Kampala – Orangutan (2025)
With a reputation for electrifying live performances, Irish rock band Kampala intoxicates audiences with an energetic, confident, and infectious melodic snare. Drawing inspiration from the likes of Smashing Pumpkins, Depeche Mode, Joy Division, Foals, and more recently, The War On Drugs, the foursome saunter through varying styles of rock with commanding flair. This is our introduction to Kampala, but the group has been sharing their powerful music with the masses since 2022 – according to Spotify – turning heads and winning hearts. Join us as we take our first step into their discography with ‘Orangutan’.
Following the well-received single ‘Fifteen Seconds’, Rob McDonnell (vocals and guitar), Baz Daly (bass), Dan Kane (guitar) and Justin Capocci (drums) drag listeners back to the 90s alternative rock scene with ‘Orangutan’. Self-recorded and produced, with mixing by Diarmuid Breathnach, the track is a tumbling concoction of powerful rock-inspired sounds. The bold bass meets a soaring guitar, while crashing drums pulsate in the background. The thing is, while you can blast the track from your speakers and enjoy its power, ‘Orangutan’ is more immersive with its vivid palette; a song to be experienced, not merely heard.
One aspect I like about ‘Orangutan’ is how the band hold your hand as you travel along a kaleidoscopic rollercoaster of sound. Charming and serene, Kampala pull you along in a melodic waltz through shimmering lights; however, while there is a smile-inducing ease to the track, ‘Orangutan’ also bites of raw human vulnerability and poignant weightiness. Within the urgency of the hard-hitting rock music, there is a pool of hollow silence piercing the track, finding the balance between full-bodied and haunting sounds.
Melodically, ‘Orangutan’ is the song that sticks in your head for hours; it’s not impulsive or overwhelming, and perhaps it is this odd calm that leaves it lingering in your brain. In its intriguing melody, you are already taken in, but it is not only the melody that adds depth to the track. Offering a commentary on existential issues, ‘Orangutan’ “…looks at the state of partisan politics in the world and how our elected leaders regularly fall short of any sort of meaningful leadership…. Making the world more of a zoo led by the apes…”
Find out more about Kampala on their Facebook, X, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was sent to us by Jawdropper Music.
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