End-of-year plaudits, new music video & remix EP

Though 2020 was the year we all know it was, it brought a number of satisfactions to Aksak Maboul, whose Figures double album (the band’s first release in decades) was enthusiastically received around the globe.

The album appeared in a large number of ‘Best of 2020’ lists, including those of The Wire and The Quietus (UK), Byte FM (DE), Les Inrockuptibles (FR), MMRC and Mosaic (JP), RAI Radio 3 and Onda Rock (IT), Le Vif (BE) and many more.

The legendary experimental pop band have just released a new single off Figures: ‘Un Caïd’, which comes out in the shape of an EP containing four very diverse remixes and a radio edit (currently on rotation on various stations), as well as a strong music video, see details below.

Further remixes and reconstructions are in the works, more news at it comes.

Aksak Maboul were recently invited to do a session for Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide FM radio. In this layered 2-hour mix, Marc Hollander blended and mashed old & new favourites, fifty tracks in total, dating from 1959 to 2021.

The 40 featured artists range, by way of example, from Moodymann and Laurel Halo to Nino Rota, Harry Partch or Jeanne Lee… and there’s also some unreleased stuff by Kasai Allstars & Aksak Maboul). 

Aksak Maboul’s holiday show for Worldwide FM can be listened back here

Like everyone else’s, Aksak Maboul’s touring plans were seriously disrupted. Shows around Europe will be rescheduled as soon as the situation permits.

More info on Aksak Maboul here




Un Caïd EP & music video

Brownswood artist Hello Skinny (aka Tom Skinner, also known for his work with Sons of Kemet) contributes an elegant rework with spectacular drum programming.

Eyelids and Phosphenes is a self-reconstruction by Aksak Maboul, which starts off as a remix and morphs into a totally wild new piece, with newly recorded vocals, keys and horns.

Nihiloxica’s Spooky-J comes up with a sweet, intriguing minimal rework.

Chicago house veteran Jordan Fields and Aksak Maboul’s Marc Hollander do a transatlantic collab for a fresh, bouncing old school take on the tune.

Vocalist Véronique Vincent’s enigmatic lyrics for Un Caïd (“A Bigshot”) seem to reference a famous poet, maybe the bossy leader of an artistic movement born a century ago? But they’re mostly about thought, stares, eyes and eyelids. That much transpires from the arresting music video directed by animator/collagist Yoann Stehr (who was also behind Aksak Maboul’s  Tout a une fin video).




Track list :

1. Un Caïd (Radio Edit)
2. Un Caïd (Hello Skinny Remix)
3. Eyelids and Phosphenes (Aksak Reconstruction)
4. Un Caïd (Spooky-J Remix)
5. Un Caïd (Old School Rmx by Jordan Fields x Marc Hollander)