Photo: Press
Last month we had the pleasure of previewing the first cut from a number of new works from Canadian DJ, Kid Koala. Today we have the pleasure of offering a full-stream of his fifth studio album, Music To Draw To: Satellite.
The album tracks the story of a cold and bitter winter in Montreal. Having dealt with the loss of a close family number, much of the record was written in exposure to thoughts and feelings written down before dawn, and shared and developed in Kid Koala’s studio later on in the day.
The recording of the album took place over a 10-day period, and is the first composition piece of Koala’s not to be sample-led. The record also marks the beginning of a collaboration with Icelandic singer songwriter Emilíana Torrini who supplies vocals for five tracks on the album. After meeting at a show in New York, the pair were brought together by an appreciation for each others work. Promising to record together soon, Koala invited Torrini to his Montreal studio.
On working with Emiliana Torrini, Kid Koala said: “Emilíana is one of my favourite singers in the world. I’ve been following her work since her first album. She’s just got one of those singular voices that captivated me years ago. Even when she is singing at whisper quiet levels, it’s enough to crack your heart open.”
This is the first time we have seen a more compositional work from Kid Koala. Previously much of his work has comprised of sampling, but here we see Koala’s abilities as a composer. The record is an adept blend of carefully created ambient sounds, mixed in with deep and thoughtful lyricism.
When we previewed some of the material back in February, we talked about is a being a perfect blend gentle, eerie, bewitching, and sad. The full record is much of the same. Emiliana’s vocals sit subtly alongside Koala’s soundscapes.The record seems more to fade past than to grab your attention. But none the less – it marks a considerable and exciting change from Koala’s repertoire.
Listen for yourself to the full album-stream below.
