Congolese-American singer-songwriter Miloe has released his new single, “elastic” today. The track, which follows “where u are” and “Winona” is about needing to give your partner space and speaks to Miloe’s ability to bring singular intimate moments to life in song. Listen to it now below.
Miloe is the musical project of Bob Kabeya, a 21-year old artist based in Minneapolis. Growing up in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bobby was raised by musical parents who met through the church choir during college and taught him to play the piano at the age of six. The sonic imprint of Miloe’s days in the Congo stayed palpable when his family made the 7000 mile journey to Minneapolis to join their father, who had been granted asylum three years prior. Suddenly dropped into the land of such punk legacies as Husker Dü, The Replacements, and Soul Asylum and Prince, Bobby’s musical destiny had perhaps unwittingly been cut out for him. Almost immediately he joined his highschool band as a percussionist, fashioning its utility closet as a makeshift practice space for the first iterations of his own band to jam out.
While working his way through the Twin Cities’ basement show circuit, Kabeya chipped away at Miloe’s debut EP. After a member of Beach Bunny discovered his music, Miloe was asked to open for the skyrocketing Chicago band at a Minneapolis gig. His performance caught the eye of audience member Jake Luppen of Hippo Campus, who offered to help produce Kabeya’s next project. A marathon three-day studio session with Luppen transformed a handful of demos Kabeya had stashed away into the Greenhouse EP, which was eventually released in October 2020. The project showcased a sunnier, pop-oriented side to Miloe. He nabbed a hit with lead single “Winona,” which was later gilded with vocals from Jamila Woods and Vagabon on a 2021 remix.
Gaps stays heavily syncopated and expertly textured across its six tracks, often achieved by utilizing his immediate means, such as plucking his Acoustasonic to emulate marimba or incorporating the sound of his neighbor’s wind chimes as heard through his bedroom window at 4 AM. It’s a stop on the journey, but Kabeya also sees it as a flow state. “It’s a place where music can take you, where time isn’t really a construct and you can zone into this meditative state of jamming. It’s a gap, of sorts. A different realm.”
Tour Dates:
6/12 – The Basement East – Nashville, TN!
6/13 – Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, GA!
6/16 – Bonnaroo – Manchester, TN
6/19 – Afropunk – Minneapolis, MN
7/8 – Subterranean Downstairs – Chicago, IL
7/9 – 80/35 Music Festival – Des Moines, IA
9/20 – The Fillmore – Detroit, MI^
9/21 – Old National Creature – Indianapolis, IN^
9/23 – MGM Music Hall At Fenway – Boston, MA^
9/24 – The Dome @ Oakdale Theatre – Wallingford, CT^
9/26 – The National – Richmond, VA^
9/27 – The Norva – Norfolk, VA^
9/28 – Greenfield Lake Amphitheater – Wilmington, NC^
9/30 – The Ritz – Raleigh, NC^
10/1 – The Fillmore – Charlotte, NC^
10/4 – Jannus Live – St Petersburg, FL^
10/6 – Revolution Live – Fort Lauderdale, FL^
10/7 – Hard Rock Live Orlando – Orlando, FL^
!w/ Goth Babe
^w/ COIN