——— Yaelokre (UK)
If you ever feel as if music has lost its capacity for surprise, the beguiling wonder and infinite creativity of Yaelokre will respark your belief. The 20 year old Filipino-Icelandic artist - real name Keath Ósk (they/it) - fuses three imaginative strands to their visionary expression: intimate, innocent folk infused with leftfield surrealism and instant pop accessibility; artwork which is intricately detailed and beautifully alluring; and storytelling which brings personal experience and poetry into rich, fable-like narratives. What’s more, all three of these elements are crafted by this one artist…a truly unique creative polymath.
The scale of the fantastical world they have created is vast, both in terms of narrative and lore. But its essence is relatively simple. The songs are set in the fictional world of Meadowlark and chart the adventures of four masked children who comprise a musical ensemble known at The Lark: Cole Seymour, Clémente Dearworth, Peregrine August, and Kingsley. They perform as representatives of The Harkers, mythical beings who express the fundamental principles of nature, wonder and chaos. What’s more, Yaelokre voices all of the different characters within their universe.
This immersive, escapist story is largely inspired by Yaelokre’s own life. The four Larks represent different stages of their childhood, and writing their songs felt cathartic for their creator. “This project revolves around lessons that I’ve learned from life.” Those recurring lessons vary in nature, but those wisdoms all feel like universal truths. “The main lesson is to listen, be kind and spread compassion. Be courageous. Do not let yourself be fenced in. Chaos is natural, and it’s not always a bad thing. You have to mind the past so you can find a better future. You need to be open-minded. And most importantly, you need to live in the moment: now is more important than anything.”
And while on first listen there’s a childlike innocence to the project, you only need to scratch the surface of its lyrics to reveal flashes of gothic horror which reflect the savagery of the natural world.
While that’s all fascinating, you may also feel that from what we’ve revealed that Yaelokre’s artistry is for a very niche audience. This couldn’t be more wrong. Since debuting the project in January 2024, Yaelkore has released seven tracks which have already amassed 180 million streams at Spotify. Their following is also fervently passionate, with huge engagement at TikTok from their 1.5 million followers, a vast 50-page fan-created Wiki, and a sub-Reddit packed with theories, fan art and cosplay.
While the confrontational tone of much of social media can be draining, the Wonderfolk fandom feels a happy exception. It’s easy to imagine that for many, the community is a safe space for outsiders and an escape from the stresses of daily life. And whether Yaelkore is talking about their art or their fanbase, the word compassion recurs like a mantra.
That interest is sure to be intensified exponentially with the new single ‘Cole’s Response’ (Listen Here). It’s both captivating and a curiosity as Yaelokre brings these characters to life with a vocal of pure expression and idiosyncratic cadence, as well as their engaging voice acting.
As for the song’s theme, they explain: “It is Cole’s response to Clémente’s affection. Sometimes when you cannot comprehend something, it gets very overwhelming, in this case Cole as a child is experiencing a sort of ‘puppy love’ for the first time. They do not fully understand what it is just yet, the song is written as though Cole is suffocating, but at the end of it realises that it doesn’t really matter, and everything is okay.”
The potential for Yaelokre is plain to see, its arresting hybrid of music, imagery and folklore both lending itself to a wide-range of artistic mediums and making for a live show quite unlike anything else - a tour is to be announced soon. For Keath, Yaelokre presents an opportunity to fulfil multiple ambitions via one artistic outlet….Welcome to the fantastical world of this 16th century minstrel recast into the streaming age.
——— INFO
Tickets on sale 30/05 - 10:00
• Witloof Bar (Botanique) / Doors 19:30
• Bota'Carte 19.5€ (
https://bit.ly/Bota_Carte)
• Ticket 22.5€
• Day of show 25.5€
(costs included)
——— TICKETS
FR:
https://botanique.be/fr/concert/yaelokre-2025
NL:
https://botanique.be/nl/concert/yaelokre-2025
EN:
https://botanique.be/en/concert/yaelokre-2025
——— TAKE THE CONCERT TRAIN
With the SNCB code on your concert ticket you can buy a nominative Bravo! Ticket Bota at a very budget friendly fare. These E-train tickets are available exclusively on bit.ly/BravoTicketBota
You may also like the following events from Botanique:
Also check out other
Arts events in Brussels,
Music events in Brussels,
Entertainment events in Brussels.
