We’re just two weeks away from the release of Riki’s upcoming album Gold, and while we wait, Riki has shared a stunning new music video for her track “Florence & Selena” for us to enjoy. The video is directed by Travis Waddell, and is as visually compelling as the song is sonically enticing. Gold will be released on November 26th via “Dais Records.” You can watch the music video for “Florence & Selena” below:
Every time Riki releases new music it’s impossible not to swoon over her angelic vocals and impeccable attention to dreamy soundscapes consisting of retro synth-laden New Wave that explores a myriad of emotions. Her new single “Florence and Selena” is no departure, but the track offers a refreshing sense of balladry that’s absent from modern Pop music. The track will appear on her upcoming album Gold, which is set to drop on November 26th via “Dais Records.” You can listen to “Florence and Selena” below:
Following her self-titled debut, which was released last year on St. Valentine’s Day, Riki is set to drop her follow-up album Gold on November 26th via “Dais Records.” The Los Angeles-based artist has also shared a new single titled “Marigold,” which is a duet featuring Telefon Tel Aviv co-founder Josh Eustis, who helped produce the album as well. “Marigold” carries on that dreamy synth-driven New Romantic sound that delightfully lit up her previous album, but the track pulls no punches when delivering an atmospheric tone with reverb-drenched guitars that will transport you to the days of old where New Wave was dominant. However, Riki is more intent on breathing new life into these genres, as opposed to being overly nostalgic, showing there’s much to be explored in these musical realms. You can listen to “Marigold” below:
Reveling in the retro nostalgia of Italo-disco, Synth-pop/Cold Wave duo “Xeno & Oaklander’s new single “Poison” is a celebration of a sub-genre of Electronic music that isn’t exactly fresh and new, but my God isn’t it nice to revisit what once was an emerging music scene, and to be reminded of the impact short-lived and obscure music can have on a genre so ever-changing and vast such as EDM. “Poison” is undeniably catchy, and the music video which was co-directed by visual artist Scott Kiernan evokes the spirit of Giallo Horror with Suspiria-influenced visuals that compliment the nature of the music quite well. The track will appear on the duo’s upcoming album Vi/deo, which is scheduled to be released on October 22nd via “Dais Records.” You can watch the music video for “Poison” below:
Like much of the music that’s being released this year, Synth-Pop duo “Xeno & Oaklander’s” upcoming album Vi/deo was conceived during the pandemic in the duo’s home studio. Though 2020 and still much of 2021 are the years of isolation and desolation, it’s interesting hearing all of the music that encapsulates these trying times. Simply put it, pandemic music hits different, and “Xeno & Oaklander” have returned to grace us with their signature retro, but futuristic style heavy on analog synthesizers and pulsating grooves that sound both robotic, but human enough to prompt one to move their feet. Vi/deo is the duo’s seventh studio album, and will be released on October 22nd via “Dais Records.” You can listen to the album’s first single “Infinite Sadness” below:
Electronic duo “ADULT.” are set to release their new album Perception is/as/of Deception on April 10th via “Dais Records,” and today the Detroit duo have released another new track off the upcoming album as well as a new music video to accompany it. The track is titled “Total Total Damage,” and the music video was made in quarantine and features the two completely annihilating the set they had built for the video with sledgehammers, which perfectly reflects this stir crazy time we’re forced to endure at the moment in quarantine. You can watch the music video for “Total Total Damage” below:
Being over 20 years in the music world, Detroit duo “ADULT.” still manage to sound fresh and reinvent themselves with every release. Their last album This Behavior was a back to basics triumph that recalled the Electroclash sound of their early work, but with a veteran sense of focus the band improved on that sound incorporating the darker EBM-laden grooves we’ve come to know the band for. Now, just two years after that release the band have announced they will be releasing their follow-up Perception is/as/of Deception on April 10th via “Dais Records.” The band have also released the album’s debut single “Why Always Why,” a synth-heavy track that is as urgent sounding and anxiety-inducing as it is danceable, because you know with “ADULT.” it’s anxiety always (if you know you know.) You can watch the music video for “Why Always Why” below:
Artist: Riki
Album: Riki
Genre: Synth-Pop/Post-Punk/Goth
Label: Dais Records
Rating: 8/10
There’s just something about the genres of “Post-Punk” or “Goth” that makes fans of said genres truly dedicated. Like most underground movements these genres have proven to have longevity, standing the test of time and inspiring countless artists, artists that take these styles and either emulate them or reinvent them. I mean, the fact that we still see “Joy Division” shirts now is further proof. No joke, I am wearing a “Joy Division” shirt at this very moment. So who can we add now to this ever-growing list of inspired artists? Well, meet Niff Nawor, a Los Angeles-based artist formerly of the band “Crimson Scarlet.” After signing to “Dais Records,” and going by the name “Riki,” Nawor has grown an interest in going solo. The result is an impressive self-titled debut that is rich in dark “Synth-Pop,” romanticism, and Gothic aesthetic. The anachronistic nature of these songs may turn those whom can’t get past the obvious 80’s influence off, but for me, these songs don’t feel nostalgic. This album feels more like a continuation of what people were doing in the realm of “Synth-Pop,” “Dark wave,” and even “Italo Disco” in the 80’s. Without sounding like an emulation, this music just sounds natural coming from her. Though traces of artists like Pat Benatar, Billy Idol, Madonna, “Clan of Xymox”, and even “Xmal Deutschland” when she sings beautifully in German can be heard, Nawor has developed her own style which isn’t necessarily groundbreaking, but is undeniably inspired and genuine.
Written By: Steven Sandoval
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