CIKATRI$

(…) their music combines the sultry, sexy vocals of French songstresses from the 60s with a fuzzed out, lo-fi brand of Swedish garage rock. It's no surprise: the lead singer, Aurélie, is originally from France—even though she just started singing in French after moving to Sweden. That choice paid off for CIKATRI$: already, the band has gained significant critical acclaim—they participated in SXSW 2015 and even toured around the Southern states for two weeks.

Their latest video for "La Lumière se courbe" - taken off of their upcoming LP, set to drop sometime in 2016 - begins to back up the praise they've received. It's a dusty, dreamy window at the band traveling through the Southern states and playing SXSW 2015. Muted colors, cinematically banal American towns and desert landscapes float in front of you as the band takes the stage through a grainy lens. It's seductively calm and trippy—which is a fitting ambience match to the song. "La Lumière se courbe" is woozy and wailing, yet sensual. It juxtapozes the wobbly, fuzzed-out stoner sounds of classic psychedelia with the vintage, soulful vibe of French songstresses your mother probably listens to. As Aurélie croons about returning to darkness and disappearing, you might as well sink into her French spell and ride away with her into the desert sun. - Noisey by Polina Bachlakova

CIKATRI$ brings us an exotic combination of sexy French vocals, mixed in with a concoction of 60’s lo-fi Swedish garage rock.
The video for “La Lumière se courbe”, which is taken off CIKATRI$’s upcoming LP set for a release in 2016 is a dreamy recollection of the band’s time touring around Southern states, and debuting at SXSW in 2015. Aurélie’s vocals lure you in as she sings in French, in this trippy yet explosive beautiful composition. Rare vocal energy is joined alongside psychedelic squeals from the guitars and feedback and suddenly you’re thrown into the bad part of the trip. However not all is lost as you’re transported back into the monged out state, guided by Aurélie’s enticing vocals. - Zoe Thorpe, Tight Blue Jeans

Swedish "keytar-punk" band CIKATRI$ performs in the Imperial Valley Press' printing press room March 27, 2015. This is the first in an ongoing series of live original music recorded at the IVPress titled PRESS Play. - Imperial Valley Press

Pity the poor keytar, an instrument that will forever be associated with badly permed guys wearing blue duster jackets. It’s physically impossible to look like a badass while playing a keytar. Unless you’re Aurélie Ferriere, of course.

Aurélie is the vocalist ringleader of Cikatri$, a Stockholm-based avant-punk quartet that employs a bright red Korg to beat their warhorse genre with a different whip. Though the band’s Swedish, Ferr herself is French – as are her lyrics. Don’t let the dollar sign at the end of the group’s moniker fool you.

It means scar.

Taking the tiny 720 Club stage in front of a sparse early evening crowd, Ferr and company kept the intensity level high, burning through key-infused souvenirs of hardcore dystopia. At times, the blonde, dark shades-sporting chanteuse resembled a Francophone cross between Nico and Penelope Houston, unflinchingly cool yet dramatically deranged when the song called for it.

Sixties garage influences also crept in, particularly on “Je suis C,” which wouldn’t sound out of place alongside the Love Me Nots. “Le Voleur de Châleur” from 2013’s Oui Le Deux Non Non Non EP lit a torch song then lunged full-throttle midway through. A couple one-minute buzz bombs came off structurally underdeveloped, but the band made up for it with “La Lumière se courbe,” a five-minute creep into infernal abandon.

The take-home lesson was clear. If someone asks whether you want more keytar in the mix, the only acceptable answer is, “Oui.”
BY JOHN ANDERSON - The Austin Chronicle

"Det finns redan för många band vi vill se"

Musik- och film-festivalen SXSW går av stapeln idag och svensk/franska CIKATRI$ är ett av festivalens aktuella band. Vi har bett bandet lista några spelningar och platser som du inte får missa om du ska besöka festivalen.

Tips om spelningar:

– Svårt att säga. Det finns redan för många band vi vill se, och mycket mer kommer dyka upp så småningom. Tror vi ska försöka se grejer som bokas av Panache, Levitation, Hype Hotel ... Och kanske se Zombies om vi hinner innan vårt första showcase.

