MaJiKer
Encyclopedia
MaJiKer, alias Matthew Ker, is a British music producer and musician. He resides in Paris
, France
but works internationally. He has recorded two of his own albums, and also has had success producing and performing with other artists, including French singer Camille
on her albums Le Fil
(2005) and Music Hole
(2008) . During 2005-2008, he also performed and worked on the arrangements for Camille's world tours, playing piano
, accordion
, body percussion
and beatbox.. In 2011 he once again toured internationally, this time performing with Italian
singer-songwriter
Erica Mou
.
with French singer/songwriter Camille. He also performed on stage with Camille on her international tour during 2005–2006, and produced with her once more, on her 3rd album Music Hole
. The two musicians met while studying in the U.K. and bonded over their shared love of music. Their musical partnership developed into "a distinctive style that is best described as a collage of body percussion and minimal vocal textures wrapped in a beautiful melody". His collaborations with Camille won prestigious awards including Prix Constantin
in 2005, Victoires de la Musique
in 2006 & 2009 and BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music in 2007.
, human beatbox and singing voice), an acoustic piano, and a specific machine - a Yamaha
keyboard
PSS 270 which was the keyboard from his childhood.
The album is divided into three sections or acts, "from effervescent power pop to dark grooves to a haunting, dream-like finale." A concert was held in Paris to launch the release of MaJiKer's debut album Body-Piano-Machine with guest live singers Camille, Maya Barsony and Benedicte Le Lay. He has performed many times in Paris, and also brought the show to the UK including gigs at the Institute of Contemporary Arts
in London and The Hare & Hounds in Birmingham.
on Alche-my. The album was recorded in Valgeir Sigurdsson's Greenhouse Studios, and in a remote summer house on a mountain in Laugarvatn
, Iceland. The project was inspired by ghost stories, haunted house movies
from the 1940s and Norse mythology
.
The press release for the album states that "the album expands MaJiKer's instrumentation beyond the strict template laid down with his 2009 debut album 'Body-Piano-Machine' to include harmonium
, viola da gamba, marimba
and a 150-year-old Dulcitone
, creating a mysterious atmosphere with a sense of tension that runs right through the recording."
In 2010, he collaborated with producer Valgeir Sigurdsson on the arrangements for the debut album by Italian
artist Erica Mou
, with whom he subsequently toured internationally. His other collaborations have included artists such as Juice Vocal Ensemble on the Nonclassical
label, Melissa Laveaux
, Indi Kaur, Rosa-Rebecka, Maya Barsony, Sacha Bernardson, and China Moses
.
MaJiKer has remixed several diverse artists including Fever Ray, Nico Muhly
, Ane Brun
, Jenny Wilson
, Zoot Woman
, Melnyk, The Good Natured
, White Lies
, Temposhark
and Client
. He commented that he "think(s) of these remixes like cousins to the BPM songs on the album.".
All videos directed by Raphaël Neal.
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
but works internationally. He has recorded two of his own albums, and also has had success producing and performing with other artists, including French singer Camille
Camille Dalmais
Camille Dalmais, better known as Camille , is a French singer, songwriter and occasional actress.-Early life:...
on her albums Le Fil
Le Fil
Le Fil is the second album by French singer Camille. The title translates as "The Thread". The album features a 'tone', a low-level drone that is in the background of every song, which Camille has described as 'her note'. The note is a B. The singer also mentioned that many people returned the...
(2005) and Music Hole
Music Hole
Music Hole is the third studio album by French singer Camille, released on April 7, 2008.It was co-written with English producer MaJiKer....
(2008) . During 2005-2008, he also performed and worked on the arrangements for Camille's world tours, playing piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
, body percussion
Body percussion
Body percussion may be performed on its own or as an accompaniment to song. The folk traditions of many countries include the use of body percussion...
and beatbox.. In 2011 he once again toured internationally, this time performing with Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Erica Mou
Erica Mou
Erica Musci , better know by her stage name Erica Mou, is an Italian singer and musician. Born in Bisceglie, Italy, she began studying sing since the age of 5 and playing guitar since 11....
.
