KKD - In A Secret Room

Music history isn't written with ifs and buts either, but a little reflection is always welcome when facing a project that deserved far more recognition during its early years of existence. Because if Kriminal Killer Division (the full name of the project) had grown up in Sheffield instead of the Modena countryside, who knows how much glory they might have already earned by the end of the Seventies. But they remain pioneers regardless, and these twenty tracks are here to remind us of that, over a decade on from another compilation ("Stars Behind The Sun") that was nonetheless less comprehensive than the one under review here (released by a label always very attentive to the Italian scene, past and present: Raw Culture).

The early days of KKD are quite fascinating, considering that as far back as 1979 the two musicians (later becoming a quartet) settled into the rooms of a disused former hotel, setting up a small recording studio that also doubled as a rehearsal space. From the very start, the band had access to high-quality electronic instruments, such as the MS20, the Yamaha CS30, a multitrack recorder and much more. On top of that, they used the voice of an electronic translator, inserted snippets of radio broadcasts, and blended it all with the sounds of oscillators, bass, guitar and unconventional vocals. In short, pure minimal-synth experimentation (a term that would only be codified later) combined with early new wave leanings, not to mention that the group backed up their creations with photography, video art and a dedicated fanzine.

From those tapes recorded between 1979 and 1986 comes this compilation, essential in every sense, revealing a talent that also thrived on improvisation: twenty short pieces, yet remarkably varied, starting with a little classic like "And Your Mind" (a sort of hybrid between the earliest Cure and Minny Pops, originally released on the now-rare 1983 compilation "First Relation"), before moving on to other standouts ("An Image After Midnight", "Bondage", "Underworld" or "Rumore", all tracks inextricably tied to the British avant-garde of the period, including its industrial strand).

In short, Kriminal Killer Division were not only a credible Italian response to the sounds that had just exploded across the Channel, but embodied one of the most original acts within an Emilian scene that was never as vibrant as in that period (worth recalling a live show where the band supported CCCP). One more reason to get to know them, or rediscover them, however belatedly, through this compilation of great historical value, deserving of all the attention it can get.

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07/05/2026