Kristoff Krane
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Kristoff Krane

Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States | SELF

Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States | SELF
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"Play for Today: Kristoff Krane - Work (ft. Slug)"

Good stacks always pass me by, but that wondrous little tool we call “le interwebz” has created a cycle in which both the most jaded and underexposed tracks find their way to the top.

“Work”, a silky smooth jam from Saint Paul, MN rapper Kristoff Krane’s latest album, popped back up on Shuffler and The Hype Machine this week. Enlisting the help of Slug (of Atmosphere), and a metronomic sample (can anyone place it?), it sells Krane’s new album Picking Flowers Next To Roadkill hard. - Strangers in Stereo


"Kristoff Krane - Work (Ft. Slug)"

Kristoff Krane is a smaller name in hip-hop, having been a member of a handful of groups in and around Minneapolis. But he’s certainly a man who has paid his dues, touring his mid-western behind off since released his first solo album in 2008. In 2010 he’s released two albums: “Picking Flowers Next To Roadkill” and “Hunting For Father”.

Lacking any kind of major star power, “Work” succeeds on its own merit. Strange Matter produced an incredibly clear, bumping beat that acts perfectly as a canvas to Krane’s lyrical musings on labour. Guest emcee Slug (from Minneapolis group Atmosphere) contributes positively to the track as well. I haven’t checked out the rest of his albums yet, but this track makes me want to. - The Music Ninja


"CD Review - Kristoff Krane - This Will Work For Now"

Climb deep inside the dream state of mind of Minneapolis’ lyrical chemist Kristoff Krane, with his new solo record “This Will Work For Now,” which is a amalgamation of reality based poetry and a beat party of prowess.
Krane uses a influx of hip hop levels within each track on the record, gripping each track with intellect and alphabetical acumen. Think of Auguste Rodin’s “The Thinker” coming alive to express each and every thought he has compounded over the years, this is Krane’s brain pouring a thick hip hop ooze onto the listener.

The quick witted, yet understandable lyrics packed within each track cover topics ranging from religion to relationships, each line having a non-programmed and smooth sound. All throughout the album cameo appearances from the likes of some of Minnesota’s great hip hop moguls such as Eyedea, Carnage and Crescent Moon add a consolidated perceptiveness to the vinyl worthy skills spread like a thick layer of non-fattening Mayo throughout.

This album is not at all a random collective collaboration of thought, each track has a flare that can relate to the last, from the stories of love lost on “Miracle” to the brain-splosion of “Head-Tripping.”

Listening to each beat, lyric and mental wrap could certainly take the listener on a Time Warp of gelatinous genius. Warning: Do not listen to this album in the grocery store or mall, the wit and trenchancy may make one ride the shopping cart into the old lady coffee bar to create ones own album. This album is full of impact to create a hip hop record of your own.

Kristoff Krane has taken his writing skills to a new tier to lay onto “This Will Work For Now” like a layer of jelly being put onto the brain before a hip hop version of Neurosurgery, adding a new flavor of thought to the human process through sound. - Rift Magazine


"Kristoff Krane - This Will Work For Now (Review)"

A fast rapper to the layman, an opportunist I say. That every tick of the play counter marks a lifetime for Kristoff Krane (of free-jazz group Absorbr), one moment with which to tell two tales. Among the limber-lipped ones, Krane AKA Christopher M. Keller is adept, a swift deliverer of 1000 WPM. We’ve all seen speed before, the Eyedea’s (a major Krane influence and collaborator), the Project Blowedians (particularly Mikah 9’s jazzy offerings), shit, even the Twista’s, but on This Will Work For Now speed is not for props, or a talent in itself, but for efficiently utilizing every groove on black vinyl to say something. See TWWFN is 60+ minutes with which Kristoff Krane walks a full-poet’s path in a seasoned lyricist’s shoes. Messages that slip unseen past BOTH the enlightened and the untested are delivered with noticeable purpose that they prompt relistens for more understanding. You might not find it, but the search for what’s profound is a journey through something both recklessly spontaneous but wholly balanced. Lyrical delivery styles vary greatly from dense packing of introspective one-lines to a hop-scotch cadence sans the markers that’ll have heads bobbing to words spit like 8ths. With rappers overly committing to their off-key singing voices and thriving on the imperfections in said voices, Krane’s few songbird moments are a soothing sound with enough emotion to offset his aggressive verbiage and industrial beats. Speaking of production, also handled by Keller/Krane, TWWFN is two tones short of deranged, teetering toward overproduced at few points, but the organized confusion plays its part. Like a post-apocalyptic coffee shop, the penchant for metallic and tribal drum shares time with rusty brass, keys, and bass string to give that jazzy open mic aura.

