King Midas Sound

London-based King Midas Sound fuse dub, lovers rock, and experimental ambient into a dark, introspective soundscape whose lyrics dwell on emotional pain, romantic endings, and crushing solitude. The project began as a partnership between producer Kevin Martin—previously active in God, Techno Animal, and the Bug—and vocalists Roger Robinson and Kiki Hitomi, yielding the 2009 album Waiting for You after a handful of singles and compilation appearances. Subsequent work moved away from sound-system foundations, first with the 2015 Fennesz collaboration Edition 1 and then with the largely spoken-word Solitude, issued without Hitomi in 2019.

The outfit first appeared in 2007 via a contribution to Soul Jazz’s Box of Dub compilation. That piece, the hazy, desolate “Surround Me,” blended dub with heartbroken lovers rock and established the template for later material. King Midas Sound soon aligned with Kode9’s Hyperdub imprint, making their official debut there in October 2008 with “Cool Out,” a tougher A-side accompanied by Dabrye and Flying Lotus remixes of then-unreleased tracks. June 2009 brought the 12-inch Dub Heavy: Hearts & Ghosts, which offered dub treatments of material still awaiting original versions. The bleak “Meltdown” opened the label’s October 2009 compilation 5 Years of Hyperdub and introduced Waiting for You, the group’s first full-length, released the next month; the set showcased Martin’s most exploratory yet approachable productions, elevated by Robinson and Hitomi.

Activity slowed to a single 2010 release—“Lost,” paired with Pupajim’s revoicing of “Cool Out”—yet the trio maintained a live presence, including an aggressive reinterpretation of their material at Sonar. Contemporaries and influences Mala, Kuedo, D-Bridge, Cooly G, Hype Williams, and Green Gartside of Scritti Politti supplied reworkings and further revoicings for Without You, issued the following November. The project moved to Ninja Tune, home of the Bug, for the 2013 single “Aroo,” their most forceful and tuneful recording to date. A sequence of collaborative efforts followed, starting with the largely ambient Edition 1 featuring Fennesz in 2015. After years of quiet, King Midas Sound returned with the desolate, emotionally ravaged Solitude—their first album without Hitomi—via the Cosmo Rhythmatic label on Valentine’s Day 2019.