FIVE FAVOURITES: NikNak

The genre-blending sounds of Leeds-based electronic artist, producer, and DJ NikNak are inspired by an eclectic collection of music and media. Her brand new album, Ireti, released via Accidental Records, leans into Afrofuturism, exploring the ways in which humanity and technology intersect, and has narrative crossovers with iconic dystopian films and video games like Blade Runner and Cyberpunk 2077. The record is a distinctive, cell-tingling fusion of jungle beats, jazz nuances, dub, reggae rhythms and cinematic electronics; all of which help to sculpt NikNak’s elusive, yet exciting new sonic universe.

We think one of the best ways to get to know an artist is by asking what music inspired them to create music in the first place. We caught up with NikNak to ask about her “Five Favourites” – five tracks that have inspired her songwriting techniques. The thing is, she made so many great recommendations, that we decided to keep them all – so there’s nearly double the amount of tracks for you to sink your teeth into!

Check out her extensive list of choices below, and scroll down to watch the video for NikNak’s latest AI inspired single ‘Pandora’s Box’ featuring AGAAMA at the end of this post…

 

1. Willow Smith – ‘Big Feelings’
There’s these clips of Willow in the studio recording and piecing together elements of her latest album, Empathogen, with Yussef Dayes in there recording drums with her at one point…then I saw her Tiny Desk Concert and it blew me away; especially seeing a mostly all female line up of musicians vibing together. Her re-work of ‘ Wait A Minute’ is so glorious and uplifting. To think that she’s only 23 too!? To end on ‘Big Feelings’ takes me back to Jamiroquai and Herbie Hancock. Watching this performance made me go buy the album and has inspired me to work with more live musicians in the future. Brilliant stuff.

2. Mia Koden – ‘Hot Take’
This tune reinvigorated my love of 140 in recent years and gets bonus points for referencing the histories and all the wonderful things that make 140/dubstep so special. It’s kinda rare nowadays I think to come across music that makes a point of referencing its origins in authentic ways. What Mia has done here is make a track that is 100% her, but I also feel my ancestors through that baseline and multiple drum switch ups.

3. Jlin – ‘Open Canvas’
It was really hard to pick something from Jlin’s album, Akoma. I saw her live for the first time at Bristol New Music Festival alongside Ryoji Ikeda and was blown away by both performanceS, but seeing Jlin use the MPC live was something else entirely. I fully admire her work and she’s someone I’d love to connect with one day. Her music makes me feel nostalgic and warm – big vibes.

4. Loraine James – ‘Gentle Confrontation’
I’m kind of cheating a bit here, because I’d put the album in this too since it’s the same name, but the intro to Loraine’s newest album is beautiful and really imposing of where her sound has taken her in recent years. Picking a tune from her discography at this point is really hard for me, as I’m a big fan of her ever-evolving work. I just love that there’s a sense of play in her work, which is so important and richly evident.

5. Dennis Brown – ‘Get To Love In Time’
Dennis Brown is my fave reggae artist I think, and this song always takes me back to the exact moment I’d heard he passed away. I think this was the first time I’d really had an artist’s death impact me. If I didn’t get into production, I would have become a bass player simply because of reggae and the beautiful grooves underneath all the other instruments. Dub plays a big part in my music I think, whether I realise it or not. All the delays and reverbs, and the noise that comes from all of that, all play important parts in my music consciously and subconsciously, and I love that. RIP Mr. Brown.

6. Missy Elliot – ‘Whatcha Gonna Do’
Her discography is nuts, as we all know, but I’d say my favourite song of hers has to be ‘Whatcha Gonna Do’ from the So Addictive album. Whenever she works with Timbaland, magic happens and I think in hindsight, this era of R&B/Hip Hop really gifted us with a version of Afrofuturistic music in mainstream. This was one of the many tunes that helped me to see that we can literally make music be and look like anything we want, and that we don’t have to follow rules. It’s something we don’t really see now in the same way anymore, but Missy is definitely one of the pioneers of this.

7. Boxcutter – ‘Rusty Break’
Before this tune came into my life, I’d been introduced to DJ Shadow’s ‘Endtroducing’ and Cut Chemist’s ‘The Audience Is Listening’, and loved how they’ve been able to adapt, sample and repurpose classic drum breaks into new patterns and loved that. Then came Burial, and around the same I think came Boxcutter’s ‘Rusty Break’ and he took things to a new level. I think I was in my first year of uni at this point… I don’t know, I feel like I was hearing so much music that everything was influencing me in a variety of ways both in and outside of my studies, particular in my undergrad studies but ‘Rusty Break’ is up there for sure!

