Singapore-based duo nkei drops new single “Know What We Know,” an intimate, reflective track born from the tension after the end of a situationship.
Songwriters Ian Lee and Raizel Gonzalez, also known as nkei, add “Know What We Know” to their repertoire of introspective, grounded music. The new single is a turn from their previously subtle, R&B-inflected pop onto groovier, bolder sounds.
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Lightning in a bottle
“Know What We Know” sprung forth from both members of nkei reflecting on complicated personal experiences. Though the song started out as a somber number, the two were able to turn it into its final form in an inspired, almost magical moment.
Lee was playing around with a simple chord progression on PK Records’ Geylang balcony, when Gonzalez joined him with a spark of energy. What followed was something similar to capturing lightning in a bottle, a process not so easily replicated. The lyrics are written in the language that exists between two people who lost their connection just as quickly as they found it.
Well it is what it is, and we know what we know.
Production-wise, the song is layered with staccato guitars and snappy drums. The melody itself seamlessly moves between Lee’s melodies and Gonzalez’s call-and-response, propelled onwards with a steady bass and Rhodes layers (a combination of the Rhodes’ electric piano with synths and other instruments). Farizi Noorfauzi of emo trio Curb joins the duo to provide lush harmonies that round off the track.
Getting to know nkei
Composed of songwriters and friends Ian Lee and Raizel Gonzalez, nkei are a Singapore-based duo who have been making music that crosses genres since 2021. Lee shares that for them, “every song is a different room.”
With a discography that ranges from alternative R&B to dark indie folk, their songs are like notes and sketches that fill a diary, observations and musings that capture the little joys and tediums of everyday life.
“Know What You Know” is available to stream on all platforms.
Press Release
