Karen Nyame KG

Artist

Karen Nyame KG
Agent

Daniel Turner
Based

London (UK)

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Power and soul are the hallmarks of Karen Nyame’s sound. Known by her moniker KG, she earned her heavyweight status in early UK Funky and maintained it with her bass-heavy cadences that followed. Whether she’s vocalizing soulful chords or crafting compact Afro-infused instrumentations, KG’s music mirrors London’s eclectic, Pan African social fabric. While she accredits her mother for influencing the Ghananian highlife tones in her music, it was her father who broadened her inclination towards diverse musical styles.

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Karen Nyame KG

Ever since KG’s childhood, percussion has been the sole force backing her reciprocity to music. Animated about programming electronic music at a young age, she quickly learned how to construct beats with drum machines. By eight years old, she was well accommodated with house loop patterns and soon after advanced to producing music using jungle or acid house presets in early music-making software. KG later became the official drummer of a steel pan group and was known by her friends as the musical one. She simply could not escape music; her affinity evolved from her early introductions to US garage, metal, and reggae into a love for uptempo beats with a soulful temperament.

Every release is surefire to showcase the evolving sound of London’s club music hybridity and bounce. Deserving the title as the “Goddess of Rhythm”, it’s so easy to get transported by KG’s plethora of African polyrhythms, low-end sub-basses, and energetic drum patterns. Although her trademark lies in the unique sprawling melodies that smoothly roll out over weighty basslines.

After self-releasing several tracks in 2007 (circulated online via UK Funky message boards), KG felt that success in electronic music, especially for women, was somewhat of a chimera. As her early tracks (808 and Midnight) were hoisted into acclaim, this was a time where men dominated UK Funky, and only a handful of women could achieve career stability in electronic music. With this realization, she withdrew from making music. From 2011 up until 2017, she was producing in secret alongside her nine-to-five, working with radio stations here and there, and ventured a bit into podcasting. But KG’s tracks were timeless and they frequently resurfaced in mixes by notable DJs and producers for nearly a decade.

In 2018, Goon Club Allstars reissued these long-lost tracks on their label, a comeback that revived her innovative percussive mastery. Soon after her resurgence, KG collaborated with Scratcha DVA for the 2019 Hyperdub release, Touch–lending her breathy ad-libs over cascading snares and claps that echoed markers of UK Funky and South African Gqom. Later work with Dance System and Simbad is what spurred her to start incorporating her voice into her productions. In 2020, she released her EP, Sensei on Goon Club Allstars, and her high-energy rhythms and melodic overtones, once again, instantly resonated.

KG’s music went on to receive support from BBC radio presenters such as Mary Anne Hobbs, Jamz Supernova, Benji B, and Tom Ravenscroft. With accolades in numerous press outlets like Mixmag, Dummy, DJ Mag, Fader, and Fact Mag, her Exhibition mix for Insert made rank as Resident Advisor’s mix of the day. As RA aims to reconcile with the industry’s history with a lack of representation, they celebrated Karen’s contribution to dance music in their ‘Re-record’ feature where she was given a platform to speak out on the misogynoir she faced in the last decade. Now KG noticed a shift for more opportunities to work with and alongside women producers, and at the end of 2020, Jamz Supernova’s Future Bounce

In 2021, KG made her acclaimed and long-awaited return to the global dance music scene, with the glorious, star-making EP Sensei II. Featuring the widely-celebrated sound of the summer, ‘Koko’, the project reached over 2 million streams, and truly reignited the flame for KG, with widespread support from Resident Advisor, Mixmag, DJ Mag, Pan African Music to name but a few. Collaborating with a host of incredible artists from across the African diaspora including Aymos, Toya Delazy, Taliwhoah and Mista Silva, KG wanted the essence of ‘back home’ to be felt throughout the whole project. While delighting long-standing fans as far back as the UK Funky days, Sensei II also heralded a new era, and with that a new dedicated and loving fanbase.

After tearing the house down at Primavera Sound Festival with her iconic Boiler Room session, and the guest RA’s first ever filmed Exchange, KG has also turned in widely acclaimed mixes for tastemakers including FACT, Dekmantel, Trippin’, as well as radio shows for BBC 1Xtra, NTS, Foundation FM, Worldwide FM and more. A keen collaborator, KG has traversed global sounds from Amapiano, Afrohouse, UK Funky, US Jersey Club and beyond, working with prolific artists including Uniiqu3, Dance System, Toya Delazy, Mista Silva, Aymos and many more. As well as previously having run a series of production workshops with Red Bull Music, in 2021, KG received a PRS Grant as part of the new PRS Power Up initiative – a long-term initiative created to support Black music creators and industry pro’s, as well as addressing racial disparities in the music sector.

In 2022, KG made her highly-awaited follow-up to Sensei II with the powerful statement single, ‘Taboo’. Featuring KG’s own lush vocals and her signature percussion, the sensual offering blends elements of Amapiano, Afro-House and Afrobeat for the dancefloor, with unapologetic self-expression and reflections on desire. An artist known for her deep beliefs, having covered everything from the empowerment of women, to love, sexuality and queer desire, to high vibrations, partying and more. The single landed on the BBC 6 Music C List, Rinse FM A List, plus supported by Jaguar, Jamz Supernova, Jeremiah Asiamah, Mary Anne Hobbs amongst many others.. It had coverage in The Wire, The Face, Crack, NPR & was included in DJ Mag & Complex’s Top Tracks of 2022. ID Magazine also featured KG as an Artist to Watch in 2023 in their Mixtape feature curated by Benji B.

2023 has seen KG become a further in-demand tastemaker DJ, with multiple bookings at the esteemed Panorama Bar in Berlin, Benji B’s Deviation party at LFW, Notting Hill Carnival & Amsterdam, plus appearances, Koko Electronic, Borderline Festival Athens & All Points East Festival. September sees her launch the brand new imprint ‘Rhythm In the City’, with its first release the ‘RED EP’ a sentimental, candid insight to KG’s deepest musings on romance, passion and lust.

Self-described as “a party for the grown and sexy”, Rhythm in the City began life as an event, carefully curated by Karen herself. Developing into a sell-out event series, the strong community around RITC is a testament to Karen’s bold creative vision and her much sought-after sonics. The evolution of the platform into a label, (Rhythm in the City / RITC Records), was a no-brainer – the label sonically is a reflection of Karen Nyame KG and the parties – it’s all about soul, percussive bounce, mood and melody. In her own words,” it will make you dance, seduce, but better yet, feel.”

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Karen Nyame KG