Oklou: Tiny Desk Concert

"Just a couple of days before arriving for her Tiny Desk, Oklou's Marylou Mayniel flew with her five-month old baby from their Paris home to New York, where she met for the first time with an eight-piece choir to rehearse completely reimagined versions of four songs. The goal was to strip away the electronics and often heavy autotune heard across Oklou's beguiling debut album, Choke Enough, while preserving the sense of sonic adventure. By the time everyone got to D.C., they'd puzzled it out."

"The songs here rely largely on piano, an acoustic guitar and a nearly seven-foot marimba. The choir provides not only backing vocals but also pad-like textures and effects, including crackling fire created with wads of bubble wrap and small sticks collected just before the performance. Casey MQ, who arranged the songs for this set, accompanies Oklou as they transform tracks like "blade bird" and "ict" from synth-heavy pop to deeply reflective, acoustic folk."

Marylou Mayniel flew from Paris to New York with her five-month-old to rehearse reimagined versions of four songs with an eight-piece choir. The performances strip away electronics and heavy autotune from Choke Enough while preserving sonic adventurousness. Arrangements emphasize piano, acoustic guitar and a nearly seven-foot marimba. The choir supplies backing vocals plus pad-like textures and effects, including crackling fire made with bubble wrap and small sticks. Casey MQ arranged the set and accompanies on keys and guitar as Oklou and the ensemble transform synth-heavy tracks like “blade bird” and “ict” into reflective acoustic folk. A slowed, bare “harvest sky” features recorder.

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