In overview, This Will Work For Now has it’s share of black and white life lessons such as ‘Miracle’, a tale of grandma’s enduring love through her husband’s age-related memory loss, ‘Leader’, an offbeat number about the role parents play in shaping standup citizens, and ‘Finding Good Friends’ which is-simply. Kristoff Krane’s solo debut is not without its share of one-off quick verses either, some so dead-ended and spontaneous that they’ll clock in at under 2 minutes a pop and speak in convoluted riddles. These exercises in wordplay and style are impressive in their own right, and are intentional visitations through his brand of freestyle jazz improvisation, though Krane’s strength lies in his more conscious offerings. So with it’s depth and thought provoking messages strewn about with quirky free-writes and playful parables to bridge, TWWFN is a must for the indie set and conscious hoppers. For all other hip-hop lovers, hit or miss qualities will divide fans of concise rap types from fans of vocal styling. Any opinion of this work would not be complete without several full-length visits, a respect for the intricate weave as much as the garment it creates. A solid play from writer, producer, poet and emcee, Kristoff Krane marks the entry of another gifted Minnesota soloist. - Urb Magazine


"You Should Know About Kristoff Krane"

First of all, here's the new video for "Miracle?" from Kristoff Krane. There's a long story behind the making of and eventual release of the video, but I'll just say it's really soul-affirming to see it actually complete and available for people to watch. Big congratulations to Chris.

Also, pay attention to the promos at the end. Yes, me and Big Cats are playing the "Picking Flowers Next to Roadkill" release party on May 15, so you should come to that, but DEFINITELY DO NOT SLEEP ON "Hunting for Father." the OTHER album Kristoff Krane is releasing in May (on the 28th at the Cedar). I got an advance copy, and it's one of the most revelatory listening experiences I've ever had.

Stylistically, Chris mixes rapping, singing, live instrumentation and a kind of "wall of sound" sampling technique. None of those things are new or innovative in and of themselves. But what he DOES with this sonic palette is unlike anything I've ever heard. The songs on "Hunting for Father" are at once completely weird and out-there AND immediately catchy and listenable. His ear for pop hooks and singalongable melodies is out of this world. And somehow, he makes an acoustic-guitar driven folk song next to a monstrous, bass-heavy hip hop track next to a ridiculous mash-up of it all work, and work insanely well.

Honestly, it's like El-P meets Regina Spektor. And that's not a crazy comparison for a crazy comparison's sake-- that's really what this album sounds like. In a good way. MAYBE mix in a little K-OS. Some people might hear some Buck 65 in there, or some Kimya Dawson, but there's a sledgehammer sincerity and earnestness to Chris' vocals, not to mention his technical mastery as a rapper, that makes the prior comparison more apt.

But more than all that, the album is about WHAT Chris is saying. I've made no secret of my personal dislike for impressionistic rap (lots of cool-sounding phrases that don't really mean anything... or maybe they do, but the meaning is buried underneath a million layers of gibberish) and "oh my feelings are so important" rap, and this album traffics in both of those things to some extent, but in a way that really transcends that approach. There are a few songs that make no sense to me, but the warmth and humanism and (for lack of a better term) REALNESS of the writing makes me WANT to come back and figure everything out.

