Karamo built a home studio in their garage, and Aiko would listen to them harmonize in awe. When Aiko was 5, her sisters, Mila J and Miyoko, formed the R&B group Gyrl with Paulette Maxwell, giving Aiko a firsthand look at the music industry.
Dre, 2Pac, Brandy, TLC, Alanis Morrissette, Fiona Apple and the Spice Girls were among the artists in heavy rotation. As the youngest, Aiko may not have had a say in what was played in the house, but she loved it nonetheless - Dr. Her father, Karamo, dreamed of becoming a musician as a young adult, and passed his passion for music on to his five children. But in using the sound bowls as a spiritual guide, she is equally looking to connect with her fans - and help them to heal as well.Ī Los Angeles native, Aiko grew up surrounded by music. or “PU$$Y Fairy (OTW),” wrap around a sustained D note, which serves to activate the sex organs, she says.Īiko’s longtime partner, rapper Big Sean - who features on the album’s track “None of Your Concern” - surely isn’t opposed when work bleeds into their home life. Sentimental songs like “Pray for You” spoke to the heart chakra in the key of F sharp, while more sensual tracks, like “B.S.” with H.E.R. To employ the bowls correctly, Aiko researched the individual chakras they represent, making sure that they aligned with the “Chilombo” track list. She says the bowls felt natural with the evolution of her sound, which has become much more acoustic and reliant on instrumentals since 2017’s “Trip,” as opposed to the digitized beats that can be found on her 2014 debut album, “Souled Out.” For the project, a soul-comforting, stripped-down manifesto of her personal growth, Aiko invested in crystal alchemy sound bowls, which are made of quartz but infused with precious gemstones and metals that give the bowls different healing properties, she explains.