If you haven’t already heard, the world-famous indie electronic artist FKJ will be returning to Seoul to perform live at the Yes24 MUV Hall this coming August 20. Short for French Kiwi Juice, the French musician rose to fame by making waves on YouTube for videos of his solo live performances. The 26-year-old is an underground producer and DJ from the Parisian scene trained in sound engineering. The artist is often seen alternating between the bass, vocals, keyboard, guitar and saxophone. His success has made him one of the flag bearers of the New French House musical genre. He’s performed in various music festivals around the world like Coachella, Euphoria and CRSSD. While his sounds don’t result in you ‘getting low’ like Anderson .Paak’s do, it’s a great music trip that will leave you wanting more. If you haven’t already booked a ticket, we’ll show you why you should.
Pushing the boundaries of the one-man band
A standard to any FKJ show is an impressive rig comprised of at least three guitars, an alto and a tenor saxophone, a bass guitar, two or three synth keyboards, a sampler, and at least one loop pedal. The Key notes that the awe in watching FKJ play live is seeing him switch rapidly from instrument to instrument and creating live loops in the process. Watching him get lost in his own music is a treat in itself, and you’ll usually catch his beanie-covered head bopping to the beat. Not to mention, his jazz-inspired instrumental solos are out of this world. It’s amazing how the young artist is able to combine his role as a DJ, producer and musician so well onstage. His genre is hard to describe, but it is something along the lines of a modern take on neo soul that incorporates bluesy elements with electronics.
Collaboration is key
His success as a one-man show has also allowed for many great collaborations. FKJ’s most popular song ‘Tadow’ is a collaboration with American musician Masego. The video of the two hitting it off with a sax duet garnered over 143 million views on his YouTube channel. He also collaborated with vocalist and guitarist Tom Misch on ‘Losing My Way’ where the two sing together in different octaves, creating a beautiful catchy harmony.
A master of machines
FKJ capitalizes on musical equipment in order to come up with one-of-a-kind sounds all on his own. In his live performance in La Fée Electricité in Paris, he used a Keith McMillen SoftStep 2, which is a funky LED-lit foot controller that helps him adjust his music while playing an instrument at the same time. Another similar tool is the wah pedal, which allows him to change the frequency of the bass by making it more sensual and expressive. As a one-man band, choice of equipment is ultimately what helps elevate FJK’s music. The Dunlop Cry Baby Wah Pedal is part of his extensive set up, too. It helps add groove and texture to his bass lines giving his music a funky, vocal sound. This is clearly the appeal for FJK as he continues to create exciting sounds as an all-around musician.
This musical quality is what sets his creations apart from everyone else’s. We live in an era where technology has made musicians lazy, giving them the option to edit and program music instead of playing it live. FKJ on the other hand uses electronics to his advantage while showcasing the value of live music. While some elements of his music are looped, he also plays many of them live throughout the whole set. There are only a handful of talented musicians like FKJ, so seeing the multi-instrumentalist play live in Seoul will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
I had never heard of him before but I caught his act! Thanks for the heads up.
Glad you enjoyed!