Ashnikko - DEMIDEVIL

After a bit of release date shuffling, it feels like we’ve been waiting for Ashnikko’s much-heralded ‘DEMIDEVIL’ for forever. That heightened sense of anticipation is part of the magic, though.

Anything but boring, the skittish, fast-moving nature of its arrival only speaks to the raw energy of the artist behind it. Big, brash and bold, Ashnikko never pulls a single punch.

Deliberately and joyously provocative, her genre-free, magpie tendencies are perfectly pitched but never desaturated. ‘Deal With It’, sampling Kelis’ iconic ‘Caught Out There’, manages to be both melodic and right up in your face, while ‘L8r Boi’ - yes, a reworking of Avril’s ‘Sk8r Boi’ - is ludicrous in the best way.

As introductions go, it’s certainly memorable.