And where a lot of hip hop these days tries to be clever, and some tries to be intelligent, there's a real wisdom in this album, and that's a very different thing. Not in the sense that it's going to solve all your problems for you, but it deals with issues of perspective, love and community in an absolutely enthralling way.

It'd be very easy for Kristoff Krane to relax. He's one of the best freestyle emcees on the planet (again, I don't think I'm exaggerating). He's a brilliant rhyme technician and could make album after album of punch-you-in-the-face underground hip hop if he wanted to. He could ride the coattails of his more famous friends and make a comfortable living in indie-rap land as a really good emcee. But what I love most about Chris is that he doesn't want to be "a really good emcee." He wants to make innovative, original, life-changing, beautiful MUSIC. And with "Hunting for Father," I think he's really succeeded.

This is a very exciting time for Twin Cities hip hop, especially if you can get past Rhymesayers and Doomtree (no disrespect to them, but they get enough love). Chris is releasing two amazing albums. No Bird Sing has one of the best live shows I've ever seen. Call me crazy, but I really like that Guante & Big Cats album that came out in January. The new albums from Big Quarters, See More Perspective, The Tribe, and many more are going to be monsters. I could rattle off the names of everyone I know who is doing big things this year, but that would take too much space. And the two Kristoff Krane shows happening in May should be a perfect entry point for anyone looking to explore what this scene really has to offer. See you there. - Why is Guante So Angry?


"Kristoff Krane::Hunting For Father"

RR staff writers have on occasion espoused the philosophy "it's more kind to be cruel" when reviewing albums, believing it's far worse to give a mediocre or terrible artist the hope they can succeed than to let them bluntly know their shit just doesn't work. That way instead of spending 10-20 years recording in the hopes of establishing a musical career, they can move on to more fruitful pursuits like opening a taco stand or getting a degree in business administration. That being said the members of Face Candy undoubtedly felt maligned after reading the review of "This Is Where We Were" three years ago, because even if it was meant as a mercy killing Pedro 'DJ Complejo' Hernandez certainly didn't pull his punches delivering the one-two blows. "The album has no theme or redeeming value." "You'll have no motivation to ever waste another 45 minutes of your life listening to this."

The flip side of the harshness equation though is that not everybody is a great artist on their very first try. I once noted on an early Lil Wayne album that his lyrics consisted of "very few fully developed themes and a whole lot of shit-talking." Obviously Weezy improved dramatically over the last ten years, so much so that he's now reached a mega star status where he can do experimental rock albums for fun and not jeopardize his standing in the rap community. There are times when it's good to know you don't have it and throw in the towel early, and then there are times when a critical assessment can inspire one to strive for their full potential. While Pedro's review never mentioned Kristoff Krane by name, his online bio refers to both Eyedea and his membership in the "all freestyle group," which he professes to have enjoyed greatly. He went on from there to form the band Abzorbr, which received a somewhat less harsh assessment from Justin 'Tha Shiznute' Chandler. Krane wasn't quite there yet, but Chandler did compare him positively to Slug and Mike Shinoda.

Four years have passed since Krane's name was first mentioned in a review here, and "Hunting For Father" shows that any criticism he received here or elsewhere didn't break his spirit or dash his dreams. In fact on hearing the opening song "Inside Out" I honestly wondered if this was the same rapper who had once been scored so poorly on this site. The self-produced song flows over a pleasant combination of guitar riffs, tambourines and triangles and has a hook sung by the artist himself which is much easier to appreciate than most rappers who sing. I get the comparison to Slug right away - Krane definitely has that Twin Cities underground yet slightly Eminem style to his breath control and lyrical flow. The rap strikes me as thoughtful and well delivered - in no way a sloppy freestyle:

"Outside she shows it, inside she holds him dear
You'd never know it but from afar the scar is closer than it appears
She holds regret thinking of how she could have been a better mother
As if his sinking was a result, of her not showing him how to float or swim
The blame is not to place, just know no matter what you did or didn't do
at the end of the day, kinds are bound to bruise and misbehave
No one is raised perfect for we all make big mistakes
There's not a person in the world who can't call home a hurtful place to live"

