Texas-born composer and performance artist Konrad Kinard has released his latest ambitious project, War Is Family (Surviving the Cold War and the Unraveling of an Imagined America). Known for his genre-blurring explorations across avant-garde, Americana, and experimental sound, Kinard presents an album that merges spoken word, sound collage, and traditional instrumentation into a haunting meditation on memory and history.
Described by Kinard as “a radio drama without the drama or the radio,” the album draws on his childhood in Cold War-era Texas. Sputnik, nuclear anxiety, and the shadow of global conflict form the backdrop for a work that blurs memoir, myth, and sonic memory. Tracks such as “Born A Texan” and “Better Red Than Dead” transform personal and cultural anxiety into immersive musical landscapes, establishing a thematic throughline that spans the album’s twenty tracks.
Kinard’s ensemble of collaborators is both international and intergenerational. BJ Cole’s pedal steel, cellists Eleonora Rosca, Emily Burridge, and Matthias Hejlik, and percussionist Junior Laniyan contribute to the album’s layered, cinematic sound. Harmonium, contrabass, and subtle vocal interplay from family members further enrich the listening experience, producing textures that move fluidly between intimate and grandiose.
The production, led by Fredrik Kinbom with additional engineering by Boris Wilsdorf and Bryce Goggin, is polished yet expansive. Every element—from spoken word to live instrumentation—sits with clarity, allowing listeners to fully inhabit the album’s otherworldly sonic spaces. Kinard’s meticulous approach ensures that each track functions as a self-contained vignette while contributing to the larger narrative arc.
War Is Family is more than an album; it is a meditation on memory, fear, and cultural identity. Kinard transforms his recollections of Cold War America into a richly textured, experimental, and emotionally resonant soundscape. It is a testament to his vision as a composer and performance artist—a deeply personal project that speaks to collective histories while inviting listeners into a vividly imagined, hauntingly beautiful sonic world.
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