KENJI’S LEADING THE WAY
PHOTOS BY Reese Studios ★ WORDS BY Malachi Mitchell
There's a level of cool, collectedness that many want to reach but fail to pull off. The reason why it's hard to achieve is because it's the type of cool that feels effortless. It can't be taught or faked; it's a trait you either have or don't have. When I spoke to rising artist Kenji over Zoom, I learned he is one of the people blessed to be in the group with said trait. Kenji's inviting but laid-back demeanor made our conversation breezy and fun. However, that laid-back energy may have also been something that got in the way of him creating the best art he could.
Kenji describes his past self as a pushover, being easily swayed by what other people, like engineers, would say when he would go to studio sessions. In that process, he ignored his intuition and followed what sounded right to them but not exactly what was right to Kenji. It didn't help that he needed to have experience in engineering and using software like Ableton to feel confident enough when working with others. This ultimately made Kenji somewhat dim himself in these spaces, causing his music to not fully encompass his vision. Lately, however, Kenji has been trusting what feels good, and it all started with him tapping into his inner voice. He mentions watching the Beyonce documentary and being inspired by her attention to detail. Collaboration plays a huge part in Kenji's creative process. Still, it was equally important that he surrounded himself with friends who not only supported him but also inspired him to be a better artist. Kenji spoke glowingly about his friends, Waytoofresh and 3ee, with whom he says he'll often send his recordings to get mixed or work together on a beat. Then there are times when he says the process of creating a song feels more like they have a hive mind. The excellent track "Waiting" by 3ee and Kenji exemplifies this. He described making the track as a 50/50 effort. You might be wondering, though, where they are creating these songs.
This is where the studio they create enters. Described by Kenji as a home, he set up a studio with the aforementioned artists Waytoofresh and 3ee, as well as Roseblud, another frequent collaborator. It's a free space where no one has to worry about voicing their opinion, a far cry from his earlier days when he would book studio time. Now he can drop in whenever Kenji mentions going to the studio even before going to work. The way he describes it, the studio sounds just as much as a spot for him and his friends to chill as it is a spot for them to work seriously. "Some of my favorite nights are nights were we stay up way too late and where all like 'Ah, we should've been left, it's 3 am.'" To Kenji, the nights when they chill with each other and work on songs they might not even listen to again are just as important as when they're locked in, focusing on a song that will be their new favorite. It wasn't just a game changer for him and his friends, but something that made them grow closer to each other. "I think from the process of getting the studio together, we became music friends to actual friends." It was this part of our conversation that Kenji seemed the most excited to talk about. You can tell how much this place and his friends mean to him, and it's clear that this played a massive role in what felt like a new beginning for him.
Last year, Kenji dropped the single "Bills." He described the process of creating that song as the first time it felt so free. The phrase "for the first time" resonates with Kenji when he thinks about his upcoming new EP, Between Heaven & Earth. Throughout the conversation, Kenji speaks about the songs he's been making for the past year as a sort of rebirth or reintroduction. It's a lot of "firsts." He wrote many songs for the EP while dealing with love for the first time. Bills started the journey of this new project, and it was the first time he felt like he was taking the lead. He's learned that for him, collaboration is best when "it's you in the front there, and people [are] supporting you." That's been the philosophy behind the new music he's been creating and why the process has felt so freeing to him. It was the first time he began to find his sound.
Kenji followed up "Bills" with the singles "Palisades," "WAITING!," "Runnin (1999)," and "Selma." He's finishing up his EP, but Kenji says he has even more music he's waiting to release after that. This includes a trio EP with him, 3ee, and frequent collaborator, Norah's World, that he's excited about, and we should be, too. Kenji is in a place where he wants to keep creating fun and free music. "I think all my friends and I are on such a good trajectory that I just want to keep going. We have the ammunition." Besides releasing Between Heaven & Earth next week (Sept. 27th) and his even newer music in the vault, Kenji is looking forward to having a release party for the project, which looks to be a great time. Kenji's honestly figuring himself out as an artist and a person, but he's having fun the whole way. If these singles indicate what's to come, we're in for something extraordinary!
