Laputa (Taylor McFerrin Remix feat. Anderson .Paak)
The current era of music has seen a shift in which risk-taking is rewarded. Those who have pushed genres into the forefront, or combined technical aspects across previously uncrossed planes have been showered with praises of ‘breakthrough’ and ‘genius’.
Comparable to the way in which Tame Impala championed psychedelia and had universal success, Melburnian band Hiatus Kaiyote is still waiting to reap the same scale of appreciation for operating in their own niche of the musical landscape.
“Under appreciated” is usually not a phrase used to describe multiple Grammy-nominated bands, but HK is by no means as recognized as their talent would dictate. Leading the way in the future soul and nu-jazz realms, they have been immeasurably successful in outpacing their contemporaries since their formation and debut album release in 2012.
Following up with Choose Your Weapon in May of last year, HK has since slowly gained recognition for their structural aspects and skillful composition. Further demonstrating the versatility of their sound, the quartet released their newest EP, Recalibrations, Vol. 1, a collection of remixes which came out this past Friday.
With the collaborative efforts of solo artist Taylor McFerrin and up and coming producer / vocalist Anderson .Paak, listeners were graced with a remix to “Laputa,” which debuted on their 2015 album Choose Your Weapon. The original, a song praising the Hayao Miyazaki film by the same name, is a minimalistic track that relies heavily on the talented vocals of lead singer Nai Palm. The remix, put together by frequent collaborator Taylor McFerrin (see their previous work together here), is a perfect extension of what existed previously.
Injected with a dreamy, beatboxing style seen in his own solo works, McFerrin’s “Laputa” takes a turn towards a redeeming love song following a psychedelic-synth bridge at the 2:00 mark. Anderson .Paak, capitalizing on the success of his January release, Malibu, provides the finishing touches by smoothly and soulfully rapping to the conclusion of the song.
With Recalibrations, Vol. 1 available now on iTunes, Hiatus Kaiyote will be touring the world and making believers of their brand one city at a time; they will be playing Lollapalooza, Osheaga, and Outside Lands to name a few. Fans new and old can keep up with the latest releases on their Soundcloud page.
