Koi Kingdom - Self-titled
Out 17 May on Earshift Music
Cheryl Durongpisitkul (alto saxophone and voice), Stephen Hornby (double bass and voice), and Marcos Villalta (guitar, voice)
Renowned for their boundary-defying compositions and instrumental virtuosity, Koi Kingdom’s third and most ambitious self-titled album is a tale of transformation and resilience. This latest release delves into themes of friendship, loss, grief, rebirth, and joy, showcasing the special musical connection and shared creative vision that guitarist Marcos Villalta, bassist Stephen Hornby, and saxophonist Cheryl Durongpisitkul have nurtured over years of collaboration.
Founded in 2016, the trio has evolved into a powerful force in the Melbourne scene, celebrated for their original compositions and mutual respect for each other's craft. Over the past two years, the band has dedicated themselves to weekly composition and rehearsal sessions, culminating in a narrative-driven album that transcends their previous work. The project was conceived and composed collectively, a process that tested and strengthened their communication and friendship, resulting in a work that interweaves a conceptual story into a cohesive musical journey. The album features tracks such as "Arc," a sonic representation of transformation; "Shit Nipple," an ode to the band's original name; and "Day of the Koi," a celebratory conclusion to the narrative.
Recorded on Wurundjeri Land at Headgap studio by Rohan Sforcina and featuring contributions from esteemed musicians such as Keshav Yoganathan on percussion and the 'Koi Choir,' the album represents a significant step forward in Koi Kingdom's artistic development. The music, while retaining the trio's distinctive sound, reaches new heights through a deeper cohesion of the members' creative strengths.
The trio's journey from their formation to the creation of this album reflects their commitment to pushing musical boundaries, memorising their intricate compositions, and allowing their imaginations to soar. The diversity of their influences, ranging from The Bad Plus to Bjork, and a recent immersion in Brazilian music, contribute to a sound that is richly textured and endlessly inventive. The group explains:
It was our friendship and shared ideologies around making music that brought us together in the beginning and keep us together to this day. We wanted to create a committed, collaborative band that worked as hard as we could together to make the best music possible. For us this means writing music that pushes the limits of what we’re capable of, committing to memorising all of our music and letting each members imagination stretch as far as it will take them
Koi Kingdom's latest album is not just a collection of songs but a narrative that unfolds over six chapters, each marked by its own mood and atmosphere. Accompanying the record is a short graphic novel illustrated by Marcos Villalta, which visually narrates the album's story, adding another layer to their multifaceted project.
All songs composed and performed by Koi Kingdom.
Death Fish features Rohan Sforcina on drums and cymbals
Day of the Koi - Part 1 features Keshav Yoganathan on percussion
Day of the Koi - Part 2 features the Koi Choir including Nathan Power, Grace McCoy, Shai Martin, Greta Williams, Keshav Yoganathan, Kizzy Davis and Jordan Tarento
The concept for this album is an origin story of 'Koi Kingdom'.
Arc
The first track, Arc, starts with Koi fish witnessing a shadowy object (a ship which becomes known as the 'Ark' in the Koi world) moving across the sky above them. They believe it to be a mythical or spiritual being. Things fall from the object which the Koi fish eat without thought. A transformation begins to occur in the fish – an evolution into more human-like beings. We composed this tune to be one of our signature Koi epics – a piece with multiple sections, interwoven melodic lines and huge builds and releases. The opening of this piece is intended to evoke the sight of the Ark floating majestically from the perspective of the Koi down below.
Shit Nipple
The ode to our beginnings. Shit Nipple was a misunderstood person. A person obsessed with Koi fish. An unhinged sort of character, he spent his days thrashing about the world whilst secretly cooking up pellets of food that would bring about the transformation in the Koi fish. He eventually leaves his community in pursuit of the fish. This composition is our Heavy Metal track. We composed it using riffs that we each created then overlaid Shit’s voice on top of our chaotic free-improvisation intended to reflect Shit Nipples erratic character.
Theatre of the Everyday
Generations after Shit’s visit to what ends up being the Koi Kingdom ancestors, we find a world not dissimilar to ours. Theatre of the Everyday explores the daily existence of the Koi fish. The small highs and lows and sometimes monotonous rituals inherent in everyday existence. The cyclic form of the piece and minor peaks and troughs represent the subtly changing daily rituals and larger rhythms of life. This piece draws attention to small things in life like cutting your hand whilst preparing dinner, just making your train, brushing your teeth. A snapshot of a day in the life.
Death Fish
A world becoming so complex eventually destroys itself. We didn’t specify exactly how the Koi world crumbles, we wanted to let the listener interpret this as they see fit. We wanted this song to have a super slow and dredgy groove, highlighted by the first hints of percussion that you hear on the album. It starts with an ominous bass solo and ends with an Earth shattering saxophone solo. The complete destruction of the world as they knew it, the darkest point in Koi Kingdom’s existence.
The Little Seedling
Destruction of old gives space for new life to grow. Out of the barren wasteland left in the wake of the 'Death Fish', 'The Little Seedling' sprouts. The seedling, tumbling over the windswept rubble, finds a resting place and embeds itself in the earth. Finally, with the arrival of rain and thunderstorms, the seedling takes root and sprouts above the debris, its outstretched branches reaching for the light. Our music has a tendency to be fairly maximalist and we felt this was the moment for us to exercise some restraint, a chance to offer space and take a breath.
Day of the Koi
The seedling brought new life to Koi Kingdom, and soon it is once again a rich thriving world. The Koi mark a day to celebrate their survival and the party to end all parties is held. Life goes on and makes way for new adventures to be had… Kesh helped us bring the vibe on this one with all manner of percussion and we wanted to close out the album with a heartfelt, almost campfire style sing along that celebrates love and friendship whilst reflecting on the journey that has brought us to this moment. It felt right to include a bunch of our friends in the singalong so we assembled our 'Koi choir' to bring home the epic ending which will hopefully leave you feeling a little misty eyed xx
