#112 Kai Kwasi - unt

South-East London’s Kai Kwasi has released smooth new track unt with Play It Again Sam. This DIY debut is already making waves, having been picked up by the likes of Clash, Far Out and World Play Magazine. As a multi-talented creative with a background in photography and film, Kai seamlessly transfers these skills in his musical expression, taking a unique and visual approach that has culminated in unt. This gorgeous introduction is accompanied by an artistic video co-directed by Clay Milner Russel and Kai himself, shot in an abandoned London flat that was earmarked for demolition. Watch the full video here.

“I recorded ‘unt’ in my room on a broken audio interface with one of those podcaster mic stands. In short, the song is about not being sure if you’re doing things right. The video draws parallels between moving and relationships. You move in, fill the space, paint the walls and move out. I made the vídeo with a friend from college (Clay Milner Russell). The idea was to keep it fun, and that's pretty much what we did. They were knocking down the flats we used so it was the perfect excuse to take liberty and do things we wouldn’t be allowed to do elsewhere.”

- Kai Kwasi

unt demonstrates the perfect blend of Indie, Jazz, Rnb, LoFi and Bedroom Pop, all whilst exhibiting Kai’s distinctive delicate sound. His honeyed tones and deeply personal lyricism enable Kai to create a lane for himself, which feels as close to Joni Mitchel as it does Frank Ocean. Finding a natural home in a close nit musical community in London, Kai takes encouragement from his friends and self-confessed biggest inspirations including the likes of Joy Crookes, KarimThaPeasant, Jiovanni Jemndi, VINO, Looms, and Don Feeble Jr.

At the ripe age of 21, unt is an exciting launch of Kai’s musical career, and we can’t wait to see what he has to bring in the future.

This track was one of the new additions to this week’s Laid Bare Selection Playlist, make sure to check it out here.

unt is available on Spotify and all streaming platforms, listen below along with Kai’s equally beautiful B-side track lakitu.