Kimono Pat is a multi-talented singer, rapper, producer and songwriter based in Los Angeles. Influenced by the Anime and Japanese cultures with sounds that are worldly, high energy urban pop vibes that touch on concepts of love and life. Kimono Pat’s love for music began at a young age and in the 3rd grade, he started playing drums and piano in church. He later began to play the trumpet throughout junior high school and college, studying at both Alabama A&M and Los Angeles Recording School. During this time he was introduced to animation and anime thus inspiring his love for Japanese culture. He honed in on his skills as a solo recording artist while traveling and living overseas and since he has been back he has fully immersed himself into the culture, is currently learning Japanese and has found a second home in Little Tokyo (Los Angeles). On April 12, 2019 the self-title Ep and music video “Free Fall” was released on all digital platforms. Kimono Pat is working on creating more video content for other singles on the project and has landed placements on ABC and Google/Amazon Video.
This entrancing and funky tune absolutely has that Japanese culture feel to it. With so many different layers scattered throughout this song, it gives real depth to the track and helps with the emphasis Kimono Pat puts on the lyrics. He is able to emulate his emotions extremely well through each lyric, and has a very unique style to the tone of this vocals. With lines like “You don’t need a parachute, let my love carry you home” you can really feel that this is almost a sort of love song, describing how he would support his partner and love them. It really is touching to hear the different ways that love can be presented through music and this track has a certain finesse that makes it unlike any other ballad you would hear. I personally enjoyed the flow of beats in the track and how each different sound blends so seamlessly together to create such a lively song. If you are looking for an out there song that is bringing in a new style to modern music that is hauntingly good, then look no further because Kimono Pat has you covered.
Listen to "Free Fall" here and get to know more about Kimono Pat below!
Hey Kimono Pat! Thank you for chatting with us! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Hey thanks for having me! Well, I’m a country boy raised in Loachapoka, Alabama. Believe it or not, I actually grew up on a farm that my Grandfather owned with cows, goats, and horses, no cap. So I had a pretty humble upbringing. I started playing the drums in church as a way to keep me awake and not fall asleep in service lol…then I taught myself piano. Shortly after that, I started playing trumpet in middle school through college.I started making beats in elementary school because I had a small tape recorder and I used to record sounds from me beating on the table and beatboxing. I didn’t have recording software until junior high school so I worked with what I had.
After studying music in college (Alabama A&M), I moved back home and started my own band called Suspended Animation where I was writing and producing all of the music. We started traveling doing shows in the south and then we later dismantled because of ambitious differences.
I moved to Los Angeles right after that with no money and no plan and then found myself enrolling at Los Angeles Recording School. There I learned more about the ends and outs of audio engineering. Shortly after I started producing for The Rangers (Kid Ink’s brother was one of the members). It was a fun experience and it pushed me beyond where I thought I could go creatively.
After that, I started focusing more on producing for myself and honing in on my skills as a solo artist.
What drew you into the Anime and Japanese culture that has helped shape your music?
When I was a kid I was obsessed with Final Fantasy VII and fell in love with the music on the game. From there I got interested in anime and the way they displayed strong emotion in their storytelling. That captivated me. The messages in those stories talked about pushing yourself and believing in yourself and that you have the power to make a change on a large scale, and also believing in the good in people. I then started watching Japanese films and I thought the way they used their colors was unique. Even in movies that don’t have a lot of dialogue, they allowed the music to convey their emotions. That just spoke to me ya know. So all of that influenced me to add nuances of the culture into my music.
What is the meaning and inspiration behind “Free Fall”?
Sooooo sometimes we allow ourselves to be content. Whether that’s intentional or unintentional, we fear the thought of giving up control and sometimes the best things for us is right around the corner. In order to get to it, we have to surrender control. Free Fall is a song that is encouraging people to let go and trust. I felt like that’s what God was telling me; that my next best thing was right around the corner. Like, in order for me to level up I had to let go because I was only getting so far on my own.
Are there any inspirations that help you write music? And have there been any challenges with writing in such a unique genre?
Life lol…the good, the bad, and the ugly. I used to dread the ugliness in life, but even in those moments there is good to be learned, so now I just embrace it
What’s new for you in 2019?
2019 is already off to a great start. I just dropped the Kimono Pat EP, now streaming everywhere! I have new management and we’re starting to put together a plan of action for my career. I want to start collaborating with more artists and focus on building my fan base. I’m also going to be releasing more video content for the songs off my EP and look forward to doing shows in L.A.
Connect with Kimono Pat below!
Instagram: www.instagram.com/kimono_pat
www.soundcloud.com/kimonopat