King Krule

King Krule

King Krule at Melt! Festival 2013
Background information
Birth name Archy Ivan Marshall
Also known as Zoo Kid, DJ JD Sports, Edgar The Beatmaker, Lankslacks
Born 24 August 1994
Origin Manchester
Genres Indie rock, punk jazz,[1] jazz fusion,[1] post-punk,[2] hip hop,[2] darkwave[3]
Instruments Vocals, guitar, keyboards
Years active 2010–2014
Labels True Panther, XL, Rinse
Associated acts Sub Luna City
Website www.kingkrule.co.uk

Archy Marshall (born 24 August 1994), more commonly known by his stage name King Krule, is an English singer-songwriter and musician. After a hectic and troubled childhood, he began recording music in 2010. He has released several EPs, and his debut full-length album, 6 Feet Beneath the Moon, came out in 2013 to positive reviews. His music is difficult to classify, with elements of various genres like punk jazz, hip hop, darkwave, and trip hop.

Life and career

Marshall's childhood was divided between his working-class, tolerant mother in East Dulwich and his strict father in Peckham. He claims to have suffered "a lot of weird shit" during this time, and at age 13 he began refusing to go to school. His parents were threatened with prison terms if they could not get him to attend again; he did not until his father dragged him there. He implied in an interview with The Guardian that he was diagnosed with at least one mental illness during this time and hated the medical system as a result. He also had insomnia, leading him to stay up late at night listening to Pixies and The Libertines, which inspired him to create "soundscapes."[4]

Marshall studied at Forest Hill School and then at the Brit School for three years between 2008 and 2011. In July 2011, Archy began playing under a new moniker, King Krule, at a festival in Hyères, France.[5] His stage name is inspired by the film King Creole and not King K. Rool, the character from the Donkey Kong video game series.[6]

He had released his debut single Out Getting Ribs under his Zoo Kid moniker on House Anxiety records in April 2010, recorded and mixed in his bedroom with his friends Francis North and Thelonious McCabe.

On 8 November 2011 he released a self-titled EP as King Krule on True Panther Sounds.

Archy also makes music under the moniker DJ JD Sports and Edgar the Beatmaker, the styles of which are significantly different from King Krule.

On 9 December 2012, the BBC announced that he had been nominated for the Sound of 2013 poll.[7]

King Krule released his debut album 6 Feet Beneath the Moon on 24 August 2013. More than 50% of all tracks were already released on his precedent EPs.[8] This brought him to prominence especially in the USA with performances on Conan and the Late Show with David Letterman.[9][10] In October of the same year he embarked on a European tour, which was the last time he has appeared in the UK on tour to date.[11] Following the success of this tour he then moved on to a tour of North America.[12]

His most recent activity in terms of new solo releases to date is a video for A Lizard State released on 8 January 2014 which gained over 700,000 views on YouTube.[13] After a short break he went on to tour Europe once again, inexplicably missing out on his homeland of the United Kingdom, which was his most recent public performance.[14]

In February 2014, King Krule appeared on the cover of The Fader in its 90th issue.[15]

Musical style and influences

Many reviewers and journalists have noted King Krule's unusual transcendence and appropriation of disparate genres. His music has been described mainly with jazz derivatives such as punk jazz[1] and jazz fusion,[1] but also as darkwave,[3] post-punk, and hip hop.[2] Writers have also noted elements of trip hop,[2][16] jazz rap, and dub in individual songs of his.[17] Jason Lymangrover of Allmusic states that his songs are mainly in the form of ballads with major seventh chords, but by contrast there is also a "grittiness" to Archy's voice and persona, portraying him as "the type of kid who would be quick to throw a punch without asking questions."[16]

His music has been likened to Morrissey and Edwyn Collins.[18] He is inspired by disparate influences such as Gene Vincent, Fela Kuti, J Dilla and The Penguin Cafe Orchestra.[3]

Discography

Studio albums

Album Details Peak positions Certification
UK
[19]		 DEN
[20]		 FR
[21]		 GER
[22]		 SWE
[23]
6 Feet Beneath the Moon 65 19 182 100 60

EPs

Awards and nominations

Year Organisation Award Result
2012 BBC Sound of 2013 Sound of 2013[7] Nominated

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Brown, August (19 December 2013). "Review: King Krule's spooky, angry musings at the Fonda". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Morocco, AJ (7 September 2013). "King Krule – 6 Feet Beneath The Moon". Big Takeover. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "HA0004 – Zoo Kid "Out Getting Ribs"/"Has This Hit" 7"". House Anxiety Records. 28 February 2011.
  4. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Rob (23 August 2013). "King Krule: 'Basically, I hated everyone'". Guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  5. ↑ "Timely – King Krule". nytimes.com. 7 September 2011.
  6. ↑ Ryzik, Melena (13 September 2013). "From Zoo Kid to Heartthrob: King Krule on His Debut Album, ‘6 Feet Beneath the Moon’". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 24 September 2013. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Sound of 2013 Profiles: King Krule". BBC. 9 December 2012. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
  8. ↑ "Brooklyn based Music Blog: Album Review : King Krule – 6 Feet Beneath the Moon (Blue Wave)". Still in Rock. 26 February 2004. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  9. ↑ "Watch King Krule Play "Easy Easy" on "Letterman" | News". Pitchfork. 29 October 2013. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  10. ↑ "King Krule "A Lizard State" 11/04/13 @". Teamcoco.com. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  11. ↑ "European Tour on Sale Now". King Krule. 30 August 2013. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  12. ↑ "North America Tour on Sale Now". King Krule. 1 October 2013. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  13. ↑ "Watch The Video for a Lizard State". King Krule. 8 January 2014. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  14. ↑ "New European Tour in April 2014". King Krule. 5 February 2014. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  15. ↑ "King Krule: God Save The King". The FADER. The FADER. 11 February 2014. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Lymangrover, Jason. "6 Feet Beneath the Moon". Allmusic. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
  17. ↑ Kitty Empire (17 August 2013). "King Krule: 6 Feet Beneath the Moon – review". Guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
  18. ↑ "New Music – Zoo Kid". sixthformstyle.co.uk. 28 February 2011.
  19. ↑ "King Krule discography". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
  20. ↑ "King Krule discography". danishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
  21. ↑ "King Krule discography". lescharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
  22. ↑ "King Krule discography". charts.de. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
  23. ↑ "King Krule discography". swedishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
  24. ↑ "Video: King Krule indtager London i jakkesæt". Soundvenue A/S. Retrieved 26 July 2013.

External links