DETAILS - KOTADAMA

ARTIST:
Kotadama


BAND MEMBERS:
CHRIS BROWN, EVAN BROWN,


SUPPORT BAND
CLINT FISH, SCOTT MALLARD


CONTACT:
E-mail
Website

REVIEW - KOTADAMA - DICHOTOMY

KOTADAMA- DICHOTOMY:
I was given a sampler of the DICHOTOMY album by local lads Kotadama for review.

The tracks included were;- Dichotomy; As I Am: See You Tonight: Earth Vs Man: Three Simple Words: Standing At Your Side:

Kotadama are described as Pop, Adult Contemporary, Soft Rock, and Melodic Rock. I would agree with the Pop, Soft and Melodic rock descriptions.

Kotadama are for the young, pop, love and loss culture, and while seemingly inexperienced to the older generations, the lyrics portray the youthful heartbreak and yearnings of new love, lost love, self evaluation and even a touch on the environment that appear to be the nucleus of the youth today.

A comparison in 'sounds like' would vary from James Blunt etc while some of the musical arrangements reflect a youth who have heard the odd older prominent bands from the 70's or early 80's who were given the funding to include orchestrations in their recordings.

Commercially very viable, this album would slot in well for your SEAFM style youth demographic format stations rather than a Triple M style ROCK selection.

Kotadama would be and from all reports are beginning to be, the NEW sensation both here and overseas for this style of music.

I would liked to have had more information on the actual making of the album and would be interested to make a live/vocal comparison to this studio produced selection of songs.

The lyrics have a simple yet conversant structure, are pertinent to the culture of the writers, in some cases a little wiser than what would be expected and and are easily understood via the vocal rendition.

The musical arrangements are interesting and entertaining. The selection I heard were instrumentally and melodically well fit into the lyric content and vice versa.
The orchestrated, keyboard and suitably placed guitar riffs gave an emotive depth and dimension to the songs and 'tie' them together well.

I can see this band simply melting the hearts of young girls in the audience. They have the talent and appeal to be top of the heap in their genre of music - and do not think Uriah Heap - while some orchestrated sections may be a tad reminiscent these guys are not for your heavier rock lovers!

BIO - KOTADAMA

KOTADAMA:
Chris and Evan Brown have done things most guys their ages—22 and 24, respectively—never even dream of doing. Like traveling the world as competitive ballroom dancers, or dabbling in stock market trading.

But not long ago the brothers decided to enter another creative venture. One with its own kind of gliding grace, a lush beauty to equal the moves of their dancing days—and one that looks to net them an even greater return than the Dow Jones or NASDAQ might ever yield.

In 2007 the pair formed Kotadama, a boldly inventive group that, with its startling debut album, Dichotomy, is about to become the fresh musical faces of pop radio.

Like many great bands, Kotadama (Japanese for “spirit of words”) arose out of its founders simply wanting to find an outlet for the songs they’d been writing. “Around the time I was studying for my university entrance exams I started bugging my parents for a guitar, and then I learned how to play,” says Chris, who with Evan and their two sisters grew up on their family’s 100-acre rural property in New South Wales, Australia. “I talked Evan into learning to play the drums, and we started working out U2 songs and other covers. We started writing our own stuff pretty soon after that.”

Before long, the siblings had converted a nearby farm shed into their own recording studio and were hard at work crafting the songs on Dichotomy.
And what songs they are. Sweeping, high-gloss epics that truly belie their composers’ youth. Uplifting and melodic, they reflect their composers’ obsession with age-old, universal themes: the relentless ache of unrequited love; a young man’s attempts to make sense of the world; that intoxicating, tingling rush of a first kiss. There’s “As I Am,” a driving, lay-it-on-the-line statement of self-belief with massive hooks and keyboards that sparkle like distant stars; and “Earth Vs. Man,” an atmospheric, introspective think-piece that Chris describes as “a bit of a warning to mankind.” And then there’s “See You Tonight,” Dichotomy’s first single. A yearning ode of romantic separation with a soaring, heartbreaking vocal by Chris, the track was picked up by New York’s KISS-FM in May 2009 and quickly became the station’s most requested song.

And for Kotadama things have been happening quickly, indeed. After becoming finalists in Europe’s 100% Music Songwriting Contest, the band appeared at the Kansai Music Conference in Osaka, Japan; was nominated for a Los Angeles Music Award; saw the video for “See You Tonight” air on CBS, NBC, FOX, and other American TV networks; played an acoustic showcase in the UK; won first place in the international Festival4stars songwriting competition; and received invitations to perform at the Barcelona Acció Musical festival in Spain and in Canada and the US, invited to showcase at the city showcase in New Zealand and were selected by the public, top 2 bands out of 400. In 2009 the band partnered with top producer David Kershenbaum (Duran Duran, Tracy Chapman, Bryan Adams).

“Every decade or so there is a musical group that comes on the scene that takes your breath away,” raves Kershenbaum. “Kotadama is that kind of group.”

Recently for live support the band added two mates, Chris and Evan have been busy working on more music; in fact, Kotadama already has material for a second album and are working on it in their spare time. “The goal is still the same as when we started,” explains Evan. “To write songs that resonate with people of all ages.” One listen to Dichotomy shows it’s a goal Kotadama knows exactly how to achieve—with an approach that will take the band straight to the top of the charts... and beyond.