{"id":688,"date":"2025-02-07T13:20:58","date_gmt":"2025-02-07T14:20:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pilotshopworld.com\/?p=688"},"modified":"2025-02-26T18:35:12","modified_gmt":"2025-02-26T18:35:12","slug":"oklou-comes-back-to-earth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.pilotshopworld.com\/index.php\/2025\/02\/07\/oklou-comes-back-to-earth\/","title":{"rendered":"Oklou Comes Back to Earth"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img src=\"https:\/\/assets.rebelmouse.io\/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy81NjI3OTIxMS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTc0MTMyNjA2N30.PUlZ37Kya2_f8mRutpkQJtd8KZgSldrU2FZSdEN5VBk\/img.jpg?width=6305&amp;height=4181&amp;coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0\" \/><\/p>\n<p>For the past few years, fans of French musician <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/oklou_\/?hl=en\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><u>Oklou<\/u><\/a> have danced in the dreamworld she created with her 2020 mixtape, <em><em>Galore<\/em><\/em>. Marked by ethereal production and gentle harmonies, it explored a turning point in her life and romantic relationship \u2014 a self-contained soundscape that left listeners with a sense of tenderness and transportability. <\/p>\n<p>Listening to <em><em>choke enough<\/em><\/em>, Oklou\u2019s debut album (out today via True Panther) is a different experience than her previous release: like a rubber band snapping you into the here and now, with the blinding lights of the present begging you to look at where you are and how it really makes you feel to be here. <em><em>choke enough<\/em><\/em> digs deeper into the messiness of life, rather than floating above it.<\/p>\n<p>Songs like the hard-hitting single \u201cHarvest Sky\u201d and the album\u2019s title track reverberate with intensity, embodying a shift in emotional register. Those moments of going inward are told around music that thumps with inertia; <em><em>choke enough<\/em><\/em> pulls you in as it wrestles with itself. <\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em><em>Galore<\/em><\/em> was so tender, soft and dreamy because I needed that in my life,\u201d Oklou tells <em><em>PAPER<\/em><\/em>. \u201cI was going through a rough phase and did what was the most soothing for me at the time. Now the music is definitely more intense. It has a different energy to it, and it\u2019s for the same reason.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<p><span class=\"rm-shortcode\" data-rm-shortcode-id=\"efec9ac0de3d0d795b4d06382eee56f7\" style=\"padding-top:56.25%\"><br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Oklou - take me by the hand ft. Bladee (Official Video)\" width=\"920\" height=\"690\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jdU16tnrt14?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>With this album, Oklou found herself pulling away from the escapism of her previous projects. \u201cI felt the need to get more connected with elements of real life,\u201d she explains. \u201cI\u2019ve met new people, and even amongst my friends I\u2019ve known for years, I can feel that there\u2019s new energies. My sensibility has been drawn from things in real life.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>This evolution, sonically and personally, is a testament of Oklou\u2019s ability to embrace uncertainty and ambiguity. Unlike <em><em>Galore<\/em><\/em>, which had a precise emotional intent, <em><em>choke enough<\/em><\/em> leaves more room for interpretation \u2014 a reflection of how Oklou envisions listeners connecting with the album. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis piece of work feels messy to me; I don\u2019t expect people to receive it in any type of way,\u201d she admits. \u201cMy only hope is that they\u2019re gonna feel something.\u201d That openness to change is at the heart of <em><em>choke enough <\/em><\/em>\u2014 a record that doesn\u2019t claim to have answers, but instead lingers in uncertainty.<\/p>\n<p>Ahead of the album\u2019s release, <em><em>PAPER<\/em><\/em> spoke to Oklou about the conception of <em><em>choke enough<\/em><\/em>, the collaborative approach with co-creators like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.papermag.com\/casey-mq-later-that-day\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\"><u>Casey MQ<\/u><\/a> and A.G. Cook, music as a vessel to discharge emotions, and walking the tightrope between fantasy and reality.<\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<p><img alt=\"\" class=\"rm-shortcode\" data-rm-shortcode-id=\"b5db114eb0889c2efce440bbe1870963\" data-rm-shortcode-name=\"rebelmouse-image\" id=\"3a23c\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pilotshopworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/img-128.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<p><img alt=\"\" class=\"rm-shortcode\" data-rm-shortcode-id=\"bbb76a0a52c745b6bf350788b8fbe078\" data-rm-shortcode-name=\"rebelmouse-image\" id=\"e6167\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pilotshopworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/img-129.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<p><img alt=\"\" class=\"rm-shortcode\" data-rm-shortcode-id=\"0d8d7007468e3f6826904d14b65a5cd5\" data-rm-shortcode-name=\"rebelmouse-image\" id=\"4d2cd\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pilotshopworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/img-131.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>Congratulations on your debut album. How does it feel to reach this milestone as an artist?