I think at some point the Homicidols team developed an unspoken understanding that now matter how hard we try to keep up with chika idol and process things as they happen, we simply will never get to talk about everything that deserves attention. Sometimes we even get a mildly snarky comment about these injustices of omission, and I have to lower my head in shame and think, “Yeah, I know…”
I’ve got a mental list in my head a mile long of groups that I want to try to cover more, and here’s a big one right at the top: NILKLY. I went back and looked and there’s only one single article about them on the entire site that Maniac Emeritus had the good wisdom to write. What a crime!! I’m sorry to the group and I’m sorry to all of you!
With that apology out of the way, allow me to atone by mentioning that these Aqbi torch bearers have a new single called “DAYDREAM” that was released late last month, and while there’s no MV for the A-side to post, we’ve got this pretty amazing dance-shot lyric video for it’s coupling single “Apathy”, and it’s on fire…
I know you see what I’m saying here. Like just about all things Aqbi, the song is freakin’ fabulous. I love every bit of the whole thing, the bass line, the guitar, that little “tik tik tik” percussion at the 2:08 mark that goes into a pseudo-rap that morphs into a submerged lo-fo sound……..it’s all so good. But my favorite thing is that simple repeating keyboard tap going on. It’s such a weird little hook!
And then there’s another Aqbi seal of quality you can always count on: The choreography. I’ve never made the argument before, but I will now… The Aqbi agency has cornered the coolest dancing in the chika game. It’s tight and artfully executed, but it always appears to be a little out-of-control and not overly slick. And like their sisters in MIGMA SHELTER, (Who we also don’t write enough about.) I’m just blown away by their endurance during lives. How do they not collapse?? These groups do hour-plus shows and perform like their lives depend on it.
In writing this piece I’ve come to a realization: NILKLY of course carries the passed-down DNA of the two previous dressed-in-black Aqbi units that preceded them. (And we all know who those legendary groups are!) So I started to think to myself that perhaps having to carry that legacy isn’t always a fair shake to them. Those two groups, (Who are among my absolute all-time favorites) aren’t around anymore, and I should stop comparing NILKLY to them both consciously and unconsciously. It could well be that this mental block is what’s kept me from paying them more attention. That’s why I haven’t said their names in this article, and from now on, I promise to only write about NILKLY on their own terms and on their own work. They’ve earned it.
In closing, please enjoy another great NILKLY concert starring NILKLY doing awesome NILKLY things… *
*In this concert they share the stage with Nichoume no Sakigake Coming Out, another terrific group that deserves way more coverage, so check them out too!
