FKJ–short for French Kiwi Juice–is a multi-talented one-man band whose output is consistently riveting. The Tours, France native utilizes the most potent elements of a vast spectrum of styles to craft his “expanding grooves.” FKJ is a wonder to watch. He creates all the moving parts–the smooth guitar licks, the synths, the sax, the jazz-blues bass lines–and sets them loose as hip-hop beat loops and introspective jazz tangents, juggling the mounting melodies with effortless flow. He released his first official album, French Kiwi Juice, earlier this year, and has begun to crack the insular jam audience with sets at large-scale festivals like Suwannee Hulaween.
This week, FKJ released a new pro-shot video that continues to push the multi-instrumentalist/producer’s thoroughly unique aesthetic to new heights. The 16-minute clip, shot by Le Sofa, showcases FKJ’s recent special performance at the Paris Modern Art Museum, staged in front of a massive mural by late french painter Raoul Dufy.
According to the museum’s website, “Raoul Dufy was commissioned to paint the huge fresco for the 1937 International Exposition in Paris. His commission was for the slightly curved wall of the entrance to the Pavillon de la Lumière et de l’Électricité (“Pavilion of Light and Electricity”)…He abided by the instructions given to him by the electricity company, La Compagnie Parisienne de Distribution d’ Électricité, and told the story of La Fée Électricité (“The Electricity Fairy”)…The composition unfolds across 600 meters sq., from right to left, on two principal themes: the history of electricity and its applications–from the first observations to the most modern technical applications of it. The upper part is a changing landscape in which the painter has placed some of his favourite subjects: sailing boats, flocks of birds, a threshing machine, and a Bastille-day ball. Stretching the length of the lower half are portraits of one hundred and ten scientists and inventors who contributed to the development of electricity.”
FKJ’s enthralling live improvisation session in front of the massive, priceless mural is a fascinating study in the harmony of sound and sight, as the audio-visual spectacle of his morphing, meandering melodies plays off the vibrant thematics of the mural to fantastic effect. Do yourself a favor: set aside a few minutes, tune in, zone out, and thank us later.
Watch the full video of FKJ’s live session at Raoul Dufy’s ‘La Fée Electricité’ below via his YouTube page: