J. Ludvig III

J. Ludvig III is the solo moniker of renowned Danish drummer Jonathan Jull Ludvigsen. Ludvigsen first gained notoriety as part of the award-winning contemporary jazz trio Athletic Progression; Ludvigsen’s stylistic range, and talent for playing breakbeats live eventually caught the attention of rising R&B sensation Erika de Casier, who in 2018 invited him to play with her on tour. Since then, he has toured extensively with de Casier and with breakout R&B star Liv.e. J. Ludvig III began to take shape during Ludvigsen’s time at conservatory Aarhus; there, he began to explore the interplay between a highly technical drumming style and an emotive, melody-driven, stream-of-consciousness songwriting approach. In 2021, Ludvigsen released Sadboy Fusion, his first album as J. Ludvig III. The album showcased the results of Ludvigsen’s early explorations: on it, Ludvigsen’s incisive drumming underpins meandering, plaintive vocal lines and blooming instrumentation.

Now Ludvigsen returns with EMOTAN, seeking to step outside of the box into which he felt he had been placed: that of a drummer first and foremost. The album draws its name from the YouTube account where a teenage Ludvigsen would post drum covers. During the writing of the album, he found himself returning to the emo, hardcore, and alt-metal to which he used to listen back then—decidedly uncool music with which he nevertheless still holds a deep emotional connection.