About

Hiatus Kaiyote is the sound of serendipity. Every so often a band comes along that captures the collective imagination, a band that has all the essential elements in place to become a musical movement.

The music of Hiatus Kaiyote strikes the perfect note merging poetry and polyrhythms. Hiatus Kaiyote has a style that can't be easily pinpointed. Stevie Wonder, Otis Redding, Tupac Shakur, Flying Lotus, traditional flamenco and music from Mali and Colombia have influenced the group. We could call it 'Future Soul'.

On the band's debut album Tawk Tomahawk (2012) it's as if the vast desert landscape has opened up, borrowing ingredients from far-reaching lands to concoct a distinctive flavor that is the essence of all its parts. Each song whispers of delicious, ancient stories untold.

Stereogum singled out Hiatus Kaiyote as a "Band to Watch." Gilles Peterson named them the Breakthrough Artist of 2013. "Questlove and Erykah Badu have gone out of their way to promote the band. There's been so much support from the community of musicians locally and internationally. As a musician that's what it's about", as lead singer Nai Palm put it. Q-Tip lends his voice for a collaborative verse on "Nakamarra". – Music On Vinyl

“Their 2012 debut LP Tawk Tomahawk seamlessly blends earth-shaking soul, hip-hop sensibilities, and the warm flow and glow of smooth jazz into thirty minutes of the most organic music I’ve heard in a long time. Though not revolutionary in any sense of the word (in fact much of their music can be attributed to very obvious influences), HK are able to pull off this eclectic mix of genres without ever sounding forced. Nai Palm, the singer and proud owner of some of the strongest pipes this side of the Pacific, never hesitates to assume her rightful place at the fore of the musical front while being equally comfortable taking a backseat to the music when appropriate. This sidesteps the potential catastrophe of the frontman overwhelming the band and allows the listener to explore the twists and turns of Kaiyote’s meticulously layered instrumental soundscape undistracted.” – Sputnik Music

“"Ocelot" is wickedly choppy with Palm's voice left raw and imposing: "My, my, my ocelot tongue is sharp and I'll eat you up." The knotted "Boom Child" is funky enough to cause animated scowls, while the instrumentals "Rainbow Rhodes" and "Sphinx Gate" make for a twinkling, dreamlike succession. The other five tracks are fully developed songs. "Nakamarra" is the least complicated of the bunch and is warm and relaxed enough to pass for a cover of a Soulquarians project, though it's hard to imagine even Bilal coming up with "We two will breathe, aqua queen/Though vast distance between us, heart sails with love."” – Allmusic

About Hiatus Kaiyote:

Hiatus Kaiyote (/haɪˈeɪtəs keɪˈjoʊti/) is a future-soul quartet formed in Melbourne, Australia in 2011. The members are Naomi "Nai Palm" Saalfield (vocals, guitar), Paul Bender (bass), Simon Mavin (keyboards) and Perrin Moss (drums, percussion).

In 2013, they were nominated for a Grammy for Best R&B Performance for their song "Nakamarra", performed with Q-Tip. The song appears on their debut album, Tawk Tomahawk, released by Flying Buddha.

The song "Breathing Underwater" from their second album Choose Your Weapon was nominated for Best R&B Performance at the 58th Grammy Awards. – Wiki

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