K-OS w/ Special Guests The GoodNews
Friday, September 26, 2008 at 9pm
Sugar Nightclub
858 Yates Street Victoria, BC
Advance Tickets $25 - Selling fast at Lyle's Place, Ditch Records, & Online from ticketweb.ca
We've seen him on TV. We've heard him on the radio. We've watched him accept three Juno Awards, four MuchMusic Awards, six Canadian Urban Music Awards, a Source Award, garner a Grammy nomination, perform hit singles and reach platinum-plus status with 'Joyful Rebellion' and the '?Publicity Stunt?' DVD. And while these accomplishments brought K-OS great pride, he hopes that with his album ATLANTIS - Hymns for Disco, people can focus on the music rather than the accolades.
For K-OS, coming to terms with the fleeting nature of fame was a difficult process. He initially became more guarded, then eventually realized the only way to deal with the situation was to first and foremost make music for himself. He looked within to find true musical freedom.
"I am trying to be unapologetic about the rules I break," K-OS reveals. "Most revolutionary art ends up provoking classic ideals and it is these same classic ideals that become prisons if they go unchallenged.
"This observation is at the musical heart of his third album, ATLANTIS - Hymns for Disco. Here, K-OS challenged himself by creating a sonic landscape that shows no boundaries and crosses many musical styles, sounds and generations. And while it was certainly not his intention, he had no choice but to make his most personal and revealing album yet.
"To use your voice in the world is the greatest responsibility of an artist," says K-OS. "As an expressionist, I get to cleanse my emotions and thoughts through music so that they don't fester and become toxic. When an artist expresses their truth honestly and with a pure heart, they can end up speaking for a myriad of people. From a very specific experience can come a general understanding and healing.
"It all began with the first song he wrote for the album, the uplifting "Sunday Morning." K-OS had been reflecting back on his life in the spotlight and questioning the association between personal validation and public acceptance. "After the last record, I would be walking down the street and people would come up to me as if they knew me. And it felt good to be popular, I guess," K-OS confides.
Creating this song opened his eyes and brought him back to the lifestyle and values he learnt during his fundamentalist upbringing. "If Saturday night was party night, 'Sunday morning' was family time in my house - from the morning activities to the dinner served," he says. "It's funny I left all that behind to see what the world was like on my own terms. Everything then was go-go-go! I felt so ambitious with so much to accomplish, only to now understand the sacredness of resting and having time to contemplate and renew yourself." He continues: "Making this song has changed my life. It really works to embrace and be aware of what troubles us. This is the theme of ATLANTIS.
"On his two previous albums, Exit and Joyful Rebellion, K-OS gave his insight on the current and future state of hip-hop and many timely issues from politics and fame to humanity. Now, on ATLANTIS - Hymns for Disco, instead of holding up a mirror to the world and hiding behind it, he has turned the mirror onto himself. He is inviting listeners to experience someone who's in the process of accepting all points of his character and to hear about the most private and vulnerable parts of his life, which include tales of self-discovery, love and heartbreak.
"The Rain" is a painfully sincere song on which K-OS sings with a new sense of honesty and rawness. There are no samples, no rap, no musical mixtures and concoctions; he keeps it pure, simple and real from beginning to end. "I was surprised by how well I could emote fresh cuts from a situation in the past where I was ruled by a woman," he admits.
More Info:
http://www.k-osmusic.com
http://www.atomiqueproductions.com
http://www.myspace.com/degreeone
Friday, September 26, 2008 at 9pm
Sugar Nightclub
858 Yates Street Victoria, BC
Advance Tickets $25 - Selling fast at Lyle's Place, Ditch Records, & Online from ticketweb.ca
We've seen him on TV. We've heard him on the radio. We've watched him accept three Juno Awards, four MuchMusic Awards, six Canadian Urban Music Awards, a Source Award, garner a Grammy nomination, perform hit singles and reach platinum-plus status with 'Joyful Rebellion' and the '?Publicity Stunt?' DVD. And while these accomplishments brought K-OS great pride, he hopes that with his album ATLANTIS - Hymns for Disco, people can focus on the music rather than the accolades.
For K-OS, coming to terms with the fleeting nature of fame was a difficult process. He initially became more guarded, then eventually realized the only way to deal with the situation was to first and foremost make music for himself. He looked within to find true musical freedom.
"I am trying to be unapologetic about the rules I break," K-OS reveals. "Most revolutionary art ends up provoking classic ideals and it is these same classic ideals that become prisons if they go unchallenged.
"This observation is at the musical heart of his third album, ATLANTIS - Hymns for Disco. Here, K-OS challenged himself by creating a sonic landscape that shows no boundaries and crosses many musical styles, sounds and generations. And while it was certainly not his intention, he had no choice but to make his most personal and revealing album yet.
"To use your voice in the world is the greatest responsibility of an artist," says K-OS. "As an expressionist, I get to cleanse my emotions and thoughts through music so that they don't fester and become toxic. When an artist expresses their truth honestly and with a pure heart, they can end up speaking for a myriad of people. From a very specific experience can come a general understanding and healing.
"It all began with the first song he wrote for the album, the uplifting "Sunday Morning." K-OS had been reflecting back on his life in the spotlight and questioning the association between personal validation and public acceptance. "After the last record, I would be walking down the street and people would come up to me as if they knew me. And it felt good to be popular, I guess," K-OS confides.
Creating this song opened his eyes and brought him back to the lifestyle and values he learnt during his fundamentalist upbringing. "If Saturday night was party night, 'Sunday morning' was family time in my house - from the morning activities to the dinner served," he says. "It's funny I left all that behind to see what the world was like on my own terms. Everything then was go-go-go! I felt so ambitious with so much to accomplish, only to now understand the sacredness of resting and having time to contemplate and renew yourself." He continues: "Making this song has changed my life. It really works to embrace and be aware of what troubles us. This is the theme of ATLANTIS.
"On his two previous albums, Exit and Joyful Rebellion, K-OS gave his insight on the current and future state of hip-hop and many timely issues from politics and fame to humanity. Now, on ATLANTIS - Hymns for Disco, instead of holding up a mirror to the world and hiding behind it, he has turned the mirror onto himself. He is inviting listeners to experience someone who's in the process of accepting all points of his character and to hear about the most private and vulnerable parts of his life, which include tales of self-discovery, love and heartbreak.
"The Rain" is a painfully sincere song on which K-OS sings with a new sense of honesty and rawness. There are no samples, no rap, no musical mixtures and concoctions; he keeps it pure, simple and real from beginning to end. "I was surprised by how well I could emote fresh cuts from a situation in the past where I was ruled by a woman," he admits.
More Info:
http://www.k-osmusic.com
http://www.atomiqueproductions.com
http://www.myspace.com/degreeone