Web: ashnikko.com
When it comes to musicians, and indeed all artists, the most intriguing, compelling, and ultimately interesting individuals are those who keep you guessing. What exactly is this person doing? What genre do they fit into? What the hell are they going to do next? The best artists don’t allow you to answer those questions comfortably before they’ve shape-shifted in another direction and tangled your brain up in knots. Ashnikko is one such artist.
We first caught Ashnikko at Coachella a few years ago. Playing late in the day on one of the tented stages, we could only sample a few songs before moving on to whomever was performing on the main stage, but what we did hear stayed with us and we made a mental note to dig deeper into Ashnikko’s world.
As it turned out, 2021’s Demidevil mixtape is a bit of a masterpiece, while the Weedkiller and Smoochies albums that would follow solidified Ashnikko’s rep as one of the most artistically vibrant, gloriously colorful and just damned talented contemporary musicians on the circuit. She seamlessly blends the most “now” genres, resulting in a sound that is very much hers. Hyper-pop meets alt-pop meets hip-hop meets dance, all of which would just be a word salad if not for the fact that the songs are huge! The most infectious melodies and sing-along lyrics working to the benefit of gorgeous queer anthems.
At the Shrine on a Friday night in late March, it felt like L.A.’s most flamboyant contingent was out in force to celebrate Ashnikko, to bask in her glowing presence. Gleefully basking in the adoration, Ashnikko turned in a performance that was theatrical, cheeky, and magical in a cartoonish sort of way. Ashnikko has long dabbled with anime imagery; at the Shrine, with blue hair bouncing and eyes wide, she looked every inch the animated heroine.
It all kicked off with an Alice in Wonderland-esque narrative about Ashnikko finding some sort of a hidden doorway (possibly at the bottom of her purse, if we heard correctly), crawling through it, and finding herself on stage. Apparently surprised to suddenly be faced with a room full of brightly made-up Angelenos (you have to admire her commitment to the bit), Ashnikko dove straight into “Working B*tch” from 2019’s Hi, It’s Me EP.
It’s an interesting way to start the show. On the surface, the artist has songs that drop harder and stimulate adrenaline levels to a greater degree. That said, this song is a simple, effective statement of intent. Yes, the show is magical but behind it all is a lot of grind.
Next was “Microplastics” from Smoochies. “I want you in my body like microplastics,” she sings, boldly melding sensuality with, um, pollution. From there, the set continued to build momentum. “Smoochie Girl” and “Lip Smacker” dial up the intensity, all pulsing beats and poetically suggestive lyrics.
“You Make Me Sick” is one of her punkier tunes, a caustic gem from Weedkiller, and that exploded in L.A. “Stupid,” the single that saw Ashnikko join forces with Baby Tate, sounded equally incendiary. “Nothing about you is attractive to me,” she sings—a middle finger to the cis-centric patriarchy.
The set just kept getting better. The industrial-tinged “Chokehold Cherry Python” if a grimy, stunning anthem. “I Want My Boyfriends to Kiss” is a future EDM gay club classic. “Itty Bitty,” from the new album, is the ode to short skirts that we didn’t know we needed. “Itty bitty teeny tiny little sl*tty skirt,” she sings, in a show of unapologetic female empowerment.
When we finally reached the absolute joy of “Slumber Party,” we knew that the end was nigh. “I’m not shy, I’ll say it, I’ve been picturing you naked,” Ashnikko purrs, before she’s joined by rapper Princess Nokia and the Shrine rejoices.
“Daisy,” also from Demidevil, ends the night. “I’m crazy but you like that,” she croons, throwing in knowing cackles. The thing is, she’s absolutely right. Her artistically unhinged demeanor is a huge part of her appeal because, again, it means that we can’t see what’s coming. Ashnikko keeps us guessing, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
