- Words Yasmine Dankwah
Mai Kino takes the theme of separation and disconnection and makes them sublime in her new single, ‘Talk’.
Exploring an internal conflict between wanting to be transparent and vulnerable whilst still feeling numb and dissociated, Mai Kino’s ‘Talk’ paints a pure and raw self-portrait, which we can all relate to. Despite the complexity of these ideas, the video released alongside the single is pure and simple. This longing for connection and belonging finds itself innovatively embedded into the visuals of the piece, using plastic as a barrier.
The inspiration for Mai Kino’s ‘Talk’ was born and rose from the rubble of her isolation and numbness. ‘I remember having spent several days trying to write music and nothing came out… Then one night, as I slipped into sleep, a song started playing in my head. I jumped out of bed, played it on the piano and recorded it on my phone. The chords and the vocal melody came first, then the word “Fall”.
Often feeling like an outsider, growing up, the star would find peace in music, connecting to the likes of Nirvana, Billie Holiday and Laurie Andersen. Later extracting and embedding elements of these voices and sounds into her body of work, to emit an energy that is vivid fluid. Her Synesthesia is perhaps an extension of her which contributes to such a unique sound, and hence musical identity.
Dig into the stunning new single below.