Civilisation II

Civilisation II is the fifth extended play (EP) by British indie pop band Kero Kero Bonito, released on 21 April 2021 by Polyvinyl. The follow-up to 2019's Civilisation I EP, Civilisation II was preceded by the single "The Princess and the Clock" on 24 February 2021.

For the video game, see Civilization II.

Civilisation II
EP by
Kero Kero Bonito
Released21 April 2021 (2021-04-21)
Genre
Length14:01
LabelPolyvinyl
ProducerGus Lobban
Kero Kero Bonito chronology
Civilisation I
(2019)		 Civilisation II
(2021)		 Civilisation
(2021)
Singles from Civilisation II
  1. "The Princess and the Clock"
    Released: 24 February 2021[1]
  2. "21/04/20"
    Released: 21 April 2021[2]

In a press release, Kero Kero Bonito described Civilisation II as a continuation of the ideas presented on Civilisation I, where they "explore instinctive human tendencies across three tracks, all completely devised using vintage hardware".[3] Both EPs along with an additional track, "Gateway", were merged into a compilation album, titled simply Civilisation and released on 10 September 2021.

Background

The prequel EP Civilisation I, released on 30 September 2019, was originally meant to be a stand alone project four tracks in length, named Civilisation, to build upon the themes of their second album Time 'n' Place for their 2019 tour, but was shortened to three tracks, and split into two projects. The continuation, Civilisation II, was originally meant to be released in 2020, but was pushed back to 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[4]: 7:10 

Release and promotion

Kero Kero Bonito announced the EP on 24 February 2021, along with releasing the single "The Princess and the Clock" with an accompanying music video to their YouTube channel.[5][6][7] The EP was released via Polyvinyl on 21 April 2021, along with the single "21/04/20" being uploaded to their YouTube channel.[2]

Composition

Civilisation II has been described as a dream pop,[8] synth-pop,[9] hyperpop,[10] futurepop,[11] glitch pop,[12] art pop,[13] and indie pop record.[14] The production of the EP was done with a Korg DSS-1 sampler and consisted a mix of vintage synths and evocative lyrics with a dreamy arrangement.[9][10] Kero Kero Bonito has also cited that the three tracks of the record, like Civilisation I, also represents three different tenses: past, present, and future.[15][11]

Songs

Civilisation II opens with the bubblegum, synth-pop, experimental pop, and hyperpop track "Princess and the Clock".[10][16][17][14] The song represents "past", lyrically tells about "a kidnapped protagonist being trapped in a chamber" with a chiptune influence on the production.[16][11][17] The second track representing "present", "21/4/20" is an indie pop song with a "futuristic vibe".[15][16] Lyricisms of the track has been described as "ambling and diaristic" about reflections on lockdown of the previous year through a fable style, and has been likened as a sequel to "Visiting Hours".[15][17][12] The record closes with the synth-funk, electro, glitch pop, and techno track "Well Rested", a remix of the song "Rest Stop".[17][16][14][18] Noted as the "most experimental cut on the EP", the beat of the track has been characterised as "between vaporwave and acid house".[17][15] The song represents "future", it features lyricisms about an environmental collapse about "envisioning a transhumanist future as humanity evolves into new forms".[17]

Reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic82/100[19]
Review scores
SourceRating
DIY[12]
Dork[16]
NME[11]
Pitchfork7.5/10[15]
Sputnikmusic4/5[18]
Under the Radar[17]

Civilisation II was met with positive reviews upon release. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 based on reviews from mainstream critics, the album received a score of 82 out of 100, based on reviews from five critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[19]

