News

Kitsune America Released In May

• 30th Mar 2012

After exploding in Japan, expanding in SE Asia and steadily developing in France and Europe, Kitsuné felt it was time to get closer to the USA, and its many buzzing scenes, from strobe-lit basements to sun soaked festivals.

For the first time the Parisian emporium has com piled a quirky, eclectic selection of fresh new US artists. One album full of the stuff that we like most: good songs and big talents yet to be discovered, from indie bands to dance producers and whatever can fit in between.

With the label and brand celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, it was also the perfect timing for, drummmmmm roll, the opening of the new Maison Kitsuné boutique in… New York! At the NoMad hotel in April to be precise! 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 – the up and coming NoMad District.

Last but not least: several Kitsuné Club Nights are in the pipeline as part of a larger US tour.

Kitsuné AMERICA, out May 21st on cd, DLP and digital.

1. ST. LUCIA Before The Dive

2. DWNTWN See My Eyes

3. CHILDISH GAMBINO Heartbeat (Them Jeans remix)

4. HEARTSREVOLUTION Retrograde

5. FRANCES ROSE Vampire

6. GIGAMESH Your Body

7. WHITE SHADOW If You Like It

8. XXXCHANGE F*k Yeah Ace Of Hearts

9. OLIVER Walk With Me

10. EMIL & FRIENDS Royal Oats

11. SELEBRITIES Regret

12. POINDEXTER Helpess

13. COMPUTER MAGIC Help Me

14. GIRAFFAGE feat XXYYXX Even Though

1. ST. LUCIA Before The Dive

We’ve said it and we’ll say it again. We love pop at Kitsuné, big singalong choruses … 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?

2. DWNTWN See My Eyes

The self-contained duo likes to declare that their band is about joining 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’d have thought.

3. 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 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.”

4. 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 and rock’n’roll, 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… Must be that NY-Paris thing again.

5. 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, and started writing and rehearsing their folk-influenced electronic pop in earnest.

6. GIGAMESH Your Body

After making a splash on the web for (mostly unofficially) reworking the likes of Michael Jackson, New Order, The Clash, Stardust and dozens more with his remix group DiscoTech, dj/producer Gigamesh is now hitting payback time. The housey as hell ‘Your Body’ proves he’s still got his eyes well set onto the dancefloor. His last remix? For Kitsuné’s latest protégés: Citizens!.

7. 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 outta 70s NY block party. The result ‘If You Like It’ sounds almost as haunting and timeless as Moby’s famous blues remakes.

8. XXXCHANGE F*k Yeah Ace Of Hearts

Alex Brady Epton aka XXXChange, is a Brooklyn-based musician/producer/dj 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…

9. 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 dancefloor 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.

10. 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 brightly is his own personality as he approaches each of his songs with a distinct persona.

11. 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?

12. POINDEXTER Helpless

Portland-based Andrew Rodriguez is a blue-eyed romantic.

A quality dear to our French hearts. 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.

13. COMPUTER MAGIC Help Me

We have a thing for bedroom producers at Kitsuné. To tell you all we believe the future of music lies in bedrooms. Now it’s not because everybody has a go on his laptop, that everybody’s good. Nothing to worry about for dj/blogger Danz (Danielle) though, 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.

14. GIRAFFAGE feat XXYYXX Even Though

Another bedroom producer with a difference. 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.