Oracle by Iki: A Sonic Acid Trip Through Genres You Didn’t Know Could Mesh
Alright, buckle up. If you’re looking for something that feels like a fever dream but hits harder than your last existential crisis, Oracle by Iki is here to slap you awake. Released in 2019 outta Denmark on DME, this album doesn’t just blur genre lines—it torches them. Electronic? Check. Rock? Sure. Folk, World, Country? Yeah, they threw those in too. And don’t even get me started on the styles: abstract, experimental, tribal—it’s all over the place, but weirdly… it works?
Let’s talk tracks. "Dear Oracle" sticks with me because holy hell, it’s like someone bottled chaos and sold it as art. The vocals from Anna Mose and co.? Haunting as fuck. It’s got this eerie layering where every voice feels like it’s whispering secrets directly into your brainstem. By the time the percussion kicks in—tribal beats clashing against glitchy synths—you’re either dancing or questioning if reality’s crumbling around you. Spoiler alert: both are valid reactions.
Then there’s "Honeycomb." This track? Pure sensory overload. It starts off slow, teasing you with soft hums and delicate layers before exploding into some kind of auditory wildfire. Johanna Sulkunen’s voice cuts through like a knife—it’s raw, unfiltered, almost primal. Paired with the live version later in the album ("Honeycomb Live"), it becomes this pulsating beast that refuses to let go. Honestly, I still hear fragments of it when I close my eyes at night. Not creepy at all, right?
The production creds deserve a shout-out too. Freddy Albrektsen mixed AND mastered this thing, so props to him for keeping the madness cohesive. Artwork by Damselfrau? Stunningly bizarre. Like staring at an alien landscape while tripping on mushrooms. And hats off to Mike Sheridan for helping craft these sonic experiments alongside Iki—they clearly had zero fucks to give about sticking to one lane.
So yeah, Oracle isn’t for everyone. If you want polished pop hits or predictable structures, bounce. But if you’re down to dive headfirst into a chaotic swirl of sounds that challenge what music can be, this album will wreck you—in the best way possible.
Final thought? Listening to Oracle feels like getting lost in a forest at night—terrifying, beautiful, and kinda life-changing. Just don’t blame me if you start hearing voices afterward.
