“[…] driving, layered rhythms and exuberant, youthful vocals that burst vigorously through the mix. It may appear to be a far cry from their roots, but at its heart, they’re still all about whipping up emotion and passion with their soundscapes — its just more colourful this time.”
COMPLEX
“The German duo fuse cheerful percussion and cascading electronic soundscapes and their creative use of children’s vocals echo a lightness in character that maintained throughout.”
EARMILK
“…minimal yet powerful crisp beats and warm waves of synth.”
Data Transmission
“Sparkle” is the first excerpt which shows enchanting whispered vocals and intense refined pulsing rhythms.
Son Of Marketing
“Their live shows are legendary, using both live instruments and laptops, enabling KIDSØ to improvise and experiment on stage, leaving each performance idiosyncratic and completely unlike any performance before.”
Wave Music
Live-electro duo KIDSØ have released their latest single ‘Childhood’ on 22nd May via Springstoff. Released along with the original will be a remix by Russian producer Long Arm. The two tracks were premiered via the tastemaker publication EARMILK and has already been added to the Spotify Electronic Rising, Worldwide FM and NPR Music‘s playlists. The single is the title track from their highly anticipated upcoming album which is slated for release later this year. KIDSØ have received some noteworthy support from the likes of MrSuicideSheep, Get The Sound, Chill Masters, ChillAndVibing, TheFuriousDestiny, SirChillicious, Data Transmission, Madoras in da House, Deep House Amsterdam and Son Of Marketing. In total, the pair have racked up over 3 million plays across streaming platforms. The duo have also played alongside Parra for Cuva and have graced the stages of renowned venues such as Germany’s Harry Klein Club and Bahnwärter Thiel. Based in Munich, KIDSØ is the combined talent of two friends, Moritz Grassinger and Martin Schneider, who have both been tinkering with electronic music and percussion instruments since they were youngsters.
Long Arm’s music has been played by Mary Anne Hobbs, Tom Ravenscroft‘s show on BBC 6 Music as well as Gilles Peterson‘s “All Winners” show on BBC Radio 1. The support for the producer continues with features in The Guardian as well as on Youtube channels Boiler Room and Proximity Chill. Originally from the town of Orenburg, Long Arm currently resides in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
KIDSØ’s sound is focused primarily around percussion, felt pianos, strings such as cello and viola, analogue synths, and electronic drums. Their home studio is overflowing with bongo’s, drums and found objects to draw new sounds from. Influenced by acts such as Christian Löffler and Ólafur Arnalds, their rhythmic beats draw parallels to the compositions of Parra for Cuva or Rival Consoles, blended with elements of fragility akin to the work of Kiasmos. While Long Arm’s remix draws the song in closer parallels to the likes of Bonobo, The Cinematic Orchestra, Fakear.
Opening with youthful exuberance, ‘Childhood’ comes in like a breath of fresh air. Featuring polyrhythmic tones meeting children singing, the single carries a nostalgic element. The cheerful percussion and cascading electronic soundscapes ensure a lightness is maintained throughout the track. Playing around with the children’s vocals that dominate the song, Long Arm takes his own approach to the unique track. Bringing in a lower bassline provides a sobriety to the track while the ethereal soundscapes once again lift the tone, striking a delicate balance of ambience and intrigue.
KIDSØ share a little about the journey behind creating the track: “The single ‘Childhood’ is the first step away from the cold and quiet Northern regions of Europe, which gave us inspiration for the debut EP ‘Apart’. The production of the track started in late 2017 and got its color due to frequent trips to South Africa in 2018. At that time, the main vocal melody evolved and got complimented by sounds from the countryside.”
Long Arm tells us about the inspiration behind the remix: “After the first listening of the original track, I was interested in the children’s choir on it. So I just wanted to mess with it to do a few variations and create some rhythmical structure/foundation from this. And after that, the rest of the instruments I’ve recorded have got their places and the remix has got its form.”