8. Burial – ‘Archangel’
I remember sitting in college going through a YouTube dark hole at lunchtime or free period, and I found an anime video someone cut to this track… immediately I was hooked and had to listen to everything Burial had put out at that point. Sampling Ray-J’s vocals in such a dark and atmospheric tune was nuts. The textures and gridless drums were nuts. Burial introduced me to another side of music production, another way to break rules and approach it like a sketchbook instead of it being so regimented.

9. Seed. – ‘Afronaut’
I’m a little bit biased as I’m now a member of Seed., but the first time I heard ‘Afronaut’ it made me an instant fan of them and Cassie’s phenomenal writing skills. All of the time signatures, melodic craziness, everything altogether is next level; and all the ways the keys, chords and tempos change and intertwine with each other throughout the track is very inspiring. Plus, XANA’s verses are just cherries on top. More rules broken here. As someone who can’t read music and didn’t learn to classically play an instrument, hearing talented musicians play such transformative music was another big moment for me I think too.

Thanks to NikNak for sharing her favourite tracks with us!

Watch the video for her latest single ‘Pandora’s Box’ below

NikNak’s upcoming UK Tour Dates 2024
(DJ sets unless otherwise noted. * = Ireti live)
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

Follow NikNak on bandcamp, Soundcloud, Spotify, Youtube, Instagram, X & Facebook

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment

Five Favourites: Brennan Wedl

Following 2019 album Holy Water Branch, New York artist Brennan Wedl has now signed with legendary label Kill Rock Stars and has recently shared a series of glistening new singles, including latest offering ‘Fake Cowboy’. A heartfelt ode to the infamous Nashville Honky Tonk bar, the track showcases the raw emotion of Wedl’s luscious vocals as Americana-tinged stripped-back strumming builds to a gritty, fuzz-filled anthem. I’m quite late to the Brennan Wedl party, but this track prompted me to delve deeper into their rich lyrical storytelling and silky smooth alternative country musicality. A new favourite for sure, I can’t wait to hear more from this exquisite raconteur.

We think one of the best ways to get to know an artist is by asking what music inspires them. So, to celebrate the release of ‘Fake Cowboy’, I caught up with Brennan to find out about the music that inspires her the most. Read about her five favourite albums and watch the beautiful video for ‘Fake Cowboy‘ below! 

Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto – Getz/Gilberto
This album is delightful drama – it is romance, it is night-time, and it is what falling in love sounds like to me. So straight-ahead but has layers, twists and turns of red and orange. I love to play this album on vinyl while making romantic dinners, and it still hits through phone speakers. This album makes me think long-term. It makes me feel domestic bliss. It makes me want to get married. I hope to have the first dance at my wedding to ‘Para Machuchar Meu Coracao’, so hopefully my future spouse will be down. This song is pure love, hope, joy, delight. Favourite album of all time. 

King Woman – Celestial Blues
I was first introduced to King Woman by someone posting a story on Instagram from their show and tagging them. We see hundreds of these clips, but I’m pretty sure King Woman is the only band that has stopped me in my mindless story scroll enough to listen to their records. Celestial Blues quickly became an album that defined a season of my life. I am a sucker for religious references and imagery, and this album has it. It’s got scary hell, it’s got sexy hell; it’s got original sin, it’s got flames. Favourite track from this album is ‘Boghz’.

Rufus Wainwright – Wants Two
A super dreamy, dripping, cinematic album. It’s horny, it’s tragic and it is gay af. My favourite track is ‘The Art Teacher’, which inspired my song ‘Fake Cowboy’. So many juicy details in this album; it has a comedic edge, on the edge of being a bit bratty. The longing is there. “Here I am in this uniform-ish pantsuit sorta thing” – I can see this character he’s describing so vividly, which is something I strive for in my own lyrics. I want the visuals to be undeniable. 

