Photo: Ohlman Consorti
The name of Le Tigre, and MEN lead singer JD Samson is one that is familiar to the EQ audience, French band The Aikiu not so, although, I have been aware of them for some time through the talent finders of Kitsune and the release of the stonkingly amazing Fireworks Edition compilation a couple of years ago. I make point to refer back to this release especially, as I view it as a pivotal collection that has assisted a number of the new artists that have since come up through the ranks of the blogosphere like Icona Pop, Yelle, and Strange Talk, all of which are championed to a great degree today.
The New Wave outfit of The Aikiu though, have been on a slower burn process to an extent, spawning a few EP’s along the way to the release of their debut album “Ghost Youth” released this summer.
Heading up the single / EP releases to coincide with this campaign The Aikiu have rounded up a few tracks from the album, and now present them as the “Win EP”.
Leading with the hazily new wave dressed title track “Win”, Alex Aikiu and JD Samson court a gauzy pop suited duet shaped with underlying melancholy tones, in a representative nature reflecting desire.
Also joining “Win” on the EP, “Fools” weighs in, bathed by a rousing indie pop directive, whereas “Somehow / Surfin” flirts off-kilter with a tropical resolve. Rounding up the EP “Win” gets a second airing evolved as “Win Pt II” and rolled out in an urban strewn outlook compiled in a percussion and FX heavy soundscape.
The strength of the “Win EP” is that it is of a aesthetically diverse nature giving The Aikiu a variety of foundations from which to take their music onwards and in doing so cusping a listener experience that is stirring and inventive in equal measure.