UK-based Arab-led band Koteri releases a colourful funky single, titled ‘Karnaby’, recounting the experience of adjusting to London’s culture through the lens of an outsider. With Abdallah Diab, the son of Egyptian superstar Amr Diab, as the lead singer, alongside band members Dinar and Jordan Spiro, the band’s music reflects its members’ multicultural background, injecting a fresh lively pop sound into the UK’s underground music scene.
Released under the UK-based label Epic Records, ‘Karnaby’ features Abdallah’s soft warped vocals in a distinct languid tone, skating around an emphatic looped bassline and sensuous violin notes, as he paints a picture of feeling like an outsider in a city that should be his home. With its rhythmic depth and strong percussion that ebbs and flows throughout the track, ‘Karnaby’ offers a glimpse into the madness of London’s summertime, fusing various musical elements from classical to funk, jazz and rap.
The track is accompanied by a quirky surrealistic music video, directed by Jim Longden, featuring somewhat of theatrical mayhem and cartoonish energy, with a human sporting a dinosaur head.
