Okay Kaya releases her anticipated new world-building album SAP today via Jagjaguwar. The album, which the New York Times says has “an alluring weightlessness and even a sense of humor,” and The FADER said “bridges the gap between imagination and technology,” was entirely written, engineered, and produced by Wilkins.
SAP is a concept album about consciousness in which Okay Kaya focuses her trademark combination of abstraction and wit on what happens to her mind unaccompanied, on her tendency to feel less like a human and more like the sticky secretion of a tree. It conjures a world of sticky-membraned creatures reminiscent of the characters in old Gumby cartoons, but wet and glistening, as evidenced in the videos for the album’s singles “Spinal Tap,” “Jolene From Her Own Perspective,” “Inside of a Plum,” and the newly released “In Regards To Your Tweet” video.
Okay Kaya’s investigations of mind-body come along with seductive dance beats, unpredictable interlocking synths, delicate soft guitars, and close-to-the-mic R&B whispering. But Kaya likes her falsettos cracking and her soul-inspired hooks careening wildly, a beautiful chaos that somehow fits together.
Most songs on the album unfold with guest performances from varied artists including Nick Hakim, deem spencer, Taja Cheek of L’Rain, Adam Green of The Moldy Peaches, Farao, Zannie, Aerial East, Michael Wolever, Franziska Aigner, Toniann Fernandez, Moist Paula, LEYA, Stix, Starchild, The New Romantic, Ydegirl, Iris Taborsky-Tasa and Eli Keszler.
Kaya Wilkins on “In Regards To Your Tweet”:
“The song’s lyrics were inspired by a tweet that mentioned me a few years ago — proclaiming my music had been ‘Slept On’ to date. This genuine and supportive gesture by a fan made me smile, because while I appreciated the sentiment the truth is I write songs and create art for somewhat selfish reasons, the process is for the process itself. The blessing is of course when it is finished and resonates with others. I hope that SAP is able to do that and the songs bring a sense of joy and wonder to its listeners. For this music video and in homage to this tweet, I culled twitter using an AI tool and the words ‘Slept On’. Collaging the results into prose of nonsensical tweets, I’m creating something new, poetry for a better mood.“
WATCH PREVIOUSLY RELEASED VIDEOS FOR SINGLES
“SPINAL TAP,” “INSIDE OF A PLUM,”
& “JOLENE FROM HER OWN PERSPECTIVE,”
After releasing her Spellemann Award winning album Watch This Liquid Pour Itself in January of 2020, Kaya left her home in New York and moved to Europe to create and show her various interdisciplinary exhibitions. Among others, she made an installation that amplified music made underwater and an interactive sculpture based on Jungian sandplay therapy for children. Between her art exhibitions and museum performances, Kaya recorded through lockdowns by herself in the loaned studios of generous friends.
- Mood into Object Personified
- Jolene From Her Own Perspective
- Origin Story
- Jazzercise
- Pathologically Yours
- Spinal Tap
- Inside of a Plum
- Rorschach
- In Regards to Your Tweet
- Dep. Chamber
- Pearl Gurl
- The Lesson
- I’ve Spent Forever Planning A Crisis
- Like a Liver
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