FKJ

In the wake of his second album, ‘V I N C E N T’, the genre voyager FKJ’s career was in the midst of a period of non-stop momentum, defined by a relentless world touring schedule that included stops at Coachella, Red Rocks, London’s Hammersmith Apollo & Paris’ Le Zenith. 

Yet in contrast, his personal life - the things that gave him meaning - was floundering. He stumbled across a video that piqued his interest as to why: the Hinduistic belief that being 33-years-old is a tumultuous time when life can either surge onwards or sink into a downward spiral. Diving deeper into the theory, conversations with many of his friends revealed that they had gone through similar troubles at that same age. 

All of those issues were the result of another contrast. He had made the majority of ‘Vincent’ during lockdown alone in his remote home studio in East Asia. But as the world opened up and show offers rolled in, FKJ went full-throttle - without realising the personal price he would pay. 

While his life was unravelling, fate dictated that the transcendent powers of nature and friendship could reverse its trajectory. When a trusted friend guided him to a retreat, FKJ had no idea what it would involve: he simply trusted their guidance and embraced the experience. During a deeply transformative state of consciousness, aided by the powers of nature, he encountered a tree-like figure named Tyber—an experience that, in its profound depth, felt as though it lasted for an intangible duration. 

“It’s what closed that chapter of my life” recalls FKJ. “That experience changed everything, it all just fell back into place”. 

FKJ had been documenting his journey in songs as he wrote material for his upcoming third album, originally titled ‘Shift’ in recognition of the changes he was enduring. Buoyed by a new-found positivity, he dropped some of the more melancholic songs while also reworking others. It evolved into a very different sonic experience, a record now named - what else? - ‘Tyber’. 

‘Tyber’ is essentially a document of FKJ’s self-discovery in the years since releasing ‘Vincent’: first sinking into the abyss and then ascending back into brighter light than ever before. Stylistically it’s as adventurous as ever, flowing seamlessly through flavours of funk to jazz to rock to alt-pop to R&B. The songs take on myriad approaches, from his most groove-laden material since his debut, to a wealth of more song-focused compositions, through to jazzy instrumentals and sample-heavy tracks. Given its diversity, it’s unsurprising to discover that it was crafted as he travelled the world, with sessions in London, Los Angeles, Paris, Brazil, The Philippines and Mexico. 

Each track is like a Polaroid snapshot of part of FKJ’s story. The first single ‘Soulmates’ brings a euphoric midsummer feeling, with a central guitar motif that recalls his previous collaborator, Carlos Santana. The title would suggest a pure love song but as he explains, it goes deeper. “It’s about embracing your solitude. For me solitude really works, and I’m taking time with myself. But I really care about my soulmates, the people in my life that are important to me. It’s all about balance.” 

Balance is a recurring underlining theme throughout, with ‘Changes Rising’ sourcing the optimism that all things pass while at his lowest ebb, and ‘Little Little Voice’ being inspired by his inner consciousness trying to guide him away from hedonistic and self-destructive excess. The story ends on a high with ‘Heaven’. “That’s an homage to my partner, who has been a big part of this journey. This place we live in is like a piece of heaven, but really heaven is about who you are with, not where you are.” 

That ethos extends to his choice of collaborators too - they’re all about the art and the connection they share. That was particularly true of his time working with Labrinth on ‘Little Little Voice’, where the two bonded together in their first session, before focusing on the track during the second. Similarly, the enduring friendship between FKJ and Bas gives ‘Heavy Heart’ a smoky haze of the mellowest atmosphere imaginable, like two buddies wasting the afternoon away without a care in the world.

Other tracks had a longer gestation period. The Prince-like sensuality of ‘I Want U’ features an improvised hook FKJ recorded with Eryn Allen Kane ten years ago, before the rest of the track took shape more recently. Elsewhere, Baby Rose’s feature on the intricate, beat-heavy ‘Burst’ came by chance after the pair had met at a party, while FKJ’s admiration of Lucy Park’s talents made her a natural choice to heighten the meditative ambience of ‘How Much Does It Take To Shift It All?’. 

Throughout this era, he also relished engaging in a range of collaborations for one-one tracks or outside projects including recent work with Yussef Dayes, JENNIE, Jordan Rakei, DEAN and Sofiane Pamart. 

Now ‘Tyber’ is ready to take flight into the world. Central to its discovery will be a series of cinematic, arthouse film-style live videos shot in Japan, in which FKJ performs as he travels in a spaceship which feels like a visual representation of both his otherworldly home studio and the seeds that instigated his journey - a metaphor for the changes that he documents throughout the record. Plans are also taking shape for live shows. As the record was written, engineered, composed and conceptualised by FKJ alone, his current inclination is that it would be best represented by solo performances. 

It continues his love of performing in unique, otherworldly venues after his iconic set for Cercle in the world’s largest salt flat, Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia, the stunning Live From The Greenhouse collab with Yussef Dayes, and, of course, his home studio; surrounded in a tropical paradise. 

And there’s also something spiritual about FKJ sharing his story through songs, especially when others can immerse themselves in the ‘Tyber’ album experience too. “All these events and places in the journey were essential, like a quest to become a more refined and evolved version of myself,” he concludes. “I’ve listened back to the album over and over, and I still find myself being surprised and getting into a blissful state of mind. I just hope other people can feel the same way that I did while making the album.”