Vicious Kisses

Format: CS

Label: sound as language

Cat No: SAL012

The debut full-length from Athens, Georgia-based artist Marcel Sletten, released in collaboration with <sound as language> and <Primordial Void>. A dreamy and dreamy soundscape with plenty of reverb, centered around synthesizers.


The full-length debut from Athens, Georgia-based musician Marcel Sletten is a sardonic, romantic pop album. Described by Sletten as “Whitman/Titian-meets-Elvis Costello/Nick Cave,” Vicious Kisses was mostly recorded in a single week at the artist's home in Lodi, California. “This is my insomnia album,” Sletten says, referring to Vicious Kisses' emotionally turbulent late-night recording sessions.

Across eight synth-heavy tracks, Vicious Kisses incorporates elements of genres such as country, dub, jazz, and synthpop. The album's centerpiece, “Sleepless Nights,” is equally inspired by '80s sophisti-pop and My Bloody Valentine; meanwhile, the blissed-out “Kali Yuga” blends processed steel lap with cello drones to create a singular, melancholic sound. Psychedelic folk music for the digital age.

Written and Produced by Marcel Sletten

Recorded January–April 2021 in Lodi, California

Artwork by Tom Bubul

www.marcelsletten.com