South African musician Yannick Ilunga aka Petite Noir first came onto the scene nearly two years ago with “Till We Ghosts”. Ilunga recently re-released a new version of “Till We Ghosts” with Yaasin Bey (Mos Def). Ilunga has resurfaced, but this time around, he’s poised to release a five-song EP, entitled The King of Anxiety, on January 19th on labels Domino Recording Company and Double Six Records.
Lead track, “Chess” is a self-described “noirwave” track about a break up. The lyrics were lifted directly from an instant message conversation that led to the relationship’s demise. I thought it’d be a fitting New Year’s track because we must leave the past behind in order to move forward. Ilunga‘s falsetto is reminescent of Antony of Antony & The Johnsons and vacillates to an Ian Curtis-like baritone. This combination accentuates the track’s melancholic and driving instrumentation. Check out the track with this great 80’s-inspired video.