Kora - EP Volume Review
18 May 2006 // A review by Shade
Review by Fliss Masters
Kora are the next big thing; that is, if they aren’t already. The four brothers - Stu, Brad, Fran and Laughton Kora along with Dan McGruar make up
Kora and have taken the New Zealand Dub scene by storm.
Why? First of all their sound is electrifying, powerful and stimulating.
Kora are able to capture you in the moment and hold you to every note played. Not only are these guys talented, passionate musicians with huge spirit; they also have amazing stage presence and are able to entertain any crowd leaving them wanting more!
EP Volume is a phenomenal four song EP which has been out in music stores since 2004. It includes big hits
Burning and
Politician, which would be enough to complete any Dub/Funk fans CD collection.
The EP has reached No. 4 on the IMNZ (Independent Music New Zealand) chart. They have toured throughout New Zealand playing at famous festivals such as Kaikoura Roots, Soundsplash and have played along with big acts such as
Salmonella Dub and Fat Freddy’s Drop.
The four brothers and Dan come from Wellington and Whakatane, having a history with the New Zealand music scence. Brad and Laughton won the National SmokeFree RockQuest in 1999 with their band Aunty Beatrice. In 2001 Laughton and Dan recorded four tracks which included
Crazy Things. In 2002
Kora was formed.
If you ever get the chance to see
Kora live, don’t let the opportunity pass you by. You will be guaranteed an exhilarating performance, which will more than likely give you goose bumps!
About Kora
Kora started drawing attention in 2004 with the release of the Volume EP in 2004 and the band quickly developed a reputation as being one of the nation's finest live acts. Early track Politician remains the band’s biggest Spotify hit with over 5 million streams.
Kora’s acclaim only grew with the release of their two records. Their double-platinum debut album Kora entered the charts at #1 on release in October 2007 and finally left the charts 57 weeks later in March 2009. Quickly on its heels was a Kora! Kora! Kora! remix LP by Sheffield based post-punk electronic innovators Cabaret Voltaire.
The long-awaited 2012 follow up LP Light Years continued to show the band's ability to fuse a multitude of influences, from reggae to heavy metal to dirty south hip hop. This album went on to achieve platinum sales and to cement Kora as a top tier act in their home country.
Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Kora