The unmistakable, husky voice of Lou Rhodes, which helped define the sound of Lamb, returns to Prague with her new project Kiiōtō. Together with pianist and producer Rohan Heath, she opens a more intimate and personal chapter built around powerful songs, space and the tension between voice and piano. At Spectaculare_14, they will present their new album Black Salt – dark, intimate and rich in storytelling. The evening at Jazz Dock will be opened by Monika Načeva and her trio.

Kiiōtō came together at a time when both musicians felt they had drifted away from their musical careers. After years with Lamb and four solo albums, Rhodes had turned her attention to poetry, while Heath had already travelled a long path through British electronic and pop music. Their songs began to emerge without any grand plan, and their 2024 debut As Dust We Rise revealed something new in the interplay between Heath's piano and Rhodes' characteristically husky voice. On Black Salt, they delve even deeper. The album emerged from conflict, tension and the mutual challenge of stepping beyond their comfort zones. Its stories explore everything from narcissism and social media addiction to street violence, family roots and the loss of a loved one. Musically, it remains restrained and precise – piano, deep bass, delicate percussion and Lou Rhodes' voice are given the space to let every detail shine through. The album features guest musicians associated with Amy Winehouse, 4 Hero and Corinne Bailey Rae, while film composer David Arnold also contributed an unplanned guitar part.

The Czech half of the evening will be provided by Monika Načeva, who has been one of the most uncompromising voices on the Czech alternative scene for more than three decades. This time will perform in a more intimate line-up alongside Michal Jarmil Koval on bass guitar and Jakub Švejnar on drums. Švejnar works primarily in experimental jazz and free improvisation and is involved in numerous projects across the contemporary alternative music scene.

For this performance, they will also be joined by violist Alexey Aslamas, with whom Načeva has collaborated for many years on site-specific concerts created for particular, often unconventional spaces, including churches. Their performances draw on the atmosphere and acoustics of each venue.

With this line-up, Načeva's songs will open up to new arrangements and improvisation, allowing her distinctive approach to voice and poetry to come even further to the forefront.

The concert is part of the 14th edition of the multidisciplinary Spectaculare festival, taking place at various venues across Prague in March and April 2027. Tickets are already available at spectaculare.cz.

Kiiōtō (UK) feat. Lou Rhodes (Lamb)

Monika Načeva

12 March 2027 – 20:00

Jazz Dock