While I can respect his articulate rap immediately, it seems that Krane found the balance he needed as an artist by crooning along with rapping. The folksy singing and whimsical whistling for the first two minutes of "Soh-Ya-Me-A-Se" may not be for everyone, but as Chandler made some positive comparisons before me I will after him by saying Krane's work here is reminiscent of Big B and Everlast. Krane switches up his approach depending on the melody underneath him. On "As Good as You" his singing is closer to rapping over the crunchy piano groove, on the minimalistic "Resourcenter" he's in full on El-Producto mode, and "My Coffin" he swings back and forth between the two exactly the way Mike Shinoda would on a Linkin Park track. At times you wonder what he'd really rather be but most songs on "Hunting For Father" make it clear he's a rapper first, and songs like "I'm Angry" make it ABUNDANTLY clear:

"Walkin by a window, look at my reflection
Little kids all dance at the dance recital
A hole in my cigarette, a ball out of air
Missed my exit, I'm already there
Runnin by a sewer cap, cross intersection
Little kids that play by the playground rules
A hole in my sock, ball up in the air
Missed my calling, I'm not in the mood (who cares?)"

Not every song on Krane's 19 track long "Hunting For Father" is a winner, but I'm not left with the impression he lacks talent or that what he offers is a waste of time one would rather not listen to again. There's a tendency towards coffeehouse folk song rapping and singing at times on tracks like "Brighter Side" and "Rocking Chair," but it's not one I hate - it just becomes a little bit repetitive at times. I know Krane must know more than one or two chords, but if you listen to only the acoustic songs you might think otherwise. Some hardcore rap heads would probably like a little less of that vibe and a little more of the beats and rhymes found on songs like "Lie to Someone You Love" and "American Pride," but Krane's doing what works for him and compared to opinions of his early rap career it works pretty well. I sense that by being more selective in his musical backdrops, paring down the number of songs and working with some outside producers he really could reach Atmosphere-ic heights, which goes to show he's come quite a long way in four years time. Given a little more time he may just get there. - Rap Reviews


"Song of The Week: Kristoff Krane's 'Inside Out'"

Each week I not-so-subtly suggest a song you should know by heart. For this hallmark fifteenth edition, I want you to understand how much I truly appreciate “Inside Out,” a free, not-very-hip-hop-sounding track from Kristoff Krane (the stage name of Saint Paul emcee Christopher Michael Keller).

The fact that “Inside Out” sounds more like the Beta Band than, say, N.W.A. shouldn’t really surprise any of us these days: Not only has Kristoff Krane been featured as a member of Eyedea’s adventurous-as-they-come Face Candy outfit, but he also holds a degree in psychology from Concordia University. In other words, he’s not your run-of-the-mill rapper.

“… What I love most about Kristoff,” fellow Twin Cities rapper Guante has been quoted as saying, “is that he doesn’t want to be ‘a really good emcee,’ he wants to make innovative, original, life-changing, beautiful music.”

After taking “Inside Out” for a test spin, I think you’ll agree with Guante when he ruled in Kristoff’s favor: “I think he’s really succeeded.” This is hip-hop that transcends its genre’s limitations.

Anyway, I’ll stop my preaching; if you like what you hear here, head on down to http://kristoffkrane.bandcamp.com, where you’ll find a number of free downloads (“Inside Out” included).

And, as always, happy listening! - Duluth News Tribune


"Top 10 Local Albums of the Year (2008)"

At times so frenzied that it's nearly impossible to keep up with the stunning speed at which he spits his introspective poet's rap, Kristoff Krane's solo debut is the work of a promising young MC bubbling with talent and purpose. The first single on This Will Work for Now, "Miracle," slows the pace for a moment with a heartbreaking tale of loss so moving that it prompted the Current's Barb Abney to write, "When was the last time you heard a song for the very first time and it made you weep?" —Andrea Swensson - City Pages


"Kristoff Krane Nixes Hip-Hop Cliches"

The Twin Cities' hip-hop community has long been recognized as fertile ground for experimentation. Especially in recent years, our local scene's literary inclination and refusal to abide by some of rap's most deep-seated clichés has nurtured a growing number of artists to re-imagine the form, or refashion it to create entirely different ones. St. Paul's Kristoff Krane has already established himself in this vein, and with his new full-length, Hunting for Father, he places himself firmly at the forefront of the area's most daring and visionary up-and-comers.