Bruce Springsteen – Nebraska
You can tell a lot about someone by their favourite Boss record. I am a die-hard Nebraska-head and I am NOT ALONE. This album makes me hold my hand over my heart. Not in a patriotic way, maybe though? I feel like I have a cock when I listen to this album. When I meet another Nebraska-head in the wild, they often agree that it’s The Boss’ best. Having to pick my favourite song from this record feels like damnation, but like the true masochist, manic-depressive freak that I am, I choose ‘My Father’s House’. Listening makes me shake my head back and forth laughing because it is so effed up. Exceptional use of the tambourine.

Tom Waits – Real Gone
Whenever something really inconvenient happens on tour, it is required according to BW law that we play ‘Hoist That Rag’ to shake off the bad energy and move on. I don’t know if I’ve ever heard of anyone having a neutral opinion to Tom Waits. Either you worship him, or you despise him. His range inspires me, we don’t need to stick to one sound. Also, he’s got the craziest song titles in the game – ‘Don’t Go into That Barn’, ‘The Earth Died Screaming’, ‘Chick A Boom’ to name a few. Real Gone is an album that’s kind of like being on a haunted hayride. You see the terrors, but they legally can’t touch you.

Huge thanks to Brennan for sharing her five favourites with us! Watch the beautiful video for ‘Fake Cowboy’ here:

‘Scorpio’, the upcoming new single from Brennan Wedl, is set for release on 9th May via Kill Rock Stars.

Photo Credit: Blaire Beamer

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FIVE FAVOURITES: Holly Munro

Intricately blending electronic elements with folk-pop sensibilities, Irish songwriter Holly Munro crafts tender, deeply intuitive music. Her debut EP, Up Against Your Nature, is a gentle exploration of the power of self-love and the healing and guiding qualities of nature; themes which she explores further on her recent single ‘Dead Ends’.

“I wrote this song after finishing a meditation that involved seeing my footprints in the sand from above,'” Holly comments about the track. “It got me thinking about my life as one big journey with all these powerful detours along the way – some paths you start on but never continue, just as some parts of yourself remain unexplored. It’s about questioning the choices you make and reflecting on how they shape your future in ways you can’t always predict or control.”

We think one of the best ways to get to know an artist is by asking what music inspired them to write in the first place. We caught up with Holly to ask about her “Five Favourites” – and she picked five Irish artists who have inspired her songwriting techniques. Check out her choices below and scroll down to watch the video for Holly’s latest single ‘Dead Ends‘ at the end of this post…

 

1. Rachel Lavelle – ‘Eat Clean’
‘Eat Clean’ stands out as my favorite track from Rachel Lavelle’s debut album, Big Dreams. Witnessing her perform live is an experience like no other – her stage presence is hypnotic. She has a real talent for world-building, and I’m excited to see her artistic journey unfold.

2. Maria Somerville – ‘This Way’
Maria Somerville’s album, All My People, is one I go back to. I first listened to this when I moved back to Ireland after studying abroad, I remember being so impressed it was an Irish person haha (I was not in touch with the music scene here then). I just love the record, it really takes you somewhere else. She’s someone I really wanna see play live!

3. EFÉ – ‘Truth Truth’
This is a new find for me that came up on my TikTok for you page. All I can say is I’m in x

4. Coolgirl – ‘Gaussian Blur’
Coolgirl aka Lizzie Fitzpatrick is an amazing musician and person. I’ve had the honour of playing with her in the past. She has so many musical projects on the go. She was in Bitch Falcon, now Coolgirl, 7of9 and a new band called Dose – it’s all so good – follow her!

5. Saint Sister – ‘Irish Hour’
I loved the Saint Sister record, Where Should I End, released in 2021, it’s a beautiful listen. I’ve also had the pleasure of hearing some of Morgana’s solo music recently, and can’t wait for that to be released!

Thanks to Holly for sharing her favourites with us.

Watch the video for her latest single ‘Dead Ends’ below.

Follow Holly Munro on bandcamp, Spotify, X, Instagram, TikTok & Facebook

Photo Credit: Kate Lawlor

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment

Five Favourites: Jess Ribeiro

Having shared stages with the likes of Angel Olsen and Nick Cave, Australian artist Jess Ribeiro is now set to release her new album, Summer Of Love, next month. Written during a time of instability and reflecting on themes of isolation and loss, the emotion rich splendour of her vocals shine throughout, offering a glimmer of hope during uncertain times. As her poignant lyricism ripples alongside a glistening yet gritty musicality, the album showcases Ribero’s ability to create stirring heartfelt anthems with a captivating grace.

