October 14, 2022 - Ending the year on a high note, LA-based alt-pop artist Lakookala is ready to drop her highly anticipated self-produced LP “Post Rebellion”. Composed of 10 hard-hitting tracks, the accomplished audio engineer, producer and buzzing recording artist presents an intimate project that tells stories of leaving elements of her past behind. Confronting personal shadows of her post-rebellious years, she brilliantly captures a relatable message for anyone who is ready to or who has moved on with a new chapter in their lives. Much like a book, life progresses in chapters and Lakookala aka Nicole Ranalli is ready to greet the next phase of personal and musical evolution. Utilizing electronic sounds more than she had in her previous works, this album was created at home using drum machines, experimental guitar noise, ableton, ambient noise, and even phone samples hooks. Marking “Post Rebellion” as the beginning of a new journey, she uses the concept of shadow work, opening a brand new chapter for her sound.
Having led with songs like “The Wrong Places”, Ranalli isn’t afraid to confront tough topics like society's lens on women’s sexuality and how it affects women-identifying individuals' ability to feel internally fulfilled. Paired with tracks like “Outside of Your Body” we are also given a glimpse into the trauma we collectively faced during the pandemic and how it affected Ranalli on a personal level. The vulnerable and versatile project introduces a refreshing level of honesty from an artist who isn’t afraid to put her feelings on the table in an effort to confront them, celebrate them and move past them in order to welcome new beginnings. In “Post Rebellion”, Ranalli saw herself as a student of the project, utilizing sound design to match the tone of the story that she wanted to tell. Often compared to artists like Karen O, P.J. Harvey and PiL, we witness influence from some of our generation's timeless artists in combination with Ranalli’s uniquely refreshing individual spark.
“Personally, while working on the final sessions for Post-Rebellion (Last summer tracking, this summer mixing), in addition to coping with the collective trauma of the pandemic, I spent a lot of time grieving my old life. My Grandfather, the patriarch of our family died, my cousin who I was very closely raised with was killed, I lost my cats, had my first solo art show as a painter, went through a divorce, and started living out as a bi-queer person. This album and time period for me was the literal death and birth of me, in a sense.” ~ Nicole Ranalli aka Lakookala
About Lakookala: Blending post-punk inspired bass, infectious vocals, sparse synths and downtempo back-beats, Lakookala embodies an elevated alternative & post-punk style that is modern and bright, angry and heavy, youthful yet soulful. During live shows, she leads her band as both a drummer and vocalist. Tattoo Magazine has said that Lakookala's music "seethes with low-slung spectral coloration and delicate yet dense allusions." The multi-talented artist presents a unique and personalized style to the Lakookala project; her introspective storytelling delivers a raw, emotional vibe that we’ve so desperately needed.
