Wikiake

About

Riki (born March 8, 1997) is an American synthpop artist based in Los Angeles, California.

Career

Previously going under the stage name Niff Nawor, she had been an active member of several bands in the California underground punk/goth scene, before founding her solo project, Riki, in 2017. After a putting out a few independent releases, she signed to Dais Records (home to other high-profile electronic artists such as Stephen Mallinder, Drab Majesty, and ADULT.) in 2019, and released her self-titled full-length debut album on Valentine’s Day of 2020. Plans to tour this album, however, were postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic that hit the United States shortly after. Working with renowned producer Joshua Eustis/Telefon Tel Aviv, she released her second album on Dais, Gold in November 2021, and followed this up with extensive tours in North America and Europe. Throughout 2021 and 2022, she played several notable festivals and shared the stage with bands such as Front 242, Stabbing Westward, Cold Cave, and Boy Harsher, among others.

2023 will see Riki play the Pasadena, CA-based 80’s pop festival Cruel World Fest, on a bill that includes Iggy Pop, Siouxsie Sioux, Billy Idol, among many others.

Influences

Riki’s sound and aesthetics draw primarily upon influences from 1980’s pop and new wave music, and has been compared to Bryan Ferry, Nena, Cocteau Twins, the early music of Madonna, as well as the New Romantic, Neue Deutsche Welle and Italo Disco movements.

Members

Riki – vocals, keyboards, drum machine, programming, bass guitar, melodica.

Discography

Studio albums

• Riki (2020, Dais)
• Gold (2021, Dais)

Singles & EPs

• Hot City (2017, Symphony Of Destruction/Commodity Tapes)
• Know Thyself (2018, self-released tour cassette)

Music Videos

• “Napoleon” (2019, dir. Amanda Siegel)
• “Earth Song” (2020, dir. Amanda Siegel)
• “Marigold” (2021, dir. Muted Widows)
• “Florence & Selena” (2021, dir. Travis Waddell)

In popular culture

Film

The 2022 suspense/thriller film Watcher directed by Chloe Okuno, starring Maika Monroe and Karl Glusman features the track “Come Inside” from Riki’s self-titled debut album. The song is played when the protagonist, Julia, follows the stranger into a club.