesting one for me, because I’ve been blessed with an incredibly supportive facilitator, best friend and creative counterpart in Jack Arentz, the other half of Kult Kyss. I also have many male friends and peers in the industry who are great allies to women, and to them I give my thanks and acknowledgement.
In saying that, the continued reports of harassment, assault and abuse of power by men in the industry is horrifying, and I will never cease in adding my voice in support of survivors - many who I know personally - who have been bravely sharing their stories. This mistreatment and inequality cannot continue, and I’m proud to be a part of such a progressive and courageous community of women, all who are fighting for change within the industry.
Have you seen a change in how women are treated and accepted in the industry over the years you have been performing?
This is a tough one - on the one hand, I think that over the last few years there has been a huge rise in the support and facilitation of women in the industry, definitely due to women advocating for change and supporting one another! But on the other hand I still see ongoing examples of inequality and double standards in the industry, i.e radio stations, streaming platforms and media outlets supporting male producers using female feature vocalists on their tracks, and then failing to support the same female vocalists for their own releases. This trend is particularly prevalent in the electronic-pop scene, and I hope that people in the industry become more aware of it and do their part to advocate for change.
What’s up next for Kult Kyss?
At this stage we’re hoping to put out an EP, and are also looking forward to the prospect of performing live again!
‘God Is A Bassline’ is out now via Risqué Records/TMRW Music. You can download and stream here.
To keep up with all things Kult Kyss you can follow them on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
