Kygo
       

Hailing from Bergen, Norway, Kygo is a musician who is rapidly gaining popularity. Born Kyrre Gørvell-Dahll, Kygo’s brand of electronic music is excellent. This young Norwegian is soon to blow up.

Born in 1991, Kygo began playing piano at the age of 6 years old and continued taking lessons until he was 15. At this time, he stopped taking lessons and started composing his own original melodies and songs. However, it took the fame of another Scandinavian for Kygo to start taking music more seriously. Around 2009, the Swedish musician Avicii was beginning to achieve international recognition around northern and central Europe. Avicii, who has made hits like “Levels” and “Wake Me Up”, is most famous for his simple, yet moving melodies. Avicii’s songs all have big and powerful sounds that are very catchy and it’s easy to understand why he is so famous and respected. When Kygo became aware of Avicii’s music, he was fascinated. As Kygo began to spend most of his time writing and producing, he realized his passion for electronic music.

Kygo bought himself Logic Studio, a computer program for composing, and a MIDI keyboard synthesizer. Armed with these tools, he spent hours watching hundreds of YouTube tutorials for Logic, teaching himself interesting and creative ways to write music. As Kygo’s talents grew, his musical style evolved and his unique sound became more apparent.

When you compare Avicii to Kygo, the differences are obvious. While Avicii is known for hard-hitting club bangers, Kygo’s music is funkier and slower. Avicii’s home turf is clearly uptempo house music while Kygo sticks with downtempo and deep jams. However, it’s also easy to see the similarities between the two musicians. The simplicity is all there. Just like Avicii, Kygo frequently uses clean melodies that work perfectly with his songs. For proof, listen to his remix of Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing”. His talents on the piano are obvious. If you look at Kygo’s Facebook or Instagram, you can find videos of him recording music on his keyboard. From this, you really get an appreciation of his true musicianship. He isn’t your average, everyday DJ. Kygo is a real artist who understands how music works and expertly employs his musical knowledge and abilities within his songs.

I highly recommend checking out Kygo’s SoundCloud page. Give him a follow and just go down the list listening to each song. First of all, the production value of each song is very high. Kygo clearly knows what he is doing and is not half-assing his recording process. Furthermore, it’s so hard to dislike his personal style. His slowed-down style is so captivating you’ll find yourself dancing without even realizing it. He makes frequent use of heavy bass lines that bring some serious funk. Simply put, Kygo sounds tropical. When you listen to his songs, it’s easy to imagine yourself hanging out on a beautiful beach during the summer time. Personally, I love his remixes so much because they’re perfect for both partying and just chilling with friends. Kygo uses music to create an upbeat and jovial atmosphere that brings a smile to your face. Check Kygo out and let him be the soundtrack of your day.

 

 

By David Cooper

 

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