Blog - Classic - Kosi Records

Burnt Paw – Let Your Armour Down

18 May 2021 by Kosi

acoustic, folk, psychedelic folk, singer songwriter

Kosi Records is pleased to announce the cassette release of psychedelic folk artist Burnt Paw’s album Let Your Armour Down

Burnt Paw is a psychedelic folk musician and artist based in Edinburgh, Scotland. His music weaves together acoustic fingerstyle guitar with symbolic songwriting to take listeners on a journey though elemental spaces of the imagination. His songs are layered with the influences of contemporary storytelling, alternative poetry, ancient mythology, folklore, hidden landscapes, dream-stories, quest fragments and oral history. In recent years, Paw has performed alongside many contemporary artists seeking to revitalise and folk traditions both in U.K and U.S.

Paw’s latest album “Let Your Armour Down” is a incredible collection of songs that came together very quickly, and recorded in single takes. The moment we heard the songs, we knew we had to release this album.

Here’s what Paw had to say about the process:

Let Your Amour Down’ emerged from a deeply instinctive process of songwriting. It was about the search for liberating images and exploring the depths of the imagination to seek new energy and inspiration. Both writing and recording came together in a surprisingly strong and sudden cathartic outburst of creativity. All my music tends to involve some kind of shift in the fabric of consciousness, often though a search for symbols, or by following an unknown path towards transformation. The guitar used throughout the album was also very important. It’s a really unusual old instrument salvaged from a second hand shop over a decade ago. I once took it on an adventure across the U.K., recording a series of spontaneous oral histories within the landscape. I like to think the spiritual energy and magic of those encounters lay dormant in the guitar until I rediscovered it again in my cupboard this year. The songs somehow just tumbled straight out from the vortex. One voice, one guitar, a labyrinth of messages and lots of analogue tape! It all fell into place exactly as was meant to be.

Fans of psychedelic folk, fingerstyle acoustic guitar and singer-songwriters will find much to enjoy here, and those who enjoy C.O.B and Incredible String Band will feel the energy of Clive Palmer floating in the universe of these songs.

Let Your Armour Down is available for pre-order as a STRICTLY LIMITED EDITION of 50 professionally dubbed Cassettes, and each one comes with an individually painted miniature dragon, on release day you’ll get the full digital of the album and your cassette will be in the post! DON’T sleep on it if you want to get the CASSETTE version, they will go FAST! Full release will be on June 16th 2021.

the album cover of moyshe mcstiff and the tartan lancers of the sacred heart

A review of the year in music (so far)

13 April 2021 by Kosi

Music Reviews, Uncategorized

It’s only April, but in what will be an admittedly subjective series, I thought I’d share some of the music that I’ve been enjoying this year, most of it was released in 2021, but some older ones might slip through. I think great music should be shared, no matter who releases it, so this isn’t about Kosi artists or even people we necessarily know!

Martin Simpson – Live Before Lockdown Bootleg 2019

Martin Simpson, one of the most incredible acoustic guitar players on the planet has just released this beautiful, emotional, virtuosic and all-together stunning recording of a pre-lockdown concert. There’s nothing like sitting in the room and watching Martin perform, but this recording comes close. Gems abound, with biting performances of Palaces of Gold and Neoliberal Billionaire, deeply moving versions of More than Enough, Ken Small and the traditional Plains of Waterloo and a towering rendition of Queen Jane. Every track is wonderfully recorded, and captures Martin at his sparkling best.

https://martinsimpson.bandcamp.com/album/live-before-lockdown-bootleg-2019

Burnt Paw – Let Your Armour Down

An artist I discovered very recently but who is already a firm favourite, is the extraordinary Burnt Paw. One can best describe him as a mystical poet with a keen take on modern society. It’s very rare to come across an artist who seems to be able to bring forth a stream of (universal) consciousness without ever seeming to sound pretentious or nonsensical. The latest album is called “Let Your Armour Down. And, the songs are so beautiful, spontaneous, raw and mysterious all at the same time, that I doubt any armour would be strong enough to resist them.

