FKJ (French Kiwi Juice), a multi-instrumentalist and producer living in Paris, released his first album "FKJ" in March this year, and has dramatically evolved his style by layering soft vocals over mellow beats built with the instruments he plays himself. Vincent Fenton. We heard that he was working on a new album at the Red Bull studio in Shibuya before his one-time visit to Japan, which sold out in a few minutes (the show has already ended), and rushed to interview him. We caught up with Fenton to get a closer look at his musicality.
This time, in parallel with your second visit to Japan, you are working on production at the Red Bull studios in Tokyo, but in the past, you have released videos of your work at the Red Bull studios in Amsterdam and Berlin. Does this mean that you are working on some new project?
."When I visited London two years ago, I was allowed to use the Red Bull studios, and I recorded a video of our session there and uploaded it to YouTube. The Red Bull studios have vintage equipment, they are all great, and I can work on my own, so I use my free time, like this time in Tokyo, to work on future projects around the world.
In this production, you worked freely playing a set of instruments such as guitar, bass, saxophone and keys, etc. Is that your usual style?
."Sometimes I try to compose based on improvisation, as I did this time, and sometimes I build a song from ideas I have thought of beforehand, or I write lyrics first.
You learned to play a variety of instruments that you manipulate like arms and legs through instructional videos and tablature on the Internet.
."Yes, I agree. Through the Internet, we have been able to listen to many kinds of music, and I am sure that our generation has been inspired by the various kinds of music we have downloaded from the Internet. In my case, my parents downloaded a lot of music, too (laughs). . As for the music I came into contact with through the Internet, in my case, it was more important for me to listen to the songs over and over than to watch instructional videos. That's how I learned melodies and chord progressions, and that's how I developed my skills and knowledge."
Before the first album, you used a lot of sampling, but in the album, you consciously reduced sampling and increased the weight of live singing and live instruments.
.". yes, I have. My production style is evolving, and I consciously used my voice a lot on the album, because I think my voice is my best and most beautiful instrument. . because I think the voice is the best instrument for me, the most beautiful instrument. However, I wasn't confident in my voice, and as I wrote lyrics, I began to think, "I have to sing this myself," and as I worked on the album in stages, I stopped relying on voice sampling. . but I don't deny sampling. . I'm not saying that I reject sampling, nor am I saying that I won't do it in the future. Sampling has a unique texture that you can't get from raw material.
Speaking of sampling, "Lying Together," which uses Thelma Houston's "Don't Leave Me This Way," was used on the track by TOWKIO, a rapper from the Save Manny Crew with Chance the Rapper and Vic Mensa You rapped on it, "I Know You," which became a worldwide sensation. Did this change the circumstances surrounding you?
."No, I don't think so (laughs). . because TOWKIO didn't contact me, and I only found out after the fact that it was being used. Besides, he is not as well known as Chance the Rapper yet.
Your own label, Roche Musique, is a sampling-oriented house label influenced by the French touch of the 90s, while the current FKJ is more soul and R&B oriented.
.". There are many different types of artists on the label, and I don't make music according to the label's colors. If I had to describe my musicality in terms of the French House label, I would say "groove," and I myself was not at all influenced by the French House of the 90s (laughs). (Laughs) I have listened to jazz, soul, funk, hip-hop, and my parents' Pink Floyd, the Police, and Queen since I was young, and hip-hop has been a big influence on me.
Whether it is Kaytranada or Vince Staples, recent hip-hop has seen a new movement emerge from the crossover with dance music, right?
."In today's music scene, electronic music is expanding along with hip-hop, and electronic music, which used to be a genre focused on the floor, and hip-hop, which has a completely different structure, are now blended into one, and the division into genres is becoming meaningless. I used to be bad at distinguishing between genres, but now I see that they are blending into one. I am not very good at distinguishing between genres myself, so I feel sympathy for this trend.
The ease of making tracks on laptops has led to the use of live instruments and modular synthesizers for creating your own unique sounds in hip-hop and electronic music, just as FKJ does.
."But for me, there is no distinction between a laptop and a real instrument. Then why I play different instruments is because I just want to write songs quickly. After I have an idea, the idea is hot for the first 20 minutes or so. . So I play my own instruments to get it into shape as quickly as possible. Some people may find it faster on a laptop, but for me, playing an instrument is definitely easier than clicking away on a laptop.
After the release of the album, you will be touring the U.S. and then Asia, including Japan, followed by a tour of South America. While you play your own instruments and create your own works, you don't seem to be a person who prefers indoor activities.
."Yes, that's right. My parents have taken me on many trips since I was a child, and traveling around the world is my lifestyle, and if I had stayed at home all the time, it would be difficult for me to make good music. If I had stayed at home all the time, it would be difficult for me to make good music. Rather, the experience of getting out of the house, smelling different smells, experiencing different emotions, and talking to people from different cultures influences my music, and is a catalyst for change in that music. Nowadays, we can connect with people from all over the world via the Internet, but what is virtual and what is real are two very different things. The sounds you hear, the temperatures and textures you can actually feel ...... are what shape my music."
