Kornél Kovács

Born 1985 in Stockholm to Hungarian parents, Kornél Kovács' perambulations in music began early and have continued at pace ever since. Raised on that classic, enviable diet of “proper” music training plus parents with a killer record collection, Kovács' daytime lessons were given texture at night as everything from Kraftwerk and Art Of Noise to King Tubby and Boogie Down Productions wafted through the house. Applying the Stakhanovite work ethic of his heritage, Kovács started knocking on as many of Stockholm's musical doors as possible, loitering in the city's record stores and stalking its DJs, working his way through the local library's selection of new records. Kovács, then a “nerdy kid who got to hang around the older cool kids cause they found me funny”, even managed to wangle a few DJ gigs on the back of an intense early teenage love of 90s drum'n'bass, turning him into “Stockholm's youngest former jungle DJ” by the age of 14. After a few years in this exquisitely premature retirement, Kovács picked his headphones up again in the 00s, and exciting things followed. Kovács was already writing about music, for his own blog and various culture magazines - this was joined by a DJ residency at Stockholm's legendary Paradise night, as well as a weekly radio show on P3, Sweden's Radio 1 equivalent. A stint at Red Bull Music Academy in 2008 was followed by the formation of Studio Barnhus with his Stockholm acquaintances Axel Boman and Petter Nordkvist. At first a studio space, soon enough a DJ trio, and eventually a record label, Studio Barnhus has now charted 100 releases and counting – the initial Good Children Make Bad Grown Ups EP was Kovács' first appearance on vinyl. The collective's successes have drawn reams of prestigious press coverage in the years since, as well as worldwide DJ dates for its three members, giving Kovács the artistic space that fostered 2014's Szikra, the track Kovács says made him realise he could “actually make music people enjoy”. Given all this, it would be wrong to describe 2015 hit Pantalón, on Glasgow's Numbers imprint, as any kind of “breakout” moment. Its irresistible, snapping drums and Spanish-language vocal did get people talking and dancing though, while an appearance on Hamburg's esteemed Smallville label in the same year saw him connect with another of Europe's electronic music powerhouses. Kovács' debut album, The Bells, was released on Studio Barnhus in August 2016. Giving your debut LP the same name as the most influential techno track in history certainly takes balls. But after hearing how the album draws together Kovács' natural festive musicality and his long-standing love of club rhythmics, then factoring in the juggernaut trajectory that's taken him from tea-making record store jester to globally acclaimed producer and DJ, you can certainly forgive his confidence. Described by Thump as a ”dizzying, kaleidoscopic and rhythmically adventurous release” - The Bells featured at 2nd position in Mixmag’s top 50 albums list, no. 5 in DJ Mag’s, and was named one of top 20 electronic albums of 2016 by Pitchfork. The following year he placed at number 15 in Mixmag's ranking of the world's best DJs. In the spring of 2019, Kornél Kovács released his album Stockholm Marathon. Teaming up with pop duo Rebecca & Fiona across singles like Purple Skies and Marathon, Kovács’ second LP was a foray into a new music-sphere - focusing on a more complex pop sound alongside wistful, downtempo tracks that straddle home-listening, warm-up sets and all night afterparties. Described by Pitchfork as a “snapshot of one of house music’s sharpest minds”, the album shone a light on Kovács’ production dexterity and his appreciation for a spectrum of genres. 2022 saw the release of Kovács’ third album, Hotel Koko. Described by Resident Advisor as “an album that feels refreshing and distinctive”, Hotel Koko is a collection of tracks featuring a remarkably diverse range of collaborations, with vocalists Aluna, MishCatt and Kamohelo from Off The Meds all making appearances. Kovács describes the album as being centred around a fictional, dreamlike place, with each individual track on the record representing a room within the fictional Hotel Koko and the myriad things that could happen behind its door. Kornél Kovács has now cemented his position as one of the most prominent producers and DJs around. As of 2023 he’s played every corner of the world, including constant coast-to-coast tours of the US and regular visits to Asia and Australia, as well as shows at prestigious clubs like Berlin’s Panorama Bar and London’s Fabric and main stage appearances at festivals around the globe.