Kitchie Kitchie Ki Me O is a Norwegian alternative rock band formed in 2009 by musicians from some of Norway’s most influential alternative acts, including Madrugada, My Midnight Creeps, and Ricochets. Their name originates from King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki-Me-O, a traditional folk song, as well as a track from Histamin (2007), the final album by My Midnight Creeps. Following the passing of My Midnight Creeps founder Robert Burås in 2007, the surviving members sought to continue his legacy while forging a new musical direction. The result was Kitchie Kitchie Ki Me O, a band defined by raw energy, hypnotic grooves, and a unique blend of blues, psychedelia, and noise rock.
In 2011, the band released their self-titled debut album KKKMO on EMI. The album marked their official arrival on the Norwegian music scene and reached number 13 on the VG-lista, Norway’s official album chart. Taking ingredients from Dr. John the (Nite) Tripper-style voodoo and Mali-blues (Ali Farka Touré, Tinariwen) they forged their idiosyncratic rock-sound, which met with both considerable critical acclaim and sold-out shows for the band in their homeland. The sound was deeply rooted in blues and garage rock, featuring long, trance-inducing compositions where saxophone-led improvisations, heavy basslines, and aggressive rhythms dominated. Songs like Next showcased eerie melodies layered over a gritty, mali blues-infused backdrop, while Hey Honey! slowly built into an overwhelming wall of sound. I’ve been watching you added a menacing groove with a repetitive, krautrock-like pulse, emphasizing the band’s ability to create hypnotic, almost ritualistic atmospheres. Their live performances gained a reputation for being intense and chaotic, often stretching songs into extended jams that left audiences entranced.
After five years of relative silence, KKKMO returned in 2016 with Are You Land or Water, released through the label House of Mythology. It was mainly composed and performed by Alexander Kloster-Jensen and marked a significant departure from their debut, embracing a more atmospheric, cinematic, and experimental approach. Where the first album had relied on raw blues aggression and progressiv garage-rock energy, Are You Land or Water explored ambient textures, synthesizers, and slow-burning compositions. The music became more introspective, drawing influences from bands like Talk Talk, and the progressive structures of krautrock pioneers such as Can. This shift was particularly evident in songs like Barbarossa, which pulsed with electronic beats and atmospheric swells, and Are you land or water, where hypnotic layers of sound built tension over repetitive rhythms. Nocturnal rock songs like the expansive ‘Saleph’ and ‘Going Forth by Day’ – inspired by the same-named art exhibition by Bill Viola (Deutsche Guggenheim Berlin, 2002) – interweave with moments of spectral ambience such as the beautifully brooding ‘Europa’, creating a distinctly cinematic vision – richly diverse without losing the primal charge that’s guided the band since their inception.
The contrast between their two albums highlights the band's evolution from a primal, jam-heavy rock group into a more mature, texturally complex entity. Their first album was immediate, physical, and deeply rooted in blues and psychedelia, while their second was abstract, layered, and meditative. This shift divided some listeners but also earned the band critical recognition for their willingness to push their sound into new territories.
Despite their relatively small discography, KKKMO remains a cult favorite in Norway’s alternative rock scene. Their legacy lies in their ability to transform their sound while maintaining a deep sense of atmosphere and intensity. Whether through the raw, saxophone-driven energy of their debut or the brooding, electronic-infused landscapes of their second album, they continue to stand as one of Norway’s most adventurous and uncompromising musical collectives as they now ventures deeper into the abyss of ambient and improvisational music.
