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Nikakoi (aka Nika Machaidze) released two albums, Sestrichka and Sentimental on Berlin’s WMF label back in 2002 and 2004 and sometimes, artists find themselves ahead of thier time. As in comedy, in the biz that is music, timing is everything at times. Thankfully, like a phoenix from the flames, as in this case WMF closed in 2004, Nikakoi’s music finds a new supporter with the Laboratory Instinct label (who you may remember, this is the label that released Daedelus’ A Gent Agent album).

Now you can still hunt down the original versions if you’ve getting a bankers’ size Christmas bonus this year but then this is not a straight re-issue set; nine tracks from Sestrichka, 11 from Sentimental and 10 brand new recordings giving you 30 tracks of ambient-electronic-pop that lasts for over two hours!

For fans of IDM (I’m thinking Daedelus again with tracks like ‘Lul’) but this guy also has a bleep on the coat tails of nu-jazz (‘City Lights’) or even staight pop (‘Tin Soldier For Nika Ono’).

As you’d imagine for a member of the Georgian Goslab group, this musician and film director has more than an interest in film/TV soundtracks and other multi-media; particularly tracks like ‘Pp’, ‘Music 2 Piano’, the almost seasonal tinkle of ‘Bavshwebi’ or the and the strings of ‘Child’; the European 60s film theme of ‘Sentimental’ doesn’t work as well.

New tracks like ‘Nacphybyxo’ sort of fit into place and then, sort of don’t not that a bit of sub-rave glitch is a bad thing as you know but then there’s and the minimal ‘Teess’ or the Tangerine Dreamish ‘Krasnagorsky Drema’ and the neoTales From The Unexpected, ‘Petja’.

Funnily enough, the dub style tracks are some of the most effective, particularly ‘Undine 2’ from the basement waterworks where Augustus Pablo would fear to tread but he’s definitely not shy to try something different like ‘Something’s Moving In My Liquid’.

Like his fellow Georgian and Goslab member, TBA (aka Natalie Beridze), the more influences the merrier is Nikakoi all over. Ms. Beridze provides the vocals to a selection of tracks on the album (notably the Break Reformesque ‘City Lights’) and she has her own new album coming out next week so check the review HERE soon. And also worth noting that Laboratory Instinct, they have released Nikakoi’s post WMF albums under his Erast moniker including the double album set Requiem For Deranged Robot this year.
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Back to selected Selected, don’t be put off by the creepy cover or the oft strangly spelt titles as if you’ve ever been a fan of electronica glitch trip-hop dub-out minimalist (as exhibited during various periods of their careers by veterans like Aphex Twin, Autechre and Pole to name just three), this is an album to fall in love with.

Reviewed - Nikakoi - Selected (Laboratory Instinct) Cat. No. LI014CD Release date: 7th December 2009

Links:
myspace.com/nikamachaidze
laboratroyinstinct.com
www.samurai.fm/laboratroyinstinct
wmfrec.com