Kora play groovy, dub-led songs with clear-cut vocals harmonies and funk guitar (Politician) in addition to more aggressive floor fillers (Skankenstein).

Huge sound systems pump out larger-than life beats, somewhat incongruous with – yet compatible, with brothers Laughton, Francis and Stuart Kora's soulful vocals.

In Flow the fusion between heavier riffs and angelic falsetto is striking – and the band's sense of timing is unique, big beats drop in and build up on the core vocal part 'keep the mojo flowing.'

Live footage of the band shows them thrashing drums and guitar in sync with each other – freezing mid-point in the song and then breaking into it again, as if it were choreographed.

Speaking of their eclectic blend of funk, dub reggae and rock, McGruer says: "We definitely have our own sound – we write all the songs collaboratively. Everybody brings their own energy into them."

But he admits: "The reggae and dub side of our music is the biggest – we listened to a lot of dub back in the day."

In New Zealand the band's EP has reached platinum status. Its cover is embellished with superhero characters – reflecting the band's obsession with arcade games and epic films. The artwork was created by Damon and Kieran Oates, whose works include Marvel Comics and Transformers.

McGruer says: "We've made a name for ourselves in New Zealand – we had a following before we released the debut album in October last year."
Kora play Carling Academy 2 on July 23 as part of a UK tour which includes London, Bristol and the WOMAD world music festival.

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