Hikoikoi

Kiwis Hikoikoi describe themselves as soul and reggae revivalists, but their set blends grunge rock and psychedelia in an appealing way not dissimilar to Tame Impala – or how Tame Impala might sound if they did an album of Desmond Dekker covers.

- Brisbane Rave Magazine (Australia)

Musically, Petone-based reggae band Hikoikoi have that beautifully makeshift, slightly eerie jaunt about them which lends their debut album an authentic old-school reggae feel. Singer guitarist Paul Wickham has a Horace Andy singing style, only more sweet rather than resolute and pleading. And they add their own injection of jazz instrumentation, which gives them a unique whimsical charm.

The brass-soaked Children A Delight is an adorable refrain, seven-minute long Shameful, with its squirts of organs and bursts of trombones, is broken up with an improvised drum solo before it launches into a swirling and swooning climax; and Vibraphone brings together a deadpan honkytonk piano and wheezing Augustus Pablo melodica, with a trademark Kiwi reggae skank.

It's impressive stuff.
Scott Kara

- New Zealand Herald

HIKOIKOI: Hikoikoi
By Simon Sweetman
Petone’s three-piece reggae-soul-roots group Hikoikoi are more likely to follow in the steps of Kora than the bbq-reggae of The Black Seeds. This debut album has the feeling of having everything thrown at it – from Bob Marley-inspired wah-guitar to Ginger Baker drum solos; with female and male vocals, in English and Te Reo. Still, with the band members clearly delighting in building songs from ideas created in jamming it has an organic flow. The drums might ride off along the cymbal to a jazz pattern only to hiccup back on to the reggae track with a snare-rim click; the bass bubbles and pulses, always touching base with reggae and dub ideas but flirting with blues and soul grooves too. Hikoikoi have had a lot of press calling them ‘the next big thing out of Wellington’, or words along those lines. That might even be more than 50% correct, but it’s damaging that this talented group may get written off as being boring for the nine months of the year that NZers aren’t frying sausages and drinking beer outside.

- Simon Sweetman

In a country which has so many pressing social issues it has always struck me as interesting that reggae -- often the voice of the disenfranchised and dispossessed -- has, in this nation, most often erred to the more gentle and less controversial end of the spectrum.

Perhaps it is emblematic of our country that we prefer "consciousness" reggae rather than the confrontational kind. We really don't want to upset people.

Hikoikoi from Petone fall squarely into the easy loping, consciousness lineage and even in Jah Armour here the lyrics resile from the "troublesome times" to "maybe your rhythm be black, maybe your rhythm be white, but in the end I know we will unite".

Elsewhere however are the injunctions to "be in chains to no one" -- although the corollary is (which would have given David Lange a laugh given he said you can't get people out of bed in this country) there is the observation "it's too hot to work".

So this is consciousness reggae of misty mellowness, and maybe that's no bad thing. Even those who see injustice seem to be almost unnaturally patient in Aotearoa. Better than the alternative perhaps.

What Hikoikoi bring to the table however is a very suave, jazzy and soulful feel and at times you can hear them unwind into an ambient/dub quality where the stressless grooves really do suggest it is too hot to work, let alone much else. The album seems saturated in summer.

Hikoikoi know this style intimately -- there are hints of reggae from right across the spectrum, low dub rumble to horn-supported songs like the woozy winner Children a Delight -- and there is lightness of touch that will doubtless have wide appeal.

Singer Paul Wickham has a lovely yearning quality in places (Jah Armour), vocalist Jessie Moss brings a soul-folk element and pianist James Coyle is a real asset when they approach a kind of old school/Studio One/rock steady feel and he reaches for his inner Monty Alexander to pull out some lovely solo work which winds through the rhythms.

Hokoikoi have staked out some interesting territory for themselves (I can think of no other local reggae outfit occupying similarly productive, jazz-influenced terrain) .

Review courtesy of Graham Reid from Elsewhere

- Elsewhere

Ah Hikoikoi, Pure Craft. If you enjoy a finely composed piece of art as much as good tunes, Hikoikoi delvier. Like to hear complex jazz arrangements and technqiue played as if its the simplist skank? I'm a fan of well thought our instrumentation drumlines and bass as groovin and smooth, and sweet BVs and keys awash from the same, Ah Hikoikoi. These guys are as at home with driving uptempo rockers as skank and dimmer grooves. This is the stuff of magic. Drink it down. - Nice Up,