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I was actually thinking about that the other day. I don\u2019t even feel like it\u2019s a first. Each time I release something, whether it\u2019s an LP or an EP or whatever, there\u2019s the same amount of fear and excitement. <\/p>\n<p><strong>It\u2019s a big moment. Were there any sonic or emotional developments that surprised you or challenged you this time around? <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Yeah, very much, more than any other time in the past. Both lyrically and musically, I had to go places where I wasn\u2019t so comfortable. I had to work a bit more on the language, and I knew that I wanted to explore different emotional zones than I had done for <em><em>Galore<\/em><\/em> \u2014 because I had to. I wanted to go away from the super dramatic and romantic landscape that I was on previously. Not that I don\u2019t like it, I guess I was a bit scared to do the same thing, but less good, you know? I thought it would be less hard to try and explore another part of what I like. So it was challenging in that way, because I think I went somewhere \u2014 my research was a bit harder. Technically, a lot of things have changed in the way I did this album. I wasn\u2019t so much on the keyboard and singing over it, which was the genesis of the songs on <em><em>Galore<\/em><\/em>. I worked in a different way, with a different approach technically.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The storytelling and production on this album are a bit more intense and less ethereal. Was that shift intentional?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>So funny, because I\u2019ve done a couple of interviews and I just realized something while you were talking. I think <em><em>Galore<\/em><\/em> was so tender, soft and dreamy because I needed that in my life. I was going through a rough phase and did what was the most soothing for me at the time. Now the music is definitely more intense. It has a different energy to it, and it\u2019s for the same reason.<\/p>\n<p><strong>This album is heavy with reflection and there are a lot of unanswered questions. After its completion, do you feel closer to finding answers or was documenting this journey the main intention?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Casey MQ, my friend and co-producer, we spent hours talking about the songs and their meaning and what we wanted to talk about in the lyrics. I like when things make extra sense for me, so it was a very important process. At the beginning, I wanted to feel like I was touching answers from the tip of my fingers. But pretty early on, I understood it wasn\u2019t about that, it was all about the questions \u2014 about the questioning. It\u2019s what makes us human, interested in life with everything we don\u2019t understand.<\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<p><img alt=\"\" class=\"rm-shortcode\" data-rm-shortcode-id=\"e51be7d587af163e6e16b62dc79eb5d0\" data-rm-shortcode-name=\"rebelmouse-image\" id=\"dfdd8\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pilotshopworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/img-133.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<p><img alt=\"\" class=\"rm-shortcode\" data-rm-shortcode-id=\"6025786d099608aeb08af902ed791774\" data-rm-shortcode-name=\"rebelmouse-image\" id=\"5d4bb\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pilotshopworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/img-136.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>Speaking of collaborations, such as Casey MQ, A.G. Cook and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.papermag.com\/yung-lean-bladee-psykos\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bladee<\/a> \u2014 I would love to hear about the roles they played in this album. Were they a part of your vision for this project from its conception?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Casey, for a couple of years, has been somebody that I\u2019ve been working a lot with in a pretty spontaneous and natural way. We don\u2019t just work together, it\u2019s more than that. When you start working on an album, it\u2019s a blank page. You have so many options, so many possibilities. Generally speaking, I know that I want to be the absolute executive voice of the track, even if somebody is working more than me on the music, which didn\u2019t happen. I tried to believe it could feature random people; like, magic can happen with anyone. I tried a few sessions with amazing producers just for the sake of it. It\u2019s a great experience, but for me it doesn\u2019t work. So when I feel the duo we have with Casey needs more insights from the external world, I think about \u201cWho am I gonna ask?\u201d A.G. Cook and Danny [L Harle] are very safe choices for me because I\u2019ve been a fan since forever and I know they know my music as well. I know that they understand it, which is very important. I think I base my collaborations on that feeling of having a real, spiritual understanding of the music of one another. <\/p>\n<p><strong>You\u2019ve described this album as being built on a permanent conversation between a life anchored in reality and another in fantasy. How do you balance those two worlds?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Galore<\/em> was full-on fantasy aesthetically, which I love. It\u2019s one of my favorite places to go, not just as an artist. I love sci-fi. Yesterday <em>Blade Runner<\/em> was on the TV randomly and I got so happy. I was like, \u201cOh, thank god. It\u2019s a sign.\u201d I love these spaces.<\/p>\n<p>But in my recent life, I felt the need to get more connected with elements of real life. I\u2019ve met new people, and even amongst my friends that I\u2019ve known for years, I can feel that there\u2019s new energies. There\u2019s new subjects in the conversations and new interests because we are growing humans that are being concerned by different things. I haven\u2019t experienced that feeling of becoming more adult. It\u2019s weird to say that, but it\u2019s true. My sensibility has been drawn from things in real life, but in my songs I\u2019m not going to talk about what I think is bad about the government. I could, but I don\u2019t have the capacity. So it\u2019s been a struggle, I\u2019m sure there\u2019s a way to link everything: being able to free our imaginations and also be present in life where I think I should be. When I was composing, it was hard for me to sometimes connect all the dots together, and I thought that was a wrong feeling to have. At some point, I realized that\u2019s what the album is about: this struggle to know which direction to go and allow myself to not have just one.