Shaad D'Souza from Pitchfork described the EP as "focusing on the emotional toll of disaster with ingenuity, wit, and a warm, bright sound" in contrast to Civilisation I's "nightmarish visions of perpetual war and wildfire smoke". They also noted that it "meditates not on human decline as much as the fables and myths we create in order to adjust to it."[15] Martyn Young of Dork states that the EP "represent[s] the multi-faceted joy of a band who can do it all".[16] Jeff Cubbison of Impose called the track "The Princess and the Clock" an "explosive experimental synth pop anthem", describing it as a "shimmering and poignant dark-fairytale."[20] Joe Vitagliano of American Songwriter named the EP one of the "best" releases from the first half of 2021, writing that "the eclectic mix of vintage synths, evocative lyrics and dreamy arrangements comes together to form something truly sublime."[10]

Kate Elridge from Riot on the other hand described the EP as "less cohesive" than Civilisation I, and while having a "promising start", remarking that the three tracks are "separate and unrelated", making the EP feel "disorganised and incomplete".[21]

Track listing
Civilisation II track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Princess and the Clock"Douglas Lobban3:49
2."21/04/20"Lobban3:02
3."Well Rested"
  • Lobban
  • Sarah Perry
7:10
Total length:14:01

References
  1. Scolforo, Carli (24 February 2021). "Kero Kero Bonito Announce Civilisation II, Share "The Princess and the Clock"". Paste. Archived from the original on 25 February 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  2. Pearis, Bill (21 April 2021). "Kero Kero Bonito release 'Civilization II' EP, share "21/04/20" video". BrooklynVegan. Archived from the original on 21 April 2021.
  3. "Kero Kero Bonito Share 'The Princess And The Clock' & Announce New EP 'Civilisation II'". Circuit Sweet. 28 February 2021. Archived from the original on 6 March 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  4. Kero Kero Bonito (21 April 2021). "Kero Kero Bonito INTERVIEW". youtube.com (video). Interviewed by Anthony Fantano.
  5. Renshaw, David. "Kero Kero Bonito release 'The Princess and the Clock,' announce new EP". The Fader. Archived from the original on 27 February 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  6. Gregory, Allie (24 February 2021). "Kero Kero Bonito Prep 'Civilisation II' EP, Share New Song". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on 25 February 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  7. "Kero Kero Bonito announce 'Civilisation II' EP | News". DIY. Archived from the original on 25 February 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  8. Maicki, Salvatore (12 May 2021). "Kero Kero Bonito on magic pop, Bugsnax, and the limits of poptimism". Fader. Archived from the original on 12 May 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  9. Yalcinkaya, Gunseli (23 April 2021). "Five things that inspired Kero Kero Bonito's new EP Civilisation II". Dazed. Archived from the original on 23 April 2021.
  10. American Songwriter (8 July 2021). "The Best Albums Of 2021… So Far". American Songwriter. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  11. Jolley, Ben (21 April 2021). "Kero Kero Bonito Civilisation II EP". NME. Archived from the original on 21 April 2021.
  12. Thirlwell, Elvis (21 April 2021). "Kero Kero Bonito - Civilisation II". DIY. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  13. Paste staff (21 July 2021). "The 25 Best EPs of 2021 (So Far)". Paste. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  14. Hayden Merrick, Evan Sawdey (24 November 2021). "THE 15 BEST INDIE POP ALBUMS OF 2021". Popmatters. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  15. D’Souza, Shaad (21 April 2021). "Kero Kero Bonito Civilisation II EP". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 21 April 2021.
  16. Young, Martyn (20 April 2021). "Kero Kero Bonito – Civilisation II EP". Dork. Archived from the original on 21 April 2021.
  17. Campbell, Caleb (22 April 2021). "Kero Kero Bonito Civilisation II". Under the Radar. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  18. Am I the only one tired of this fuck head yet. Jesus he's more insufferable than sowing (30 April 2021). "Review: Kero Kero Bonito Civilisation II". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  19. "Civilisation II [EP]". Metacritic. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  20. Cubbison, Jeff. "Kero Kero Bonito – 'The Princess and the Clock'". Magazine. Archived from the original on 27 February 2021.
  21. Eldridge, Kate (20 April 2021). "EP Review: Kero Kero Bonito // Civilisation II". Riot. Archived from the original on 20 April 2021.
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