Le Vinyle Club Vinyl Le Vinyl Club Mood Valiant (Édition Limitée Red Ink) - Hiatus Kaiyote

Behind this Japanese-sounding name lies one of the most exciting Australian bands of recent years. Born in 2011 in Melbourne, Hiatus Kaiyote is a group made up of the charismatic Nai Palm, singer and guitarist, Perrin Moss, percussionist, Paul Bender, bassist, and Simon Mavin, keyboardist and former member of The Bamboos.
In 2012, the quartet released their first self-produced digital album, Tawk Tomahawk, which quickly went viral on social media, attracting the attention of stars like Erykah Badu, Questlove, and Prince, who promoted it themselves. The album caught the eye of Salaam Remi, a producer at Sony, who suggested it be released the following year on his new label: Flying Buddha. The standout track “Nakamarra” was re-recorded featuring Q-Tip and nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best R&B Performance category.

After a notable first attempt, the band gets back to work and releases their second LP, Choose Your Weapon, in 2015. In line with the previous album, it ranks eleventh in the hip-hop/R&B charts in the US, and the group becomes the darling of a groove scene that samples them liberally: from Anderson .Paak to Kendrick Lamar, from Drake to JAY-Z & Beyoncé, it can be said that the music of Hiatus Kaiyote attracts the stars!
However, amid this irresistible rise, a tragedy strikes the group, particularly its singer. Shortly after the release of her solo album Needle Paw, Nai learns she has breast cancer. This leads to several months of treatment and surgery that slow down the work on their third album but become a source of inspiration for the creation of Mood Valiant. This also provides enough time to switch labels and sign with Brainfeeder, the label of Flying Lotus, distributed by Ninja Tune outside the U.S., which generally bodes well!

And indeed, Mood Valiant lives up to its promises and establishes itself as the album of maturity, rich and complex while giving a sense of unity. Hard to classify, their music evolves between neo-soul, future jazz, electronic R&B, and that indefinable something! This is also what makes the charm of this elusive musical UFO that sometimes feels familiar while avoiding petting us in the right direction, leading us to explore unknown paths. The whole thing is designed as a journey where we let ourselves be carried away by the band's music and Nai Palm's enchanting vocal harmonies that captivate us like the sirens from Homer's Odyssey.
And since we're talking about a journey, they went all the way to Brazil to meet Arthur Verocai. The legendary producer (whom you may have discovered in the April box) helped them realize two of the album's standout tracks: the sweet “Stone Or Lavender,” which features a stripped-down piano/violin orchestration, and the more elaborate mid-tempo “Get Sun,” which is reminiscent of a certain Me' Shell NdegeOcello. But the uniqueness of Hiatus Kaiyote lies in surprising the listener to keep them awake throughout each track: from the deconstructed and almost oppressive “Chivalry Is Not Dead” to the acid-infused Beyoncé-style R&B of “All The Words We Don't Say,” through the silky Erykah Badu-esque “Red Room,” it’s devoured in one go, like sweet and sour sauce, and we love it!
No doubt, you will also fall under the charm of Hiatus Kaiyote and Mood Valiant will soon become one of your go-to albums!

Arnaud Brailly