HK119

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HK119
Birth nameHeidi Kilpeläinen
Origin
One Little Indian Records
WebsiteHK119.co.uk

HK119 is the alter ego of Finnish multimedia artist, singer and recording artist Heidi Kilpeläinen, who lives and works in London, England.

Background

Having graduated from

Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in 2004 with an MA in Fine Art[1] 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.[2]

Kilpeläinen's lo-fi, do-it-yourself approach to recording music (initially alone, on a digital

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.

Music career

In 2004, her videos and performances around the London club scene caught the attention of

Q Magazine, calling HK119 "The Perfect Blonde Woman".[3]

HK119 was signed to

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 released as a digital download in early 2010.[4]

Bit-Phalanx released also two free bonus 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.

From early 2012, HK119 was preparing for her third solo album and performing infrequent live shows. A song titled "Adailson" was available for free download from One Little Indian's SoundCloud on 6 November 2012.[5] She released her third studio album Imaginature on 23 March 2013.[6] The song "Snowblind" was picked as the first single. The album was produced by Christoffer Berg.

Films

On 7 May 2016, Kilpeläinen's latest video, titled ":D", premiered at Camden Arts Centre in London. The video gives its own take on the modern era of digital culture and was said that "it mocks the promises of digital technology" by German filmmaker Hito Steyerl.[7]

Discography

Albums

  • HK119 (One Little Indian Records) (2006)
  • Fast, Cheap and Out of Control. (One Little Indian Records) (2008)
  • Fast And Cheap Mixes
     (One Little Indian Records) (2010) (Credited to 'HK119 vs. Bit-Phalanx')
  • Imaginature (One Little Indian Records) (2013)

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 Electronica 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)

Filmography

  • 1986 Ursula

References

  1. ^ "Contemporary Art & Artists". Axisweb.org. 23 February 2020. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  2. ^ HK119 Interview, Wears The Trousers. "Hk119: …meanwhile, back on earth « wears the trousers magazine". Archived from the original on 16 January 2010. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
  3. ^ "Archived copy". bjork.com. Archived from the original on 2 February 2007. Retrieved 14 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. ^ Altsounds News: HK119 New Download Album. "Altsounds.com News | HK119 new download album! 'Fast and Cheap Mixes' - Out on 14th December 2009". Archived from the original on 5 January 2010. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
  5. ^ "HK119 - Adailson by One Little Indian Records | Free Listening on SoundCloud". soundcloud.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  6. ^ "HK119 – Imaginature (2013, CD)". Discogs. 25 March 2013. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016.
  7. ^ "Video".

External links

Articles and interviews

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