KiKu—trumpeter Yannick Barman and percussionist Cyril Regamey—describe the project as a modular, avant-garde machine: an open lineup, never “finished,” always pushing boundaries. Founded as an acoustic improvisation duo, KiKu evolved notably during a 20-show residency at Théâtre de l’Oriental (Vevey) in February 2003, developing a sound that ventured deep into electronic terrain and steadily eroded the borders between jazz, chamber music, electronica, and rock. This exploration has taken KiKu from Vietnam to New York and the Willisau Jazz Festival, and into collaborations with artists including Malcolm Braff, Léon Francioli, Franco Mento, Julian Sartorius, and Jean-Pierre Schaller, as well as local big bands. With Marcher sur la tête, their third album, KiKu work with words for the first time. Spoken text becomes primary material—an open code—woven into growing tracks alongside David Doyon’s electrifying guitar. The album draws on lines from Hermann Hesse’s poem “Belehrung,” recited by Blixa Bargeld (Einstürzende Neubauten), whose magnetic delivery guides listeners through a stark, compelling sonic landscape. New York rapper and slam poet Black Cracker steps in at moments with freestyle verses, widening KiKu’s field of play. Marcher sur la tête fuses KiKu’s adventurous musical language with the spoken word, resulting in a strikingly dense, integrated work.