Words by Art Jefferson
Images courtesy of Kaleida
Like the beauty which lies in the very definition of their name, Kaleida, the London duo consisting of Christina Wood and Cicely Goulder, emulate its very meaning spot on, as their music is a shining reflection of refinement, elegance and poise, with content that is of emotion and depth. Both visually striking, the high asthetic of fine performance and captivating visuals in their videos and imagery, have also added to the band’s allure. Their debut EP Think is a melting pot of synth and dark pop, with the title cut featured in the major motion picture John Wick starring Keanu Reeves. Add a milky transformation of Al Green’s ‘Take Me to the River’, not to mention a song dedicated to women’s rights activist Aliaa Magda Elmahdy, and what you have is a six song record consistent in arrangement and sophisticated in sound. With more material forthcoming, many eyes are fixated on Kaleida’s next immaculate conception of art.
Your sound is so gorgeous and polished. After coming together initially, did you already know the direction that you wanted to travel musically or was there a bit of trial and error during the early stages?
Kaleida – We found our core sound fairly quickly but there is of course always an ongoing process of trial and error in everything we do. It feels like we both intuitively know when something’s right, when something gels.
The name Kaleida itself means ‘beautiful form’, which to me also represents the sound that you create. Was the name itself a motivating factor with how you wanted the music to be reflected? It seems to go hand in hand.
Kaleida – No – we came across it totally by chance – well by misreading something – but it seemed to fit what we were trying to create.
I think another strong part of Kaleida is the visual aspect. Can you speak on the role that visual arts play with the group in terms of your presentation?
Kaleida – We’re interested in pushing the visual aspect of the project and creating a Kaleida world for the music to exist in. We’d broadly describe it as minimal, feminine, a bit dark, and a bit fun and quirky. We’re always exploring what this world looks like and finding visual artists to collaborate with.
What I love about your EP Think is that every song is not only of the highest quality, but each track sonically compliments one another perfectly, enabling the listener to simply press play and enjoy the EP as a package rather than skipping from song to song. How meticulous were you with recording the EP?
Kaleida – We didn’t plan the songs to go together in that way but we did try to ‘balance’ the EP, and select tracks that show the spectrum of our sound and mark the beginning phase of Kaleida. We’ve written a ton of tracks so it’s good to hear that we chose well and that the EP feels cohesive.
Can you talk about the work of Egyptian activist Aliaa Magda Elmahdy and how her movement inspired your song ‘Aliaa’?
Kaleida – ‘Aliaa’ was broadly inspired by Aliaa Magda Elmahdy. We empathized with what she went through after posting a nude picture of herself on her blog during the Egyptian Revolution in 2011 – she was the target of several rape attempts and death threats and as a result emigrated to Sweden. We wanted to express how we relate to her struggle.
The classic song ‘Take Me To The River’ deals with the idea of loving someone who is consistently being mistreated. The opening lines almost has a blues melancholy to it. What motivated you to do the track?
Kaleida – Well it’s a cover – so you’d have to ask Al Green and Mabon Hodges, who originally wrote it in Mississippi in 1974 (which is probably why it’s got that bluesy sound). We changed the chorus and it’s kind of mish mash of the original version, the Talking Heads cover and a bit of Kaleida thrown in there. We’ve always loved the song – for its silliness and seriousness all at once.
Have you already started the recording process for your album?
Kaleida – Yes – we are hard at work in between shows, trying to develop our sound and record new material.
From the continuous critical praise flooding in from publications to ‘Think’ being placed in a major motion film, it must be the greatest feeling to know that all of your hard work is indeed paying off. What else do you have in store that you can let us in on?
Kaleida – We’re really looking forward to supporting Roisin Murphy in May and June in the UK and Germany, and MSMR in France, Germany and the UK in June. And to releasing more music very soon.
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