Hk119

The project of Finnish performance artist Heidi Kilpeläinen, HK119 combines her love of sci-fi and electronic music into a witty multimedia critique of consumerism, pop culture, politics, and human nature. Kilpeläinen invented her alter ego after being inspired by George Lucas' pioneering film THX 1138, and began recording music on a digital 8-track and making videos on her own. Upon graduating from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in 2004 with an M.A. in fine art, she performed around London and released her music, which caught the ear of Warp artist Leila Arab. Arab sent HK119's music to Björk, which resulted in Kilpeläinen scoring a deal with the One Little Indian label. Kilpeläinen's debut single, "Pick Me Up," arrived in late 2005, with the full-length HK119 — which featured many of the songs she worked on for her degree — appearing in 2006. For her follow-up, 2008's Fast, Cheap and Out of Control, HK119 worked with Sheffield, England-based producers I Monster, who gave a more polished, accessible spin to her lo-fi sound. The remix album Fast and Cheap Mixes arrived in 2010. Kilpeläinen began work on her third album in 2012, collaborating with Fever Ray producer Christoffer Berg on an ambitious set of songs inspired by fantasy, spirituality, and nature. The results, Imaginature, arrived in early 2013.