KINGO HALLA Announces Debut LP 'Empty Hands'

he NYC-born singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist based out of Toronto Kingo Halla (aka Henry Nozuka) announces his debut LP Empty Hands will be released on February 24, 2023.

A message from Kingo Halla:

"This album took about 2 years to make. I was inspired by some time I spent writing with Alex Sowinski of BadBadNotGood and witnessing BBNG in the studio in Toronto. I had recently finished an indie-folk record under the name Henry Nozuka, and I decided to change my direction into a more Alternative-R&B / Soulful / Jazz direction. I went with a new name for this album because it seemed like a departure from my previous work.

Kingo is my middle name, and Halla is a nickname I got growing up from my grandfather. At the time of writing and producing this album I was also really exploring 70's Brazilian Jazz (Arthur Verocai, João Gilberto, Gal Costa) lo-fi Hip Hop, (MF Doom), and Alternative R&B (Nick Hakim, Charlotte Day Wilson, River Tiber, Michael Kiwanuka).

I've always been a lover of older records and the sound of analogue gear and tape, so I used a lot of tape machine processing, analogue gear, and vintage instruments in the recording and mixing process. A main collaboration on the record is with Felix Fox, who is a good friend of mine and is now playing with the BBNG boys. We wrote and co-produced 3 of the songs on the record, and I think he brought a really fresh and cool colour to the record. I think he pushed me out of my comfort zone and brought a sound that blends a lot of jazz, and hip hop into the record. ('Mirage,' 'Carousel,' 'Lanterns') Finally, I'm incredibly grateful to have had my uncle, Mike Stern feature on this album.

Mike is a legendary guitarist and has inspired me deeply since I was a child (Played with Miles Davis, Jaco Pastorius, Michael Brecker, and more). He brought his magic to the song 'Just Breathe,' and I'm blown away to have had the opportunity to work with him. The album is a reflection of my experience on earth and explores themes of existence, longing, spirituality, and purpose in life."

To accompany the announcement, Kingo Halla also shares a gorgeous music video for his debut single, "Water In The Rose." "Water In The Rose" was released in October of 2022 and has already earned Kingo Halla nods from fellow musicians, tastemakers, and DJs such as BBC Radio 6's Giles Peterson. Throughout Empty Hands and on "Water In The Rose," Kingo Halla fuses jazz, soul, and psychedelia into alternative R&B atmospheres that pair perfectly with his silky smooth falsetto vocals.

"'Water in the Rose' has two meanings." explains Kingo Halla "I wrote it while I was away from my partner during covid. We both were in school and traveling was becoming more and more difficult. We weren't able to see each other for up to 6 months. The song came to me after reading a poem about someone who was preparing the entranceway for the return of their beloved. I found it to be strikingly beautiful, and profound.

It is the pain of separation, the longing of being distant from a beloved, and an expression of the tormented anguish that love can feel at times. Through the writing process, I realized that it also became about my reflection on life and a letter to where I will go after this life."

Watch the new music video here: