Levi Kempster - Birds of Passage

​Levi Kempster

Birds of Passage
​self-released; 2023

​​By ​Dino DiMuro

Levi Kempster of Vancouver, British Columbia is the creative force behind Cabbaggage, a solo project begun in early 2023. His newest album Birds of Passage features four new tracks, plus remixes and keyboard-only versions.

Kempster’s music spans a variety of genres including folk, contemporary classical, instrumental and electro-acoustic, though he simplifies things by saying “it’s quite cinematic.” All the keyboard parts were recorded by Kempster in his bedroom, with his guest musicians adding their parts remotely. Kempster mixed the tracks, with mastering was by James Edward Armstrong.

Just to give a quick sense of this album, I’ll first describe it as mellow, spacey and multi-layered. However it’s not quite “easy listening” as many of the timbres and textures are a bit harsh, to the point of distortion. The album is structured with four basic tracks, followed by four remixes by other artists and concluding with three keyboard-only versions by Kempster. For music that’s difficult to grasp on a first or second listening, this is a lot to take in. I solved this problem by loading each track into Pro Tools so I could easily compare the three different versions.

“Bird of Passage” pretty much defines the Cabbggage sound: slow, ethereal but also brittle. Iker Garmendia contributes flute on this track and the next two, along with Simon McCorry on cello. The track begins with bell-like notes heralding the quavering keyboards we’ll become familiar with throughout the album. McCorry’s cello also appears right at the top, playing recognizable notes but also creating weird overtones with his bow. Kempster is not afraid to push the gain on all these elements, which makes for a sometimes challenging listening experience. I believe Garmendia’s flute is matching some of the keyboard parts, which makes it hard to pick out. 

The first half of the composition runs almost three-and-a-half minutes, after which the volume and intensity quickly build. Piano and brass-like patches become more prominent, as does the flute. One can almost make out a melodic theme and variations on that theme. The cello is especially nice at the final fade. The “Solo Keys” version of this track has a much longer but similar intro; however, when the more piano-like parts come in, the sounds are quite different from the released version, with more clear notes but also lots of flying saucer-like modulations. The conclusion of this track is close to the original but with an extra helping of high-end EQ. Finally, we have the remix version by hyacinth. Remixes can be as simple as changing track levels or adding beats, but the remixes in this album are more aggressive with their changes. The hyacinth version is twice as long and starts with lots of backward effects before focusing on the cello overdubs, which appear to be slowed down (as does the whole track). You could call this The Cello Mix and be correct, though the brass sounds are also featured toward the end. 

“Moving Away” immediately sounds like the Cabbaggage we now recognize, but with a more upbeat theme fighting to be heard through the distortion. Like the first track it starts slowly and builds to a conclusion, though in a much shorter time frame. This track also features beats by Jez Thelwell, which add an interesting contrast. I was hoping the keyboard-only mix would bring the melodies closer to the surface, but if anything that track is even noisier than the full version. I actually prefer the remix by cellist Simon McCorry: though twice as long, he’s tamed Kempster’s noise so we can enjoy both the melodies and the tonality of the percussion.    

“Homeless” has another long intro featuring keyboards and cello, but thankfully Kempster has pulled back the volume so we can really enjoy his opaque but weirdly moving melodies. The keyboard version is essentially the same but without cello, but cellist McCorry is clearly the star of this track. The keys become more bell-like toward the end, building up volume with both flute and cello along for the ride. The remix by The New Emphatic is basically unrecognizable as the same track, featuring voice snippets, weird loops, beats and stereo-panned samples. It’s actually very cool and blessedly brief, and is the only remix shorter than the original.

Our final track “Rushing Water” has no “keyboard only” mix. It starts with ocean and bird sounds somewhat buried beneath Kempster’s swirling keyboards, with repeating bursts of overloaded sound. The track’s construction is simple, like a long loop. The remix by autumna adds voice samples and low-pitched drums with an almost machine-like cadence. Like the original track it also takes a simple idea and lets it play through.

​Overall this was quite a mixed bag. Though I don’t love some of Kempster’s mixing choices, there was enough here to keep me interested and guessing where the music would be taking me next. Check it out for yourself!

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