We’re very proud to release our 12th official release to date. As of today the second EP titled Friends & Family by the noise-poppers Nikoo can be downloaded in our music section on a pay-what-you-want basis. Go check it out and see if the band is right when they told us: “Nikoo irritates. At least, I hope it does.”

Nikoo is a noise-pop beast to love. Songs and productions of international class. No bells and whistles, full of threat, urgency and sex. Raw and pure, hard and overwhelming. Joep van Son and his four noise makers take you by surprise as no other, full of inconvenience and dispossession.

A craze for raw, raunchy pop music got Joep van Son writing in early 2010. After merely one hour of rehearsing, the productive quintet enters the studio for the recording of six abrasive and urgent songs. “I love musician’s first impulses. Short rehearsals keep the creativity and hunger fresh. You can hear that in our recordings”, says Van Son. The trendsetting American music platform Pitchfork praises the inventive noise-pop of Eindhoven-based  Joep van Son and his band members. Dutch music press too received the noise with open arms: “Somewhere between Sonic Youth at its most rocking, And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead at its fuzziest and Dinosaur jr. at its most melodious moments”, according to renowned music magazine OOR. VPRO’s 3VOOR12 adds: “A band that pushes boundaries and goes beyond them to create something new.”

The recipe for success is repeated at the end of 2010. Friends & Family, with its seven songs, screams for attention. Songs about women, girls, exes and movies, all recorded by band member and producer Rob Bours. The artwork is created by Dutch music photographer Nick Helderman (Oor, Vice, 3VOOR12, Self-Titled Magazine).

Nikoo consists of: Joep Van Son (The Sugarettes, The Very Sexuals), Mariska Louman (The Sugarettes, Foam), Rob Bours (The Very Sexuals, among others), Hugo Ploegmakers (Foam, among others), Mike Dobber (Klaus Womb & Penny super pony strip) and Pim Verlaek (Pien Feith band). Friends & Family sees guest performances by the talented Pim van de Werken (Silence is Sexy)  and Gwendolien Douglas (AC Bergheimer).

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1. Shameless
2. Brenda
3. Anika
4. Mornings
5. Dead like shadows
6. Way
7. Amore

All songs written and performed by Joep van Son & Nikoo.

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Ho! Ho! Ho! We’re preparing the loudest Christmas present you’ll ever get. And you will call it: Nikoo.
Yes, it’s official and we’re more then excited to announce that Nikoo has signed to Beep! Beep! Back up the Truck.

“We have been keeping a close eye on Nikoo since day one and are great admirers of their unique sound, productivity and insanely loud live perfomance“, says co-owner and main bear Nicolai Adolfs. “Without a doubt a beautiful addition to our eclectic roster.”

The members of Nikoo first met in early 2010 in Studio 58 in Eindhoven, where they composed and recorded their self-titled debut in just three days. Follow-up ‘Friends & Family’ was laid out and recorded in the same fast pace. Just like its predecessor, the album will be distributed digitally only and sold on a ‘pay what you want’-basis. Renowned music photographer Nick Helderman (known for working with CocoRosie, Sleepy Sun and Women) has signed for the artwork of this release. The seven-track mini album is available for download on both the band and the label’s websites from Monday December 20th onwards.

Nikoo is off to a strong start in 2011 with a performance at Eurosonic 2011 on Wednesday January 12th. Both the recording of the third album and the first European tour are scheduled for the first quarter of 2011.

More soon. Now first listen to this exclusive preview of the upcoming record: Shameless

photo by by Achromemoments.nl