Christian Ki Dall has had a busy 2023 playing live with his trio. The demand has been overwhelming, and the group visited a lot of venues across Europe, including the showcase festivals SXSW (US), Reeperbahn (DE), SPOT (DK), and Waves Vienna (AT). But Ki! also found the time to write and produce a slew of new tunes. After his impressive debut, The Boy from Haeundae Beach (2022), with its 20 songs encompassing a multitude of genres, where could Ki! go with his sophomore album? Well, of course, it had to be albums, plural. Yong-Gwanglo Part One came out in April 2024, and Part Two was released on November 22 on Crunchy Frog Recordings (Junior Senior, The Raveonettes, 100%WET).
Ki refuses to acknowledge the sands of time as they fall into memories. He pulls from classic hip-hop to create the relaxed single “Non Stop Action.” Ironically, the silky horns and breezy melodies imply no action, but the nuanced dynamic movements bring Ki’s new single to life. Along with expert sample chopping, the artist taps vocalist Al Agami to deliver hazy verses that surgically maneuver around the staggering instrumentation. Ki’s approach never feels urgent, but the animated, jazzy undertones give the song cartoonish movements. Ki’s worldly influences are on full display as Agami’s booming vocals add a bit of edge to the neck-breaking yet muted drum patterns. “Non Stop Action” finds Ki meticulously crafting an ode to 90’s New York City as the artist’s layered production styles create a time warp to the Golden Age while still sounding undeniably modern.
