From Boston Massachusetts, Mari Kattman has been writing, recording, producing and performing music since 2012.

No stranger to collaboration, her impressive resumé has included SURVEILLANCE, IVARDENSPHERE, BLACKCARBURNING, PSY’AVIAH, CASSETTER and SOLITARY EXPERIMENTS. But despite having one of the best voices in dark electronic pop, it wouldn’t be unfair to say that the production and music stylings of Mari Kattman’s previous work under her own name has not matched her vocal capabilities.

But things started to change with HELIX, her musical partnership with her husband Tom Shear of ASSEMBLAGE 23 that since 2018 has delivered an album ‘Twin’ and two EPs in ‘Bad Dream’ and ‘Unimaginable Place’. Taking control of her own destiny, ‘Year Of The Katt’ sees her apply the methods learnt from HELIX and move away from the trip-hop and trap that characterised her first two long players ‘Hover’ and ‘Stay’.

Mari Kattman said: “finishing it was a truly herculean effort. It was an album completely recorded, composed and produced by myself, so there were a lot of learning curves and things I needed to sort out before I was truly happy with the end product. I feel relief and enormously proud that I got it done.”

What is now on offer is a collection of mostly catchy electronic songs with crossover potential for the dance floor. This is exemplified by an opening pumping industrial pop anthem where our heroine is cast as “a difficult person” and ‘Typical Girl’ “who’s gonna love you now…”

Taking proceedings onto even harder ground and hitting its target, ‘Sharp Shooter’ goes on an exploration to navigate painful circumstances and emotionally grow. Operating on similar stomping territory, ‘Take’ allows Kattman to show off her wide vocal range with some glorious highs.

The starker ‘Ascending’ is shaped by a moodier drone and drum loops but the eerie vampiric drama of ‘Anemia’ rises and reverberates in its intense gothic disco lento, inspired by Kattman’s battles with her own iron deficient state. ‘Little Bullet Girl’ provides aggression and bite from top to bottom with a rousing chorus to boot but compared with the first half of the album, ‘PunisHER’ slightly disappoints in its looming cocoon.

The throbbing drama of ‘The Worst’ rebuilds momentum as ‘Take Myself Back’ empowers with enticing dance rhythms and strobes only needing to be added for that exhilarating alternative club experience. To close but keeping her foot on the gas, ‘Pain’ rocks out but with synths instead of guitars and acts as something of a glorious fist puncher.

It is indeed the ‘Year Of The Katt’ and with the best solo effort yet from Mari Kattman, she is now taking her place as the alluring gothic club queen she always had the potential to be.

‘Year Of The Katt’ is released by via Metropolis Records on 20th June 2025, available from https://marikattman.bandcamp.com/album/year-of-the-katt

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Text by Chi Ming Lai
18th June 2025