Born in Malaysia, raised in Naarm/Melbourne, and based in Eora/Sydney, Kavi’s story is one that is global, but his music is undoubtedly universal, with the luscious “REALITY TV” setting him apart as one to watch.
The musical moniker of Karvesh Pillai, Kavi has been on the scene for a few years now, serving as a multi-hyphenate creative and model who uses their unique breed of “hyperactive pop-come-club music” to explore notions of self-expression and not to escape restrictive societal norms.
Raised in a conservative Hare Krishna environment, Kavi found freedom and acceptance following a trip to Berlin, allowing him to embrace a journey of self-discovery in his queerness and confidence. Creating a musical world formed around the basis of self-acceptance, Kavi’s music is defined as a “24/7 party for queer, coloured kids to who don’t know how or where to exist”.
No more is this welcoming sound heard than on new single, “REALITY TV”, which uses glitching tech-house production and elements hyperactive pop to reflect on Kavi’s own “obsessive tendencies”. Paired with a self-produced video which plays in with the notion of the titular reality TV through its creation and its throwback to the ‘futuristic’ Y2k-style videos of the early century, both the track and clip complement each other to become two parts of a truly unique and inviting whole.
“Following a move to Sydney, and as the city’s lockdown this year was announced, I was forced to throw out all plans to have the ‘REALITY TV’ music video professionally produced,” Kavi explained of the track.
“While coming to terms with the loss of two members of my family, and unable to travel home to my parents in Melbourne, I built the video’s set myself in my garage, and styled, filmed and edited it solo, fuelled by plenty of tears and caffeine. Seeing this project through has been one of my proudest achievements – a full-circle experience that I hope lost and confused baby-Kavi would be proud of too.”
While “REALITY TV” is Kavi’s first single since 2019’s “that’s a lie!”, the new single undoubtedly leaves fans eager to see what the future holds for this truly stunning artist.
Kavi’s “REALITY TV” is out now.
