Biography

Formed in Orange, California, Kiev was a slow burn, extracting inspiration from improv while carefully adding members over the years. From within their creative space, a 1940s avocado warehouse, Kiev metamorphosed into a fully realized collaborative by 2009. Between the members, both past and present, an intricate, tight-knit web of post punk, indie, jazz, jam, psychedelic funk, and 20th century minimalist styles are conjured through densely layered composition and exploration. A strong visual element is an integral part of Kiev's live shows; the group has been known to add multi-faceted, tightly choreographed 3D projection elements, which earned them the "3DFF Pioneer Award" for their performance at the 2011 Los Angeles 3DFF Theatre Fest. Kiev's full-length debut, "Falling Bough Wisdom Teeth" (co-produced/engineered alongside Chris Shaw - Wilco, Bob Dylan, Jeff Buckley, Ween) follows two independent EPs: 2010's "Ain't No Scary Folks In On Around Here" and 2011's, "Be Gone Dull Cage & Others" (produced/engineered by Darrell Thorp - Beck, Air, Radiohead). As the two-part album title indicates, the hour-plus aural journey that is "Falling Bough Wisdom Teeth" mines more than one source for inspiration: The cover painting, titled "Falling Bough," by revered contemporary artist Walton Ford and '60s minimalist music pioneer Steve Reich. ~Kat Turman & Raffi