Fusion

Hiatus Kaiyote are a 4-piece independent future soul group based in Melbourne, performing on occasion with 3 additional backing singers.

Their sound is a fusion of future beats, hip-hop and soul with subtler influences of Latin, dubstep and opera.

Since forming in mid 2011, Hiatus Kaiyote have already shared the bill with such acts as Stones Throw Record’s Taylor McFerrin, Warp legends Chris Clark and Harmonic 313 and sound genius Robin Fox, Brainfeeder’s Lapalux and oOoOO as well as playing bills at Woodford Folk Festival, Melbourne International Jazz Festival and headlined at stage at the final The Bohemian Masquerade Ball.

Hiatus Kaiyote's chief songwriter is Nai Palm, who pens intricate compositions, rich with colour and mystery. With her unique honey-velvet voice, she is supported by three of Melbourne's finest and most versatile musician/producers. Keyboardist Simon Mavin, who has graced the stage with such bands such as Australia’s premier soul outfit The Bamboos, rock jazz freakout crew Whitesploitation, reggae masters The Red Eyes and funk heavyweights The Firemen. Paul Bender on bass, laptop and guitar is a graduate of Miami Florida's indie, experimental and improvised music scenes, but with a passion for stank-funk basslines. Drummer Perrin Moss is a powerhouse of beats both jilted and slick and an experienced MC, producer, percussionist and turntabilist and is the former frontman of ten piece Blue Mountains hip-hop band Jumbledat, Perrin has collaborated with other crews such as Thundamentals.

In their short time as a band they have fused a unique sound held together by Nai Palm's smoke drenched vocals and innovative melodies, Simon Mavin’s hands on knowledge of synthesizers, keyboards, Latin and jazz structures, Perrin Moss's slippery drum beats and soul clap rhythms and Paul Benders waterfall thumbs of bass guitar and sample wizardry.

Their first residency, held on Tuesdays at The Evelyn Hotel in Fitzroy Melbourne was extended from 4 weeks to four months due to popular demand. They sold out The Northcote Social Club for their EP launch (April 5th 2012) and received strong turnouts at Black Bear Lodge in Brisbane and Goodgod Small Club in Sydney as part of their debut tour in aid of the release.

They will be performing at SXSW in 2013, and have launched a crowd-sourcing campaign on Indiegogo to raise funds for the trip.

Nai Palm - vocals, guitar, keys
Perrin Moss - drums, percussion, electronics
Paul Bender - bass, electronics
Simon Mavin - keys, synths, electronics

http://hiatuskaiyote.com/ Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.

Robert Glasper was raised in Houston, Texas. His mother was his first and strongest musical influence. Mrs. Glasper not only played piano and sang gospel music in the family's church, she led a band that worked the city's jazz and blues club circuit as well. By the age of twelve, young Robert was playing piano in that church. "Gospel music is built on emotion and spirituality; you go to church and leave crying," he smiles. "It definitely just gave me that sensitivity and knowing how to reach people and knowing how to be in tune with your feelings and the emotion of the music. My thing is, it helps me relate to the audience 'cause they're gonna give you what you give them. When you bring the crowd into your world, you can do anything you want."

By the time he reached adolescence, Robert knew his destiny was to be a jazz musician. He was accepted to the Houston's famed High School for the Performing Arts ("Jason Moran went there before me."). Post-graduation, Glasper enrolled at New School University in Manhattan. Soon after arrival, he hooked up with future bandmember Reid and vocalist Bilal, an old schoolmate. As an undergrad, Glasper gigged with Christian McBride, Russell Malone and Kenny Garrett. Professional life after the New School was even sweeter: stints with Nicholas Payton, Roy Hargrove, Terence Blanchard, Carmen Lundy, and Carly Simon.

The Bilal connection brought the pianist back to hip-hop. Glasper's contributions to Bilal's debut and subsequent tour brought him to the attention of Q-Tip (A Tribe Called Quest). "Tip would come hang out at my shows, and one day he called me and said, ‘I'm doing this tour and I need you to play keys. Can you do it?’” He's also since played with Mos Def, and is featured prominently on Bilal's forthcoming sophomore release.

In 2003, Glasper's first album Mood was released on indie label Fresh Sound New Talent, and two years later, Blue Note came calling. At Blue Note, Glasper joins a jazz piano legacy that stretches back to 1939, beginning with Albert Ammons and Meade Lux Lewis, and continuing through Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, Chick Corea, Andrew Hill, Cecil Taylor, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Jacky Terrasson, Jason Moran and Bill Charlap. Undaunted, Glasper reflects, “I’m just happy to be a part of the Blue Note family and its rich history.”

-- From Glasper's Official Website Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.