By Lisa Ruefenacht
As far back as Karl Jorgensen ? a.k.a. Provo electro phenom OK Ikumi ? can remember, he?s wanted a keyboard. His wish first came true at 8 years old, when his parents gave him a Casio for Christmas. Now 14 years later, his basement apartment holds an undeniable devotion to the instrument.
His equipment overtakes one side of the room: a large and small synth, some soundboards, a programmer and everything else he needs to become OK Ikumi. Paintings by his friends bedeck the midnight-gray walls ? ?The only art I?m interested in is art my friends make,? he said. Books and deformed candles swallow any flat surfaces. A half-eaten loaf of banana bread his sister recently brought him pokes out from a hidden shelf.
?I hid it there, hoping you wouldn?t see it and think it was old and moldy,? said Jorgensen from behind his horn rims.
Since his first show in January 2004, OK Ikumi has released three CDs and developed both local and international cult followings. His sound relies on a subtle blend of dance beats for a base, but he layers a pleasing melodic onslaught over the top, like synthesized octave jumps, moog-like squeaks and pillowy-soft vocals. Jorgensen said he thinks his music is unique in the electronic music world for its mix of lo-fi and hi-fi elements, infused with a pop-techno influence. To him, electronic music is the most creative type of music someone can make.
?You?re making things completely out of nothing. ? It?s like a totally blank canvas,? Jorgensen said, legs curled beneath him on his pea-green velvet armchair.
Ironically, Jorgensen, who?s always had some sort of drive to make electronic music, grew up listening to punk rock and had never heard electronic music when he first started creating it during high school. After realizing how much he loved anything electronic, he began listening to more electronic bands, but in relative moderation. He had never even heard of groundbreaking bands like Depeche Mode until he moved to Provo from the Bay Area in 2002.
?I felt like I was in a musical vacuum,? Jorgensen said.
Despite his prowess behind his fleet of electronic equipment, Jorgensen is in the midst of a musical identity crisis. He initially focused OK Ikumi on creating dance music, which has attracted new fans in the past. Now, Jorgensen said he only writes dance songs because they?re fun to play at shows and appeal to most people. More recent music he?s written stifles the dance beats with a melancholy glaze, which is more representative of his outlooks on life.
?[Dance music] is not the kind of music I want to make. ? I?d like to hear what my music sounds like if shows didn?t exist, and I created more for myself than fans,? Jorgensen said.
Though Salt Lake City probably isn?t considered a musical hub by anyone, OK Ikumi has already broken into a higher musical realm by opening for well-known electronic band Adult, as well as opening for Fog this Sunday at Kayo Gallery in Salt Lake. He has a 12-inch vinyl single coming out this summer on German electro label We Rock Like Crazy. Two of the songs on the release will be Jorgensen?s mixes, while the other two will be remixes of his songs by German band Les Mercredis and Melnyk. Also, Melnyk is remixing one of Jorgensen?s songs for the new Pet Shop Boys single.
?[My music] is not at its peak yet,? Jorgensen said. ?It?s not just right. There are things I still need to work out. But it?s good enough I can share it with people and play shows.?
For more information visit okikumi.com or myspace.com/okikumi.
