Kwun – Ancient Ageless & True (2026)
Kwun’s debut album is a daring and expansive collection of songs which range from ambient instrumentals to straight-up indie-rock. It is an ambitious and artistic statement, and a body of work to keep revisiting over time. Kwun executes large-scale cinematic arrangements and, in the blink of an eye, will shift things to something more stripped-back and reflective.
Kwun is a UK singer-songwriter and producer whose varied output is hard to categorise, which is part of the appeal of Ancient Ageless & True. The album was recorded at several different locations, including the UK, India and Mexico. Kwun himself sums up the record as: “… a way of expressing a wide range of influences and experiences and bringing them together into something unified. I wanted it to feel like a complete movement, a full journey, but also something where each track stands on its own”. He certainly achieves his objective with the range of genres and influences he draws upon, including Americana, folk, electro and acid jazz.
There are tracks here which reek of nostalgia, particularly the title track and ‘Sovereignity’. The former sounds very Eagles-like with the pedal steel guitar, and the latter is an uplifting 70s-style track. When the choir kicks in on ‘Sovereignty’, it’s a very rousing experience. It’s full of hypnotic keys and gorgeous synths that get cranked up to the max. “What a good place to be / we’re growing at such a rapid speed” is a fitting lyric to a track which is a positive extravaganza.
But he doesn’t stand on ceremony. The track immediately following this, ‘The Pursuit (Everything’s Gonna Be Alright)’, is a joyous nine minutes of music. It’s one of those which really hits you in the feels. It contains a lovely, reflective intro with the sound of rainfall, sax and percussion. The voices of Kwun and his partner, Natalis, on this duet mesh beautifully together. The sound on this one reminds me of The Style Council or the acid jazz movement. “Don’t try to move a mountain / If you’re gonna put up a fight / Just get yourself together / Everything’s gonna be alright” is an irresistible lyric.
What is striking about Ancient Ageless & True is how it moves fluidly across contrasting emotional and sonic landscapes. ‘Happiness, Pt 2’ is enriched with electronic beats, uplifting synth breaks and foreign language verses. There is Aboriginal-style music on the instrumental track ‘Cuíca’, which is a cross between Jamiroquai and Moby. It would make a great piece for a film soundtrack, with its use of distorted horns. Kwun pays homage to indie rock with ‘The Beautiful Ones’, which resembles the work of Fontaines D.C, Bloc Party and The Hives.
This is an extremely brave album with great variety in its sound, and Kwun must be commended for it.
Find out more about Kwun on his official website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Spotify.
