REVIEW: Oklou in San Francisco
REVIEW
REVIEW
☆ BY GEORGE AWWAD ☆
In a breakout year for Oklou, the French artist behind Choke Enough also had to postpone the original leg of her North American tour following the birth of her child. The seven month delay only seemed to heighten anticipation. By the time she finally arrived at The Independent in San Francisco, the crowd’s energy certainly reflected months of buildup as the album released earlier in February had been on repeat for many in the crowd.
The 75-minute set opened on a quiet, almost sacred note. “ict” began to play with its soft trumpet and flute instrumental weaving through the dark as Oklou stepped onto the stage wearing a headlamp, her face barely visible. It was certainly an intimate and otherworldly entrance. The melancholy tone set the mood for the night as she eased into “Thank You for Recording” and “Obvious,” her voice felt assured like she was still finding her footing onstage but completely in control of the world she had built from Choke Enough.
On stage with Oklou was long-time producer and collaborator Casey MQ, who had been there since the beginning forming a friendship early into the SoundCloud origins of avril23, one of Oklou’s earlier monikers. The mutual respect of each other’s work was always evident as Casey MQ had previously performed cover songs from Oklou’s Galore record during his own North America tour. Midway through the setlist we also see Casey take center stage to perform his own track “The Make Believe” with Oklou on guitar.
As the night unfolded, Oklou drifted between her more danceable tracks and introspective moments, often letting instrumental passages swell before cutting back into her voice. Standout songs such as “take me by the hand” and “harvest sky” became the most engaging part of the set on this tour with the projector visuals shining brightest in the backdrop. Finally, songs such as A.G. Cook's remix of “Fall” and the extended “Choke Enough” formed the emotional peak of the show — moments that felt like both release and rebirth. Her performance captured the duality of her current phase: maternal tenderness wrapped in avant-pop textures.
Of course, Oklou would have to close the setlist with an encore pairing of “Want to Wanna Come Back” and “Blade Bird”. The night and tour altogether was a quiet statement of renewal, confirming that Oklou’s next chapter is already in full bloom.
