by Andrew Rodriguez
In a time where music is saturated with the
tuning of corporate tyrants, willing to compromise creativity for capital, it’s
difficult to find good music. Where we
sacrifice content for sonic appeal, Hiatus Kaiyote marries the two in dynamic
ways. Future Soul, the genre the band ascribes to, is a blend of vibrant
dancing elements of percussion and melodic riffs. Australia’s own, this neo-soul band adds to
the increasing movement of music that is without compromise appeal. Contemporaries
such as Thundercat, Flying Lotus, and Snarky Puppy, this group follows the
tradition of creating music that is organic and true. Kaiyote’s sophomore album, "Choose YourWeapon" is a giant among its peers.
Riff
with melodic tension, "Choose your Weapon"
traverses the dynamics of love. Displaying
an arsenal of polyrhythmic structures, atmospheric melodies, and powerful lyrics,
the neo-soul quintet presents an innovative album. Their weapon of choice is a sound that is
ethereal with lyrics to match. Each song
taps into the soulful apparition of greats like Stevie Wonder, Cortex, and
George Clinton. "Weapon" strays on the
sonically abstract realm of soul music. Not afraid of challenging the conventions of soul, "Weapon" demands the listener to expand their palate of music. Utilizing traditional sounds from Soul, Psychedelic
Funk, Electric Jazz and Afrofuturism; this album is borderline genre-less.
The
album opens up like a Sega Dreamcast with vibrant synths, melodic strings, a
syncopated tune, giving it a rustic yet futuristic sound, as a robotic voice
croons “Choose Your Weapon.” As is
common with neo soul, Hiatus Kaiyote,
displays a storm of melodies soothing to the ear. Songs such as “Shaolin Monk Motherfuck”
surprise the listener with sudden transitions into groovy percussion lines and
melodies, miles away from the original rhythm and sound, to then expand on the
initial groove of the song. Each song
seems to be reaching, searching for new ways to engage listeners. Deep
within each song there is a dialogue concerning the divine nature of love and
death. Abstract as the concept of love
is, Kiayote creates a compelling narrative of love and non-traditional love
like, boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, boy loses girl, then rinse,
wash, repeat.
The
love highlighted in this album's narrative is one that exists on a deeper level,
like the love of human with nature, the love of learning to a student, the
love of melodies to the ear. Nothing
lies untouched by the far-reaching hand of love and the possibility it
creates. The image of the phoenix is
present throughout the album to show
that life and love carry on to expand
and grow. It is through love that one
can evolve and assume their divine nature of being. It is that same love that is on display in
all of Hiatus Kaiyote’s tracks. The
imagery of the phoenix and its resilience is present as Nai sings “The phoenix
she dies her wings burning/ she sinks from the sky to the earth returning but
she will rise through ashes singing with new wisdom she flies." Death, in a sense, is a ritual for the phoenix.
It is not something to be feared, but something
that must be in order to the cycle to be complete. In these lyrics, the ceremony of death is not
an end but a transition to new wisdom, new life. Life is progression, an entity that only
through love can we reach higher consciousness. This natural process of life, death, serves as
catalyst for evolution. The song “Jekyll” explores this with lyrics such as “We
are all born to die/ Lease this here now sweet piece of mind awake this light/
always in flight.” This fact of life
offers new perspective on what love truly is. Nai throughout the album describes love as a transformative energy that
elevates the body, mind, and spirit. The album insights conversation on what we are truly engaging in as
humans.
Transcendence
is a central theme within "Choose Your Weapon." Clocking in at 70 minutes the album pulls
no punches when it comes to creativity. Dancing with ideas both lyrics and music immerse the listener in an
enigmatic world. One listen doesn’t allow
a complete appreciation of the gravity each song contains. Each song is weighty, layered, diverging from
soulful grooves to impressive polyrhythmic sections such as “Atari.” Seamless transitions make for an elaborate perspective
on the intention behind the lyrics. There is an intensity present that waxes and wanes to accompany the
content of the lyrics. “Breathing Underwater” demonstrates the playful nature
of the conversation between the music and the lyrics. The rhythm is pulsating along with the lyrics
accompanying the idea of breathing underwater.
Kaiyote
has mastered the art of passion in song. Each track demonstrates their willingness to strive toward the infinite
possibilities of intimacy music offers. Kaiyote
sifts through the chaos and makes good use of those possibilities, so good,
listeners eagerly travel with them.
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