HK119
Encyclopedia
HK119 is the alter ego
of Finnish multimedia artist, singer and recording artist Heidi Kilpeläinen, who lives and works in London
, UK.
in 2004 with an MA in Fine Art from combining her skills as a performance artist with stage design, video production and her budding music production, Kilpeläinen felt that the output of this mix of performance art and multimedia was best delivered through the fictitious character of HK119; a character born out of science fiction references and a fictitious barcode
number.
The character of HK119 was a tongue-in-cheek
critique at mass consumerism, and Kilpeläinen's theories regarding humanity's relationship with everything from socialism and capitalism, to technology and celebrity culture, all delivered in an underlying humorous tone.
Kilpeläinen's lo-fi, do-it-yourself approach to recording music (initially alone, on a digital 8-track (multitrack) recorder) and recording her own music videos dressed in everyday materials (such as tin foil and paper) for each track, provided Kilpeläinen with enough material to form the basis of her live stage shows, for which her videos would frequently provide a backdrop, while she sang over a backing track of her songs. HK119's live performances quickly gained her comparisons to artists such as David Bowie
, Grace Jones
and Nina Hagen
due to Kilpeläinen's signature style of black catsuits, robotic dancing, giant cardboard headpieces and inflated black refuse bags.
In 2004, her videos and performances around the London club scene caught the attention of Leila Arab
, an Electronic musician signed to the influential Warp Records
label. Leila passed Kilpeläinen's work on to Icelandic musician Björk
, who announced HK119 as her favourite act of 2004 in Q Magazine, calling HK119 "The Perfect Blonde Woman".
HK119 was signed to Björk
's parent label, One Little Indian Records
, which released HK119's first single "Pick Me Up" in November 2005, followed by her eponymous debut album
in February 2006. The HK119 album was a collection of the songs Kilpeläinen had produced as part of her degree, and was notable for its considerably lo-fi, electro sound.
In 2008, HK119 returned with her second album, Fast, Cheap And Out Of Control
. HK119's style—visually and musically—changed considerably as a result of Kilpeläinen's first collaboration with other producers. Sheffield
based electronic dance producers I Monster
were the main production force behind 'Fast, Cheap And Out Of Control', bringing a glossier, smoother, and more-melodic style to Kilpeläinen's lyrics. She adopted a sports-themed attire for her visuals and live performances.
Around the time of Fast, Cheap And Out Of Control release, HK119 and One Little Indian Records
made each track on the album available in individual parts online as part of a remix
challenge. Anyone's remixed single submitted to the label would be considered for a remixed version of the album. Bit-Phalanx
, a London netlabel
and music-manager specialising in Electronic music
, commissioned its entire roster of artists to remix one of HK119's tracks each and compiled an entire remix album, Fast And Cheap Mixes, which One Little Indian Records
released as a digital download in early 2010.
Bit-Phalanx
released also two free bonus 7 EPs
of remixes of "C'est La Vie" and "Space Pt.1" exclusively on the label's website. The former track was the lead single from Fast, Cheap And Out Of Control.
As of early 2010, HK119 was preparing for her third solo album along with performing infrequent live shows.
Alter ego
An alter ego is a second self, which is believe to be distinct from a person's normal or original personality. The term was coined in the early nineteenth century when dissociative identity disorder was first described by psychologists...
of Finnish multimedia artist, singer and recording artist Heidi Kilpeläinen, who lives and works in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, UK.
Career
Having graduated from Central Saint Martins College of Art and DesignCentral Saint Martins College of Art and Design
Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London. The school has an outstanding international reputation, and is considered one of the world's leading art and design institutions...
in 2004 with an MA in Fine Art from combining her skills as a performance artist with stage design, video production and her budding music production, Kilpeläinen felt that the output of this mix of performance art and multimedia was best delivered through the fictitious character of HK119; a character born out of science fiction references and a fictitious barcode
Barcode
A barcode is an optical machine-readable representation of data, which shows data about the object to which it attaches. Originally barcodes represented data by varying the widths and spacings of parallel lines, and may be referred to as linear or 1 dimensional . Later they evolved into rectangles,...
number.
