Tag: Chelsey Boy

Kai Tak’s Downtempo Dream Pop Single “Until We Leave From Here” Warmly Layers Nostalgia With Hope For the Future

Kai Tak, photo courtesy the artists

“Until We Leave From Here” finds Kai Tak’s richly layered melodies streaming into the horizon as Chesley Boy’s melodious vocals opining nostalgically on where a relationship has been and where it might and should go. Musically it’s a fusion of billowy dream pop and chillwave’s introspectively romantic and expansive drones. But composer Chris King brought Annie Zhou on board to add the textural tones of the guzheng to lend the almost elusive song subtle flourishes of anchors to tactile, emotional immediacy. Its moods are reminiscent of the 80s but of an 80s that never existed making the track and the rest of the album Designed In Heaven Made In Hong Kong (out June 21, 2024 via à La Carte Records on digital download, streaming and limited edition colored vinyl) resonant with modern cinema that juxtaposes era with modern sensibilities for a hybrid aesthetic that seems fresh rather than dated. Listen to “Until We Leave From Here” on Spotify and follow Kai Tak at the links provided.

Kai Tak on Instagram

Kai Tak on YouTube

Kai Tak Purges the Regret of Living Impulsively on Downtempo Shoegaze Track “Tung Chung”

Kai Tak, photo courtesy the artists

Those familiar with Chris King’s post-punk band Cold Showers will appreciate his solo project Kai Tak and the single “Tung Chung.” The track features the vocals of Chelsey Holland aka Chelsey Boy whose vivid style is reminiscent of Toni Halliday of Curve, equal parts soulful and emotionally direct. King’s ethereal guitar has an urgency in its emotional swirl, the electronic drums accent the beat well rather than drive the song and the wash of synths and samples brings a strong sense of place like you’re hearing the song steeped in thoughts of regret—of bridges burned in life, of a relationship on the rocks due to being driven too much by ego and unchecked emotions and letting oneself hit a low place in the psyche. But inside that there is a sense of a willingness to be patient and to act with integrity rather than guided by the foolish impulsiveness of the past. The music King has been putting out under the moniker of Kai Tak is not so far removed from that of Cold Showers but more infused with synth pop and shoegaze sensibilities and fans of Tamaryn and the more downtempo end of Blushing will appreciate what King has to offer here. Listen to “Tung Chung” on Spotify and follow Kai Tak at the links below.

Kai Tak on Instagram