It was almost a year and half ago that the MC, Producer and artist Carl Kavorkian appeared at a venue round the corner from my little old flat here in the UK. His vocal delivery was compelling and there was nowhere to hide backed with pre-recorded material.
Since then he has released “SerpePhant EleNtine”, an album made up of 2 halves and more recently taken to using his Manikineter moniker. First was the “Mannequin EP” and now is the follow up with “Missing”.
When solo acts release material under a different name, you often hope there’s going to be a way of differentiating why they’re taking up separate spots in your record collection. So where does this sit? Initially Carl Kavorkian doesn’t seem to stray too far away from tracks put out under his own name.
There’s still that raw Death Grips style growling, but it’s soon apparent the Philadelphia MC has moved on from the rap elements. “American Fengshui” is a heavier, more complex piece than the EP’s title track. This is where Carl is able to focus his anger, you can imagine him fronting a hardcore band rather than holding back with the minimal production.
Which leads me on to “Spice” and “Cocoon”, both tracks relying on the beats and homemade backing tracks. There is part of me wanting them both to head off in different directions, but with the Manikineter project Kavorkian is still challenging himself with a new style.
Manikineter – “Missing”
It’s not until the final track that you really hear any MC’ing, which is why “Missing” is worthy of being released under a new identity. With a distinct lack of rhymes, there’s almost something genre defying about the EP.
This is far from a conventional hip-hop release, yet even with the screaming we’re not looking at a hardcore album either. The production is minimal but enough thought put towards giving the tracks a bit of a bite.
Will Manikineter appeal to the masses with “Missing”? Highly unlikely, but as for those of us that love something a little more experimental, I’m looking forward to hearing what Carl Kavorkian puts out next.
Carl Kavorkian as Manikineter