The character of HK119 was a tongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek is a phrase used as a figure of speech to imply that a statement or other production is humorously intended and it should not be taken at face value. The facial expression typically indicates that one is joking or making a mental effort. In the past, it may also have indicated...
critique at mass consumerism, and Kilpeläinen's theories regarding humanity's relationship with everything from socialism and capitalism, to technology and celebrity culture, all delivered in an underlying humorous tone.
Kilpeläinen's lo-fi, do-it-yourself approach to recording music (initially alone, on a digital 8-track (multitrack) recorder) and recording her own music videos dressed in everyday materials (such as tin foil and paper) for each track, provided Kilpeläinen with enough material to form the basis of her live stage shows, for which her videos would frequently provide a backdrop, while she sang over a backing track of her songs. HK119's live performances quickly gained her comparisons to artists such as David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, Grace Jones
Grace Jones
Grace Jones is a Jamaican-American singer, model and actress.Jones secured a record deal with Island Records in 1977, which resulted in a string of dance-club hits. In the late 1970s, she adapted the emerging electronic music style and adopted a severe, androgynous look with square-cut hair and...
and Nina Hagen
Nina Hagen
Nina Hagen is a German singer and actress.-Early years:Hagen was born as Catharina Hagen in the former East Berlin, East Germany, the daughter of Hans Hagen , a scriptwriter, and Eva-Maria Hagen, an actress and singer...
due to Kilpeläinen's signature style of black catsuits, robotic dancing, giant cardboard headpieces and inflated black refuse bags.
In 2004, her videos and performances around the London club scene caught the attention of Leila Arab
Leila Arab
Leila is an Iranian recording artist, producer and dj based in London.She has worked with prominent European musicians such as Björk, and has released music on Rephlex Records, XL Recordings and Warp Records....
, an Electronic musician signed to the influential Warp Records
Warp Records
Warp, commonly referred to as Warp Records, is a pioneering independent British record label, founded in Sheffield in 1989, notable for discovering some of the more enduring artists in electronic music....
label. Leila passed Kilpeläinen's work on to Icelandic musician Björk
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
, who announced HK119 as her favourite act of 2004 in Q Magazine, calling HK119 "The Perfect Blonde Woman".
HK119 was signed to Björk
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
's parent label, One Little Indian Records
One Little Indian Records
One Little Indian Records is a London-based independent record label that rose from the ashes of punk record company Spiderleg Records. It was set up in 1985 by members of various anarchist punk bands, and managed by ex-Flux of Pink Indians Derek Birkett. The first success came with A.R. Kane and...
, which released HK119's first single "Pick Me Up" in November 2005, followed by her eponymous debut album
HK119 (album)
HK119 is the debut, eponymous solo album from Finnish multimedia artist and singer-songwriter Heidi Kilpeläinen, performing under her alter ego HK119...
in February 2006. The HK119 album was a collection of the songs Kilpeläinen had produced as part of her degree, and was notable for its considerably lo-fi, electro sound.
In 2008, HK119 returned with her second album, Fast, Cheap And Out Of Control
Fast, Cheap and Out of Control (album)
Fast, Cheap and Out of Control is the 2008 follow-up album to HK119's 2006 eponymous debut. The album was released through One Little Indian Records on 28 September 2008 in the United Kingdom....
. HK119's style—visually and musically—changed considerably as a result of Kilpeläinen's first collaboration with other producers. Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
based electronic dance producers I Monster
I Monster
I Monster are an English electronic music group, composed of the Sheffield based record producers Dean Honer and Jarrod Gosling. They formed in 1997, and released their debut album These Are Our Children in 1998....
were the main production force behind 'Fast, Cheap And Out Of Control', bringing a glossier, smoother, and more-melodic style to Kilpeläinen's lyrics. She adopted a sports-themed attire for her visuals and live performances.
