JJ

Swedish neo-pop experimenteurs JJ (they've recently capitalised their moniker), consisting of Joakim Benon and Elin Kastlander, are utterly fascinating. With cover art doused in blood and a penchant for assimilating pop-rap into their noises, JJ are some of the most experimental popsmiths you'll encounter. Take “Still”, one of their most famous efforts, which combines the 4am desolation of The xx and samples of Dr. Dre/Snoop Dogg's “Still D.R.E.” – it's an unlikely combo, but one that thrives despite the contrast.
Bathed in a rainbow of lights and swarms of smoke, JJ conjure tidal waves of emotional pop glory. Purples, pinks, blues and reds drape over Kastlander and Benon, allowing them to perform their spider-silk sounds from under a veil of colour; it's a soft warmth, mirroring the gentle plink-plonk of glacial synth. Though they can be gentle and warm, they are also able to devastate, and perhaps opt to do so more often. “All White Everything”, their most recent doozy, is proof, and even cuts like “Let Go” have an air of gravity about them. However, their fairy-like whimsy when it comes to melody and harmony means that they're not purely destructive; the fantastical element gives them a mystique. They're like a fairytale gone awry.