Cosmic Dancers

As 2012 races towards the end of the Mayan calendar, heads have been turning towards the Land of the Long White Cloud with keen expectation. Admittedly, much of that expectation has been Middle Earth and Tolkien-related, but for those in the know, the intergalactic feast of Kora's second album is the true prize.

It's been four long years since the release of their debut. In that period there's been a lot of time on the road, loads of shows and the band that deliver Light Years find themselves very different to the band that released Kora. “We have refined our style and sound,” says Dan McGruer, the one non-Kora brother in the band. “We now have more of a collective direction, accepting that we are eclectic, trying not to fit into a mold and accepting who we are.”

“The biggest changes have been the production of our music,” says Francis Kora. “We have spent a lot of time crafting our sound in the studio, experimenting with a bunch of toys and working on a new live show.”

A teaser single, Story Ain't Over, was released in March 2011. It's a slice of synth-driven pop, different to the groove-based tunes the band have been known for. It's been a long wait for fans since then. “To be honest, it was a case of a teaser,” Kora says coyly, “but mainly a case of bad planning for our tour to America. We have changed our management team since then, and have a really solid foundation and plan of attack for this album.”

Most lead singles don't come out 20 months ahead of the album, but as ahead of the album as it was, it signaled a change for the band. There were more '80s pop sounds and synth sounds than on their eponymous debut. “Actually, [Story Ain't Over] was our nod towards '80s pop, unashamedly,” McGruer says. “That's where the inspiration for that one comes from. But that's not indicative of the whole of the album.”

The four years have seen them take their dub metal reggae to all corners of the globe. One of the more bizarre experiences was playing in Denmark after a spate of riots in the country's capital. “We were touring through Europe,” says Kora, “and were playing in this awesome place near Copenhagen, just a couple of days after they had huge riots in the area. The energy was raw and fresh and the people there were so amped and friendly at the same time. The riots were so full-on that the police had run out of smoke bombs and had to get neighboring police stations to bring in more.”

Amped and friendly sounds like the perfect crowd for a metal-infused dub reggae show. This time around, the band were focused on creating a world in sound on the record, more than blending influences like some sort of mad scientist. Synths aren't a new thing to the always eclectic group. It might just be more prominent on Light Years as the world of the cosmos, '80s pop and '70s sci-fi sounds stand out. The five-piece have always been known for their blending of a variety of genres and tastes. Although eighty per cent of the band grew up as brothers, that doesn't guarantee a unity in tastes. It might even make the arguments more fierce. And that eclectic approach came together in a tumultuous way in the studio.

“Everything we do is now more of a sub-conscious thing,” says McGruer. “There's no laws or rules to what we do – everything is put down to our subconscious. When we play, we play without thinking about genres, and just trying to capture an emotion or a feel, rather than a genre. If there is a genre, you could call it future funk. I suppose that is what we're aiming for.”

This release also marks a confident and bold new step for the band. They have a clearer idea of who they are, and are even more willing to put their personalities in the music. The Kora brothers of Laughton, Brad, Stuart and Francis have been making music together for a long time, and McGruer has been part of that for over a decade now. That close-knit relationship gives rise to more confidence. And that's certainly required for extended time in the studio when cabin fever and moon-madness set in. “We were more of a live band,” says Kora, “but now we have learnt to marry the two together. However, I believe the power will always be in live performances.” 

The last four years spent on the road, and the experience of previous studio releases, meant they knew what they were looking to create. “I guess we're more experienced,” says McGruer, “and over the last four years we've really been enjoying the studio, and we're really spending lots of time recording, and enjoying the process.”

“Absolutely nailed it on the head there,” Kora adds. “This time around we have created a theme or a world, and it has allowed us to really show our personalities. We have invested a lot of time, money and learning into the engineering side of things and allowed ourselves time. However long it takes to get it how we want it.”

Kora's debut was a reggae dub beast heavy on the grooves. There were elements of metal and flashes of all other kinds of things. When Kora hit the stage, it's a set built around grooves as much as anything.  “With the albums,” McGruer says, “we always work hard on our songs, and both groove and sound are important. In our band, when we write, everything comes off the groove, but the lyrics are completely important as well. We're known as a vocal band, and we're known as a groove band. And we've worked hard on both.”

Kora agrees. “This is the trickiest question of all. Every song has a different process. I guess the key to Kora's sound and songwriting is that we have no rules, but we all have in our minds what is us and what is not. There are five people that have five different feels, live in different parts of Aotearoa, and are into very different things. Approaching an idea to the boys and watching it morph in the mixing pot is very unique and exciting to witness.”

On this record, the ideas evolved in the heat of a black hole. Pictures of the cosmos and the interstellar galaxies were hung around the studio. The world they've created on Light Years is all-encompassing. It's reflected on tracks like Galaxy Express, Bring The Sun and Little Star. The beds of synths only further the space exploration themes with sonic nods to '70s sci-fi.

“If you listen to the album from the beginning to the end,” Kora describes, “you are invited into a world, a futuristic fresh sound and you are taken on a journey. Some of the boys have been studying astrology, Maori myths and legends which reference the universe, and we are coming to an end of an age. I just like the fantasy realm and how there is no limit to the universe. And stars and the cosmos are just cool!”

It's world-colliding, cosmos infused future funk. Kora are boldly going where no band has gone before.

INTERGALLACTIC PLANETARY

Kora's Light Years channels the galaxies and cosmos that circle above us. They're certainly not the first to be inspired by the heavens above.

David Bowie
Let's face it, there's no artist more extra terrestrial than the space oddity himself. A discography that includes Life On Mars, Ziggy Stardust, Moonage Daydream, Starman and Space Oddity – released five days before the Apollo 11 launch – is surely qualification enough. And within three years Bowie seemed to be done with the cosmos and the interplanetary rock, until Loving The Alien popped up in the mid-'80s.

Brian Eno
Long time Bowie collaborator composed and performed the album Apollo: Atmospheres & Soundtracks in 1983 for a documentary on the Apollo 11 landing. Eno recorded all the music with his brother Roger, and producer Daniel Lanois. Though the documentary was rarely seen after its release, the music also appears in 28 Days Later, Drive and Trainspotting.

Pink Floyd
If Bowie is the original starman then Pink Floyd must be mission control. Or Michael Collins. Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun is an early favourite, blurring the line between psych-rock and improvised jazz-rock. And it must be one of the most played videos by rage guest programmers. There's also Point Me At The Sky and a little album called Dark Side Of The Moon.

Flaming Lips
Not only have The Flaming Lips released sci-fi themed titles like Transmissions From A Satellite Heart and Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, they also released an entire cover album of Dark Side Of The Moon with Henry Rollins and Peaches. And you thought the original album was trippy enough! It doesn't stop there. Wayne Coyne co wrote and produced their own sci-fi film, Christmas On Mars. It was created over four years, apparently at times shot in Coyne's backyard, and is as tedious as it is outright trippy.

Kora will be playing the following shows:

Thursday 22 November- The Arena, Brisbane QLD
Friday 23 November - Metro Theatre, Sydney NSW
Saturday 24 November - The Hi-Fi, Melbourne VIC