Landing on music from neighbouring arts, multi-talented artist NIKOLI champions a peculiar brand of hip-hop, one where his rap vocality is equally as important as his singing, constantly jumping between those two forms of expression to create a fashionable and charming stream of consciousness. The talented L.A. resident’s debut effort showcases exactly that: ‘Moves’ is a poignant journey between R’n’B and hip-hop sensibilities, featuring an edgy, leftfield production and NIKOLI’s evocative vocals, often engaging in wonderful harmonies and backing vocals.
The result is staggering: for a debuting artist, it’s precious and enlightening material. Of course, we wouldn’t expect anything less from him: real name Nikoli Partiyeli, he’s a full-on multi-disciplinary creative, with a particular knack for videography, photography and design. To note, he has worked with notable music figures on a number of music videos. Namely Foster The People, Wallows, and Cold War Kids.
Zooming back to ‘Moves’: a mellow, light drums beat accompanies a jazz-infused bassline, recalling a sort of Flying Lotus-style beat. Layered on top of this sonic goodness, we find NIKOLI’s vocals, surprisingly rich and shiny sonic matter with a certain grittiness to it. It all benefits his lyrical delivery: tales of self-growth and personal challenges emerge in copious fashion, empowering the listener with not-so-hidden nonchalance.
Overall, a welcome debut for NIKOLI, who’s also gearing up for his upcoming EP “Slightly Imperfect”.
Recommended! Discover ‘Moves’ on Spotify:
