A Dazy Dosage: Psych-Pop Duo Kekko Deliver Their Debut EP “Dreaming Life”

Drift away with the dreamscapes of Kekko (Credit: Photo by Jared Rezel, artwork by Élise Rigollet)

Music is chicken soup for the soul, and pumping in this healing effect in spades is the divine harvest of Kekko. Since releasing their debut single, “Within You”, earlier in March, the duo of Tim Kek and Cherie Ko have been floating on a light wave of hype. Their reputation within the local scene precedes their joint existence as Kekko; Tim being a risk-taking promoter behind entities like Symmetry Entertainment and Moonbeats Asia, and Cherie a recognised artiste with past projects including Pastelpower, TOMGIRL and Obedient Wives Club. As Kekko, the two channel their energies into an indie-pop vessel wrapped with a coat of psychedelia, and their next offering to the universe lies in their debut EP, Dreaming Life.

Kekko is a partnership between scene veterans, Tim Kek and Cherie Ko (Credit: Jared Rezel)

Released on Californian DIY label, Spirit Goth Records, Dreaming Life vividly introduces the serene reverie of the duo. Flowing like a kaleidoscopic dream from start to finish, the four-track record assembles the illusive textures of this fantasy with treacly pads, cosmic synths, percussive loops and Cherie’s diaphanous vocals that glide like a spacey cherub. The overall sound is showered with streams of reverb, piling on a hypnosis that gets heavier with each track.

The title track kicks off this voyage, triggering a beguiling blur with its hovering, oscillating synthwork and dusty drum patterns. “Within You”, the EP’s first single, follows up with an aura of meditative wonderment, rooted by lyrics that embrace the unknown – “Ride with me away into oblivion we’ll be okay / In the ether, you’ll see her, staring back into the void”. “Timelessness” reaches the peak of the dream state with an eruptive and climatic chorus, showcasing the outfit’s cinematic potential. And on the closing “Past Lives”, they depict an awakening with fuzzy layers of shoegazey guitars and a meatier rhythm section, giving corporeality to the ethereal nature of their sound.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed with the crushing pressures of reality, taking a single dosage of Dreaming Life could be a remedy to soothe your inner turmoil. Or simply indulge in it as many times as you wish, and just let yourself drift away.

Dreaming Life by Kekko is out now on Bandcamp and Spotify. Follow Kekko on Facebook and Instagram to stay updated with their activities.