There’s a tinge of nostalgia in Kahiem Rivera’s latest output. It’s hard to imagine that, this time last year, integration and community were an essential part of life. Things are a little different now. For artists like Rivera, who want to branch out and collaborate, the act of creating music has to be looked at a different way.
Cue latest 7″ “Cement, Sand/The Bag”. Made to resemble live music and community, this double single is in fact an amalgamation of emails and audio snippets, sent by collaborators for Rivera to sift through, work on, and create something which sounded cohesive. As a result, the tracks feel open. Life and turmoils are captured by soaring saxophones, brooding synths and euphoric female vocals (provided by Razor Braids vocalist Hollye Bynum). The lyrics are crisp and cutting, and despite being stitched together, they sound perfectly in tune with the music that surround them.
There’s a different path to get there, but thanks to Rivera’s ingenuity, the results of “Cement, Sand / The Bag” are just as good as they could have been in a normal time. This 7″ is the epitome of what makes music worth listening to. Different minds, different sounds, coming together to create something beautiful.
Despite resistance, Rivera keeps the spirit of music alive.