Around the time of Fast, Cheap And Out Of Control release, HK119 and One Little Indian Records
One Little Indian Records
One Little Indian Records is a London-based independent record label that rose from the ashes of punk record company Spiderleg Records. It was set up in 1985 by members of various anarchist punk bands, and managed by ex-Flux of Pink Indians Derek Birkett. The first success came with A.R. Kane and...
made each track on the album available in individual parts online as part of a remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
challenge. Anyone's remixed single submitted to the label would be considered for a remixed version of the album. Bit-Phalanx
Bit-Phalanx
Bit-Phalanx is a Netlabel based in London, which started as an artists and events management for unsigned performing and recording artists within the Electronic music genre in 2006. By 2008, Bit-Phalanx found themselves with a roster of around 12 acts, and made initial plans to upgrade to a...
, a London netlabel
Netlabel
A netlabel is a record label that distributes its music through digital audio formats over the Internet...
and music-manager specialising in Electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
, commissioned its entire roster of artists to remix one of HK119's tracks each and compiled an entire remix album, Fast And Cheap Mixes, which One Little Indian Records
One Little Indian Records
One Little Indian Records is a London-based independent record label that rose from the ashes of punk record company Spiderleg Records. It was set up in 1985 by members of various anarchist punk bands, and managed by ex-Flux of Pink Indians Derek Birkett. The first success came with A.R. Kane and...
released as a digital download in early 2010.
Bit-Phalanx
Bit-Phalanx
Bit-Phalanx is a Netlabel based in London, which started as an artists and events management for unsigned performing and recording artists within the Electronic music genre in 2006. By 2008, Bit-Phalanx found themselves with a roster of around 12 acts, and made initial plans to upgrade to a...
released also two free bonus 7 EPs
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
of remixes of "C'est La Vie" and "Space Pt.1" exclusively on the label's website. The former track was the lead single from Fast, Cheap And Out Of Control.
As of early 2010, HK119 was preparing for her third solo album along with performing infrequent live shows.
Albums
- HK119HK119 (album)HK119 is the debut, eponymous solo album from Finnish multimedia artist and singer-songwriter Heidi Kilpeläinen, performing under her alter ego HK119...
(One Little Indian Records) (2006) - Fast, Cheap And Out Of ControlFast, Cheap and Out of Control (album)Fast, Cheap and Out of Control is the 2008 follow-up album to HK119's 2006 eponymous debut. The album was released through One Little Indian Records on 28 September 2008 in the United Kingdom....
. (One Little Indian Records) (2008) - Fast And Cheap MixesFast and Cheap MixesFast And Cheap Mixes is the 2010 remix album project by HK119. The album is a collection of remixes of tracks from her 2008 album Fast, Cheap And Out Of Control, after all the tracks were made available in their individual parts via HK119's official website as part of a competition for anyone to...
(One Little Indian Records) (2010) (Credited to 'HK119 vs. Bit-Phalanx')
Singles and EPs
- 2005 "Pick Me Up" (One Little Indian Records) (12", 7", CD, DVD)
- 2006 "Buy Me" (One Little Indian Records) (Promo single only, Promo CD)
- 2008 "Mind" (One Little Indian Records) (Promo single only, Promo 5" vinyl)
- 2008 "C'est La Vie" (One Little Indian Records) (Promo CD, Remix 12")
- 2009 "Mind" (Prolifica) (Independently released club remixes, digital EP)
- 2009 "C'est La Vie" (Bit-Phalanx) (Credited to 'HK119 vs. Bit-Phalanx' - Bonus digital EP of ElectronicaElectronicaElectronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
remixes, in conjunction with 'Fast and Cheap Mixes' album) - 2010 "Space Pt. 1" (Bit-Phalanx) (Credited to 'HK119 vs. Bit-Phalanx' - Bonus digital EP of Electronica remixes, in conjunction with 'Fast and Cheap Mixes' album)