For the first time ever the Parisian clothing and music emporium has compiled an eclectic selection of fresh new faces on the North American front with Kitsuné America.
After booming in Japan, expanding in South East Asia and steadily developing in France and Europe, Kitsuné felt it was time to jump the (other) pond and land firmly in the USA -- eager to take in its many bubbling scenes, from strobe-lit basements to sun soaked festivals. All in all, this is one album full of things Kitsuné loves most: great tracks and talents yet to be discovered, from indie acts to dance producers and whatever falls in between. From East Coast (St Lucia, Slebrities, XXXChange) to West Coast (Giraffage, Childish Gambino, Dwntwn) Kitsuné aims to never leave a scene overlooked.
With the brand and label celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, Maison Kitsuné will also make a permanent place for itself in the USA with the opening of their new boutique in New York City this April. Perfectly located just blocks from the Ace Hotel and a stones throw away from Madison Square Park it's the ideal location for the next step in Kitsuné's already elegant history. Conceived as an engaging experience in fashion, music, design and lifestyle, Maison Kitsuné New York will present a unique retail experience in a forward-thinking and lively space, providing a cultural cornerstone in one of the city’s most dynamic creative hubs.
St Lucia 'Before The Dive' - We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again. We love pop at Kitsuné, big singalong choruses, etc. On ‘Before The Dive’, Jean-Philip Grobler aka St. Lucia almost sounds like Oasis – or is that The Beatles? – tinted with psychedelia à la Washed Out – or is that Tears For Fears?
Dwntwn 'See My Eyes' - The self-contained duo likes to declare that their band is about connecting the dots between electro and folk. ‘See My Eyes’ finds them in a 1980s bubble of Europop and New-Wave which actually feels more modern than what you would have thought.
Childish Gambino 'Heartbeat (Them Jeans Remix)' - Armed with saccharin melodies, you could easily mistake him for Kanye West or Kid Cudi in chilled indie mode. Whereas Childish Gambino is in fact the rapper persona of Donald Glover who is also a successful, college-educated writer, actor and member of sketch-comedy troupe Derrick Comedy. He says “I don’t look at writing comedy as any different from writing raps.”
HEARTSREVOLUTION 'Retrograde' - We’ve been friends with Heartsrevolution for a long time at Kitsuné. Although originally from LA, Leyla “Lo” Safai and Ben Pollock are New Yorkers as we like them. Dark, arty and noisy, cartoony and poppy, in brief uncontrollable. They scientifically bridge electro and hardcore, but that’s not all, there’s more to them... it may be that NY-Paris thing again.
Frances Rose 'Vampire' - The band materialized when sisters Sarah Frances and Michelle Rose Cagianese moved in together to a tiny Lower East Side apartment filled with antique instruments and fresh roses. From there they started writing and rehearsing their folk-influenced electronic pop in earnest.
Gigamesh 'Your Body' - After making a splash on the web for (mostly unofficially) re-workings of Michael Jackson, New Order, The Clash, Stardust and dozens more, DJ/Producer Gigamesh is now hitting payback time. The house as hell ‘Your Body’ proves he’s still got his eyes fully fixed on the dance floor. His last remix? For Kitsuné’s latest protégés: Citizens!.
White Shadow 'If You Like It' - Detroit DJ/Producer White Shadow layers over a typically 90s rave track some soulful female vocal samples lifted straight out of a 70s NY block party. The result ‘If You Like It’ sounds as haunting and timeless as Moby’s famous blues edits.
XXXChange 'F*k Yeah Ace Of Hearts' - Alex Brady Epton aka XXXChange, is a Brooklyn-based musician/DJ/producer who garnered attention for his work with Spank Rock. Twisting and tweaking electro-infused hip-hop and UK bass beyond ravey recognition, he’s funked up Björk, Thom Yorke, TV on the Radio, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Kele, Lily Allen, Kylie... the list goes on.
Oliver 'Walk With Me' - More and more are tackling the nu-discopop sound, but few come close to Oliver’s standards. They’ve turned Housse de Racket’s ‘Roman’ into the dance floor monster it was crying out to be and dropped the ‘Dirty Talk’ EP of which b-side ‘Walk With Me’ is the secret balearic gem championed by many.
Emil & Friends 'Royal Oats' - Both a man and a myth, NY-based Emil & Friends is a con-man and a pop connoisseur. A mixologist and a remixer. A rising star and a star stalker. Overall, and perhaps ironically so given Emil’s fabricated identity, what shines most is his own personality as he approaches each of his songs with a distinct persona.
Selebrities 'Regret' - Who wouldn’t live in Brooklyn? The place is heaving with interesting bands, just like Selebrities. Another US group that lovingly digs the early 80s post-punk days. It’s a fact, it all started in Manchester, didn’t it?
Poindexter 'Helpless' - Portland-based Andrew Rodriguez is a blue-eyed romantic. A quality dear to Kitsuné. On the charmingly youthful ‘Helpless’ he confidently zig-zags between chill-wave and Gallic pop, happiness and nostalgia, cleverly avoiding the traps of one or another.
Computer Magic 'Help Me' - Kitsuné has a thing for bedroom producers. They may even believe that the future of music lies in a bedroom. Enter DJ/blogger Danz (Danielle), the 21-year-old student writes meaningful songs with an ethereal streak. She’s got a live show together and is programmed on the Kitsuné Club Night US tour.
Giraffage feat. XXYYXX 'Even Though' - Another bedroom producer with a vision. San Francisco’s Charlie Yin sculpts sound with sonic malice and diversity. Like a possessed DJ having fun with samples in an experimental lab, the 21-year old multi-instrumentalist knows no boundaries. Putting hip-hop and jazz through the blender ‘Even Though’ demonstrates a certain expertise.
