The Floodshark, the digital alter ego of composer and producer William Blake Hyatt, dives into an intriguing blend of electronic experimentation and organic sound with “Kai.” Inspired by the grandeur of Hawaii and the surrounding ocean, the track feels like an attempt to capture a paradise through rhythm, texture, and atmosphere. Its name means “sea” in Hawaiian, and there’s certainly a fluid quality to the music, even when its beats are anything but subdued.
Sharp, heavy beats provide an infectious backbone, while lighter, more playful rhythms come bounding alongside them. The percussion has a jittery, restless character, giving the arrangement plenty of movement, but there’s also a deeper, more ambient layer floating overhead. The music can feel punchy and rhythmically animated one moment, then drift into something more spacious and relaxing the next. “Kai” lets its different textures ebb and flow like the water that inspired it.
Hyatt first began writing the piece in 2016, during his initial trip to Hawaii. Captivated by its pristine beaches and abundant wildlife, particularly the sea turtles swimming along the shore, he set out to translate that experience into sound. Caribbean and Hawaiian musical traditions inform the composition and instrument choices, while a wide-ranging collection of influences, including Animal Collective, Aphex Twin, Boards of Canada, Brian Eno and Oneohtrix Point Never, helps explain its adventurous electronic character.
Written, produced and performed entirely by Hyatt, “Kai” also reflects his wider fascination with the meeting point between the natural and the synthetic. His background in environmental engineering and experiences living across different countries have clearly shaped that perspective.
“Kai” is an immersive little escape, inviting us to ride its shifting currents without worrying too much about where they’ll take us.
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Review by: Naomi Joan