Ambient hip hop with dreamlike production and emotive story-telling – Kilo takes on the sound of the moment in a refreshingly authentic, thoughtful way throughout this new EP.
An aptly-titled Unorthodox pours into the room with a certain contemporary twist about it. Falling is the opener, feeling all at once familiar and fresh as its hypnotic soundscape, warm bass and well-mixed vocals softly set the mood. A definite early highlight.
Kickback follows, welcoming in a new producer and an immediately more colourful aura. Still, the vibe is subtle, and quickly the Kilo vocal tone and delivery are recognisable. Here we get a more rhythmic vocal hook for an anthem-like moment, and a touch of keys that broaden the reach of the music in a respectable way.
Blues develops the dream even further, seeing waves of creative sound-play wash over as a melodically addictive, Post-style verse and hook seek to captivate audiences in a modern pop manner. It’s the overall mood of the track, and the project in full, that connects – more so than the lyrics. Every once in a while though, Kilo’s own story and setting reach out with a genuine air of realism.
Ringtone injects a hip hop-inspired dose of heavy bass work and simple, relevant references designed to inspire and motivate. Then we get one last highlight to bring things to a creatively fresh finish. What’s Next? paints a calming ambiance around listeners, a light soundscape contrasted by a heavy beat and bassline. A somewhat more relentless vocal pours scene-setting and observations into the process in a free-style-like manner. The feature from Jimmie adds a welcomed dynamic that furthers the innate contrast utilised to really hit with impact.
A strong way to go out, and a well crafted, relevant project on the whole.
Download Unorthodox via Apple from November 27th. Check out Kilo on Soundcloud, Spotify & Instagram.
