PATIENT: Kygo says he doesn’t care how long it takes for his songs to become big hits, as long as they do.

By Geoffrey Rowlands


It was three months ago when Norwegian DJ/producer Kygo’s track, Firestone, entered the UK chart. Unlike most dance music hits, which almost always seem to storm straight to the upper level of the listings, Firestone has been a slow burner.
“I don’t care how long it takes to become a big hit,” smiled Kygo, real name Kyrre Gorvell-Dahll. “My song has topped the chart back home in Norway and been massively popular throughout most of Europe. Like most other artists though, I have so much respect for the British music scene so it feels extra special that Firestone is finally making a significant impression on the UK chart.”
Despite taking piano lessons from the age of six, the 23-year-old Bergen native had no great ambition to earn his living in the music business. It was only after discovering the work of Swedish electronic dance music artist Avicii that he was inspired to create his own tracks.
“This was about five years ago when Avicii first started to become famous. I loved the kind of music he was making and wanted to see if I could come up with something similar. My first efforts were okay without being anything special but I was quite quickly able to create tracks which really pleased me.”
Kygo initially made his mark as a remixer. The surprising range of his remixes took in such diverse artists as Rihanna, James Blake, Marvin Gaye and Dolly Parton.
“I enjoy most kinds of music so I remixed anything which caught my imagination. It’s always the same process. I play a melody on piano over the original song and take things from there. The remixes are nearly always done in one session. I’m sometimes awake well into the early hours working on a track. I have this determination to finish everything before I can go to bed.”
These endeavours paid off with ten Hype Machine number one remixes inside a year. His first pop chart success was also a remix.
“I loved Younger, the debut single by Swedish pop-soul singer Seinabo Sey. The track had become a hit but not a particularly big one so I thought I’d give it a remix. I extended the song by about two and a half minutes and turned it into what has become known as a tropical house track. The end result was a number one in Norway.”
His remix of Kyla La Grange’s Cut Your Teeth proved less successful, although it did well in the Netherlands. But his entry into the LE7ELS record label remix contest of Syn Cole’s Miami 82 established Kygo as a major player on the dance music scene.
“The label immediately wanted to sign my remix. I couldn’t have been happier. It was also used in the official promotional video for the Ultra Music Festival. This led to creating a mix for Diplo’s radio show and Coldplay asking me to do a remix of their Midnight single.”
Although now known in dance music circles, it was Firestone that made Kygo’s name on the international mainstream market.
“I co-wrote the song with Australian singer/songwriter Conrad Sewell. He also provided the vocals. Conrad is an amazingly talented artist who will surely become a big star.”
Kygo has followed his success with Firestone by releasing another original song. Stole The Show features American singer Parson James.
“It was wonderful to work with Parson. I’ve been very lucky to have created songs with two superb artists.
“Stole The Show has become my third number one in Norway and it’s in the global top ten on Spotify. The song has also just got into the lower reaches of the UK chart. I’m hoping it might become another big British hit for me even if it does take months to reach the top.”

in
brief

Zayn Malik

The fallout continues from Zayn Malik’s decision to leave One Direction.
Zayn announced he was quitting 1D because of his inability to cope with the stress of being part of the world’s biggest boy band. But reports emerged that he had already been working on solo material with hot shot producer Naughty Boy. Indeed, he admitted to having signed a solo deal with Simon Cowell’s Syco label. So much for Zayn’s stated desire of wanting to live a normal, quiet life.
Despite receiving nothing but support from his fiancée, Little Mix singer Perrie Edwards, reports indicate Zayn had affairs with two girls during the Thailand leg of One Direction’s world tour. One of these girls, Swedish model Martina Olsson, actually admitted having the affair after she was picked out by Zayn while dancing at the Seduction nightclub in Phuket.
Martina claims to have been unaware of his engagement. She has now encouraged Perrie to dump her cheating fiancé.
This is not the first occasion that his faithfulness has been called into question. Perrie has always previously stood by her man and seems likely to do so again.
As for Zayn’s solo material, one would have thought he might want some time out of the spotlight to recover from the supposed stress he suffered in One Direction. But just five days after leaving the band, a demo appeared online of Zayn’s Naughty Boy-produced debut single, I Won’t Mind. It was posted at (no www.) soundcloud.com/youthonix/i-wont-mind-zayn-naughty-demo but removed just a few hours later.
Reaction was decidedly mixed. Reviews of the song were generally favourable but it sparked an angry response from many One Directioners and the band themselves.
Although most fans still seem to love Zayn and will buy his records, there is a general feeling of betrayal. The question most often asked is why didn’t he just say he wanted to go solo rather than coming out with all the stuff about being stressed and wanting a normal life? Only Zayn can provide the answer.

Say Lou Lou

Say Lou Lou are 23-year-old twin sisters Miranda and Elektra Kilbey-Jansson. The daughters of Australian singer/bass player Steve Kilbey and Swedish guitarist Karin Jansson, the girls were raised in both of their parents’ native countries.
Their first single, Maybe You, was issued in 2012. They have since released a number of dream wave singles and EPs but are now promoting their debut album, Lucid Dreaming. It is currently being streamed in full at www.npr.org/2015/03/29/395288566/first-listen-say-lou-lou-lucid-dreaming
Be quick though, the stream will not be available for too long.
For more music, check out the postings at (no www.) soundcloud.com/sayloulou. Some album tracks are also here. A few of the songs are offered for free download.
Videos have been made for all of their singles. These can be accessed by searching for Say Lou Lou on YouTube.

SBTRKT

Aaron Jerome has been busy. Under his musical alias of SBTRKT, pronounced Subtract, Aaron posted three new indie-electronica songs on his SoundCloud page inside four days.
The tracks are apparently standalone singles, although it would make sense for them to be collected into what would be his seventh EP. They join much more of Aaron’s work which is available to hear at (no www.) soundcloud.com/sbtrkt.
SBTRKT’s self-titled 2011 debut album, plus a couple more songs, can be heard in full at www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1eRWKPM3HI&list=PLZqsyBiYZFQ1lhSIzBaKfXTXWyZ6V7hrV
Most of his 2014 sophomore album, “Wonder Where We Land,” is posted at www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sYERxCldUI&list=PLtZ60ULw7LGmOTebXFWROUE89iqJgtdR1