FKJ, SANTANA

Biography

Vincent Fenton, known as FKJ (French Kiwi Juice), was born on March 27, 1991, in a small village outside Tours, Indre-et-Loire, Centre-Val de Loire, France, to a French mother and New Zealand father. Isolated from peers, he immersed himself in his parents' records by artists like Pink Floyd, Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, and Queen, self-teaching guitar at age 12 or 13 without formal training. He expanded to saxophone at seven and other instruments, fostering a one-man-band style by improvising with household items and basic recording gear. Studying sound engineering for cinema in Paris due to affordable public options, he developed his ear for cinematic arrangements while entering the nightlife scene as a live performer blending house and jazz.[1][3][5]

FKJ gained recognition via SoundCloud with his 2013 Time For A Change EP, quickly performing in Paris clubs and Europe. A pivotal 2015 festival meeting with June (((O))) in the Philippines led to marriage and relocation to a tropical studio on a southern island. Collaborations like the 2017 'Tadow' with Masego emerged from improvisational sessions, while personal challenges, including a miscarriage, inspired the introspective Ylang Ylang EP (2019). His self-titled debut (2017) and V I N C E N T (2022) showcase evolving styles with jazz sax, piano, whispery vocals, R&B beats, and Santana-like guitar, redefining chillout music amid global tours and pandemic isolation.[1][2][3]

Self-taught across multi-instruments, FKJ's music reflects Parisian club energy, tropical serenity, and emotional depth, marked by perfectionism yielding free-flowing expression. From bedroom producer to festival headliner, his legacy lies in effortless genre fusion—house, jazz, hip-hop, R&B—and live layering techniques popularized on YouTube, influencing modern electronic and nu-jazz scenes.[1][2][3]

Fun Facts

• FKJ chose his moniker 'French Kiwi Juice' during a Paris Metro ride in his early career month, reflecting his French-New Zealand heritage.
• He built rudimentary instruments from toys and household items in childhood isolation, shaping his multi-instrumentalist one-man-band approach.
• A 2019 YouTube live session from his Philippine rainforest studio has over 19 million views, showcasing piano, sax, and singing.
• During pandemic lockdown in the Philippines with no WiFi, he created V I N C E N T by working all night until sunrise.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Cookie Marenco - Sound engineer and second sound guru (Work at OTR studio in San Francisco) [Around 2010s]

Key Collaborators

• Masego - Improvisational session partner dueling on saxophones, keyboards, and drums ('Tadow' track) [2017]
• June (((O))) - Wife and musical partner, met at festival after remixing her track (Shared tropical studio productions including live sessions and Ylang Ylang EP context) [2015-present]

External Links

• Spotify