Mylets, the Guitar Wunderkid. JoyRide Mexico

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He’s only 20 years old, released his first album at 17, and watching him perform leaves one mesmerized; his name is Henry Kohen and yes, he is a prodigy.

For people who have such talent engrained, school isn’t something that they feel is necessary to fuel their passion.  As a young student in Illinois, Henry grew tired of the daily routine and wrote to Cathy Pellow, founder and manager of the highly respected label Sargent House, based out of Los Angeles. In his correspondence, a determined Kohen expressed his frustration with school and the music scene, or lack thereof. After a few e-mail exchanges Cathy asked him to pass along his music, and unsurprisingly thereafter, Cathy waited for Kohen to turn 18, making him the youngest artist signed to the label.

Kohen started playing music at the age of 10, and his multi-instrumentalist father was a significant influence in his son’s musical beginnings. For a short period, Kohen tried playing with different people but no one was truly interested in forming a band and left Kohen to fend for himself, so to speak.  Meanwhile, he began learning loops on his guitar. Andrew Bird was a big influence throughout this learning process, as we all know he is all about DIY when it comes to performing his music. Kohen’s sound and style quickly evolved as he started adding percussion and vocals to his guitar loops, making him sound like a complete band.

This was the result:

It all starts with guitars, then vocals, effects, followed by a drum machine, careful layering and rhythm coordination, which, when combined, always result in incredible compositions under the pseudonym Mylets. His style and musical framework has been compared to Trent Reznor, who is also a prominent influence.

Being underage, it is sometimes complicated for Kohen to play certain venues (as the legal US drinking age is 21) but this certainly hasn’t stopped him from doing what he loves. He is already releasing  his second album titled ‘Arizona’ on April 21, 2015. You can listen to the title track here.

It will be released via Sargent House, where he shares residency amongst many excellent bands, such as Boris, Chelsea Wolfe, Deafheaven, and many more. He is also about to head out on an extensive European tour with label mates And So I Watch You From Afar.

For more details on this great artist, his upcoming tour and anticipated release, check out his website here.

By Kevin Fripp