France-via-Brussels duo Nikitch & Kuna Maze, aka Nicolas Morant & Edouard Gilbert, mark a solid return to form with new album 'Back & Forth'. Building on the signature sounds the duo developed on their first full-length LP 'Debuts' – that was praised by the likes of Gilles Peterson, Tom Ravenscroft (BBC 6Music), and Music Is My Sanctuary – 'Back & Forth' is a deeper and more radically aesthetic approach to its predecessor.
Nikitch & Kuna Maze expand on their soulful and subtle combination of jazz-flavours and the syncopated beats of broken beat and UKG; the album sees the duo working with collaborators for the first time, such as Brazilian singer-songwriter Joao Selva, while also experimenting with their own vocal material.
"At the beginning, it was quite weird and new for us, but it definitely added something special to the album. It’s not about delivering a message, but a way of adding playful elements to the grooves of the tracks," Nicolas explains. "We were listening to a lot of 70s jazz records, where they were singing and improvising melodies without the lyrics. Originally, we recorded the vocals to get some initial ideas down on the track, with the plan of adding in other vocalists. But then we started thinking, 'why don’t we keep it like that? It sounds cool actually!'" Edouard adds.
| A1 | Coffee Kingdom |
| A2 | Zugzwang |
| B1 | 507 Miles High |
| B2 | Leezurd |
| B3 | Engatinhar |
| C1 | P.P.'s Dream |
| C2 | Sauce Brazil |
| C3 | Bus De Nuit |
| D1 | La Di F... Da |
| D2 | En Passant |
