The pumping beats and synthetic effects of the first track on
Chikinki’s latest album signal what has been heralded as an
‘electronic dawn,’ with an audacious blend of sounds to
create genre-defying music. Not quite rock, not quite electrobeat, the album’s
inventive sound has won the five-piece band a reputation as being
a breeding ground for electronic innovation. The music revolves
around a synthesizer, yet its abrasive quality soon settles into
the background, mixing with drums and guitars to produce an
explosive sonic boom. One band member describes the album as having a ‘broad
mix’ of sounds, and its diversity is striking, proving that
the band can do so much more than mess about with fabricated
music. Which is just as well, really, since the bizarre sound of
the opening track has a tendency to grate on the expectant
listener. I have always thought that you can tell a lot about an
album from its opening track, but Chikinki have defiantly proved
me wrong. The musical quality of the album improves significantly if the
listener can break through the blippy beginning, and those
patient enough to do so will be rewarded. The vocals are hardly
dazzling but they serve their purpose well, and the original
sound more than compensates for what the vocals lack. Chikinki
present their listeners with catchy, sing-along choruses, giving
most of their tracks an underlying pop feel, although this is far
from the overall style that the album aims for. Try it and see,
and don’t let the words ‘synthesizer’ and
‘electrobeat’ put you off.ARCHIVE: 6th week TT 2004
Chikinki – Lick Your Ticket
