Lol K.
Notes From The Underground.
It was back in art school that the genre-defying South London duo CJ Calderwood, 28 and Junior XL, 26 first met and made music via experimental art performances. But if it hadn’t been for a chance encounter with one internet user’s online scribbles, their offbeat moniker, Lol K, might never have been born. ‘I saw someone write Lol K online and thought it suited,’ says CJ. Ironically, it was internet anonymity that made the acronym so appealing to them at the time: ‘I liked that it made us un-Googleable,’ quips Junior.
Their self-proclaimed ‘grinding, screeching clamour-but-make-it-cute’ beats are just as intangible, albeit stripped back for their latest standout EP, ‘The Breeze’. They swallow entire genres sideways – drill, dub, garage, punk or even folk – and spit them back out as a lurid concoction. ‘I don’t think we set out to deliberately do that, to be honest,’ explains CJ. ‘I’ve always had a hard time answering that first date question: “So what music do you listen to?” I suppose it’s hard ’cause it feels like you’re representing yourself in some way. But I just listen to a very eclectic selection that doesn’t really make traditional genre connections… Haha, I definitely don’t say that on a first date!’
Beneath the EP’s spellbinding strings and asymmetric yelps, themes of ‘queer revenge, escapism and belonging’ are explored with abstract nuance. ‘The music is incredibly personal to both of us,’ says Junior. ‘It may be a bit veiled and I’m good with that. I hope people can tell it’s not a piss-take and feel the sentiment. But I don’t mind being misunderstood or misinterpreted. If anything, I think it’s more interesting. I’m excited to keep making and sharing things with listeners. I love when people get in touch to tell us what they feel. It’s been cool to hear what it reminds people of as it’s never what I would have expected.’
Lol K’s hectic filming of their ‘Notes of the Underground’ performance at home was even less predictable than their fans’ surprising interpretations. ‘The shoot had cursed energy – all technology failed us,’ laughs Junior. ‘Er, we may have broken a camera by firing a giant laser right into it… Yeah, don’t do that,’ adds CJ. ‘Fun, though – and the shot that killed the camera, that’s in the final cut.’
On the question of their place with regard to the notion of an underground, the duo aren’t entirely sure how – or even if – they fit into that scene just yet (‘we always felt a bit in-between things,’ says Junior). Equally, sharing their music on the industry’s insatiable streaming giants comes with its own set of challenges, leaving Lol K hungry for change. ‘Spotify had artists’ balls in a vice when the alternative was piracy, so they set up a company which is fucked for musicians,’ observes CJ. ‘It would be great to see more pressure put on the streaming services to pay artists fairly. I want to see legislation put in place to enforce this. With musicians not being able to perform live because of Covid-19, it’s now more crucial than ever.’
