Our friends over at Exposé Online have been covering the experimental, progressive, and avant-garde music of the world since way back in the 90s. They just published a review of the album Khu.éex’ release last year, Siyáadlan:
Khu.éex’ is a musical and performance group, and part of their mission is to help promote and preserve these cultures, with lyrics in the languages and subjects based on their experiences. Musically, elements of cosmic jazz, funk, and Philadelphia soul blend with hand drums and a spirit of experimentation to create a truly unique style. Some lyrics are in English as well, and they are sometimes sung, sometimes rapped, and sometimes spoken.
One of my favorite tracks is “Siigaay Gid uu Dii Iijang (Ocean Child I Am),” which has a loping triple beat reminiscent of North African music. And then there’s Captain Raab’s psychedelic guitar blast in the second half of “Shapeshifter.” Throughout the music, Khu.éex’ presents a decidedly modern take on traditional culture — the “music revolves around the Urban Indian experience of Native families from non-local tribes who have found themselves relocated to Seattle.”
Check out the full review here.