The solo guitar accompaniment lets the arrangements breathe, and there’s a whole story behind the guitar itself. If you’re one of the lucky ones to come across the frankly bonkers album “Moyshe McStiff and The Tartan Lancers of the Sacred Heart”, (the featured image of this post) you’ll feel a connection here. Although it’s not a direct comparison, there’s that element of freeform psychedelia going on, and I was delighted to find that Burnt Paw does indeed know and love that album. Wonderful stuff. You can also check out the other work ‘Chanting Temples’ which is music using Gong and singing bowl, intended to aid meditation.

https://burntpaw.bandcamp.com/album/let-your-armour-down

Rapt – Drouth

Drouth, by the Indie band Rapt, is a departure from their usual folk tinged indie pop sound, and blends textured recordings of old, warped and discarded classical records with prominent kick drum beats. It’s something between ambient and experimental electronica, but it’s absolutely captivating, it’s also available on Cassette from our dear friends and fellow Slovakia based label Z-Tapes.

https://rapt.bandcamp.com/album/drouth

Utsav Lal – Visangati

What Utsav Lal does, on Visangati, is attempt to play traditional Indian classical music on the Western Piano. If you know something about Indian Music, and something about Piano, you’ll realise that saying this is far easier than doing it. The tension between the two is what makes this album so fascinating, but you can hear the joy in experimentation, and sometimes maybe the frustration coming through.

Accompanied by Tanbura and Tabla (an extraordinary performance of this very difficult instrument), the piano takes on the twists and turns, navigating through jazzy sounding chords that resolve from the unusual (to a western ear) patterns and scales. The shifting tempos and moods can be surprising and occasionally disorienting, but this release leaves you wanting to hear it again. It’s fascinating as an experiment, but it more than succeeds as art.

https://utsavlal.bandcamp.com/album/visangati

Indistinct Chatter – My Mother’s Star

Indistinct Chatter (the nom-de-plume of Irish Musician/Filmmaker Myles O’Reilly) first came across my radar with the release of last year’s “Cabin Lights Off” – a wonderful record in itself, but this year he released “My Mother’s Star”, through which he processes the memories of his mother after her passing. It’s quiet, contemplative, and utterly, completely gorgeous. I can’t really find the words to describe this properly, it’s been playing me to sleep for weeks now.

https://mylesoreilly.bandcamp.com/album/indistinct-chatter-my-mothers-star

Caïna – Live At Roadburn 2017

15 March 2021 by Kosi

Fresh News, Releases, Uncategorized

Kosi Records is pleased to announce the release of legendary apocalyptic folk outfit Caïna, captured live at the Roadburn Festival in 2017.

Caïna’s Roadburn 2017 performance that veers from industrial to brutal riffs to apocalyptic folk, and is released for the first time, exclusively on Kosi Records. This high quality recording was made direct from the desk by the Roadburn team, and has been mixed and mastered at Kosi Studios to give a pristine and dynamic sound.

Here’s what ACB of Caïna had to say about it

To say that I went from 0-100 for my first Roadburn in 2017 would be an understatement. Each of the three sets I played (one as Caïna, two as Ritual Object, my more ambient side project) were very special to me in different ways. However, being invited to specifically celebrate the 10th anniversary of my sophomore breakout album Mourner (2007) on stage truly stands apart from most of my live outings from both a personal and professional standpoint. Retooling and updating the album extensively in front of an audience full of lots of long time friends, some of whom I had only met in person for the first time that weekend was both a terrifying and transcendental experience, and one that I am beyond proud to present to all of you almost exactly four years after the event.

Live at Roadburn 2017 is available for pre-order as a STRICTLY LIMITED EDITION professionally dubbed Cassette, or as a digital download, you won’t want to miss out; pre-order now, to get access to the track “Mogawr” and on release day you’ll get the rest of the album as soon as it’s released. DON’T sleep on it if you want to get the CASSETTE version, they will go FAST! Full release will be on April 5th 2021.

You can stream it EXCLUSIVELY from this site

KOSI Records Launches

7 December 2020 by Kosi

Fresh News, Uncategorized

Initially conceived simply as a label to put out ‘the ashen‘ releases, KOSI has now evolved into a fully fledged label, putting out a genre neutral selection of music.

You can find more about our Artists on this site, and listen to and buy their music from our Bandcamp Store