“Kuni” truly hits its stride with the next song, “Smoke – a moon or a button” (its title lifted from the 1959 book by Ruth Krauss and Remy Charlip), which is structured like a jazz standard yet flows into neo-soul territory sonically with those prodigious drums a highlight once again. Linda’s sultry voice is interspersed, initially jumping around in scat fashion, being triggered as if a sample, before her lyrics come in her vocals are used like an additional instrument, adding to the song’s rich texture. “Takeshi” acts as an extension and to “Hana-bi,” albeit one of opposing sound, with its driving, highly syncopated drums (which reappear throughout “Kuni”) – à la Karriem Riggins, Questlove, or Yussef Dayes – frenetic bass line, and jazz chords. “Hana-bi” expresses the dialoguing opposites of flowers and fire, the first of many dichotomous representations throughout the album. Inspired by the Takeshi Kitano 1997 film of the same name – particularly Joe Hisaishi’s stunning soundtrack, as well as Kitano’s paintings which appear in the film. “Kuni” opens with “Hana-bi,” an ambient instrumental piece that sets the tone for the album. These opposites are reified in the 10-track LPs multifarious and multifaceted sounds, elegantly meandering through a variety of styles and genres, spearheaded by Linda and features the production wizardry of Darrio Bassolino who co-wrote the album. “Kuni” is a spellbinding exploration of dichotomies: Love & Death (Eros & Thanatos), Flower & Fire, Delicacy & Violence, Poetry & Realism, Purification & Destruction. Undeniably on the rise after her 2019 breakout performance at Primavera Sound, LNDFK has already caught the attention of Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Clash Magazine, Noisey, and Brooklyn Vegan (among many others) while being championed by the likes of Gilles Peterson, Tom Ravenscroft, and Jamz Supernova & landing spots on tastemaker playlists like Spotify’s “Pollen” and “Fresh Finds.” It’s a feat.LNDFK (aka Linda Feki) presents her ground-breaking debut album, “Kuni” on Brooklyn-based Bastard Jazz Recordings. Sonically, it’s hectic but it fits Muldrow’s vocal style effortlessly. “You Are All You Need” is a wonder, placing the rich, heavy texture of Georgia Anne Muldrow’s voice a top limber, spacious funk.
Throughout Pareidolia, Moss demonstrates a willingness to step into the background, allowing his collaborators to come to the fore. “Blue Tongue” is a soulful, percussion-driven track featuring Jon Bap, heavy on loops, but with enough room for Bap’s rich voice to flutter and expand. I learned about collaboration, and what the difference is between playing by yourself, and searching, exploring, and discovering with a group of people.” Those differences are crucial-especially when Moss invites guests into the fold on Pareidolia. “In Hiatus I play drums, so I learned a lot about the other people I’m playing with. Much of that is thanks to Moss’s time in Hiatus Kaiyote. Despite its manifold influences, Pareidolia displays a remarkably assured voice. “The album is about trying to find that perfect tone, the perfect changes,” he says. Pre-order buy pre-order buy you own this wishlist in wishlist go to album go to track go to album go to trackīut Pareidolia is about more than just Moss flexing his musical chops. “Ark” opens with the sound of a didgeridoo before giving way to a beautiful acoustic guitar line that recalls, yes, Arthur Verocai at his finest. “Dime Head” is glorious cacophony, with drums that sound like tin cans rattling beneath a hypnotic bass riff. The bass moves even faster, recalling the controlled chaos of Thundercat. On “Speckle,” Moss’s fingers run up and down the guitar’s fretboard, pursued by drums and synths.
The latter is most apparent in the album’s instrumentation. Pareidoliais a delightful slice of warped beat music, equal parts radical soul and Low End Theory playfulness. As a solo artist, Moss is trying to achieve the same thing-put his own spin on familiar sounds-although the way he goes about it is vastly different. In his role as the drummer in Hiatus Kaiyote, Moss helped the group fashion a velvety take on the sultry sound of ‘70s soul. “And when I heard Arthur Verocai, I knew I had to play the guitar. “With this record, I wanted to hone in on the space between electronic and organic worlds,” says Moss, who records and performs as Clever Austin. The breathless way he discusses everyone from Arthur Verocai to Stevie Wonder is the sound of someone in awe. Listening to Perrin Moss talk, one thing becomes quickly apparent: the man is obsessed with music.