Kotoa are a 5 piece band from Loughborough Junction, South East London, made up of drummer Laurie Campling, bassist Frank Black, keyboard player Sam Hillier, guitarist and vocalist Memphis Koloi & saxophonist and vocalist Maia Avery.
Having signed to Wah Wah 45s last year, Kotoa bring a refreshing sound, blending political rhetoric, soulful melodies & heavy bass lines. Deeply influenced by dub, triphop & the recent rise of African inspired jazz, Kotoa are a rising force in Brixton’s historic music scene.
On the back of the success of their recent singles, Love and Light and Butterfly House, which received much support from Jazz FM, Apple music and in particular from the likes of Colleen Cosmo Murphy and Robbie Vincent, comes their second full EP, entitled Out of the Dark, once again produced by revered musician and engineer Benedic Lamdin (Nostalgia 77).
The five tracker, their follow up to 2025’s acclaimed Earthwise EP, opens with the inviting dub offering, When We Dance – a song about finding a place of freedom, leaving a darker world behind through movementand music. It explores how dance is a powerful tool that can physically remove tension, providing moments of freedom and escape from a consuming and often negative world.
The Afrobeat flavoured Good Will Follow is a tune about empowerment and motivation to ‘do good’ and make a positive change in the world. It’s about acknowledging privilege in your life whatever that may be and celebrating this power by using it for positivity and helping others. It features erstwhile Youthsayers musicians Noah Black (baritone saxophone) and Fin Öhrström (trumpet).
The lead single from the EP, Love and Light, is a song about reconnection and a celebration of being around someone that makes you feel loved and seen.
“We want people to listen to it and feel gratitude for the people, places or memories that make them feel like this, with the groove getting people to dance and celebrate this feeling.” Maia Avery
Inspired by the mystical movement of vapor as it passes through light, EP highlight Smoke compares this to the same freedom and ‘care-free’ nature which can be achieved through listening to music and dance, and conveys it through Maia’s sultry vocals and Laurie’s unexpected changes in pace, underpinned by Frank’s steady bassline and gorgeous additional strings from Emma Smith.
Closing off the EP, recent single Butterfly House combines life affirming vocals and soothing sax, connecting nature and discovering self-acceptance, as Maia once again explains: “It’s a song about rebirth – having experiences in life that change and shape you ultimately for the better. It’s about letting go and embracing this change and becoming more open-minded to new beginnings.
”It’s a theme that runs throughout the EP, a positive and uplifting message that’s much needed in these troubled times, and one which delivers a sense of much needed hope.”
Reactions & Radio Play
Radio support from Gilles Peterson (BBC 6 Music), Robbie Vincent (Jazz FM)
“Next generation.. great stuff!” Gilles Peterson (BBC 6 Music)
“My favourite new band.. marvellous!” Robbie Vincent (Jazz FM)
“Beautiful!!” Jazzcat (Totally Wired Radio / Ness Radio, Italy)
