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Ladi’s new album “Automatic”, sonically is not the sound of the Pacific-urban girl Aotearoa fell in love with during the 2008 summer when she debuted “Time Is Not Much”. Nope. She’s evolved. Her and her partner in music and life Parks went to Detroit to record with beat/production legend Waajeed and Grammy Award winning engineer Todd Fairall. You can register the production quality in the album before reading about it. But if you are approaching “Automatic” text first then know Karoline Tamati has said in interviews she knows the sound’s changed. What it’s changed to though is not easily specified; as Ladi fans span from Hip Hop to soul, funk and further into musical categorizing; what can be said about the sound is that it’s uplifting, emotional, centering. Where Ladi is still Ladi is in her magically-conscious lyrics. She remains fierce and gentle in the same breath (“Shine On”) or fun and concerned all in the same track (“Diamonds”).
Now a woman who’s style has been further developed most likely from extensive performance and travel to Europe and the States;.the result is a more assured confidence in the dynamics of her own voice and how to use it. Her highs are higher and her lows dwell way deeper (“Burnin”).
Featuring cousins Tyra Hammond and Scribe on “Ready To Fly”, the backing vocals drop to a husk; resulting in a very sexy experiment. Ladi’s voice wasn’t made to belt, but apparently when matched with that beat, can draw you into a wonderous-reality instead.
Seeing her in Auckland for the “Time Is Not Much” release party, she stood in a space on stage that could be described as a ‘shy zone’. ‘You fullas are making me blush’ she said — if I recall correctly. Watching her “Automatic” show in Wellington, the word shy is no longer in her vernacular. Her presence projects passion and intensity, and the space on stage is now hers to rock as she feels. Ladi’s hustle is not only empowering, but a gift for other women to see.