A one-time protégé of and frequent collaborator with Eyedea and Abilities, Kristoff Krane made a name for himself rapping with Abzorbr and Face Candy, but he's equally accomplished as a singer-songwriter. "I don't think I've ever actually done hip hop," argues Krane, who's known as Chris Keller when he isn't performing and who is also a published poet, community volunteer, and educator. "I've never really completely identified with it, never really been like, 'I want to make underground hip-hop music.' But I had all of these referents, all of these inputs I was referencing that were kind of what I wanted to sound like."

Much like Dessa Darling and his own close friend Eric Blair's group, No Bird Sing, Krane takes his hip-hop background and uses it as a means toward an entirely different end, incorporating much of the music's sensibilities and vocabulary into an impressive and singular style. While his solo debut, This Will Work for Now, went some way toward intimating his eclecticism, Hunting for Father blows that template up to a grand and more realized scale. Its 70 minutes are a sprawling mix of genres and ideas that at times barely resemble hip hop, tied together instead by an ambitious sense of self-expression.

The album was recorded and produced by Krane himself, which he says was critical to its scope and spontaneity. "When you're working with other people, there isn't the [same] freedom. With some songs, I'd literally wake up at six in the morning, do yoga, and record," he says. "[Some songs are] a little off the rocker because I didn't bother to clean them up, so in those ways it could have been done better, but there are moments where it just couldn't have been done better than in that moment."

On Hunting, Krane alternately sings and raps over acoustic ballads, free jazz, and the odd R&B-infused show tune as the beats are interspersed with carefully placed samples. The music flows from song to song and even verse to verse with the immediacy of a freestyle rap, an exercise Krane holds dear even though none appear on the record. "That's like the best feeling and best high I've ever had in my life, [freestyling] and getting in that zone [where] there's no filter, no guard," he says. "When I'm exploring and in these states of letting things fly in and out, [it] inspires me, it brings me to this [level] of thinking and dealing with this heightened awareness."

Krane's control over the creative process on Hunting enables him to use that type of self-exploration and expand it into a larger, more carefully considered conceptual framework. There's a recurring theme of family that runs throughout these 19 songs, but as the album title itself suggests, the singer has broader, more rhetorical aims: "Hunting for father" can just as easily refer to a person's sense of obligation and even enslavement to a loved one as it can refer to the search for a source of meaning and foundation, be it spiritual or otherwise, in one's life.

Such complexity of thought gives the music its cohesion, allowing it to remain accessible where it might otherwise become indulgent. When Krane tackles matters of conscience and social critique on "American Pride" or "Brighter Side," the results are thoughtful and heartfelt without being excessively moralizing or self-pitying. When he confronts his own mortality on "My Coffin," he expresses existential anxieties with a songwriter's sensitivity and a rapper's sense of entitlement. As Hunting progresses, it subtly develops a more playful feel that helps loosen the mood and emphasize Krane's underlying appreciation for the world around him, blemishes and all. Ever the prolific artist, Hunting is the second of two albums Krane is releasing this month, the other a collaboration with production duo Strange Matter called Picking Flowers Next to Roadkill that features guest spots from Slug, Eyedea, and P.O.S.

"I [make music] because I want to be constantly reminded of the connection we all have together, whether it's the feeling of being pissed off, the feeling of suffering and tears, [or of] bliss," Krane says. "I want to exercise these different characters that seem like they want to come out because I feel like if I do that then I'll be done with that and it'll open up room for something else.

