Sage Koi | Kawasaki

With it’s abrupt, in-your-face energy, Kawasaki by Atlanta native Sage Koi, does not hesitate to throw you into its maddening state. Thirty seconds of a high pitched vocal, aggressive production, and an accompanying whisper almost seems driven by both anxiety and paranoia. It begs you to drive fast while looking over your shoulder. Illegal persuasion aside, there are some standout lines such as the baptismal “I got them demons off my shoulder, aye”, the equally dismal “Pop ‘em like a Kawasaki”, and the breaking point at “I been done with all the talking.” The differing vocal layers leaves you to wonder who is in control. It’s as if there is Sage Koi, an angel, and a demon conflicting with one another. The whispers in the background are almost hard to distinguish between voice and instrument; it’s melded itself into both the fabric of the production and his conscience. It’s also found its way entangled in my playlist and in heavy rotation. Today alone, I’ve probably garnered a nickel worth of streaming revenue playing this song alone. Although this was released last year, it still sounds fresh, new and I think it will continue to hold that for a long time.

Sage Koi, as of this blog’s publishing, has only released one full body of work back in 2018 titled Collections but has since released a few singles including another favorite of mine titled EAT PRAY LOVE! I hope this is indicative of another project soon to come. In the meantime, you can stream Kawasaki on Apple Music. You can also follow Sage Koi on Instagram and Twitter.