“Bullying isn’t just a word – it’s a look, a sentence, that sticks. A laugh that can break someone.”
Crucially addressing the sadly universal and timeless topic of bullying, Kivo Van Twist and Leykard join forces, for a sonic alternative and post-punk electronic deep-dive into the pressures, fears and insecurities of life for many seventeen year olds, with the atmospheric and confronting Room 17.
A symbolic representation, Room 17 outlines the emotional space between teenage years and adulthood, and also creates a personified chamber as such, of someone’s inner world – the place where good and bad emotions seem to be at war with one another.
Kivo Van Twist is the artist and guitarist from Luxembourg heavy metal band Serpent Bite, and as a solo creative, has released a handful of contemplative and unpredictable projects. On this occasion, Room 17 was crafted alongside Vanessa Tani, the president of Respect Each Other, and the song works hard to send a message of support and awareness to both children and adults impacted by the harrowing and often devastating effects of bullying.
Blending qualities of dark pop and new wave, along with featured artist Leykard’s natural affinity for Hip Hop, Room 17 is another unexpected stylistic venture from Kivo Van Twist, and is supported by several organisations for its openly anti-bullying message of hope and support.
The accompanying video reinforces the opposing ideas of the song, with Kivo Van Twist embodying the anti-hero of the storyboard, and Leykard representing the darker side.
Moving forwards, Kivo Van Twist will become a name renowned for its connections to social issues and hopes of unity and peace. His future projects include a children’s song written with his own daughter, and an upcoming album; set to release in the Spring of 2027.
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