Music
Montreal songstress Kallitechnis is dreaming in colour
Fresh off the release of her sophomore EP, Chromatic, Montreal R&B singer-songwriter Kallitechnis reflects on a surreal past year and shares her plans for the near future.
“Who’s Kallitechnis?”, asked radio legend Sway Calloway during an interview with Innanet James on his SiriusXM morning show. “That’s my homegirl from Montreal,” the rapper swiftly replied. It was a charming moment for a local name to get a sliver of shine on a major platform. However, following the release of her Chromatic EP this month, it is clear that Kallitechnis will be a known name in no time.
Born Cassandra Kouremenos, the singer grew up as an only child to a Greek family based in the Park Extension neighbourhood. “I had a very blessed childhood, very loving parents,” she describes. “My parents were willing to give me every opportunity possible, put me in the best circumstances in terms of the academic world and extracurricular activities.”
Throughout her formative years, Kalli had a fascination with emotions and the inner-workings of the mind, leading her to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology at McGill University. “I think as human beings we are so complex, so fascinating. I’m an incredibly introspective person and I often confuse myself. I’m highly sensitive. I just really wanted to get to know more about the mechanics of our brain and how we just take in the world.”
However, while in the process of applying to her Master’s degree in early 2017, the songstress saw a window to shift her attention towards a full-time music career.
“I was applying to an Art Therapy Master's program that Concordia University offers when I realized, I don't really want to be doing this. It's dead, I would really just rather give myself the chance to pursue music full-time.”
In the two years that have followed, the singer has managed to make the most of her time. Milestones are already in abundance, with career highlights including opening for Kelela and Sabrina Claudio, billings on coveted Canadian festivals like Osheaga and Rifflandia and a guest spot alongside Pusha T on Innanet James’ “Better Without You”
This past October, Kouremenos received the opportunity of a lifetime: to participate in a songwriting camp for one week in Los Angeles, run by none other than R&B icon Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds.
“A first trip to L.A. for someone doing music is surreal, but for my first trip to have been in that context, to have gone to a Babyface songwriting camp and be mentored in his personal studio. I was in the same room that Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston recorded ‘When You Believe’.”
Throughout said week, Kalli had the opportunity to write, record and workshop songs, all under Edmonds and his team of associates’ careful mentorship. The time was well cherished, with the singer still in awe of the opportunity to create alongside somebody she had admired for so many years.
“He's incredibly inspiring,” says Kouremenos of her time with Babyface. “He’s really shaped the type of music that I do, the entire genre of soul and R&B. It was really an honour to be in his presence.”
Edmonds was able to offer many lessons along the way, namely to keep an open-mind when it comes to genres and composition. “[He taught me] just to approach songwriting in general in an unbiased way, to really get to know who they are. At the end of the day, the personal aspect of a song is what makes it a hit.”
Though the week-long camp was a mind-expanding experience for the young talent, Kouremenos is still on the fence about sharing her penmanship with others.
“Going into the songwriting camp, I didn't really feel like writing for anyone else. I think it's still a bit counterintuitive for me to write, which is something personal, to do that for someone else, to basically hand somebody your emotions,” she admits. “My worry writing for someone else is that it would be disingenuous, like if it was an emotion of mine coming from someone else's filter. It's definitely still a weird concept for me but I'm more open to the idea now.”
Released earlier this month, the Chromatic EP is the first page in the next chapter of Kallitechnis’ career. The Babyface influence is clear, with a passionate 90s R&B energy present throughout its five vibrant tracks. She picks “Colourful” as a single word to best describe the project, and encourages fans to “think about the world through colour” when taking a listen.
“It doesn’t necessarily have to be literal. The first track on Chromatic is called 'Sunset in Kalli,' so to me, that’s very yellow and orange, which I guess is implied by the word sunset. It’s also up to the listener to determine. At the end of the day, we all perceive colours in different ways.”
She points to a bright sticker on the computer in front of her. “You and I, for instance, don’t see the orange that’s on the table here as the same orange [in our own eyes]. I think it’s cool for us to be able to create our own idea of what orange is and what that means to us.”
As for the rest of the year, fans can look forward to more new music on the way, along with a four-date Canadian tour between late January and early February, with a return to Montreal just in time to set the mood for Valentine’s Day weekend.
“We're all just passionate people and music is just such a natural language for us”, she says in regards to her and her live band. “You can't help but smile when you hear us play. I expect people to get lost in the performance and be part of the movement.”
