''Civilisation I'' is the fourth extended play (EP) by British band Kero Kero Bonito. It was released on 30 September 2019, shortly after the single "When the Fires Come". In a press release for its sequel EP, '' Civilisation II'', the band describes the EP as a

concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...

, where they "envisioned a historically-ambiguous alternate-reality". The EP marks another change in terms of the band's musical style; eschewing many of the guitar-driven

shoegaze Shoegaze (originally called shoegazing and sometimes conflated with "dream pop") is a subgenre of indie and alternative rock characterized by its ethereal mixture of obscured vocals, guitar distortion and effects, feedback, and overwhelming volu ...

influences of ''

TOTEP ''TOTEP'' (erroneously spelled out on the spine of physical releases as ''The One True EP'') is the third extended play by British band Kero Kero Bonito, self-released on 20 February 2018. The EP marks a departure from the "sunny" electropop of ...

'' and ''

Time 'n' Place ''Time 'n' Place'' is the second studio album by British indie pop band Kero Kero Bonito, released on 1 October 2018 through Polyvinyl Record Co in North America and self-released worldwide. It is their first album released under Polyvinyl. Produc ...

'', instead drawing heavily on

synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s ...

and dream pop. Lyrically, the EP explores concepts of society, war, religion, and environmentalism. The band released a follow-up to the EP on 21 April 2021. Both EPs along with an additional track, "Gateway", were merged into a

compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...

, titled simply ''Civilisation'' and released on 10 September 2021.

Reception

Tom Breihan from ''

Stereogum ''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine. ''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several award ...

'' says that the EP is "cold and measured, ithlyrics that tell a story about a corrupt government holding its population in thrall and about the need to fight back". Noting that the record could be about the future following what happens after climate change, Dean Brandt of ''Flood Magazine'' said "If ''Time 'n' Place'' was about mixing up adolescent

nostalgia Nostalgia is a sentimentality for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations. The word ''nostalgia'' is a learned formation of a Greek language, Greek compound, consisting of (''nóstos''), meaning "homecoming", ...

, contemporary millennial

malaise As a medical term, malaise is a feeling of general discomfort, uneasiness or lack of wellbeing and often the first sign of an infection or other disease. The word has existed in French since at least the 12th century. The term is often used ...

, and the daunting near future, ''Civilisation I'' blows up that timeline to cover the ancient past of primitive man".

Track listing

References

2019 EPs Kero Kero Bonito albums Polyvinyl Record Co. EPs {{EP-stub