Kilamanzego embraces complexity on new project These Roots Are On Fire

Philly beatmaker and soundscaper Kilamanzego has built a strong reputation for killer beats and imaginative sonic textures over the past year and a half thanks to a steady stream of stand-alone singles. Next month, she releases her first project-length statement, These Roots Are On Fire, a four-song EP that challenges false binaries in music and beyond.

“Growing up I’ve always had conflicts with my identity, whether it’s my family’s culture, my sexual expression, or my music,” Kilamanzego writes on her Bandcamp page. “Stating that these aspects of who I am are on fire is both in a negative and positive light; there will constantly be a fiery rising anxiety in my body versus myself, yet I always find my way through to let my wild personality shine.”

The EP is out April 17th, and was preceded by “Crossed Out,” a two-minute single that mixes tasty phase sweeps, and hard-panned rhythms, with bright blooms of synthesizer melody, heavy rock bass, and for the first time in Kilamanzego’s music, vocals. Listen below and follow her on social media at @kilamanzego for updates on the project.