Album Review: Rising

B2KDA

Review by jck2 // 17 October 2015

Rising is the latest full length album from B2KDA (Formerly known as Batucada Sound Machine). In a career spanning 12 years this interesting group of dedicated musicians from diverse backgrounds and ethnicities have travelled the world playing their brand of high energy fusion music.

I’ve known about B2KDA for some time but I never connected with their music because of their strong Latin influences. Latin music is alien to me and I’ve always found it too “fruity” to be taken seriously.

But in this latest offering they have refocused their aim and in my opinion hit a direct bulls eye. I would even go as far as to say that Rising is a masterpiece.

On this album B2KDA have found a brilliant balance between complicated rhythmic and melodic virtuosity and simplistic catchy songwriting. This is very difficult to accomplish and these two musical approaches are seldom seen together these days, but B2KDA have found a formula where the two co-exist in exquisite harmony.

I was hearing similarities to The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Salmonella Dub, Six60, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Kora, Jimi Hendrix, No Doubt, Santana, and elements of Pacific Urban/Hip Hop to culminate into what I can only describe as kick ass summer festival music.

B2KDA hit you with great song after great song on their new album. I listen to a lot of new music and review a lot of artists but seldom feel the level of inspiration I’m currently feeling from listening to Rising. I’m feeling the singer who reminds me a little bit of Tiki Taane, but without the faux Jamaican accent. There’s nothing fancy about his singing voice but he connects to the listener and I find his vibe relatable. The dude has a descent rap flow too. A solid all rounder.

I found it quite funny that the last song on the album is the B2KDA Sound Machine I remember from the past, with the fast paced Latin music in a language I don’t speak. Almost as If they knew what I was thinking and put it in as a cheeky “Stuff You”

This music is too good to be ignored and I think B2KDA are going to do great things with this latest offering. The whole album is full of hits in my opinion. So I hope to be hearing these songs all over the radio in New Zealand. And If NZ radio is dumb enough to pass them over I have a strong feeling the rest of the world will be all over Rising by B2KDA Sound Machine.

Rising is available from all major online music stores. check it out you wont be disappointed.

Check out Same Old by B2KDA.

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About the author jck2

JCK formed in music school in 2002 as `JCK and the dirty ho bags`. Back then It was James Castady-Kristament as MC and 3 female back up singer and dancers.That incarnation didn`t last long but one of the singers Lou Ludbrook would go on to be the second member of JCK in its second incarnation as a boy/girl duo. They worked hard writing recording and playing shows around Auckland City which eventually payed off. In 2004 they caught the attention of respected Indie label Pagan/Antenna records and scored a record deal. Soon after, they were successful in receiving funding from New Zealand on Air and recorded their debut single ‘Freak in the club’ with an accompanying music video, Freak in the club was a “Hip Pop” single that took the nation by storm and played on all of New Zealand’s music television shows for a good part of a year.

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