Aili

About

Aili is one half of Aili & Orson, a Belgian Japanese electropop duo made up of Aili Maruyama and Orson Wouters. Their sound is a bridge between Europe and Asian pop nostalgia: experimental synthpop and tight leftfield electronics mixed with the warm, polished melodies of 80s Japanese city pop. Think deep synth basslines and catchy grooves under a punchy surface, with a playful, ironic streak running through it. They made their name with the debut album Nandakke?, followed by a second record, Care Wa Doko?. That one leans deeper and more melancholic, adds new instruments and their first collaborations with guest musicians, and takes aim at the pressure to stay relevant and keep producing in a world that never stops overstimulating us. Eleven tracks swing between vulnerability and real strength.