Australian four-part soul group Hiatus Kaiyote, is touring North America following the release of its second and newest album, “Choose Your Weapon,” earlier this year. The group gained popularity following the release of “Nakamarra”, a single whose video feature the band’s travels throughout the deserts and ghost towns of South Australia. Nick Hakim, a D.C. native born to Chilean and Peruvian parents, will be playing an opening set for Hiatus Kaiyote at the Fillmore Silver Spring.
In the video description for “Nakamarra,” Hiatus Kaiyote explains how the song focuses on making lifelong bonds with the family you get to choose. While the music and vocals in “Nakamarra” give the song a lush and heartfelt tone, it is the most traditional track off the album “Choose Your Weapon” (2015), featuring tracks such as “Shaolin Monk,” “Motherfunk” and “By Fire,” which are reminiscent of a mixture of Dâm-Funk, Little Dragon and pre-“Wonder Where We Land” SBTRKT.
On its official website, Hiatus Kaiyote self-defines its sound as “multi-dimensional, Polyrhythmic Gangster Sh*t.” The band’s music absorbs you in its electric energy and purity. Hiatus Kaiyote crafts its songs in a non-conventional, unpredictable manner, challenging listeners to predict the ending to a track. The nonlinear structure of Hiatus Kaiyote’s tracks make “Choose Your Weapon” one of the most exciting releases this year.
Vocalist and guitarist Nai Palm serves as the frontwoman for Hiatus Kaiyote, and her strong, soulful voice contrasts with the album’s glitchy, cosmic sounds for a supernatural-sounding record. The music is dizzying, bringing to mind kaleidoscopic scenes from The Holy Mountain, that make Hiatus Kaiyote live up to the definition of “multi-dimensional”, “gangster sh*t”.
Haitus Kaiyote will perform at the Fillmore Silver Spring on Oct. 20. Doors open at 7 p.m.
