Originally a solo outlet for singer-songwriter Antti Reikko, Koria Kitten Riot are now a five piece. Their third album ‘Rich Men Poor Men Good Men’ is the band’s first full-band effort and is built around the personal experiences of Reikko.
They play a happy mixture of alternative pop and americana with singer/songwriter influences. They’re a band you’ll want to listen to again and again.
Songwriting
The songwriting process is a tricky one. It requires you to be able to put your thoughts down on paper and let the words flow without fear of judgment. The first step is to find a concept that moves you in some way. You can do this by listening to music, reading a book or a short story, watching a movie, or by simply being in nature.
The second step is to write down everything you can think of about the subject, whether it is a personal experience or just a general thought. It doesn’t need to look like lyrics yet, but the more you jot down, the more you will have to work with later on.
Another way to find inspiration is to look at other art forms. Mozart, for example, could inspire a piece of music that you can use in your song. You can also go to an art museum and study the works there, making notes about how they made you feel.
Once you have your idea for a song, it is a good idea to start working on it. Writing songs takes a lot of time and dedication, so it is important to be consistent.
One of the best ways to get ideas is to collaborate with other songwriters. Find people who are also interested in writing and schedule times to write together. You can also try out different songwriting processes and see what works for you.
Vocals
Helsinki-based indie pop quintet koriakittenriot are the brainchild of Antti Reikko. Best known for his work as the lead vocalist and guitarist in Johnny Superhero, KKR is his most recent project to date.
Reikko’s impressive songwriting chops are apparent in the band’s debut album Rich Men Poor Men Good Men, which sees the Finnish group cite The Flaming Lips, Elliott Smith and Wilco as their major influences. Recorded in Berlin with Doug Van Sloan (Bright Eyes, She & Him) at the helm, it’s an album that shows what can be achieved when a remarkable singer-songwriter transmutes into a band to deliver their most honest and developed recordings yet.
The song “The Earth Will Spin Around” is one of the most cleverly crafted tracks on the album, with Reikko’s voice being used to imitate coconuts clip-clopping in an extremely effective manner. This is a great example of how subtle pitch-shift effects can thicken up a vocal without overpowering it, while making it sound much more complex and nuanced than if it were done with a single compressor plugin.
The track features some witty lyrics and cleverly constructed arrangements that serve to elevate the song above the rest of the pack. The title track, for instance, is a beautiful piece of music that evokes the spirit of optimism that exists in many people. It also has a strong sense of purpose, and the uplifting message that there’s always hope to be found even in the most bleak situations.
Guitar
The guitar is the primary instrument in many songs and it is often the focus of songwriting. It is the key to making a riff or solo sound clear and crisp. It can also be used to enhance a song’s overall vibe and feel.
Throughout the songwriting process, you will have times when you will need to improvise and experiment with different techniques. It can be frustrating at times but it is important to keep trying until you find what works best for you.
This can be accomplished through repetition and practicing certain scales or finger exercises. These will help you develop your ear, so that you can hear what notes are included in a riff or solo.
When you are first learning how to play the guitar, it can take time to learn the proper technique and be able to make a riff or solo sound right. It may not sound great the first few times, but practice will make it better and you will be able to get to a point where your playing sounds clear and crisp without having to struggle with it too much.
Koria Kitten Riot is the project of Antti Reikko and they bring well-crafted pop songs full of detail and ambitious instrumentation. They put together the intimacy of Reikko’s vocals and grandiose arrangements in a manner that reminds us of Bright Eyes. The band’s latest release Rich Men Poor Men Good Men is their first full-band album and it is the culmination of the experiences that lead singer Reikko has had during his time writing music.
Bass
Helsinki-based indie rock band koriakittenriot are returning to the fold with their brand new album ‘Songs of Hope and Science’. Aimed at a global audience the new record intertwines psychedelia, Americana and indie rock with themes of hope and science, ideas that have been inspired by a tumultuous year.
The bass is an essential part of any band’s sound, providing a foundation of low end and helping to accentuate the rest of the mix. However, it’s often a challenge to achieve clarity in the bass without losing the weight or overall character of the sound.
When it comes to bass tone, there are a number of different approaches that can be taken to achieve a signature sound. These can be achieved by experimenting with various effects and techniques, but it’s also important to get to know your guitar in order to make the most of its potential.
For example, you may find that certain types of effect work best at the beginning or end of your signal chain. This is because time-based effects such as delay and reverb typically work better at the end of the chain as they tend to add a sense of time to the sound.
Another way to achieve a classic bass tone is by using a pedal, such as the bit crusher, which will reduce the sample rate and resolution of the signal causing it to become harsher. Although it’s a relatively new entry into the world of distortion, this has already had an impact on bass tones and is proving popular among players who want a harder edge to their sound.
Drums
Helsinki-based indie rock band Koria Kitten Riot returns to the fold with their new album ‘Songs of Hope and Science’, out on 27th January via VILD Recordings. The five-piece – Antti Reikko, Lasse Toimi, Teemu Vanska, Olli Rahkonen and Eino Anttila – intertwine the concept of hope and science throughout the album.
They deliver a pop-infused album with giddy instrumentation, like coconuts imitating horse clip-clops (“The Lovers That You’ve Never Had”) or acoustic guitars strummed in a way that sounds like an old-school jukebox on “Real Men Don’t Do Drugs” and “Songs of Hope and Science.” It’s an album that brings back the psychedelia that was prevalent during the mid-’00s, when bands such as Annuals, Decemberists and Grandaddy ruled the airwaves.
The drums process begins with the construction of the shells, a ply or plywood base and head. Once the shells are completed, a flange insertion machine is used to create rim indentations and edges on the top and bottom of each drum.
After completing this flanged construction, the drums are placed on a bead expander and expanded beads or rolling hoops are formed along the circumference of each drum, creating a strong container. Once this is complete, the drums are sanded and polished to give them their final look.
Drums come in many different styles, from traditional to modern. For example, a band may use a traditional bass drum or a modern snare drum, and they may also have several cymbals on the kit. They also may have a woofer, a type of acoustic drum that sits in front of the bass drum to amplify the low end. Some drummers may also add ghost notes, which are quieter notes played in between the regular beats that can be felt more than heard.
Percussion
A lot of attention is given to the recording process, but percussion can make a song come alive with just the right amount of heft. Helsinki, Finland duo koriakittenriot, whose eponymous debut is releasing its second album in the US next week, aren’t shy about using a range of different instruments. They’re particularly fond of glockenspiels and acoustic guitars, but their percussion choices are more subtle than you’d expect for a band with a name as catchy as theirs.
They’ve got a knack for picking up the right percussion tone for each track, and they do it with panache. The aforementioned glockenspiels are the most impressive of the bunch, and they’re often the gimmicks that stand out on the album, as well as in the live show.
The best acoustic percussion is a judicious mix of cymbals and glockenspiels, but this is also a time consuming process that’s hard to do on the fly. It’s best to plan ahead and keep an open mind.
The aforementioned ominous msmtf and k-sequence were the most obvious choices, but the most interesting choice was probably an unassuming piano, with a little tinkering on the part of guitarist Antti Reikko, who snuck in a few acoustic guitar tricks to his songs. As a result, he and his band have produced an elegant album that’s a joy to listen to from start to finish.