Myriad Muzik

Hiatus Kaiyote

. @HiatusKaiyote ’s Nai Palm (@artykarateparty) Drops “Crossfire”Music Video

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In an email to Fader Nai Palm said:

“Crossfire” is the second chapter in my visual directorial debut and is an ode to old Australian car cinema. Quentin Tarantino references this esthetic in a lot of his films, and for the final colour grading, John Fish Productions and I referenced Death Proof as a source of inspiration. It was important to me to shoot somewhere undeniably Australian with its rustic charm. The stunt woman, Cat Scobie, is an old friend of mine from back in the days when I used to party all night under bridges/warehouses with carnies and beloved delinquents. It is important to me to share with an international audience the plethora of talent and inspiration that I was blessed to grow up around. All “pyrotechnics ” were done by me. Basically, I worked out that making videos is a great excuse to set shit on fire, haha.”

“The stunt driver, Kenno, is the real MVP of the whole clip, as he was a local just down for the cause. He really is the reason this all came together. I would also like to give a special shout out to Wangaratta Speedway for being so hospitable and accommodating. This video was a labor of love on a super modest budget, and made possible by borrowing from local costume and vintage legends—Vintage Garage, Edgely and Rose Chong Costumes, where I spent much of my childhood, as my foster carer was a head seamstress there. This clip was full circle local pride and super fun to make. I hope you dig it. Finally for those who don’t know “FANG IT”, it is Australian car culture slang for something like “full throttle” or “drive like you stole it”.

Full video below:

Hiatus Kaiyote ‘Choose Your Weapon’ Review

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Following their acclaimed debut album ‘Tawk Tomahawk’ Australian Electronic Neo-Soul quartet Hiatus Kaiyote release a more focused and refined sophomore album. ‘Tawk’ mostly served as an EP and introduction to the newly formed band, still feeling their way toward a precise sound, it seems now that they have chosen their weapon of choice with the new LP “Choose Your Weapon”. An authentic amalgamation of an array of art forms, the band has skillfully combined all their influences into a unique sound of their own.

(Hiatus Kaiyote perform “By Fire” on Jimmy Kimmel Live)
Hip-Hop, Soul, R&B,  and Jazz seamlessly mix with un-quantized electronic rhythms and mystical choruses. Lead vocalist Nai Palm at times sings as if her vocals were chopped and sampled by Hip Hop producer J Dilla or Flying Lotus, hitting each new beat as soulful and powerful as can be. Most tracks are constructed in non-linear ways, lyrically and structurally, standard pop radio cookie cutter format is thrown out the window with this LP in return the band presses the listener to keep up with songs and melodies that are constantly changing and evolving. Every track is a journey that can only truly be appreciated through replay and repetition. Time signatures change and stutter creating a unique sonic hook that grows with each listen.  Lyrically this album is very cryptic and song titles read as chapters in a science fiction novel. Messages of love and unity ring out throughout songs on “Choose Your Weapon”. Perhaps the message of unity is most noticeable toward the end of the album when an actual owl stops by and lends his/her vocals to a track.

“Choose Your Weapon” is a great LP and true piece of art that continues to grow with each listen, opening up and revealing something new with each spin. With a band as eclectic as Hiatus Kaiyote, with so many influences to pull from it will be interesting to see which weapon they choose next.

Rating 8.6/10