KISSEY

Retitled for i-D's 'Music To' mix series, IDIOS is the latest remix project from producer, songwriter, dancer and performer Kissey. The Stockholm-born multi-talented Swede lives, breathes, sleeps and bleeds with New York, her current and spiritual home. It's something that's felt in each of her creative experiments: Manhattan's electric energy and robotic precision is tangible in her beats, the unsettling edge and sensuality of Brooklyn nights are present in her vocals, Harlem's all-out balls-to-the-wall attitude carries through her live performances.

IDIOS is Kissey's way of saying 'my take;' her personal homage to the expression of her favorite NY artists .A remix project that encapsulates 8 vibrant voices of the city, IDIOS introduces each artist to Kissey's New York, a re-werk that brings them somewhere new entirely. She takes Cakes Da Killa (infamous for his no-nonsense fabulousness and 'High Tides' mixtape) into gothic apocalyptic mayhem, the sublime softness of Denitia and Sene gets shaken into an ominous midnight escapade, her partner-in-crime TK Wonder (whose forthcoming EP is produced by Kissey) gets transported to a dissonant, spatial soundscape somewhere in the future. And it's invigorating to hear Kissey bring the likes of Chargaux (featured on Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe), Pegasus Warning (Jamie Lidell's compadre, released on Plug Research), and Bebe Panthere (Effie Liu of French Horn Rebellion) into the wild unknown. "I never listen to the complete song before I remix them," Kissey explains, "It's more of me being with the acapella. I wanted to take artists from my real world and surroundings and bring them to my darker, nighttime sound." - i-D Magazine

There’s a lot of magic coming out of Sweden. The small country of eight million has produced everything from the Coca Cola bottle to your parent’s favorite band, ABBA. They’ve given us IKEA and, by relation, the headaches that come with building their furniture. Yet, for all of these great inventions, one of the most exciting imports doesn’t come with abstract directions or a Frakta bag.

For Swedish electronic musician KISSEY, her songs come with three simple steps: lean in, listen, and learn. The multitalented singer/songwriter/producer/artist, whose career began with the help of a math teacher in a Stockholm classroom years ago, is back with a new album and new label. Released on Brooklyn’s Fools Gold, her Unplug the Delusional Monkey EP definitely takes the prize for the strangest album title of the year, but comes away with a fresh take on electronica and hip-hop.

Following her video for “Unplug," which had her dancing in the snow with an elegance we could never attain without being heavily intoxicated, the album signals a shift back towards the experimental and poetic sound she’s become known for. It’s also a punctuation on six years of living in New York that has led her from DJ sets at Milk Studios to music-mixing for Gucci and Givenchy shows, with a stop at Shanghai Fashion Week to walk the runway herself.

On the eve of her album release, we met the artist at a nondescript Williamsburg coffeeshop to talk about the Delusional Monkey EP, her start as Sweden’s hottest underage DJ, the individualism of America, and the key to creating a great mix (“Toxic” by Britney Spears is involved). - OUT Magazine

Randomly stumbling upon the music video for KISSEY’s “Unplug” one afternoon, I was immediately struck by how different it resonated in contrast to the sounds of pop and rap’s usual suspects. A downtempo trip-hop beat drifted in my headphones, and a woman wearing an eye-catching suit glided across my screen with some killer dance moves. The deranged bass hook got stuck in my head for days.

This mysterious, stylish talent is a Swedish New Yorker who’s been obsessed with dance music and R&B since her teenage years. After learning the DJ ropes years ago and securing a residency at New York’s Milk, KISSEY’s expanded her craft, remixing other producer’s tracks, scoring the runways of Rad Hourani and Givenchy, and writing original productions like “Forget,” appearing on the Dear White People soundtrack.

The track that got me hooked, “Unplug,” is off her new Unplug the Delusional Monkey EP, which lands June 30 on Fool’s Gold Records. A rarity in pop music, KISSEY’s music is accessible while not really sounding like anything else out there at the moment. It’s refreshing but is not afraid to embrace a bit of darkness.

Before you unplug the delusional monkey when her EP officially drops tomorrow, get acquainted with New York’s best kept musical secret below. - Highsnobiety