Tips om platser:

Hotel Vegas
En trailer space som ligger vid hörnet längre ner på samma gata
Spider House
Trailer Space Records
The French Legation Museum!

CIKATRI$ är ett svenskt punkband som sjunger på franska och de släppte sin första EP 2012. De spelar den 19 och 21 mars på SXSW. - GAFFA

CIKATRI$ is a true diamond in the rough. With a sound that defies classification they do essentially whatever they want. Lovely noise permeates the entire collection. Vocal delivery gives the songs a sense of decadence. By taking on this approach CIKATRI$ at times feels quite romantic. Hyperactive at times the work blasts through with a style reminiscent of Stereolab’s early work, when they were into distortion, before they went into clean perfect tones.

Perhaps the best approximation of Stereolab appears on their defiant opener “Quand me réveillerai-je ?”. The chorus adds to the overall sense of power. Drums thrash, synthesizers are put to good use, and guitars are distorted beyond belief. Burning through its running length is the blast of sound called “Qui le fera ?”. A quiet introduction opens “Tombée Amoureuse” before it too descends into chaos. A lonely horn and marshal rhythms define the collection’s highlight, the rambunctious “Quand la Nuit Tombe sur Nous”. Here CIKATRI$ hit their stride. About halfway through the song they deliver an elegant sweep of sound, going beyond their punk roots into something much more cinematic. Tension is built up higher and higher until it finally reaches a fevered pitch at the end, releasing themselves into a rhythm-less cacophony of a drone. Bringing things to a close in fine fashion is the absolute rush of “L'Espace”.

On “Aïe ! - le trois” CIKATRI$ proves that punk is still alive and kicking.

As there is a distinct amount of warmth which emanates from this band it makes sense that ultimately they would be playing at SXSW this year along with multiple shows across the hottest part of the United States, the southwest. Below are some of the places interested parties might want to attend, with times and dates thrown in for good measure;
(…) - Beach Sloth

“...The band has a way of mixing noise, punk, and pop sensibilities to create a serious garage punk style that you are not going to find with many bands. As you listen to their latest double 7” record, you are completely enthralled with the silky smooth vocals and frenetic pacing of the guitar, drums, and bass. Oh, let’s not forget the keytar which is used prominently here. The record pushes through a lot of great nose and fuzz on the way to delivering a truly unique experience.” - SellOutRecords

“...my ears...dear readers...they still managed to pick up on quite a bit and have the most unreal & incredible audio-experience listening to Cikatri$. I’m not the only one either; this band has an extraordinary buzz coming from more than just their amplifiers – they’ll be featured at infamous SXSW in two official showcases this very March. And with good reason! This music packs an incredible punch and really has a lasting impact. (...) Track number three...as I mentioned...was something altogether unexpected. It’s a short little-ditty...and the first time it managed to fly by my eardrums without me actually catching WHAT I was listening to. “Tombée Amoureuse,” sung in French of course, is still unmistakably “Fell In Love With A Girl” by the White Stripes...and what an extraordinary cover. With an anti-punk, melodic & string-infused opening, this rendition begins subtly before exploding into a ferocious punk that would make Jack White grin with pride… (…) - SleepingBag

I don't know French but I know a fast song when I hear one, and French/Swedish band CIKATRI$'s "Quand Me Réveillerai-je ?" fits the category pretty well. Just put a wig on and get that keytar going. The song is taken from the band's upcoming third EP Aïe !, which like their previous releases probably will be pretty super extra low-fi, just the way we like it. - Noisey Scandinavia

Dans les années 90, les compilations La Souterraine seraient certainement parues sous le label Lithium qui avait lancé des "petits" groupes comme Oslo Telescopic, Diabologum, Da Capo, Mendelson, Holden ou des artistes comme Dominique A, Jérôme Minière, Bertrand Betsch ou Delaney. "Tous les soirs, dans le noir, les fantômes de mes souvenirs se penchent sur moi". Dés les premiers mots de "Quand me réveillerai-je" c'est à Delaney que j'ai pensé, puis les guitares et keytars rageurs m'ont emmenés vers Oslo Telescopic, pour finir dans le punk-rock alternatif français du début des années 80. Cikatri$ prétend faire du "punk français à destination exclusive des punks suédois", mais leur univers est bien plus étendu. Vivement une distribution en France ! - Chloro Phil, Pop news

