Menagerie - Koi Kingdom
There’s something slightly unsettling about the album artwork for Koi Kingdom’s Menagerie. If you look at it for too long, the colourful koi fish seem to be sad and depressed and the dark, muted lighting starts to all feel a bit creepy. This amazing cover artwork was created by the multi-faceted talents of guitarist Marcos Villalta, one third of the collectively led Koi Kingdom that also features Cheryl Durongpisitkul on saxophone and Stephen Hornby on bass. After listening to the music for the last few weeks I’ve come to see how the unique design of the album artwork marries so perfectly with the themes and character of the music itself. Both are highly detailed and intricate, both have this veneer of colourful, quirky cheer that seems to conceal something slightly eerie and surreal and both are incredibly unique and original. Even the album title, Menagerie, seems to tie in neatly with all of this.
As a listener (and now, self-appointed amateur music blogger…), I run the risk of making connections where there are none, missing the point completely and making an arse of myself in the process. Who knows, maybe these pieces were based off rhythmic cycles and tone rows generated from field recordings of koi fish mating calls? But if I run with my previous themes, right or wrong, this music takes on layers of meaning that make the listening experience even more fulfilling.
The first thing that strikes me about this music is just how detailed it is. I can’t imagine the countless hours of work that went into the writing process; each tune packed full of really intricate melodies, counter melodies, harmonies and overdubs, so much so that one tune can feel like three or four movements of a miniature suite. Whilst Koi Kingdom are a trio, on surface a seemingly limited instrumentation, in the hands of these composers and improvisers they make music that feels orchestral in conception. Through creative use of the full ranges of their instrument’s capabilities, they make music that can change character and mood without warning. In fact, this seems to be something they relish in, never letting the music settle in one place for too long. For the listener, the effect is exhilarating but as a composer and improviser, this can be creatively exhausting! To keep the music in a state of flux, the composer has to keep generating new ideas and material that also somehow relates to the piece as a whole, weaving the same thread through seemingly different musical landscapes.
Take the opening tune, Peg Castle as a nice example of this detailed compositional style. The tune starts with an off-kilter, floaty vamp between two dominant chords (quick aside, it is so nice to hear music that isn’t afraid of the old dominant 7th chord!) featuring Marcos’ indescribable guitar sound that is halfway between a pedal steel guitar and a sitar. Then, without warning, it all changes into a fast, virtuosic parallel melody between the guitar and saxophone that is so tricky, I reckon there would have been quite a few outtakes ending with a string of frustrated swear words! (but maybe Marcos and Cheryl are just so heavy they got it in one take?) Underpinned by a driving bass line, some epic solos ensue, interspersed with bits of unison melody from the previous section joining it all together. Just as things seem to come to an end, the last couple of minutes disintegrate into a sleepy outro featuring the saxophone and bass playing some fluttery harmonies against the backdrop of a repeated guitar figure. And that’s all just in the first song!! Each of the nine tracks has the same unfathomable level of detail and variety and I marvel at the amount of preparation and effort went into creating this music.
One of the many things I love about music is how it can make you feel really visceral emotions that you can’t experience in any other context. It can allow you to develop your own personal imagery or sensory experience that is deeply personal and unique to you as a listener. Listening to Menagerie, I feel like I’m stepping into someone else’s dreams or a surrealist painting by Salvador Dali. This all might sound a bit out there, but I hear this surrealist element to Koi Kingdom’s music; it teeters on the edge of sounding playful and quirky, sometimes tipping over into downright nutty territory! If you’re not buying into my theory, try closing your eyes and listening to tracks Corey T and Kandy Krumble and see what comes to mind!
It would be remiss of me not to mention the last track on the album, Head Back Smoking the Sun (what a seriously cool song title?!). In keeping with the rest of the music, it’s long and progresses through a number of different detailed sections, changing feel and tempo throughout. Long as it may be already, I could listen to this on repeat all day long and not get sick of it! There’s something really comforting about the vibe of this tune, it brims with joy and leaves you feeling deeply content. Drawing on a range of cultural and stylistic influences (none of which I can comment on with any eloquence!), Marcos’ nylon string guitar strumming, and Cheryl’s sunny melody is the perfect way to bring the album to a close!