As Mike Del Rio and Kosta Galanopoulos worked on the upcoming debut album from Rio Kosta, they compiled what they describe as a bible of aesthetic ideals to help guide their creative choices. And top of the list was a simple edict: “Don’t Fuck with Nature.”
That desire to let things evolve in their own direction seeps into every element of the Rio Kosta experience. It’s been there from the very beginning, when Mike spotted Kosta soundchecking at a festival and soon discovered he had found the kind of friend that it’s almost unbelievable that you once didn’t know. And it’s especially present in their music. You can analyse the depth and breadth of the duo’s influences to death, but that’s no substitute for just hitting play and feeling it. Hypnotic grooves, sleek vocal harmonies in which two become one, and bass that hits you in the heart: Rio Kosta excel at music that simply makes you feel.
Prior to meeting, the two multi-instrumentalists and songwriters had engaged in all manner of projects including bands, session work and collaborations. The connection was instant. “Kosta was playing a Juno synthesiser and drums at the same time, and he looked like George Harrison in a beanie,” smiles Mike. “I was like, this guy’s interesting.” Kosta returns the compliment: “He was looking all fly, this cat had like a vibration and an energy. I think we just dug each other’s aesthetic.”
That was late in 2019, but with Covid lurking on the horizon it took a while for them to be able to cement that connection. It was worth the wait. The music they bonded over is staggering in its variety – in this conversation alone they reference everything from Jorge Ben and Idris Muhammed, to War, Ebo Taylor and Crosby, Stills & Nash. Just as vital was the liberation the project unlocked, with both sharing fond memories of being stoned at 2am on a Tuesday morning and being wowed by the vocal harmonies they were creating.
“The chemistry was sacred and very natural and very quick,” notes Mike, citing his admiration for Kosta’s musicality and “With both of us being producers, we’ve been able to pseudo-produce each other in the project, which has been a very new and interesting experience. And we have both grown immensely from it as friends.”.
The more time they spent together, the more they discovered a chain of what Mike calls “happy, bizarre accidents” that fed into the album process. It was also a time of fortuitous new beginnings. Aside from having the freedom to explore this new partnership, Kosta was also in the midst of a break-up (or in his words, a “life transition”). And Mike had just moved into a bohemian home / studio / creative hub that was perfectly in tune with their vibes. The building, Hotel Havana, even had a storied heritage in the world of LA pop culture. It had previously been the home of hit ‘50s crooner turned bit-part ‘80s actor Dick Caruso, who lived in its garish Jimmy Buffet-meets-Liberace decor with his two boyfriends, and welcomed guests such as Joni Mitchell and Herbie Hancock.
One of those accidents was the ultra-dreamy jam ‘Unicorn’, the final version of which included not only recordings from their first ever session together but also ended up being the last song to be fully completed. A product of those small hours sessions, ‘Ancients’ came from an even more unlikely place. It sampled a cassette recording of Kosta’s father’s Greek folk band from the ‘70s, which in turn inspired Mike to write cosmic lyrics playing on deja vu and the concept of past lives. Another song, ‘Mountain Top’, ended up as a dominant force of the record, providing a musical tapestry with elements of it woven into every other song.
Yet as exhilaratingly smooth as Rio Kosta sound on record, it’s the live arena which is really their ballpark. You could visualise them lost in the moment as day drifts to night at Coachella, like spiritual cousins to Khruangbin, but you could just as equally imagine them amidst the psychedelic haze of the original Woodstock. So far, they’ve mostly played select shows around the Los Angeles area, but they’ve been highly impactful – their immersion in the local music community and their love of a little mystique making them a hot underground tip.
It’s also a project that’s adaptable in format. A two-man version toured Europe, speaking to an eclectic Arena filled audience in Prague during their debut show. The sprawling six-person line-up provides an electrifying energy, as seen when they opened for Hot Chip at the Hollywood Palladium and sold out word of mouth headlining performances around LA.
There’s also a global energy to Rio Kosta. Their sun-kissed sound echoes much of their respective heritages, with Kosta’s Greek background further flavoured by time in the Bahamas, and Mike being inspired by his Spanish and Italian roots, his time growing up in New York, and especially revisiting his identity following the passing of his Puerto Rican grandmother. Just as their music breaks free from genre constraints, their journey crosses borders without the need for a metaphorical passport.
And now it’s time for Rio Kosta to take this exuberant, life-affirming experience to new lands, with Asia, South America and Europe on Kosta’s touring wishlist. Wherever they go, Mike is eager to keep sight of why they’re doing this. “I feel like chemistry is sacred, friendship is sacred, and if you have them both you need to protect it. That’s where we’re at right now.”
