Berlin-based Rikas drop Sophomore Album - OUT NOW
Credit: Lisa Nguyen
Rikas, an ensemble born from the depths of profound friendship, embodies a unique blend of musical prowess and distinctive style. The Berlin-based four-piece are known for their brisk, easygoing harmonies, anthemic choruses, and egalitarian style, where each member contributes equally to songwriting and shares the spotlight both in the studio and on stage. The breezy alt-pop band have been in forward motion with each other since their earliest days starting out in their hometown of Stuttgart. Now, guitarist and keyboardist Sascha Scherer, bassist Sam Luca Baisch, drummer Ferdinand Hübner, and guitarist Chris Ronge are unveiling their riveting sophomore album, Soundtrack For A Movie That Has Not Been Written Yet.
With an underlying theme of motion and driving, the band were inspired by their travels during the creation of the album. Written across Berlin, Los Angeles and also in Amsterdam with Benny Sings, Sascha shares, “I think a lot of bands have trouble staying still. When you stop touring and moving to a new city each day, you feel lost. I feel like our new album is capturing that feeling of go, go, go.” This feeling of inertia contains layers: there’s a sense of restlessness, but also brotherhood and camaraderie—feelings Rikas aim to depict in each of the album’s videos.
Following their warm and inviting 2019 debut album, Showtime, and two interim EPs (2021’s Short Stories and 2022’s Goodbye Sunshine), Soundtrack For A Movie That Has Not Been Written Yet promises to be Rikas’ most cohesive and contemplative project yet, with 11 brisk yet beautiful tracks that showcase the band’s tight tempos and mellow delivery.
Opening soundtrack is “Bike In LA,” a mid-tempo, piano-led ballad that reflects Rikas’ excitement to be in Southern California and simultaneous bemusement at how little distance a two-wheeler will cover in Los Angeles. “We rented a car, and it was such a different world to the one we were used to in Europe,” says Sam, who is German-American. “We did everything with that car. It was like such a contrast to the city life we have here in Berlin, where I can walk everywhere.” Sascha adds: “It means that finding our path, shaping our art and growing our relationships takes patience. Because you have to find out how your vehicle works and therefore where it belongs.”
The album also includes the psychedelic groover “Passenger,” where Rikas invites their audience to ride with them on the band’s unpredictable yet undeniably rewarding journey. “The moment that we wrote ‘Passenger’ was late in the process of making the album,” Sascha says. “The record made more sense to me after writing it. Before going into the mixing process, we were on holiday for two weeks during the summer. Sam and I came back and talked about what our plans are now. After we had some coffee, we started to make music. The recording process is not as creative as writing, sometimes. It felt like we were leaving to just play music and write. ‘Passenger’ finished in a day. It had to go on the record because it closes this chapter off.”
As Rikas look to the future, the release of Soundtrack For A Movie That Has Not Been Written Yet, will be accompanied by a European headline tour and festival appearances. Feeling refreshed and renewed, the quartet are ready to take on just about anything.
Tour Dates 2025:
01.3.25 Barcelona, Heliogabal
05.3.25 Amsterdam, Cinetol
26.3.25 Paris, Le Hazard Ludique
28.3.25 London, The Grace
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