Kuchen

Meriel Barham, guitarist and vocalist formerly of Pale Saints and an early participant in Lush, introduced the Kuchen alias toward the end of 2001 by issuing a debut full-length on Germany’s Karaoke Kalk imprint. Kids With Sticks, the Leeds, England, native’s accomplished effort, crystallized her longstanding attraction to understated electronic music that incorporates acoustic touches and aligns with the approaches of Manual and Phonem. Although the move surprised some listeners, Barham’s shift from shoegaze into ambient electronic work proved less abrupt than it first appeared, given the atmospheric and subtly melodic qualities shared by both idioms.