(...) Dessutom har Dennis på Rundgång i Malmö börjat släppa saker på egen etikett, Rundgång Rekords, där det sedermera kommer samlings-vinyler som dokumenterar den punk och indie som hade ett pulserande liv i en tid som inte är så avlägsen som man kan tro. Och just andra släppet är postpunk på franska med Cikatris, en bäbisskär vinyl-ep, sex korta låtar med både tempo, mer tempo och, om man får säga så, ren chanson, ett rejält fynd att både ge syrran som konfirmationspresent och mamma i julklapp – melodier utan hejarramserefränger, men de sitter kvar ändå, en utmärkt skiva, som om Garbochock bytt språk och börjat lira sina lp-skivor på 45 varv. Typ. - Jan-Erik Zandersson, Nya Upplagan

In July 2012 CIKATRI$ is invited to play Sweden's largest free festival in Skellefteå (Northern Sweden). On the same day, the band performs an acoustic set for Hammock Sessions, which is released as a video on the organization's website. - Hammock Sessions

Cikatri$
Folkhemmet
Fyra fjärilar av fem
Bäst: Den röda keytaren!
Sämst: Jag förstår inte bandnamnet …
Explosiva korta punklåtar sjungen på franska fyllde hela Folkhemmet på lördagen. Jag höll på att missa dem totalt, men vips stod jag och gungade fötterna till Remords. Det är ju också det här som är toppen med Trästock. Att man hittar nya härliga grupper där man minst väntar det. Jag hoppas att de kommer tillbaka och får spela på en större scen. - Linnea & Magnus Hedelilja

Ett intressant tillskott till mitt musiklyssnande. Ett band som lirar punk med bland annat en keytar och lagom oortodox approach till hur punk bör och ska låta, vilket är intressant i dessa tider då det finns mycket likriktning.
CIKATRI$ består utav Aurélie, Nina, Sanna och Dennis. Det intressanta med detta band var att Aurélie ursprungligen kommer från Frankrike, men började inte sjunga på franska förrän hon anlände till Stockholm. Efter att hon hade anlänt så hoppade Nina, Sanna och Dennis snabbt på tåget – tillsammans med en keytar. Hittills har de spelat in två album, det första vid namn “CIKATRI$ M’A TUER” som spelades in sommaren 2011 och släpptes sedan i December samma år på Sax Records.

De har även släppt en andra EP som heter “Oui Le Deux Non Non Non“, som går att lyssna på helt gratis via deras bandcamp. Men hittills har den inte släppts och därför tänkte Invisible Guy streama deras andra album här nedanför. Så klicka, lyssna och njut av det franska språket och lite annorlunda punk. - Invisible guy

RATING: 8.9/10 – TOP TRASH
Swedish punk sung in French reviewed by an American writer. Globalization’s nuts. I know maybe 10 words in French, so I’ve no clue what they’re singing about, but it’s fast, it’s catchy, and it’ll get you moving. The band makes use of keytar, giving them a really strong LOST SOUNDS vibe, but it’s not used as a gimmick or a LOOK AT US – it’s just another instrument, put to excellent use on tracks like “Remords,” shooting the track through with some awesome squiggly Atari vibes. The song instantly burrows into your skull, even if you haven’t got the faintest clue what it might be about. This 84 second rager is over before you blink, but this veers into the utterly inexplainable “Le Voleur de Chaleur.” This track opens with a minute-long ye-ye detour – FRANCOISE HARDY vibes abounding, before dropping into a wasteland of fuzz as the party is suddenly crashed by ripping hardcore. Next comes “Le Vague Noire,” a mid-tempo song adorned by spoken vocals. The Game Boy sonic aesthetic works here really well. The keytar is immediately recognizable and adds to the music, but also shares space with the guitar on tracks like “Questions.”

The point is: Keytars aren’t a novelty here. It’s used to the same efficacy as any other instrument, and all 6 songs on this are winners. This isn’t being put out by any label yet, but it ought to be. - Wax Trash