Kenji Araki

Kenji Araki is a digital artist based in Austria with roots in Japan. His work is influenced on the deconstruction of contemporary art and music. The exploration of genre- and medium boundaries are at the core of his artistic ethos and lead to an aesthetic that is equally harsh, alien, somber and beautiful.

In June 2022, Kenji set his first musical milestone with the release of his debut album Leidenzwang. Since then, he has been conquering "the floors of this world" and "the hearts of the critics of the world" one after the other. His irrepressible output is also reflected in his collaborative music projects. These currently range from hyperpop blossoms with ANTHEA to a new definition of sensitive indie with Ybsole at enns. In November 2023, Kenji released his second album Hope Chess. This album continues to explore genre-busting post-club sounds, but its overall substance is much more sensitive and decelerated than previous works.

Über dunkel brummendem Grund singen Geister ein schönes Lied, es könnte ein R’n’B-Song daraus werden, doch die Beats sind so hart und so scharf, dass sie den Klangraum kerben und spalten; was eben noch zum Licht zu streben versuchte, wird von einem Schwarzen Loch eingesogen: fump. So oder so ähnlich klingt die Musik, die der österreichisch-japanische Künstler Kenji Araki produziert. Seine Rhythmen sind so verbeult wie früher bei Arca, seine Melodien so schizoid wie beim Hyperpop von Sophie und A. G. Cook. Doch schafft er aus diesen Referenzen einen ganz eigenen Stil, rau und futuristisch, entsubjektiviert und voller widerstreitender Emotionen.