Marylou Mayniel is a French musician known by the stage name of Oklou, a young singer-songwriter who creates cosmic cotton candy with an ethereal voice and soothing synths. The result is a sound that combines the seductive side of Dido with the brilliant beats of James Blake.

God’s Chariots shows Mayniel has talent galore – Galore being the title of her debut mixtape, which she released in September 2020. It’s the product of an increasing fascination with electronic music that came to light after a classical education for piano and cello during her early years growing up in the countryside of west France.

A relocation to Paris in 2015, followed by a move to London, allowed Mayniel to become immersed in DJ culture, which further fostered her development as an artist. Her narrative dreamscapes feature an almost whispered intimacy that draws the listener into her experimental sound.

In the Internet Age, when practically anyone with a laptop computer and a bedroom can aspire to make music, it’s easy to dismiss new artists who are desperate to be heard. But Mayniel is the real thing, so remember the name of Oklou as someone to watch. There’s an unmistakable delicateness to her sound that is positively empowering.