Kahika - EP Review: Mosaic
Based in Auckland, Melbourne, and London, Kahika is a group of three Kiwi musicians, who have just released their most recent EP entitled Mosaic. Tentatively described as acoustic-electronica, Kahika note that the EP was largely written in snow-covered Denmark, and it is these echoes of a secluded, snow-blanketed cottage that reverberate throughout the EP, providing a sense of warmth, comfort, within a white, snowy vastness. In fact, it is in this sonic world of comfortable isolation, and relaxed, leisurely pace, that this downtempo mix of acoustic instruments and electronica shows that it is indeed a mosaic of styles, sounds, and approaches.
There are elements on this EP, such as one of my favourite tracks-the largely instrumental Daym Sugar -that recall some of the jazzy/lo-fi hip-hop approaches of the Verve Remixed albums in which contemporary electronica artists remixed classic jazz to create the type of music you’d expect at 3am in a smoky, dark jazz club. In other places, beats that are reminiscent of the hey-day of trip-hop provide a solid spine to the lush synth-sounding swells, adding a wonderful playfulness to the gorgeous track, Eve.
This EP cleverly builds momentum through the 4 tracks, climaxing with the down tempo D’Sisive-esque rap of Half Truths. This is not your stereotypical rap, but one of broken dreams, broken hearts, and the reality of human emotion which is sublimely situated over fragile melodies and beats.
This EP sounds great. The production is crisp and clear, but not overproduced. A down tempo collection of 6 fascinating tracks, this is going to be a mainstay in my listening for a while to come.
About Kahika
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