NikNak shares new single 'Pandora's Box (Ft. AGAAMA)' via Accidental Records
New album Ireti is due out tomorrow
via Matthew Herbert's Accidental Records
Tour dates announced
“A powerhouse in her own right…She regularly displays a killer curatorial edge”
Clash Magazine
“NikNak has already achieved so much - yet her latest record 'Ireti', released in May via Matthew Herbert's Accidental label, feels like a new milestone.”
DJ Mag
"The Leeds turntablist spins science fiction soundscapes alongside electronics and jazz to create her own Afrofuturist stories from scratch"
The Wire
“A production style that is raw, experimental, eerie and at times cinematic”
Mixmag
Ahead of the release of her new album Ireti tomorrow, Leeds-based electronic artist NikNak has shared new single 'Pandora's Box' via Matthew Herbert's Accidental Records. The single features British-Jamaican vocalist AGAAMA.
A trailblazing musical polymath, NikNak has carved a niche for herself in the music industry with her distinctive turntablism, immersive compositions, and captivating improvised performances. Heralded by the likes of DJ Mag, Clash, Mixmag, The Wire and Resident Advisor, her debut album Bashi garnered critical acclaim, positioning her as one to watch in the experimental electronic music scene. Now she is preparing to release Ireti, her fourth studio album this Friday.
Of her new single, NikNak says:
"The track is about breaking free from AI, the heaviness of being human and the conflicts we face with technology. I really love AGAAMA's voice and have been wanting to work with her for a while now. We spent some time together in the studio, coming up with ideas about the concept and the track's lyrical content, listening to Florence and the Machine for inspiration. This is probably the poppiest track I've ever made and it was so much fun working with AGAAMA on this."
Embracing her identity as a self-proclaimed nerd and advocate for diversity, NikNak's forthcoming album, delves into Afrofuturism and explores the intersection of humanity and technology. Inspired by iconic films and video games like 'Blade Runner' and 'Cyberpunk 2077,' the album follows a dystopian narrative, centred around the journey of reclaiming humanity from the grasp of machines. The album takes the listener through a bleak cyberpunk dystopia to a hopeful resolution where humanity finds harmony with technology.
The single's accompanying music video, created by animator Alexa Velasquez reimagining footage by director Xan Gilmour, follows a similar narrative. Of the video, Gilmour says:
"The ocean symbolises rebirth to many cultures and aesthetics, not least Afrofuturism. NikNak and I knew from the beginning where this music video, an introduction to her album Ireti, should be set. We imagined two survivors of an apocalyptic war against an AI entity arriving at the shores of the ocean. There, by reconnecting with nature and rediscovering their own bodies, they could overcome their addiction to technology and be reborn... unless the AI entity succeeded in stopping them."
Velasquez adds:
"Following an abstract narrative spanning both the physical and digital realms, Pandora's Box explores ideas of past lives, of longing and liberation through the lens of a mythic, cyberfemme world."
As well as AGAAMA, the album features collaborations with esteemed artists Cassie Kinoshi, Chisara Agor, Grifton Forbes-Amos and SlowPitchSound, enhancing its rich and diverse sonic landscape. Through a fusion of turntablism, experimental synthesis, haunting vocals, and dynamic electronic elements, NikNak crafts a cinematic experience that traverses genres like jazz, jungle, experimental and trip-hop.
Ireti is a bold statement of artistic vision. Through her innovative approach to storytelling and genre-blending soundscapes, NikNak continues to push the boundaries of electronic music while championing diversity and authenticity in the industry. To celebrate the release of her new album, NikNak will be playing shows across the UK and Europe throughout Spring and Summer, see dates below.
Tracklist
1. This Pile Of Rubbish Is More Human
2. You Were Supposed To Be Good (Feat Grifton Forbes-Amos & Cassie Kinoshi)
3. 12000RPM
4. Break My Bones
5. More Life
6. Pandora's Box (Feat. AGAAMA)
7. Burning Bright
8. Mere Data (Feat. SlowPitchSound)
9. LOAD OUT
10. Within Cells
11. You've Never Seen A Miracle (Feat. Chisara Agor and Cassie Kinoshi)
NikNak Tour Dates:
DJ sets unless otherwise noted
* = Ireti live
May 20 - Ireti Bandcamp Listening Party (Join here)
May 23, 24, 25, 26, 28 - Leeds Art Gallery - Inner Ireti immersive installation at Leeds Jazz Festival (DJ set and artist talk at 1pm on May 23)
May 25 - Leeds, Headrow House
May 31st - Birmingham, Centrala,
June 6 - Newcastle, Cobalt Studios *
June 29 - Brighton, Fortune Of War
August 30 - Belgium, Meakusma Festival *
Sept 7 - Utrecht, Gaudemaus Festival
NikNak Online:
