With an extra focus on visual elements, Danish alternative Pop artist Kill J showed her talent in a distinctive theatrical performance.
By Gabriele Dellisanti, Jutland Station
When the lights dimmed and the hall turned silent, two men dressed in black – in complete accordance to Danish fashion – with their faces completely covered like characters from a horror fiction show, entered the scene and started playing strong, deep beats.
Moments later, a tall woman made her way to the microphone in the centre of the stage and the crowd started to applaud. To contrast the drummer and the piano player on stage, she was dressed in white from head to toes, wearing big plastic boots.
Kill J delivered an impressive performance at the SPOT festival. Photo: Daphne Henning
There are different kinds of Scandinavian Pop, and Danish singer and producer Kill J represents one of them. Far from Icona Pop style of music, it features deep sounds and melodies together with an incredibly light but strong voice. The vocals, which sound like the tweeting of a bird, are incredibly original, light and fluttery.
Mentioning Sekuoia – also performing at SPOT Festival – as an influence for their tunes, Kill J define their music as an “alternative pop project with input from hip hop and R&B.” They released their first single Phoenix in 2013 and continued producing music ever since. Their second single Bullet was released last year and is currently listed as their most streamed hit on Spotify.
Kill J describes her songs as being about the “cynical nature of pleasure an pain,” through electronic beats accompanies by a soft, sometimes inaudible voice.
Visual elements play a big part in the show. Not surprisingly, the artist actively focuses on visual expression in her performances. All the members of the gig were dressed following a certain style: black and white, conforming to today’s hip Scandinavian trends. Therefore, as member of the audience, it felt like one was not only attending a music event but a proper theatrical performance.
The audience engaged with the performance, dancing throughout all songs. The last two tunes especially, being the popular and famous “Phoenix” and “Bullet,” really got the crowd dancing excitedly. When the performance was over, there was a general feeling of happiness in the room.
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Gabriele Dellisanti is an Italian journalist currently based in Aarhus, and is a contributor at Jutland Station. Check out his Twitter profile here.