Live Report: Oklou turns darkness into light on the Academy stage

French artist Oklou has an enchanting and mysterious way about her.

She was able to stay under the radar until 2025 when her debut album choke enough made waves among the contemporary electronic scene with hits like 'harvest sky' and 'blade bird'. She has been placed on nearly every major album of year list and has also recently collaborated with the likes of PinkPantheress and FKA Twigs. Each one of these feats have been accomplished amid a pregnancy and the months following the birth of her first child.

She doesn’t limit herself. Her music is genre-bending and otherworldly, taking a dip into cyberspace and fairyland - wherever these two spheres intersect.

Dublin fans at The Academy show on Wednesday evening were lucky enough to see her at what will probably be one of her final small venue shows as her career continues to skyrocket.

The evening began with a flirty little opening set from London RnB singer George Riley. She performed sexy upbeat electronic-dance tunes such as 'Drip' off her latest album More Is More, and her 2023 single 'S E X'. A DJ spun behind her, and seemed as enamoured with her quirks and playful dances as the rest of us. Her vocal style and overall cheeky charisma was evocative of early 2000s RnB stars. Her vocal range and perfect pitch took each note higher and higher, performing each whistle note like she'd been possessed by Solange herself - the audience could only stand in awe, as if entranced by a love potion.

Any gaps within the crowd had been filled between the sets as the venue filled to capacity. Darkness is typically the signal that the main event is about to begin. Instead, a soft light illuminated a white backdrop, with Oklou's hand pressing behind as shadow play. She emerged from behind the curtain with headlight like tiara upon her braided crown, her energy graceful and full of whimsy.

Set pieces included two tables, tall and short, both covered in white sheets. A DJ manned the taller surface, with the floor level one made up with a DJ deck, keyboard and microphone for a kneeling Oklou.

Oklou was not cautious in her movements, perching on the surfaces like a bird, as she moved her head from side to side, with beams shining like a lighthouse across a sea of concertgoers. If the light shone across your face, it wasn't harsh - it almost felt like being chosen, as if this brief moment of spotlight was the your individual moment of connection with the singer.

After playing a brief introduction on recorder, she opened with 'ict', the 5th track off of choke enough. Throughout the night, she played the project in full, remaining true to the recorded versions but with just enough acoustic flare and variation to keep things interesting.

"This is my first time performing in Ireland," she told fans expecting some sort of Björk reference (it didn't happen). "My mother is actually obsessed with Irish culture. Funnily enough, works as an Irish dance teacher in France."

Her softness and hesitation when speaking brought a humility to performance. She recently opened to a crowd of thousands at select shows of Lorde's Ultrasound tour, and has additionally supported Caroline Polachek - still her innate shyness and 'newcomer' energy comes through in a way that makes the intimate Academy show feel all the more worthy of being treasured.

One of the most compelling parts of the concert was the light animations projected onto the white backdrop. From faint images like expired film of dancing figures, to the swirls and veiny illuminated outlines creating the digital artwork of her latest album - it all glowed behind her, changing with each mood or song. During feet-stomping dance moments like her performance of 'harvest sky' (where the entire room seemed to shake), flashes of white light would crack through the stage, embodying every mental picture the audience took throughout the night.

Another highlight came when Oklou, through a film of orange tinted mist, took to her knees and sat at her DJ decks, her hands gliding across the keyboard to play 'What's good' off the deluxe version of her debut album. The audience held their breath as she sang the electronic lullaby which discusses the acceptance of an ending relationship. It's songs like this where you can appreciate an artist tapping in to a nuanced emotion.

In a moment of complete darkness, Oklou brought out a silver wig and a sequin cap like something out of the roaring twenties. A single spotlight shone at the back of her head, with light refractions of the sequins dotting the room like crystals in the sky. This type of performance art was unique and visually breathtaking  as she performed 'choke enough'.

Her encore performance brought her back with an acoustic guitar in hand, gracing fans with favourites such as 'blade bird' and 'want to wanna come back' - songs of love, friendship and heartbreak, but which ultimately capture the beauty of having loved and lost. It was the perfect opportunity for the audience to sing along, dwelling on the final moments of their favourite songwriter before she makes the next moves into complete stardom.