We think one of the best ways to get to know an artist is by asking what music inspires them. So, to celebrate the upcoming release of the new album, I caught up with Jess to find out about the music that inspires her the most. Read about her five favourite albums and watch the video for recent single ‘Everything Is Now‘ below!

George Rrurrambu and Birdwave – Baru
I first heard this record in the Northern Territory when I lived in Darwin, and spent lot of time touring remote and outback locations. My bass player at the time started this group with his brother as well as with the legend George Rrurrambu, a famous Indigenous musician who performed in the Warmupi Band in the ’70s/’80s. George was known for his rock music, singing in Yolngu Mate (his mother tongue), as well as English, but in this outfit it’s more reggae with his trance like singing in Yolngu Mate. I love when artists are open to experimenting with different genres and, as a songwriter, I really like writing songs in all styles. Sometimes it doesn’t work, but this combination works for sure. I hold this album in my heart as one of the greatest Australian albums of all time. It’s very hard to get a physical copy of it, but look it up on YouTube. 

PJ Harvey – Dry
When I was 13 I bought a black and white tv for $5.00 from a second hand store. I set it up in my bedroom and invited a friend over for a sleep over so we could watch RAGE, the weekend music program that started at midnight. Led Zeppelin came on which was cool, but then the music clip for the song ‘Dress’ by PJ Harvey came on and changed my world. The song blew my mind. It made me feel crazy. The strings at the end were a revelation as I was a very lazy learner (of the violin), and the song gave me hope that maybe I didn’t have to read the music and play nicely. There is a sexy guitar line in the instrumental section and still to this day I want to listen to that song on repeat. I lived in a small town where it was hard to access music, but I somehow managed to borrow Dry from an older girl at school and I taped it onto cassette. A friend’s older sister showed me how to play some chords on the guitar and eventually I taught myself how to play the song ‘Joe’. Soon after, I gave up violin and moved to writing songs and playing guitar.

Kate Bush – Hounds Of Love
I listened to a lot of my dad’s records growing up and was particularly drawn to his Kate Bush collection. An art teacher discovered I was a fan and gave me lots of videos, CDs and books on Kate Bush and Wilhelm Reich to study and read. Kate Bush wrote a song about Reich called ‘Cloudbusting’. The cloudbusting machine was created by Reich, who believed he could release orgasmic energy into the air which would dissolve pollution and stop war. He was jailed by the American government and his son wrote a book about it called ‘A Book of Dreams’. That’s what the song Cloudbusting is about. Each track on this record is a story condensed into a song; Kate Bush is a very good storyteller,songwriter, dancer and actor. I’d love to get better at bringing these elements into my writing.

Patti Smith – Horses
I was sitting in a circle with some girlfriends getting stoned one day after school, and someone put on the album Horses. I started tripping out to the lyrics; it made me feel rebellious and made me want to be a poet. The album was produced by John Cale, whose music I now deeply love, he is also part of the Lou Reed, Velvet Underground lineage. This album influenced me to be who I am and work with what I have, which is a short attention span and not much interest in premeditating production. I love vibing music with a group and being open to spontaneity in the studio. Patti  improvised the lyrics to the song ‘Birdland’ in the studio – they come from ‘A Book of Dreams’ by Peter Reich (she too wrote a song about Reich who made the cloud busting machine!). When I went to university I studied classical music and singing. In my final exam, the teachers told me I was a performance poet more than a technical musician – I took this as a compliment, as I never had any desire to become an opera singer or a classical musician.

Nirvana – MTV Unplugged In New York
I saw this on tv at about 2am in the morning and it became my favourite Nirvana record. Every song is fucking fabulous, including the cover songs by Bowie, Leadbelly, The Meat Puppets and more. I love it when rock artists present stripped back versions of their songs. The harmonies in this live recording are beautiful and there is a cello in there too! This album made me realise a good song is a good song, and I aspire to make a good song that can be performed with a whole band or solo.

Massive thanks to Jess Ribeiro for sharing her Five Favourites! Watch the video for her beautiful single ‘Everything Is Now’ here:

Summer Of Love, the new album from Jess Ribeiro, is set for release on 12th April via Labelman, pre-order here. And she’s coming over to the UK in May – info here.

Photo Credit: Nick Mckk

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