Hiatus Kaiyote – Tawk Tomahawk Forever After

“I can’t believe that you haven’t heard of Hiatus Kaiyote! Where have you been?  They’re an awesome Melbourne band that Erykah Badu’s been promoting.”

My friend with great taste in music, said that to me recently in Melbourne. Recommended by both he and Queen Badu, find Hiatus Kaiyote I had to.

So find, listen to, love and buy their 2012 album Tawk Tomahawk at a local independent record store I did.

Hiatus Kaiyote - Tawk Tomahawk

He was right…Where had I been?  I should have heard this music sooner.

Exceptional Australian Music

In my last post I came clean with my unpatriotic truth that there’s not much Australian music I find that blows me away. That’s not a criticism of Australian musicianship. Australia has lots of brilliant and innovative musicians. It’s simply that most of the music created here (at least that I find) just doesn’t excite me.

Hiatus Kaiyote’s music is an exception.

I’m happy to have added an Australian album to my collection that is equally as interesting and loveable to me as the rest of the collection of music by artists from elsewhere in the world. It’s a lesson to me that maybe I just need to look harder in Australia to find the amazingness.

Flavours & Sounds

Hiatus Kaiyote is the very talented and innovative Nai Palm (vocals & guitar; Simon Mavin (keys & synths); Paul Bender (bass, guitar, synths & effects); and Perrin Moss (drums, percussions, synths & effects)….

…making beautiful and ever-so-loveable music together.

Hiatus Kaiyote

Hiatus Kaiyote

‘Future soul’ and ‘Neo-soul’ seem to be the phrases used most to try to describe Hiatus Kaiyote’s music…some blend or other of sounds from soul, hip hop, electro, r&b, jazz, opera, popLatin and Afro genres.

So many musical flavours. So hard to put into a genre box. That’s why I love this music. It’s totally unique.

And whatever it is and whatever it’s named, it is true that it’s simply awesome Australian music that should be heard.

Hiatus Kaiyote on Vinyl Forever

Check out these mp3 [only] sample tracks from Tawk Tomahawk yourself for a small taste of the diversity of sounds on the album…

Hiatus Kaiyote - Tawk Tomahawk

Tawk Tomahawk (2012) – Hiatus Kaiyote

Lace Skulls 

Nakamarra

Awesome songs aren’t they? The rest of the tracks on Tawk Tomahawk are as well – including the bonus remix of Nakamarra, featuring Q-Tip – nominated for ‘Best R&B Performance’ in this year’s Grammy Awards no less.

The entire Hiatus Kaiyote album – in it’s CD or Vinyl glory – is abundantly worth hearing, buying and having in your music collection to enjoy forever after.

Remember I shared some beautiful tracks with you from Ngaiire’s album Lamentations? Well Nai Palm’s gorgeous, soulful vocals feature with Ngaiire on one of them. Find Dirty Hercules here.

Hiatus Kaiyote Live

Lucky I am then, and lucky is anyone else going to WOMADelaide Festival in March. We get to have ourselves the live Hiatus Kaiyote and Ngaiire experiences there – plus more with a bunch of other diverse and incredible artists from different corners of the world. Only 7 more weeks to wait until my musical Christmas comes!

Until then people in Melbourne can try to find a Hiatus Kaiyote show or one of Nai Palm’s solo gigs.  Just one more of so many other musical reasons to be in Melbourne really :).

Nai Palm

Nai Palm

Another one is that after WOMADelaide, incredibly lucky is anyone who has themselves a ticket for Erykah Badus April show in Melbourne where Hiatus Kaiyote will be supporting.