wake up babe, new kkb! 

Alt-pop trailblazers Kero Kero Bonito have announced their new EP Civilisation II, the long-awaited follow-up to 2019's Civilisation I. Available digitally on April 21, Civilisation II sees the band continue to explore instinctive human tendencies through other-worldly alternate-realities and dystopian concepts. The three tracks of the EP were devised using vintage hardware, written by Sarah Bonito in both Japanese and English, and inspired by the likes of early ambassadors of art-pop such as Kate Bush, David Byrne, Bjork and Ryuichi Sakamoto, modern peers Grimes and Caroline Polachek, and trumpeter Jon Hassell, who developed the concept of ‘fourth world’ music, which unified both primitive and modern sounds.

To celebrate the announcement, KKB shares the first single off of the EP, "The Princess and the Clock". The song is a lively experimental-pop anthem about old-time mythology, with the lyrics recounting a fictional tale of a princess who is kidnapped while sailing the world. The band explain –

“‘The Princess and the Clock’ is the tale of a young explorer who is kidnapped while sailing the world, imprisoned at the top of a tower and worshipped as royalty by an isolated society. Trapped in her chamber, she spends years dreaming of escaping, until one day she disappears. A legend of our own invention, ‘The Princess and the Clock’ was written before Covid emerged, though the long, lonely hours and escapist dreams its protagonist experiences will be relatable to many right now. It's a song for anyone who has ever felt trapped, lost and alone.” 

The fable is masterfully illustrated through and animated by Dan W. Jacobs. Watch below.