Live Review: Get in on the good vibes with AKOUO's new release 'Feel That' ft. Montaigne

Well recognised as a beatmaker and DJ in Australia’s underground hip-hop scene in his earlier years, Akouo has gone on to gain worldwide attention with his jubilant, electronic productions and extraordinary percussive layering.

‘Feel That’ shows immense creative development from Akouo, and the collaboration with fellow Australian Montaigne completely raises the bar of his work.

Reflecting on project, Akouo says:

It’s a rare occurrence to have a chance to work with people who are rich in artistic ability but also have a strong passion for the entire creative process from start to finish. True to the nature of art, the lyrics came to Montaigne very quickly and naturally, but it took months to wrap them carefully into this cosy blanket of sound that we both love.”

Montaigne's vocals soar benevolently over Akouo's masterful, shimmering production, which elegantly pulsates in the background to create a wondrous sound floor. Carefully curated instruments, trumpeting riffs and beating percussion sets a feel for an exotic wilderness, with touches of echoing vocal samples to coagulate the ambience of this soundscape.

These impressions are further reiterated in the video’s animated story as a girl walks through peculiar landscapes that suddenly explode with vibrant colours and shape shift whenever she interacts with the environment.

‘Feel That’ skilfully blends and balances both realms of electronic and pop music, assimilating the two so luminously that it would be damn near impossible to not pick up good vibrations from this track.

It seems pretty safe to take this tune and epic collaboration as a sign of new and great things to come from Akouo, and while there is no word just yet of what this might entail, it’s certainly worth getting excited about.

Words by FREYA DINESEN

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