<\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<p><img alt=\"\" class=\"rm-shortcode\" data-rm-shortcode-id=\"eb28a625315d259b17da91df4f665829\" data-rm-shortcode-name=\"rebelmouse-image\" id=\"57fc4\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pilotshopworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/img-138.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<p><img alt=\"\" class=\"rm-shortcode\" data-rm-shortcode-id=\"5634385d0c880f3acc3a058263222e8d\" data-rm-shortcode-name=\"rebelmouse-image\" id=\"04e0f\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pilotshopworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/img-140.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<p><img alt=\"\" class=\"rm-shortcode\" data-rm-shortcode-id=\"fcc17a44a0346cef3d57ed472f625ac3\" data-rm-shortcode-name=\"rebelmouse-image\" id=\"268eb\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pilotshopworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/img-141.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>With that being the ethos of this album, how has it informed where you think this era is leading or impacted where you see yourself going next?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve never really thought about that. The tricky thing is, when you do something like this, it\u2019s connected to a moment in your life and then through the campaign, you have to defend the ideas on stage for a while after the album is out. Sometimes it\u2019s hard, because you can change, but that\u2019s okay. I guess I\u2019m just curious how I\u2019m going to be able to express and perform the songs in the most honest way possible. Hopefully I find ways to reinvent the expression with the music when it\u2019s live. I have some clues, but it\u2019s too soon for me to say.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What are you most excited about bringing to live audiences with this album?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Another challenge with this album is that, because the genesis of the tracks was not based on me playing the keyboard, I can\u2019t play the instruments with my hands. So I lost an obvious performing quality with the music, but I\u2019m working on the live show right now. I just started, but it\u2019s gonna be not so much about me playing. I\u2019ve decided to focus the art direction more on the show itself, the lighting especially. I wanted to put an accent on that. It\u2019s something I\u2019ve always wanted to do. <\/p>\n<p><strong>One of the most exciting elemental shifts I noticed about this era was the change in color. <\/strong><em><strong><em>Galore<\/em><\/strong><\/em><strong> was very earthy, dreamy and brown. For <\/strong><em><strong><em>choke enough<\/em><\/strong><\/em><strong>, I really like the blue and green undertones; they feel futuristic and nostalgic at the same time. What were some of your references or influences for the visuals? <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When I started working on the visual creation for the album, I had already spent two years talking about the tracks and the lyrics. When building up the mood boards and references, I didn\u2019t try to explain or connect them to the music. In the pictures, I was like, \u201cIs it going to be just me? No, it\u2019s going to be with people. Which actions do I want to happen?\u201d I really wanted each picture to feel like it\u2019s been stolen, or like there\u2019s something or somebody behind the camera. On the cover of the album, we were in an apartment and we\u2019d been filming for two hours. I love this picture because it feels stolen; it\u2019s not in the pose. We didn\u2019t want a perfect angle. I\u2019ve never seen images of my face that felt so real to me. I really wanted to get into more lo-fi inspiration. I think color choices can characterize these different ways of capturing images. The blue and greenish vibes are sci-fi; it\u2019s giving <em><em>Minority Report<\/em><\/em> and <em><em>Matrix<\/em><\/em>, obviously. I just loved it for its nostalgic quality. <\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<p><img alt=\"\" class=\"rm-shortcode\" data-rm-shortcode-id=\"cb0e4f4be64b23a3d1f8d5e4f7f36de3\" data-rm-shortcode-name=\"rebelmouse-image\" id=\"0f34e\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pilotshopworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/img-142.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<p><img alt=\"\" class=\"rm-shortcode\" data-rm-shortcode-id=\"111a8c3937897934f035e02d1c8b33a5\" data-rm-shortcode-name=\"rebelmouse-image\" id=\"f5c9b\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pilotshopworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/img-143.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>It\u2019s really cool that you were able to strip back some of the fantasy and show a different version of yourself, but still have those sci-fi elements that feel particular to your artistry.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I really think that\u2019s what I\u2019ve been trying to do. <\/p>\n<p><strong>That introspection and these intentional shifts can take a lot out of somebody, especially as an artist. What did you do during this process to look out for your wellness?