Retriever
Retriever, or the fantasy of the Beach Boys’ West Coast and cool jazz revisited through a French touch 2.0 lens. That’s one way to describe the universe of this trio (Fr–Swe–Be) who compose, arrange and produce all of their music themselves. A true lesson in pop: airy, elegant and deeply cinematic. Vintage sound textures, subtly jazzy harmonies and contemplative atmospheres… Paradoxically, Retriever evokes the vertigo of wide open spaces while providing the comfort of a reassuring cocoon. It is precisely these contrasts that give the band its distinctive signature. Likewise—and this is precious—the group’s influences are never explicit. It is up to each listener to recognize echoes of Bryan Ferry or David Sylvian’s elegance, the modern pop melancholy of the Canadian trio Men I Trust, or the electronic components of the French touch. From the immediate and deeply cinematic single Purple (3M views on YouTube) to Jaguars, via Air or the perfectly sunlit single Murmur, an intoxicating and rare fragrance emerges—one that belongs to music living at the crossroads of sophistication and simplicity, exploration and discovery, risk and comfort. Retriever as a pop ideal.
Isabel Sörling
Swedish voice improviser, composer and musician, Isabel Sörling has been based in Paris since 2010. Trained at the Gothenburg Academy and the Conservatoire National Supérieur, she navigates between experimental jazz, Scandinavian tradition, electronics and progressive rock — a voice both powerful and free, almost mystical. Her album Mareld, released on IKI Records in 2020, won the Victoires du Jazz vocal artist nomination. She has collaborated with Ibrahim Maalouf, Airelle Besson, Anne Paceo and composed for Yann Arthus-Bertrand's documentary Human.
Nicolas Charlier
Drummer, sound engineer and producer, Nicolas Charlier is the founder of IKI Records. Trained at the CNSMDP and the Centre des Musiques Didier Lockwood, he has performed with Thomas Enhco, Emile Parisien, Leïla Martial and the Didier Lockwood Sextet. As a member of Retriever, he brings rhythmic precision and production instinct to the group's cinematic pop. Behind the console, he shapes the sonic identity of IKI — bridging jazz sensibility with contemporary production.
Kyrie Kristmanson
Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist and trumpeter, Kyrie Kristmanson settled in Paris to study the lost melodies of medieval women troubadours at La Sorbonne. Her universe is a kaleidoscope of folk, baroque pop, electronics and ancient energy — drawing comparisons to Kate Bush and Jeanne Added. From Origin of Stars on No Format! to Floralia, a cycle of songs dedicated to Flora, goddess of nature, she moves between the Versailles Castle, quantum physics and the troubadour tradition. Winner of the Canadian Folk Music Award, she has opened for Feist and collaborated with Brendan Perry of Dead Can Dance.
François Foulquier
Musician, composer and producer based in Versailles. François Foulquier works across genres — from composition to sound design — crafting textured, atmospheric music that blurs the line between the organic and the electronic.