The experimental electronic and jazz music coming out of Los Angeles was a big story over the past year thanks to Kamasi Washington, Flying Lotus and Kendrick Lamar. Less well known is the R&B trio King, who released the EP The Story in 2011 and began amassing a cult audience that includes Erykah Badu, Prince and Questlove.
In the ensuing five years, twins Paris and Amber Strother and Anita Bias have contributed to Robert Glasper Experiment’s Grammy-winning Black Radio album and have now produced a beautifully crafted debut full-length that delivers on the early hype.
We Are King expands the familiar R&B set-up – the harmony group – into a mind-altering cosmos distilling jazz, Luther Vandross, video game music and 90s Aaliyah and Missy Elliott influences into a heavily textured sound that enters psychedelic territory by evoking sparkly, vivid colours.
Produced by Paris, with Amber and Bias primarily on vocals, it’s essentially an album-long tribute to the light-headedness of love.
Top track: Hey (Extended Mix)