Collaboration with Camille
In 2005, MaJiKer produced the platinum-selling album Le FilLe Fil
Le Fil is the second album by French singer Camille. The title translates as "The Thread". The album features a 'tone', a low-level drone that is in the background of every song, which Camille has described as 'her note'. The note is a B. The singer also mentioned that many people returned the...
with French singer/songwriter Camille. He also performed on stage with Camille on her international tour during 2005–2006, and produced with her once more, on her 3rd album Music Hole
Music Hole
Music Hole is the third studio album by French singer Camille, released on April 7, 2008.It was co-written with English producer MaJiKer....
. The two musicians met while studying in the U.K. and bonded over their shared love of music. Their musical partnership developed into "a distinctive style that is best described as a collage of body percussion and minimal vocal textures wrapped in a beautiful melody". His collaborations with Camille won prestigious awards including Prix Constantin
Prix Constantin
The Prix Constantin is an annual French music prize awarded to the best album of an artist who has come to prominence during the course of the past year. It was inaugurated in 2002, following the example of the Mercury Music Prize, as an attempt to bring to light artists who have not had major...
in 2005, Victoires de la Musique
Victoires de la Musique
Victoires de la musique , is an annual French award ceremony that recognizes the best musical artists of the year.- Male artist of the year :*1985 : Michel Jonasz*1986 : Jean-Jacques Goldman*1987 : Johnny Hallyday...
in 2006 & 2009 and BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music in 2007.
Body-Piano-Machine
MaJiKer's solo debut album called Body-Piano-Machine was released in April 2009 on Gaymonkey Records. All the sounds on the record came from the body (body percussionBody percussion
Body percussion may be performed on its own or as an accompaniment to song. The folk traditions of many countries include the use of body percussion...
, human beatbox and singing voice), an acoustic piano, and a specific machine - a Yamaha
Yamaha
Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...
keyboard
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
PSS 270 which was the keyboard from his childhood.
The album is divided into three sections or acts, "from effervescent power pop to dark grooves to a haunting, dream-like finale." A concert was held in Paris to launch the release of MaJiKer's debut album Body-Piano-Machine with guest live singers Camille, Maya Barsony and Benedicte Le Lay. He has performed many times in Paris, and also brought the show to the UK including gigs at the Institute of Contemporary Arts
Institute of Contemporary Arts
The Institute of Contemporary Arts is an artistic and cultural centre on The Mall in London, just off Trafalgar Square. It is located within Nash House, part of Carlton House Terrace, near the Duke of York Steps and Admiralty Arch...
in London and The Hare & Hounds in Birmingham.
The House of Bones
MaJiKer's second solo album is entitled The House of Bones and will be released on HalloweenHalloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
on Alche-my. The album was recorded in Valgeir Sigurdsson's Greenhouse Studios, and in a remote summer house on a mountain in Laugarvatn
Laugarvatn
Laugarvatn is a lake and small town in the south of Iceland. It is a bit smaller than the neighbouring Apavatn.It is situated at a popular touristical round-trip, the Golden Circle and acts as a popular staging post in the area. There is a small but popular hostel situated in the town...
, Iceland. The project was inspired by ghost stories, haunted house movies
Haunted house (disambiguation)
A haunted house is a building purported to be the site of paranormal activity.Haunted house may also refer to:*Haunted attraction, a venue that simulates the experience of paranormal activity for thrills or amusement-Film and television:...
from the 1940s and Norse mythology
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
.
The press release for the album states that "the album expands MaJiKer's instrumentation beyond the strict template laid down with his 2009 debut album 'Body-Piano-Machine' to include harmonium
Harmonium
A harmonium is a free-standing keyboard instrument similar to a reed organ. Sound is produced by air being blown through sets of free reeds, resulting in a sound similar to that of an accordion...
, viola da gamba, marimba
Marimba
The marimba is a musical instrument in the percussion family. It consists of a set of wooden keys or bars with resonators. The bars are struck with mallets to produce musical tones. The keys are arranged as those of a piano, with the accidentals raised vertically and overlapping the natural keys ...
and a 150-year-old Dulcitone
Dulcitone
A dulcitone is a keyboard instrument in which sound is produced by a range of tuning forks, which vibrate when struck by felt-covered hammers activated by the keyboard....
