French Kiwi Juice

French Kiwi Juice
FKJ in 2015
FKJ in 2015
Background information
Birth nameVincent Fenton
Born (1990-03-26) 26 March 1990 (age 34)
OriginTours, France
GenresNu jazz, Electronic, Rhythm and blues, French house
Occupations
  • DJ
  • musician
Instruments
  • Synthesizer
  • drum machine
  • personal computer
  • guitar
  • bass guitar
  • double bass
  • piano
  • saxophone (alto, tenor)
  • drum kit
  • vocals
Years active2012–present
LabelsRoche Musique
Websitefrenchkiwijuice.com
live musical performance
FKJ live in Pune, India (December 2018)

Vincent Fenton (born 26 March 1990), known professionally as French Kiwi Juice or the abbreviation FKJ (sometimes stylized Fkj), is a French multi-instrumentalist, singer, and musician from the city of Tours.[1][2][3] He is known for his solo live performances, where he does live loopings through Ableton Live and showcases his multi-instrumentalist skills. His self-titled debut album, French Kiwi Juice, was released on 3 March 2017.[4]

FKJ has performed at music festivals including Coachella,[5] Euphoria,[6] CRSSD,[7] Lollapalooza, and Lightning in a Bottle.[8]

Career

[edit]

FKJ has been described as a "pioneer" and "one of the flag bearers" of the new New French House genre. He was originally trained in sound engineering for film at a film school.[9][10]

FKJ achieved significant public attention after the release of the fully improvised song "Tadow" and accompanying studio recording in 2017. He improvised the song with fellow musician Masego, during a day-long recording session that took place just after the musicians met each other.[11]

In April 2017, FKJ announced that he was performing at the 2017 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at the Do Lab Stage.

On 7 April 2022, FKJ performed on his new single "Greener" with Carlos Santana.

Personal life

[edit]

FKJ was born on 26 March 1990 to a mother from France and a father from New Zealand. From a young age, he immersed himself in music from his parents' libraries, including "English rock, Queen, Pink Floyd, The Police... '70s rock, Led Zeppelin... some jazz or Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, Miles Davis... a little bit of French music, but not too much, like Serge Gainsbourg."[12][11]

In March 2019, FKJ married fellow musician June Marieezy[13] (who uses the stage name ((( O )))) with whom he had previously collaborated, on the track "Vibin' Out".[14]

Discography

[edit]

Studio albums

[edit]
Title Album details
Release date Label Format
French Kiwi Juice 3 March 2017 (US)[4] Roche Musique
Just Piano 13 August 2021 (US)[15] Mom + Pop
Vincent 10 June 2022 (US)[15] Mom + Pop Music

EP

[edit]
Title Details
Release date Label Format
Ylang Ylang EP 12 November 2019[16] Mom + Pop CD Download

Singles

[edit]
Title Details
Release date Label Format
"Greener" 7 April 2022[17] Mom + Pop CD Download

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Listen: FKJ - 'Leave My Home'". Clash Magazine. Retrieved 2019-03-14.
  2. ^ "Looped: FKJ (French Kiwi Juice)". KCRW. 6 June 2017. Retrieved 2019-04-06.
  3. ^ "French Kiwi Juice - Showcase". Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris. Retrieved 2019-04-06.
  4. ^ a b BWW News Desk. "FKJ's Highly Anticipated Debut LP 'French Kiwi Juice' Out Now". Retrieved 2017-05-27.
  5. ^ "FKJ gets into the groove for SF show, Coachella debut". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2017-05-27.
  6. ^ "EUPHORIA 2017". Songkick. Retrieved 2017-05-27.
  7. ^ "Top 5 acts from CRSSD Festival Fall 2016 – EARMILK". Earmilk. 2016-10-10. Retrieved 2017-05-27.
  8. ^ "Lighting in a Bottle festival offers fresh, sustainable music alternative". Daily Bruin. Retrieved 2017-05-27.
  9. ^ "FKJ releases 'Why Are There Boundaries' as debut album release edges closer – EARMILK". Earmilk. 2017-03-01. Retrieved 2017-05-27.
  10. ^ "RA: FKJ". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 2017-05-27.
  11. ^ a b Monroy Yglesias, Ana (August 2, 2019). "Looping Guru FKJ Talks Improvising "Tadow" With Masego & Being "A Melting Pot"". GRAMMY.com. Archived from the original on July 14, 2020. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  12. ^ "FKJ (French Kiwi Juice) Live Debut - Tours at Undertheradar". UnderTheRadarNZ.
  13. ^ "Vincent and June's Secret Ceremony" – via www.youtube.com.
  14. ^ "Fkj - Vibin' Out with ((( O )))" – via www.youtube.com.
  15. ^ a b "Just Piano (Release)". Bandcamp. Retrieved 2022-01-24.
  16. ^ "Ylang Ylang EP (Release)". Beatsource. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
  17. ^ "Greener (Release)". RollingStone. Retrieved 2022-04-12.
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