It\u2019s HIRA season. London\u2019s most enigmatic multi-hyphenate and Paul Institute mainstay just dropped his latest single, \u201cDangerous Moves,\u201d and trust us\u2014it\u2019s got the sonic adrenaline rush of a 3 a.m. drive through Tokyo streets in a souped-up Nissan Skyline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s rewind for a sec: since 2016, the Paul Institute\u2014brainchild of the almighty Paul brothers, Jai and A.K.\u2014has been the secret sauce of London\u2019s left field pop scene. With a roster that reads like a genre-bending Avengers lineup (Jai and A.K. Paul<\/a>, Ruthven<\/a>, REINEN, Pen Pals<\/a>, Fabiana <\/a>Palladino<\/a>,<\/a> and, of course, HIRA<\/a>), these folks are consistently serving up forward-thinking pop that flips the middle finger at the algorithm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n HIRA\u2019s journey with the Paul Institute began when A.K. stumbled on his HIRA KING tracks and saw something special\u2014a vibe somewhere between Akira\u2019s neon glow and a night out in Camden\u2019s grimiest basement club. Cue \u201cEve\u201d in 2017, followed by \u201cRed Light Drive\u201d (which HIRA produced himself, no biggie). By the time \u201cUnreal\u201d landed on the Institute\u2019s Summer 2020 EP, it was clear HIRA wasn\u2019t here to play around\u2014he was here to leave a mark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n