, creating a mysterious atmosphere with a sense of tension that runs right through the recording."
Collaborations
MaJiKer has also worked extensively as a producer, co-writer, remixer & mix engineer.In 2010, he collaborated with producer Valgeir Sigurdsson on the arrangements for the debut album by Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
artist Erica Mou
Erica Mou
Erica Musci , better know by her stage name Erica Mou, is an Italian singer and musician. Born in Bisceglie, Italy, she began studying sing since the age of 5 and playing guitar since 11....
, with whom he subsequently toured internationally. His other collaborations have included artists such as Juice Vocal Ensemble on the Nonclassical
Nonclassical
Nonclassical is an independent record label and club-night founded in 2003 by the composer Gabriel Prokofiev, grandson of Sergei Prokofiev.The name 'Nonclassical' is derived from the label's approach to classical music...
label, Melissa Laveaux
Mélissa Laveaux
Mélissa Laveaux is an Ottawa musician of Haitian descent signed to No Format! records...
, Indi Kaur, Rosa-Rebecka, Maya Barsony, Sacha Bernardson, and China Moses
China Moses
China Moses is an American television host and jazz singer.- Life :China Moses is the daughter of jazz singer Dee Dee Bridgewater and film and television director Gilbert Moses. Since 1997 she works as a singer, songwriter and producer...
.
MaJiKer has remixed several diverse artists including Fever Ray, Nico Muhly
Nico Muhly
Nico Muhly is a contemporary classical music composer, who has worked and recorded with classical and pop/rock musicians. He currently lives in the Lower East Side section of Manhattan in New York City.-Early years:...
, Ane Brun
Ane Brun
Ane Brun is a songwriter, guitarist and vocalist. Since 2003 she has recorded eight albums, four of which are studio albums, a live DVD and a collection of duets...
, Jenny Wilson
Jenny Wilson (singer/songwriter)
Jenny Wilson is a Swedish singer-songwriter, born on October 20, 1975 in Blekinge, Sweden. She founded the band First Floor Power in 1997 and released two albums, There Is Hope and Nerves, before leaving the band to go solo around 2004. She studied graphic design at Konstfack for one year...
, Zoot Woman
Zoot Woman
Zoot Woman are a British electronic music band consisting of Adam Blake, Johnny Blake and Stuart Price.Known for their live shows, the group has gained a worldwide following. With the album Living In A Magazine Zoot Woman established themselves on the music scene.Credited by many within the...
, Melnyk, The Good Natured
The Good Natured
The Good Natured are an English electropop band, consisting of Sarah McIntosh on vocals and keyboards, her brother Hamish McIntosh on bass and George Hinton on drums....
, White Lies
White Lies (band)
White Lies is an English indie rock band from Ealing, London. Formerly known as Fear of Flying, the band consists primarily of Harry McVeigh , Charles Cave , and Jack Lawrence-Brown...
, Temposhark
Temposhark
Temposhark is an English electronic rock band, formed in London and Brighton by singer-songwriter Robert Diament. Temposhark are best known for their songs Bye Bye Baby, Joy, It's Better To Have Loved and Not That Big; a duet with singer Imogen Heap which appears on their 2008 debut album The...
and Client
Client (band)
Client are an English electronic musical group from London. They are most popular in Germany where they have had limited commercial success...
. He commented that he "think(s) of these remixes like cousins to the BPM songs on the album.".
Albums
- Body Piano Machine (27 April 2009) Gaymonkey Records
- The House of Bones (31 October 2011) Alche-my
Singles
- 'Flesh & Bone' (13 April 2009) Gaymonkey Records
- 'The Struggle' (26th September 2011) Alche-my
Music videos
- Flesh & Bone (13 April 2009) Gaymonkey Records.
- 'Tongue' (1 Oct 2009) Gaymonkey Records.
- 'Strings & Wires (Wagner Remix)' (26 September 2010) Gaymonkey Records.
- 'The Struggle' (30 August 2011) Alche-my.
All videos directed by Raphaël Neal.