Koi Child
Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia | Established. Jan 01, 2014 | MAJOR
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Koi Child rolled into the Newtown Social Club to promote their self-titled debut LP, packing out the venue and bringing a high intensity, fun-filled show. The Freo boys were at their boisterous best, ensuring the sold out show would go down in history as one of those special Saturday nights where all those smooth vibes unite the people and everyone goes home with a smile etched across their faces.
Koi Child opened with a frenetic and explosive song and proceeded to pick up the pace. Frontman Shannon Cruz Patterson provided a delicious flow matched in silky nuances by the horn section: Christian Ruggiero on tenor sax, Jamie Canny on alto sax and Sam Newman on trombone.
The rhythm section only intensified the sound, adding weight to the show. Blake Hart was sensational on drums, mixing the heavy steady tempo of hip hop beats with the frenzy of jazz. Yann Vissac added his brand of cool bass lines with groovy style. The keys and synth, played by Blake Hart, were like the cherry on top laying down some sweet little licks and walks.
The band moved seamlessly between heavier songs, up-tempo party tunes and those more meditative ditties. Koi Child are a special and fresh voice in the music industry because they bridge the gap between hip hop, psychedelia and jazz — all while enjoying themselves.
Even with back to back shows in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney and minimal sleep, they still had enough energy to bring the house down with a taste of their newly released Kevin Parker-infused LP. "We're here to fuckin' party. We're here to get crunk," came the cry from frontman Patterson and they did not disappoint. - The Music
n light of releasing their highly anticipated self-titled debut LP, Koi Child embarked on a six-date national tour. The Fremantle based lads made a stop at the Northcote Social Club in Melbourne and we couldn’t resist getting along for a boogie to the sounds of hip-hop-jazz fusion.
Honestly, who could?
Coming off the back of an appearance at Golden Plains Festival it became apparent that we weren’t the only ones keen to see what the seven piece could do. The band room was packed with only just enough room to squeeze past fellow punters in order to find the perfect view.
The night began with a set full of experimental guitar noise looped over and over to create layers of Benjamin Witt’s alternative lo-fi sounds. Next to grace the stage was the funk-soul-hip-hop collective ESESE.
Finally after a delayed start, Koi Child took to the stage and with this, frontman Cruz Patterson ironically welcomed those from Melbourne to Melbourne before taking a seat to let the rest of the band open the set with an instrumental jam that only made the crowd more eager to see what was to come.
Powering through tracks from the newly released album, the single ‘1-5-9’ was an obvious crowd-pleaser. The heavy rhythm section and dynamic layers of horns had one and all moving and grooving in time, including the band. Trombonist Samuel Newman opted for a quick costume change, donning a high-vis singlet and a pair of speed dealers. Why? Well, why not?
With a short break between songs, Patterson asked the crowd, “Do I sound like a legend in this mic?” before announcing, “It is I, Kevin Parker” as the sound of his voice reverberated throughout the hot and sweaty band room. For a brief moment a mosh pit formed at the front of the stage as Koi Child launched into ‘Black Panda’, proving to be yet another crowd pleaser. A cheeky cover of The Prodigy’s ‘Breathe’ elicited a huge crowd response as Patterson’s vocals flowed with an effortless charm, dropping rhymes with speed and agility.
As the seven piece’s set was coming to a close, Patterson showed his appreciation by telling the crowd that they have been “fucking beautiful” before once again taking a seat on stage alongside the horns section to let Tom Kenny let loose on the keys.
Koi Child’s only Melbourne show on this tour rounded out with a bang and what appeared to be a huge party on stage. The members of ESESE were invited back for an improvised jam. With 10 people initially gracing the stage, it appeared cramped and a little uncomfortable, but as the song continued we saw more and more members take up instruments and microphones. A total of 16 managed to muscle their way on stage and deliver a huge close to the set.
Who knew hip-hop-jazz fusion could be this fun? - Vulture Magazine
It's an eclectic mix of entertainment scheduled to warm up for Tame Impala this evening. Koi Child is an amazing new band from Perth that effortlessly merge jazz, rock and hip hop into a deliciously smooth blend. Their easy cruising vibes with all that brass provide a sweetly chilled way to start the evening. - TheMusic.com.au
Discography
Koi Child - Koi Child - 2016 (Warner Music Australia/Pilerats Records/Republic of Music)
Photos
Bio
Koi Child is a seven-piece hip-hop group based in Fremantle, Australia. Birthed in 2014 from the collaboration of two local bands, Kashikoi and Child’s Play, their electronic hip-hop and prog/jazz-rock fused to create something unique, establishing them as one of the most impressive emerging acts in Australia. A chance witness to the band’s first performance, Kevin Parker of Tame Impala offered the band a support slot and mixed their debut LP, recorded on a small island shack south of Perth.
The album’s thunderous second single ‘Black Panda’ has made waves, receiving high rotation on triple j and Apple Music’s Beats 1 with Ebro Darden, heavy US college radio play including KCRW, and has reached 2015’s most-played lists across Australian community radio. Online, the track received apt praise across notable sites such as Earmilk, The Fader and Noisey, whilst their first single ‘Slow One’ received big love from Zane Lowe on BBC Radio 1, who formally branded the group “Future Radio 1 Artists”. The band also featured in Spotify’s ‘Spotlight on 2016 Australia & New Zealand’, and won ‘Most Popular New Act’ at the 2015 WA Music Awards.
The unlikely hybrid has excelled in the live arena, selling out headline shows across Australia; supporting Tame Impala along their national tour and playing for Hiatus Kaiyote, Fat Freddy’s Drop and Young Fathers among others. After hitting festivals such as the esteemed Golden Plains and State Of The Art, they’re due for a huge summer including Southbound and Strawberry Fields as well as the national St Jerome's Laneway Festival.
In March 2016, the band released their self-titled debut LP via Pilerats Records / Warner Music Australia to great critical reception, as well as debuting on the ARIA charts at #6 in the Urban category and #25 overall.
PRAISE FOR KOI CHILD
“Ladies and gentlemen, that right there is Koi Child. I can’t even, I can’t even...”
Ebro Darden, Beats 1 (Apple Music)
“Some of our horn section jumped up with Koi Child, this great local band that played [...] I was just hanging out, just watching. I wasn’t playing or anything last night but I really love the band...”
Mark Ronson
“Fremantle seven-piece Koi Child are breathing new life into the hip-hop genre.”
The Guardian Australia
“...the freedom of The Roots' Illadelph Halflife-era soul/rap duality and the rhythmic hybridity of the early-90s Native Tongues collective.”
Rolling Stone Australia
“Australian seven-piece Koi Child break all the rules: their outrageously joyful, jazzy, psych-y hip-hop colors all the way outside the lines, with its breezy flow and rich production strokes from Tame Impala's Kevin Parker.”
The Fader
“Koi Child are fruit loops in a world of cheerios. They are colorful, unique, and entirely themselves. They transcend genre and are willing to take music in directions that are unprecedented in the scene today.”
Indie Shuffle
“Koi Child's dynamite execution of their music shows that the hype is absolutely authentic.”
TheMusic.com.au
“If Koi Child’s upward trajectory continues at its current velocity, then it’s surely only a matter of time before the group begins charting a path to world domination.”
FasterLouder
“Koi Child have carved out a space of their own in the Australian music landscape.”
FBi Radio
For all management enquiries, please contact: harris.waters@outlook.com
Band Members
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