If you’re not yet hip enough to know her lore, know that Kurei has had a one-of-a-kind journey through the SoCal electronic scene. Over years of hard work and dedication to her music, she has arrived at an entirely new sound, one that remains true to her heart. Her debut album, invite only. is not only a showcase of her recent work, but a marker of a new shift in direction for her and the first release under her new self-release label, Club Diva.
“My departure from bass music has been an ever-changing shift over the last three years for those who have paid attention. I love bass music with all my heart, but I really never felt like I was fully capable of expressing myself by staying within that niche. Even when I was primarily releasing bass, it still was always much more pop influenced than my peers and I always felt like I didn’t quite fit into that world. It took me years of experimenting and honing in my techniques to get to where I’m at and I finally feel like I’m capable of carving this dance pop lane of my own.”
– Kurei
4/4 Drums and Popstar Dreams
“Pop has always played a huge role in my musical influence, I’ve always looked up to pop stars in my childhood like Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, and Kylie Minogue. Everything from the fashion, the iconic energy, and especially the music. More recently, pop icons such as Tate McRae, Addison Rae and PinkPantheress have been a huge inspiration to my current sound. It’s always been a goal of mine to bring that energy into the dance music world and I really feel like I finally nailed it with this album.”
– Kurei
In both energy and sound, invite only. does take a page (or several) from her popstar inspirations. It is undoubtedly ethereal and fast. If you haven’t been keeping up with Kurei’s recent SoundCloud drops, know that you should expect no subby 140 BPM bass tracks on this album, and her new style will pleasantly surprise you. Heavily inspired by pop music, classic UK garage, and the prettier parts of the house music scene, this album is a journey through gorgeous vocals and punchy basslines.
TRACKLIST:
- headlights.
- want me.
- nameless. (feat. Luhv)
- invite only. (feat. Mantra Sounds)
- gentle. (feat. Saysha)
- antidote.
- find you. (feat. Saysha)
- too late.
- breathe.
- you.
- luvuso.
- nostalgia (feat. Shmani)
“Sonically, this album brings a blend of UK garage and club-inspired beats with a full force pop star energy reminiscent of the early 2000’s. To me, it embodies everything I want to express through my music. Feminine but fierce, melodic and delicate, yet still goes off in the club. I loved playing with those dichotomies within each track itself and the project as a whole.”
– Kurei
From Headlights to Club Lights
The opening track, “headlights.” is an energetic, level-10 banger. It subtly sets the stage for the rest of the album with its infectious drums and basslines that don’t let your attention drift for a moment.
A number of tracks on invite only. are centered around gorgeous original vocals, such as the two collaborations with Saysha, the title track with Mantra Sounds, as well as both the heaviest and lightest songs on the album featuring Shmani. The collaborations on this album speak to the collaborative nature of Kurei’s creative process, contributing to the feeling that this project is a proper party.
Speaking of collaborations, “nameless.” is one of our favorites off this album. A collaboration with Luhv, “nameless.” is an undeniably sexy and lush track that could set any club stage alight with its ticking percussion and precise mixing.
Another one of our favorites, “antidote.” is a perfect showcase of the spaciousness of her new sound. This one (as well as other tracks on this project like “too late.” and “you.”) leaves room for the listener to breathe while being careful not to slow down the energy. This style of production showcases a great level of balance between skilled sound design, top-notch vocal selection, and bass just tough enough to make you make an “okay…damn” dancefloor face.
From the speedier, hype tracks on this project to the dreamier vocal-centric ones, there’s no question that invite only. is an exclusive party thrown for divas, by the queen diva herself.
Diva Club
Kurei is making it clear what kind of lane she is carving out for herself in the industry, and that clarity is a beautiful symbol of staying true to the rhythm of one’s dreams. This album is a perfect example of the kind of music that can be made when artists listen to their hearts, take a bold risk, and create what they want to create, regardless of the genre they are known for. It’s time to know Kurei for a new genre now, one you might call “dream house.”
“This album is for the hot girls, for the baddies, for the divas. They are all absolutely invited to the party. It’s for the lover girls, for those who indulge in the softer, more sensual side to club music, it’s for anyone who wants to feel the full freedom of expression through sound (and the boys can listen too I suppose).”
– Kurei
Take a listen to our exclusive Electric Hawk guest mix with Kurei here, and listen to invite only. below!
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