Klef Mikaydo who previously went under the moniker G.Klef, writes and produces all of his works, which he releases through his independent label EliteStar Empire. The Californian artist who started to compose music at the age of 9 soon learned to play the drum and enhance his vocals. By middle school he had learned to play the tenor saxophone and trombone, and was soon introduced, via a friend, to software programs such as Fruity Loops and Reason, which offered him the essentials tools he needed to move his recording career ahead.
Klef Mikaydo’s output can be defined by a willingness to seek out cutting-edge musical inspiration and more obscure sonic impulses which results in a track like his latest single, “Last Night”, mixing a blend of electronic influences, R&B flavors, and a distinct pop twist. It’s a dense bouncy soundscape with unexpected harmonic twists, and lyrics that are so plainspoken that you need to be deaf not to understand them.
In true grown man fashion, Klef Mikaydo is unapologetic for indulging his insatiable desires which he declares via the raw and uncut lyrics. Klef is one of R&B’s newer faces brimming with potential.
He can really sing and he seems intent to produce quality music that both plays to the current urban edgy sounds and honors those who came before him. Sonically, it’s all smooth groove through the chorus and laid back vocals through the verses.
If there is one thing that this track proves, it’s that Klef Mikaydo is far more successful taking his own risks than trying to follow exactly what his contemporaries are doing – He has no features, and not one single rap verse on the track. That can almost be considered a heresy taking into account the current pop trends.
His voice dances from sensual to soaring, reminding us that Klef knows how to turn and twist a phrase if he wants to. His ability to hold your attention through throughout the song is simply another testament to how brilliant his performance is.
On “Last Night”, Klef Mikaydo seems to have come into his own. He’s not merely mimicking the artists he listened to growing up and he’s not fighting to keep up with any contemporaries. On this track Klef is carving out a musical identity all his own. He is not yet a household name around the world, but his brand of R&B, blended with pop, has all the ingredients to help him reach that goal.
