Features Kilimanjaro

Scandinavia is a musical haven right now, bubbling over the edge with all manners of artists with their own sound. The music press, and those who follow the press, are beginning to fall head over heels in love with whatever happens to be coming out of the area at the time. From Lykke Li to the now-emerging Niki and the Dove, pop music in particular is getting a good treatment at the moment. But right inside of this interesting collection of countries are hundreds of scenes, musical collaborations, projects – just as many as those we’d find in the UK or the US. The Danes just so happen to be listening to 2-step.

Kilimanjaro are a prolific duo – Aron and Patrick - basing their work on a SoundCloud page and seeing where things go from there. Their music could have emerged from the sooty, dark urban streets of a post-midnight London, but instead they work in their own country’s capital, Copenhagen. The city has its own popular nightlife, from conventional dance events to its own gay and lesbian clubs, but not much has been said about an underground dubstep, 2-step or house scene, from which this pair seem to slip out of.

‘Bajkal’, their most prominent work, suggests just this. Beats sparkle, vocal samples steer the track. It’s the UK Rinse FM sound in a non-traditional form, a renovated guise. The most fascinating of songs on offer comes from a live set, recorded at the capitol’s Dunkel ‘After Dark’ bar – where DJs come in and play whatever they want, post 5am. Throughout the set they showcase a ridiculous array of talent, with pop and R’n’B influences spread thin across a dark underground vibe. This is without doubt something to get very excited about – far beyond the casual interest in all things Scandinavian.

Bajkal by Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro- live set at Dunkel by Kilimanjaro