Æ MAK is back with another giddy electro-pop track in the form of “Baked Cheesecake,” one of the three delectable songs found on the Irish artist’s new Berlin EP. It’s the second collection of songs they’ve released since their debut how to: make a kitsch pop song to show the world EP which arrived back in 2020. Since then, Æ MAK has done anything but make music that is purely or trivially kitsch. Releasing ecstatically frayed and emotionally majestic singles like “Shimmer Boy” and “Sun God, I’ll Be Your Woman.”
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“Baked Cheesecake” — as well as the whole EP itself — serves as an account of the artist’s tumultuous move to Berlin. One that recollects vivid impressions of memories and buoyant sensory experiences, which are spliced into Æ MAK’s bombastic art pop giddiness. Surreal and intimate the track reveals the curious allure of their various fixations, from wearing their favorite dog collar (worn by flamingos on the EP cover) to swallowing their gushing emotions alongside baked cheesecake.
“‘Baked Cheesecake’ is about moving over to Berlin with my best mate El,” Æ MAK explained on Instagram. “We moved in with our beaut mate Timothy into his gorgeous apartment, we’d a month of heavy partying – heartbroken and lusting lying hungover on that big navy couch crying – eating baked cheesecake that Timothy made, lost and so sad but excited and exploring being giddy gremlins, making new connections with beautiful people, being queer.”
With its off-kilter rhythms, searing pop hooks, and jubilance to the point of absurdity, “Baked Cheesecake” revels in all of life’s frenetic highs and unbearable lows. Its clamor of percussion and brassy clarion calls — along with a twinkling xylophone — compose the lush background over which Æ MAK weaves their odd imagisms. Bittersweet indulgence overflows from the track’s propulsive sonics and melody, sweet and overpowering like the very dessert it’s named after.
If you’re a fan of “Baked Cheesecake,” then the rest of the EP is well worth a listen. Songs like “Shimmer Boy” and the brooding electronica depths of “Bluer” highlight Æ MAK’s energizingly manic soundscapes. Even when they’re ruminating over their insecurity and selfishness at being an “escape artist” in their own romantic relationships, they manage to piece together a track that crackles with their relentlessly dynamic spirit and sound.
Visit Æ MAK on their Twitter and Instagram to stay updated on new releases and tour announcements.
Words: Steven Ward
Listen to “Baked Cheesecake” and the rest of the Berlin EP from Æ MAK below!
