Any emails from Software Records manage to stick out amongst the deluge of music-related items that pop up in my inbox. I didn’t quite know what to expect from the venerable Brooklyn label, though my thoughts veered towards something like the beat-driven Napolian or the spaced-out techno of Huerco S.; however, when I hit play on “Koo Koo,” the debut single from GABI (aka New Yorker Gabrielle Herbst), I was struck by what I heard. “Koo Koo,” which is out today, is composed almost entirely of Herbst’s vocals, multi-tracked in a way that sounds almost like a chamber choir. The tune is augmented by some choice percussion that gives “Koo Koo” a vibe that’s unlike anything I’ve heard for a while (likely due to the heavy doses of rock & roll I’ve been imbibing over the summer). With a wide musical background that includes the study of Balinese dance and gamelan, voice and composition studies at Bard, and an opera (!), you wouldn’t immediately group Herbst with the Software folks, but the more you play this track the more it starts to make a lot of sense.
“Koo Koo” is now available from Software. Watch the visual single above.
• GABI (Gabrielle Herbst): www.gabrielleherbst.com
• Software Records: http://www.softwarelabel.net
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