[EVENT REVIEW] FKJ Turns Up the Funk for Brooklyn Mirage Double-Header

Joe McCarthy | October 06, 2023

During the pandemic’s extended lockdown, FKJ’s songs became a buoy of hope, or at least peace, for a lot of people. The multi-instrumentalist creates a unique blend of funky and jazzy electronic music – warm, sinuous, patient – that’s ideal for dancing in the kitchen, the car, the park, or the bedroom.

His recorded studio sessions on YouTube reflect this easy going spirit as FKJ (French Kiwi Juice) builds, loops, and layers songs with keys, saxophone, bass, guitar, and turntables as various vocalists swim in the expansive lanes he creates. His beloved Cercle set shows him standing on a stage in the middle of the largest salt flat in the world in Bolivia, the horizon stretching to infinity without another soul in sight aside from the errant shadows and discreet presence of the camera crew.

With that serene image in mind, I wasn’t sure if his mellow approach would translate to the bigger-is-better venue Brooklyn Mirage with its towering speakers, expansive wall of screens, and sea of fans; I would have guessed a more intimate space like Brooklyn Steel or Elsewhere. But my reservations faded once he took the stage. The crisp, booming speaker system transformed his sound, enveloping the crowd with a steady, pulsing bass, delicately plucked keys, and bright, flaring sax notes that swirled in the unusually warm evening air.

It was the second night (Oct. 4) of his two-night stay at Mirage, with the rising Baltimore singer-songwriter Dreamcast Moe opening both nights. FKJ stood alone amid his fortress of equipment, rotating between instruments with a calmness that suggested he was still in his studio.

The wraparound screens behind him exploded with vibrant nature-themed visuals. Hazy palm trees floating in bubbles against a summery background gave way to birds fluttering, thunderstorms, lava-like illustrations, kaleidoscopes, and ocean scenes. Eventually, an animated camera view showed FKJ strutting on stage with the audience beyond.

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He played for around 75 minutes, bringing fans on a seamless tour of his discography from “Vibin Out’” to “Us,” and then came out for an extended encore that had fans, accustomed to one-and-done encores, turning back for another and another. In the middle of his set, he paid homage to the EDM mecca that Brooklyn Mirage has become with a BPM reminiscent of techno that may have confused some of his fans, but pleased anyone who was a venue regular. This was just a pitstop, almost like a commercial for an alternative universe in which FKJ went the GRiZ route.

FKJ works with a lot of vocalists, but there were no guest singers throughout the evening. During hit songs like “Tadow” and “Risk,” the artists Masego and Bas appeared on-screen, colorfully filtered avatars professionally delivering their lines before blinking back onto a hard drive. The crowd didn’t seem to mind, especially for “Tadow,” his delightful improvised jam with Masego, which elicited some of the loudest cheers of the evening.

With Big Room Techno favorites like Charlotte de Witte, House superstars like Duke Dumont and Green Velvet, and even legendary Trance stars like Armin Van Buuren regularly filling up the schedule at Brooklyn Mirage, it was refreshing to hear a live instrumentalist with no desire to push the bounds of sonic pressure and test the stamina of shufflers.

During the encore, the crowd blissfully swayed as “Ylang Ylang” began, a cozy piano piece that softly lifted fans into a final peaceful embrace before FKJ thanked everyone for coming, marveled at the venue, and prepared for the next leg of the tour.