"The paradox behind [my music] is that, if it does have a sound, it's all over the place," he concludes. We can only hope that Krane and others continue to seek out such paradoxes; they seem to thrive in these parts. - City Pages


Discography

Hunting for Father (2010)
Picking Flowers Next to Roadkill (2010)
This Will Work For Now (2008)

Photos

Bio

When I was little I liked making noises with my mouth and hitting tables like drums. I liked hunting, fishing, playing basketball with my friends and had an unhealthy obsession with snakes and other slimy critters. I explored a chunk of woods north of the cities every weekend from the ages of 4-14. My parents were awesome and were together. My brother and I were close, but distant in our adolescent years. I met a pretty little girl when I was 14, puppy love followed.

When I was a young teenager I stole shoes from department stores, experimented with drugs, went to church, freestyled about how tough I was, mowed lawns for money, visited old people in nursing homes, wrote poems, and pretended like I wasn’t confused with who I was and who I wanted to become. I learned some lessons after being caught enough, dealing with legal fines and facing disappointed parents.

During my first year of college I made a dooby-dumb-decision and went to jail for 5 months because of it. I had some time to think about what was important to me. I wrote a lot when I was there. Just a couple weeks prior to the big trouble I got in, I recorded my first rap song; I was 20 years old. I played it over and over till I was stomach-sick of it.

After I got out of jail I met a fine fellow named Micheal; some people called him Eyedea. I shared my writings with him and he listened. He gave advice when I asked and he pushed me in the direction that I was wanting to go. He was a good guide. We weren’t friends yet…not until I finally convinced him to invite me and my friend Pat Adams (the one responsible for showing me underground music) over to cypher it up. Once we freestyled Micheal asked me to join him in his all freestyle group (which now a days we call Face Candy)…I love playing with Face Candy, it’s one of my favorite activities.

Micheal challenged the way I thought about religion, eating habits, addiction and the collective consciousness; are friendship thickened and I grew a lot in my head. I asked him how I could get beats to rap on. He said his friend Casey O’Brien and Casey’s brother Graham O’Brien had an all-instrumental group called Dialsystem and that they may be up my alley. They were. So me Casey and Graham made Abzorbr. We released Ep 1 and sold about 300 copies in the first month of our release. It felt good.

I graduated from college with a BA in psychology. Because of my run in with the legal system there was no way for me to do what I wanted to do, which was counsel at-risk, underprivileged, and homeless youth. I proceeded to mow lawns and make music. I got sick of breathing in fumes and wearing out my body, so I quit the latter. I started an after school program called “Wanna be a Rapper.” It was one way that I could fulfill my desire of wanting to work with kids. I implemented the programs in schools and still do. I was playing at least once a week with Abzorbr and Face Candy, and also getting together with my friends to freestyle on the weekends.

I met a lot of really nice people in the hip-hop scene of the Twin Cities. Three of these people were Ecid, Impulse and Capaciti. We started a group called Saturday Morning Soundtrack and made an album called Saturday Morning Soundtrack (Fill in the Breaks)…it was fun and worth it for sure. Abzorbr made more albums (Capable of Teetering, Ep 2 and Ep 3). Face Candy also made an album around this time called "This Is Where We Were (Rhymesayers).

Abzorbr was asked by Eyedea, and his friend Abilities to go on a tour in early 2008. Not all of the members could make it, so E&A asked me if I wanted to play a solo set, which was something I had never done before. I agreed and did it under the moniker Kristoff Krane. After I got back from the tour I figured out that I needed to make something by myself, which I was fully responsible for. I quit all my jobs and decided to make an album called, “This Will Work For Now.” I also wrote a book called, “The Other.” Both were released in September of 2008.

I got married July of 2009 to the girl I met when I was young and I live with her now in her dad’s basement. My parents are still together and are still really awesome and my brother is my best friend. I released two new solo albums under the name Kristoff Krane in the spring of 2010. I look forward to sharing them with you.

With Sweet Daisy Love,

Kristoff Krane