Kornél Kovács announces forthcoming album ‘Hotel Koko’ with Aluna

Following the release of his critically acclaimed sophomore album Stockholm Marathon, Studio Barnhus co-founder Kornél Kovács today returns with the announcement of his third studio album Hotel Koko – an expansive nine track record from one of modern electronic music’s finest innovators. To celebrate the announcement, Kornél has shared the album’s bittersweet UKG pop track ‘Follow You’, a collaboration with supernova DJ and producer, Aluna. Hotel Koko is due for release on October 14 via the label head’s very own Studio Barnhus, listen to ‘Follow You’ and pre-order the record here: smarturl.it/hotelkoko

Kornél’s boundless attitude to genre shines through in Hotel Koko, from the super-speed jungle influence of album highlight ‘Goofy’ with Costa Rican singer-songwriter MishCatt on vocals, to the experimental frenzy of ‘Szakad’, he has refined his broad tastes into a genre-hopping journey that’s refreshingly light on its feet. Both of Kornél’s previous records are deeply introspective, yet with Hotel Koko, he has shifted the focus away from himself and created a dichotomy of some of his most accessible as well as his most experimental compositions to date – further blurring the diminishing line between pop and dance music. Each individual track on the record subsequently represents a door within the fictional Hotel Koko and the myriad things that could happen behind them.

Speaking on the album concept, Kornél explains: “I wanted this album to centre around a fictional, dreamlike place. I’ve often had friends staying at my flat in Stockholm while I’ve been away touring or recording. At one point I wrote down some basic information and silly “house rules” on a paper, making it look like stationery for a “Hotel Koko”. I found that piece of paper while cleaning my flat a while back, that’s when the idea and the album title fell into place. I think all hotels, from the shabbiest to the most luxurious, have a sense of fantasy and mystique about them, they’re these “liminal spaces” if you will, where anything could happen behind the locked hotel room doors.”

Kovács once again teamed up with his trusted studio engineer Matt Karmil to record the album and also enlisted the melodic enhancement of jazz musician Niclas Skagstedt across some of its tracks. The diverse spread of guest collaborators include today’s featured artist Aluna, as well as Costa Rican popstar MishCatt and fellow Studio Barnhus affiliate Kamohelo of “techno boy band” Off The Meds. Altogether, it’s an album that contains something for everyone, spanning the full spectrum of electronic music in a way that positions Kornél Kovács as one of the most broadly gifted producers among his peers.

Kornél Kovács: Hotel Koko

Tracklist:
1. Molly
2. Castles feat. Kamohelo
3. Szakad
4. Szörp
5. Usch
6. Goofy feat. MishCatt
7. Vår Dub
8. Follow You (with Aluna)
9. Paris Piano

About Kornél Kovács

Kornél Kovács is a Swedish DJ, music producer, and co-founder of Studio Barnhus, the beloved house and left-field pop label sprung out of Stockholm. Known for a musical style that’s been described as “the photographic negative of a peak-time banger” and music that “screams summer boat party, but with emotional depth”, Kornél has amassed an impressive discography of musical works with the majority of his output bearing the Studio Barnhus label. Kovács’ Swedish Grammy winning debut album, The Bells, released in August 2016, was featured at the 2nd position in Mixmag’s top 50 albums list and 5th in DJ Mag’s, while named one of top 20 electronic albums of 2016 by Pitchfork. He placed at number 15 in Mixmag’s ranking of the world’s best DJs in 2017. In the spring of 2019, Kornél Kovács released his second album, Stockholm Marathon, on Studio Barnhus. Teaming up with pop duo Rebecca & Fiona across singles like ‘Purple Skies’ and ‘Marathon’, Kovács’ latest LP was a foray into a new music-sphere – focusing on a more complex pop sound alongside wistful tracks that straddle home-listening, sunsets and all night afterparties. The album shone a light on Kovács’ production dexterity and his appreciation for a spectrum of genres, leading him to contribute remixes for the likes of Moby, Diplo & Lunice, HONNE and many more. As a revered globetrotting DJ, Kovács has given headline performances in nearly all corners of the world, including regular tours of America, Asia and Australia, shows at prestigious clubs like Berlin’s Panorama Bar and London’s Fabric, and festival stages around the globe.

Studio Barnhus is many things – a DJ trio, a label, a studio on Barnhusgatan (“Orphanage Street”) and an eclectic, informed, and seriously fun take on music and culture. Since 2010, founders Axel Boman, Kornél Kovács and Petter Nordkvist have released over 100 records from esteemed dance music makers and pop experimentalists like Bella Boo, Off The Meds, Sofia Kourtesis, Jimi Tenor, Baba Stiltz and DJ Koze. Through the label work, their bespoke productions, and regular b2b2b DJ performances around the globe, the trio has cultivated an international following, while garnering creative partnerships with global brands like Absolut, Red Bull, and Happy Socks.