Exclusive: Stream Brava Kilo & Annie Sumi’s New Curated Spotify Playlist Featuring Songs that Inspired Their New EP “Kintsugi”

By: Staff –

To celebrate the release of their new new EP Kintsugi, and their new art installation of the same name, the talented duo of Brava Kilo & Annie Sumi curated a brand new Spotify playlist featuring songs that inspired both projects.

Brava Kilo’s Picks

“Valve”

This piece and the album it comes from was on my mind many times in the very early stages of creating this project, probably mostly because of the Japanese vocal, but also because of the melding of vocals and electronics, and also just because I looove it.

“Self-Portrait in Three Colors”

The Mingus piece I really wanted to put on this playlist is called “Don’t Let It Happen Here”, but there isn’t a recording of him doing that on Spotify. Please go look it up, he paraphrases the words of Martin Niemöller to make something profoundly anti-racist. In it’s place, this beauty.

“Chattels”

This be us

“Andata”

From Ryuichi Sakamoto’s amazing record async comes this piece, that uses a piano that survived a tsunami played by a robot, so it feels somehow related to our installation in it’s binding of technology with antique, and wood with wires. 

“Going To a Town”

This piece moves me every time – I recently got to see Rufus Wainwright perform it at Massey Hall, as the encore, preceded by a number from the musical Annie in full costume, leaving Rufus to perform this in drag, in front of a video wall showing of footage of the tearing down of the Berlin Wall and Berlin as it was bombed during WWII – powerful stuff.

“O Superman”

One of our earliest reviews of our collaboration compared our work to early Laurie Anderson, and we couldn’t be more chuffed about that. 

“Possibly Maybe”

Wasn’t sure what Björk song to put here, but never doubted there would be one, because her work is so important to me. Somehow the first few seconds of this song have mesmerized me for years, anytime my synthesis leads me to something resembling that sound, I know I’m headed in a good direction. 

“Not a Straight Line”

I think this is my favourite song by our dear friend Treasa Levasseur, without whom we never would have met!

“Short People”

Nobody does sarcasm and satire in song like this!

Annie Sumi’s Picks

卯月の朧唄

Brian and I have talked about our inability to speak the Japanese language so many times throughout this creation process. Ichiko Aoba’s music connects with me on some deeper-level-language, and this album QP has become quite a wellspring of inspiration.

“Gentle Pulsing Dust”

I got to see Arcade Fire’s Richard Reed Parry perform a solo set at Kazoo!Fest in Guelph, Ontario, and his full surrender to the performance was absolutely mesmerizing. The way he was able to translate these orchestral pieces into a solo performance was inspiring. Quiet River of Dust Vol. I really struck a chord — nature samples, string quartets, voice modulators, and synthesizers!

“Flash (with Scott Colley and Satoshi Takeishi)”

When Brian and I first started working on this project, this song was on repeat on my morning walks. What a way to step into the day!

“Cow Song”

I remember the first time someone told me that the cows will come running home over the hills if you sing to them, and I couldn’t believe it! The clarity in Meredith Monk’s voice in this song reverberates in my ribcage, and seems to call me home too.

“Mohabbat”

This song is an Urdu poem by Hafeez Hoshiapuri brought to life through Arooj Aftab’s melody; an interpretation of a traditional song. Brian and I were able to work with my great-grandfather’s poetry for the ‘Kinstugi’ project, and this song has been reminding me of how beautiful it is to have been able to work with the poetry and language of our ancestors.

“The Question”

This entire album is a masterpiece. Anna Tivel’s writing is like an old friend, and I am moved by her ability to create entire worlds in her songwriting. Particularly, this song, the picture that she paints with her poetry

“Spells”

I think Jenny Hval was one of our first shared “loves”. I remember Brian and I getting excited about her release The Practice of Love. This song is just a bangin’ closer!