It’s official: our 70th release is the vinyl reissue of Kalapana.
Much like Mackey Feary Band’s debut, Kalapana’s first record (eponymously titled Kalapana and sometimes referred to as Kalapana I) has always left an indelible impression on us.
From start to finish, this LP is a masterpiece.
Kalapana’s breakout debut in 1975 forever shaped the sound of Hawaii. Comprised of four founding members — Mackey Feary, Malani Bilyeu, David John Pratt, Kirk Thompson — the band led the way for a new, contemporary sound of Hawaii with the highest caliber of songwriting. Tunes like “Nightbird”, “The Hurt”, and “Naturally” confirmed Kalapana’s place as legends in local music, deeply embedding both the music and its musicians into the fabric of our islands’ identity.
We hope this vinyl reissue helps continue their musical legacy by inspiring new generations and reaching new listeners around the world. (We’re also elated to be bring brand new vinyl copies back into the world: original copies have almost always been played it to pieces, for good reason. It’s rare to find a NM or even a VG+ copy of this record~)
Last week, Kalapana’s guitarist, DJ Pratt, passed away. He was 66. Of the four founding members, only keyboardist Kirk Thompson is still with us (Mackey passed away in 1999, and Malani in 2018).
AGS-070 is slated for release in early 2022. More to come!