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Doing what we do as artists, we see it not like a medicine, not like therapy, but it\u2019s helping. In itself, I don\u2019t see it like something that can be hard, that\u2019s not the way I experience it. It\u2019s a vessel to where I can discharge things. I think it\u2019s very healthy. It\u2019s not something that is tiring to me, I think it\u2019s the other way around. I\u2019m better at expressing the questions within the music than anywhere else. There are difficulties in the creative process that are induced by very specific elements within the work, and that\u2019s these different forces that I need to work with. If there\u2019s something where I need to pay attention to my mental health in the future, it\u2019s with that. Obviously there&#8217;s personal stuff to deal with, but I am a lucky person on this planet. I\u2019m learning something from this, and that\u2019s good. <\/p>\n<p><strong>What are you hoping fans take away from this album?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Actually, I\u2019m really curious. That\u2019s one thing that\u2019s a big question mark I have upon this release. This piece of work feels messy to me; I don\u2019t expect people to receive it in any type of way. My only hope is that they\u2019re gonna feel something. That\u2019s the most important thing to me: for them to feel some sort of connection with the music, whatever it\u2019s about. That\u2019s something also new for me, because with <em><em>Galore<\/em><\/em> my intention was very precise. There was just one thing occupying my mind for days and months and years even. But this album is not the same. I let myself not be in charge, almost, so how can I even expect people to feel a certain type of way? <\/p>\n<p><strong>That touches back on what we were talking about earlier, how leaving some of these questions unanswered and shifting the focus onto the journey leaves space for listeners to insert themselves. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I couldn\u2019t hope to deliver a specific message because I\u2019ve been trying to find it, and I haven&#8217;t yet. <\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<p><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>At some point, I realized that\u2019s what the album is about: this struggle to know which direction to go and allow myself to not have just one.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><em>Photography: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/maxwellvice\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Maxwell Vice<\/a><br \/><\/em><em>Styling: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/megsuperstarprincess\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Meg Yates<\/a><br \/>Makeup: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/cvsee\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cassandra Lee<\/a><br \/>Hair: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/aya_._ymst\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Aya Yamashita<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Editor-in-chief: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/justintmoran\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Justin Moran<\/a><br \/>Managing editor: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/mattdwille\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Matt Wille<\/a><br \/>Editorial producer: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/angelinacantu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Angelina Cant\u00fa<\/a><br \/>Music editor: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/ericacxmpbell\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Erica Campbell<\/a><br \/>Story: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/alaskariley\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Alaska Riley<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For the past few years, fans of French musician Oklou have danced in the dreamworld she created with her 2020 mixtape, Galore. Marked by ethereal production and gentle harmonies, it<\/p>\n<p class=\"more-link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pilotshopworld.com\/index.php\/2025\/02\/07\/oklou-comes-back-to-earth\/\" class=\"readmore\">Continue reading<svg class=\"icon icon-arrow-right\" aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"img\"> <use href=\"#icon-arrow-right\" xlink:href=\"#icon-arrow-right\"><\/use> <\/svg><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Oklou Comes Back to Earth<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":691,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[12],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.pilotshopworld.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/688"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.pilotshopworld.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.pilotshopworld.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.pilotshopworld.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.pilotshopworld.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=688"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.pilotshopworld.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/688\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":721,"href":"http:\/\/www.pilotshopworld.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/688\/revisions\/721"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.pilotshopworld.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/691"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.pilotshopworld.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=688"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.pilotshopworld.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=688"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.pilotshopworld.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=688"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}