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Khu.éex’ — Siyáadlan
(Bandcamp no#, 2024, CD / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2025-04-26

Siyáadlan Cover art

Before the arrival of white settlers, the area now forming the Northwest United States was home to a variety of peoples who spoke many different languages. The Haida people, who traditionally occupied the coast islands all the way north to Alaska, rendered the name Seattle as Siyáadlan, and Haida is just one of the cultures that informs the music on this album. The other is Tlingit, and both languages are considered highly endangered, with only a small number of native speakers remaining. Khu.éex’ is a musical and performance group, and part of their mission is to help promote and preserve these cultures, with lyrics in the languages and subjects based on their experiences. Musically, elements of cosmic jazz, funk, and Philadelphia soul blend with hand drums and a spirit of experimentation to create a truly unique style. Some lyrics are in English as well, and they are sometimes sung, sometimes rapped, and sometimes spoken. Siyáadlan is the fifth full-length album from Khu.éex’, and the first produced entirely after the death of founding members Bernie Worrell and Clarissa Rizal. The primary force behind the band is bassist Preston Singletary, who is joined by a rotating cast of collaborators. The vocalists this time out are Sondra Segundo, Arias “Air Jazz” Hoyle, and Gene Tagaban, who bring a range of tones to the music. Air Jazz chose an appropriate nickname, as his rapping reminds me of Ishmael Butler of Digable Planets and Shabazz Palaces, with a jazzy lilt to it, especially on the English parts. One of my favorite tracks is “Siigaay Gid uu Dii Iijang (Ocean Child I Am),” which has a loping triple beat reminiscent of North African music. And then there’s Captain Raab’s psychedelic guitar blast in the second half of “Shapeshifter.” Throughout the music, Khu.éex’ presents a decidedly modern take on traditional culture — the “music revolves around the Urban Indian experience of Native families from non-local tribes who have found themselves relocated to Seattle.” (Neither Tlingit nor Haida people originally lived in the Puget Sound area, coming from further north.) Siyáadlan is at times energetic enough to come off like bouncy party music, but there’s always the specter of realism behind the beats, and there are also interludes of ambient noise, overtone singing, drumming, and spoken word. This is a portrait of a changing world told from a viewpoint of deep historical awareness but with the urge to move into the future, not relive the past.

Filed under: New releases, 2024 releases

Related artist(s): Khu.éex’

More info
http://khueex.bandcamp.com/album/siy-adlan

 

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