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Kyson
Birth nameJian Kellett Liew
BornAdelaide, Australia
OriginBerlin, Germany[1]
GenresElectronica
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • record producer
Instruments
  • Guitar
  • synthesizers
  • vocals
Years active2011–present
Websitekyson-music.com

Jian Kellett Liew, known professionally as Kyson, is an Australian-born record producer, composer, and multidisciplinary artist. He is known for his textured and atmospheric production style, combining electronic, acoustic, and experimental music.

As Kyson, he has released several solo albums, and has worked as a producer and songwriter for artists such as Drake, Chlöe, and Alice Phoebe Lou, as well as contributing to interdisciplinary projects in sound and installation art. In 2023, he was nominated for a Grammy Award for his co-production work on “More M’s” from Drake and 21 Savage's album Her Loss.[2][3]

Early life

[edit]

Liew was born in Adelaide, Australia.[4] He later moved to Sydney, Australia where he went on to study a degree in audio engineering. After graduating, he spent the next several years in Berlin working as a musician and sound artist under the name Kyson and various other monikers.[5]

Career

[edit]

In 2012, Kyson gained attention for his remix of Bon Iver's "Holocene" on 4AD Records.[6] On 29 October 2012 Liew released his "Blackstone EP" on Moodgadget Recordings.[7] He was signed by Friends of Friends Records and released his first studio album The Water's Way.[8][9]

In 2014, Liew collaborated with Detroit-based musician Shigeto on the track "Water Collides".[10]

In 2015, Kyson, alongside Italian musician and producer Matteo Pavesi, co-produced the debut album of singer-songwriter Alice Phoebe Lou, which was released on 13 May 2016.[11] The same year, Liew founded the art and music collective Average Negative with musical collaborator Chris Hill.[12]

In April 2016, Liew released his second album, A Book of Flying, with Friends of Friends Recordings.[5][13]

In 2017, he collaborated with Australian artist Amber Cronin to create the spatial installation "Sawaru" at the Nexus Gallery in Adelaide, Australia.[14][15]

In 2018, Kyson released a series of AA singles, "Every High / Clear Air" and "Have My Back / Forest Green", in collaboration with B3SCI Records and Majestic Casual Records. The two releases were also part of a limited edition white vinyl record, with artwork by B.D. Graft.[16] Pitchfork has described Liew's style as, "combin[ing] soft touches of electronic keys and rickety, pinprick rhythms, with his half-whispered lyrics and drifting melodies wrapped in sheets of textural field recordings."[7] Liew has also been described as having an, "enigmatic sound, a blend of indie, acoustic and electronic music."[17]

In 2020, Kyson released his third studio album, Kyson, through B3SCI Records. The album adopted a more minimal, songwriting-oriented style and was supported by a limited vinyl release.[18]

In 2021, Kyson worked with German electronic producer Parra for Cuva and British guitarist Beau Diako on the track "Ordel," which appeared on Parra for Cuva's album Juno.[19] That year, Kyson’s music was included in the Hermès Spring/Summer 2022 menswear runway show designed by Véronique Nichanian, presented during Paris Fashion Week.[20]

In 2022, Kyson independently released Lucky Notes, a 14-track album composed and produced across Berlin and Tokyo. The project continued his exploration of analog instrumentation and vocal-forward production and was distributed digitally and on cassette through his own imprint.[21][22]

Kyson co-produced the track "More M's" on Her Loss, the collaborative album by Drake and 21 Savage.[23] The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, and Her Loss was later nominated for a Grammy Award in 2023, earning Kyson his first nomination as a producer.[24][25]

In 2023, Kyson contributed additional production to In Pieces, the debut solo album by Chlöe Bailey, released by Columbia Records. He was credited on several tracks in the album's early production process, working remotely between Tokyo and Los Angeles.[26]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Zara Golden. "Kyson Sets The Pace With "A Song About The Future"". The Fader. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  2. ^ Jamieson Cox (15 July 2013). "Friends of Friends signee Kyson shares hazy 'Missing Things'". FactMag. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  3. ^ "Aussies and Kiwis figure in to 2024 Grammy Award nominations". APRA AMCOS.
  4. ^ Daniel Prior. "Kyson: A Book Of Flying". The Brad. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  5. ^ a b Jack Mahoney (3 October 2012). "FvF Mixtape #101 — Kyson". Freund von Freund. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  6. ^ Erik Thompson (3 October 2012). "Bon Iver announces winners of remix contest". Citypages. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  7. ^ a b Patric Fallon (25 October 2012). ""Ocean Tides" by Kyson". Pitchfork. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  8. ^ Jamieson Cox (27 April 2013). "How Long by Kyson". Citypages. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  9. ^ Anthony Obst (26 August 2013). "Friends of Friends beatmaker Kyson on his debut album". Red Bull Music Academy. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  10. ^ Evan Minsker (18 September 2014). "Friends of Friends Five-Year Anniversary Compilation Features How to Dress Well, Baths, Nicolas Jaar, More". Pitchfork. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  11. ^ Norman Fleischer (16 December 2016). "From The Streets To The Stars: Alice Phoebe Lou, A Role Model for Modern Musicianship". NBHAP. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  12. ^ Average Negative - Artists, 11 June 2018
  13. ^ Michelle Laggan (9 March 2016). "Kyson – "You" Video (Stereogum Premiere)". Stereogum. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  14. ^ Tim Watts (27 April 2017). "Six Art Shows to See in May". Broadsheet Adelaide. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  15. ^ "Six Art Sawaru: Amber Cronin Opening Night". CityMag. 15 May 2017. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  16. ^ "[B3SCI Records] Kyson - Every High / Clear Air". 24 August 2018. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  17. ^ "Kyson - Every High". 13 July 2018. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  18. ^ "Kyson shares the intricacies of the inner child on moving self-titled album [Exclusive] – EARMILK".
  19. ^ Bray, Axel (9 February 2021). "Parra for Cuva explores sounds of the world in his song 'Ordel'". Electronic Groove.
  20. ^ "Hermes Men's 2022".
  21. ^ "Lucky Notes". 21 October 2022 – via open.spotify.com.
  22. ^ "Kyson - Lucky Notes". Album of The Year.
  23. ^ "Drake & 21 Savage - More M's". Album of The Year.
  24. ^ Bloom, Madison (4 February 2024). "Grammys 2024 Winners: See the Full List Here". Pitchfork.
  25. ^ Caulfield, Keith (13 November 2022). "Drake & 21 Savage's 'Her Loss' Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart".
  26. ^ "Written By Jian Kellet Liew". Spotify.
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