I try my best not to stick a fantasy hybrid label on any music when I blog, but there are times when it's impossible not to. Such is the case with the track "Burning Sugar" by Silicon. After hearing only a few notes I imagined Marvin Gaye meeting up with Kraftwerk in 1981 during his self-exile in Belgium, traveling to the band's Kling Klang studio in Dusseldorf to record an utterly sublime mutant masterpiece, the kind of brilliant pop confection that Pharrell Williams and Daft Punk might whip up when truly inspired.
The musical magician behind Silicon is Hawaiian-New Zealander composer/singer/multi-instrumentalist/producer Kody Nielson, younger brother of Ruban Nielson of Portland band Unknown Mortal Orchestra (Kody made significant contributions to UMO´s third album 'Multi-Love', released in May.) The two brothers were members of the experimental quartet Mint Chicks which recorded three albums before disbanding in 2010.
The Auckland-based artist named his ten-track debut album 'Personal Computer'; it was released the last week of August and is already generating buzz.
He opens for Chet Faker October 30 (Melbourne) + 31 (Brisbane) as well as November 6 + 7 (both dates in Sydney) and will also open for Tame Impala November 24 (Auckland) + 25 (Wellington.) He also has several gigs scheduled for February at the Laneway Festival; see more details in link below.
The video was co-directed by Nielson and Ralph Brown; additional animation by Natalia Stuyk. (Remember: just say no to drugs and cigarettes.)
http://www.lanewayfestival.com/
http://godemoji.com/shows/
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/personal-computer/id1007658879
https://www.facebook.com/godemoji
