Trad Indian licks get bass makeover
Who they?
A producer who is making an impact on Glasgow’s small but flourishing underground bass music scene. For a relative newcomer Kami-O’s nuanced take on grime, dubstep and left-field dancefloor sounds mark him as a precocious talent, and his first full-length project ‘Biren’ is brimming with innovative, introspective soundscapes.
Why Kami-O?
Inspired by, and dedicated to his late grandfather, ‘Biren’ is a beautiful, heartfelt record that takes the energy and tempo of grime and laces it with Indian instruments. ‘Jayanta’ is a striking opener, full of percussive textures, sonic vibrations and a big, attention-grabbing beat, while on ‘Yoddha’ the strings form a haunting shadow that flits over lurching bass and knotted drum patterns. “I wanted it to sound as authentic and natural as possible, so I tried to keep the samples and instrumentation primarily rooted in traditional Indian music, while still sticking to my usual 140 bpm templates.”
Tell us more…
“Exploring my Indian heritage through my music was something I’d thought about doing for a while,” he continues. “I haven’t had the chance to go to India and meet my family over there yet, so this was a way for me to feel closer to that side of myself. The link to my grandpa was what really solidified the concept for me. I was very close to him, and when he passed away in 2015 it hit me quite hard. This album was a good way for me to try to give him the tribute he deserved”.
‘Biren’ is out now via Bandcamp
