Biography

Swedish electro pop band comprising Leo Drougge (b. Malmö, Sweden; vocals, synthesizers, guitar) and August Hellsing (b. Malmö, Sweden; synthesizers, percussion). Drougge and Hellsing met at school, forming their musical partnership in 2001 over a shared love of electronic music. Using retro techniques to record their music, their first commitments to tape were a hotchpotch of mellow house fused with 80s rock ballads, which did not really gel. The next four years were spent honing their technical skills, while Drougge refined writing lyrics that fitted with the warm synth sounds. In 2005, Lo-Fi-Fnk caught the ears of the UK label Moshi Moshi Records which signed them for international distribution straight away. Their debut release for the label, ‘Change Channel’, had all the hallmarks of 80s euro pop given a new millennium makeover. The track made positive waves on the underground dance scene, and was soon played on the turntables at hip pubs and clubs around the world. The follow-up, ‘Wake Up’, released in August 2006, was strangely reminiscent of 80s electro pop artist Howard Jones’ sound and was again very catchy and well produced. Several more releases followed in 2006, along with the duo’s immersion into a studio on the outskirts of Malmö to produce their debut album. Boylife, released on Moshi Moshi, was a fresh burst of electro pop filling in the area between Au Revoir Simone and New Young Pony, a real rarity in a somewhat disposable music genre.