2008’s ‘In Search of Hope’ is the second solo album from Tatham and the first under his own name. It pushes the musical boundaries of electronic and dance music in a way that is still rarely heard today. While the album retains its contemporary London influences, it allowed Tatham to stretch out musically in a way he hadn’t done on record before. The majority of the album’s tracks aren’t in the standard 4/4 time signature that most contemporary dance music follows, and some switch between a handful of different time signatures over the course of a few minutes. In a way, the album could be viewed as Tatham’s mission statement and a sign of what was to come from him as an artist: uncompromisingly and unapologetically sophisticated modern black music. His face melting virtuosity never gets in the way of coherent groove, melody, harmony and arrangement. Originally released on Tokyo based label Freedom School and recorded on a modest set up at his flat in south London, ‘In Search of Hope’ has become a holy grail record for dance music fans and jazz heads alike. Its mythical status is spurred on by the fact that it was unavailable digitally, until now, with physical copies fetching astronomical prices online, especially considering how recently it was released compared to other records that reach similar prices.

‘In Search Of Hope’ has had an immeasurable influence on countless musicians, producers and artists that heard it, and Tatham’s work both before and after the LP’s release has blown the minds of listeners from a wide variety of backgrounds. In more recent years Kaidi’s force can be felt further outside his immediate musical realm than ever. His influence and contribution to modern music was epitomised in 2019 with ‘Feed The Cat’’s ‘Orbit’ being sampled on Freddie Gibbs & Madlib’s ‘Bandana’ for the track ‘Flat Tummy Tea’.

In Madlib’s own words, “Kaidi was ahead of his time with that album, and he still is. I love that loop and I’m happy we could use it. Kaidi is my brother, he loves what we do, and we love him.” With no signs of slowing down creatively, Kaidi Tatham continues to push boundaries and blow the minds of old and new fans alike with both his extensive back catalogue and a plethora of new releases on the horizon.