''Aikea-Guinea'' is a March 1985 7" single and 12" EP by Scottish

dream pop Dream pop (also typeset as dreampop) is a subgenre of alternative rock and neo-psychedelia that emphasizes atmosphere and sonic texture as much as pop melody. Common characteristics include breathy vocals, dense productions, and effects such as ...

band Cocteau Twins, released on

4AD 4AD is a British record label owned by Beggars Group. It was founded in London under the name "Axis" (after the Hendrix album) by Ivo Watts-Russell and Peter Kent in 1980 as an imprint of Beggars Banquet Records. The name was changed to 4AD a ...

. The 7" featured two non-album tracks, while the EP added two more.

Release

''Aikea-Guinea'' was included as a bonus with some Canadian pressings of ''

Treasure Treasure (from la, thesaurus from Greek language ''thēsauros'', "treasure store") is a concentration of wealth — often originating from ancient history — that is considered lost and/or forgotten until rediscovered. Some jurisdictions le ...

''. The title track also appears on the compilation ''

The Pink Opaque ''The Pink Opaque'' is a 1986 compilation album by Scottish alternative rock band Cocteau Twins, composed of tracks recorded between 1982 and 1985. A joint release by the UK-based 4AD and the American Relativity Records, it was their first ...

'' (1985), and a remastered version appears on '' Stars and Topsoil'' (2000). On the 7", the song "Kookaburra" has a short percussive introduction that is not present on the EP. The EP was reissued in 1991 as part of '' The Box Set'' and again in 2005 as part of the '' Lullabies to Violaine'' compilation, this time with a remixed "alternate" version of the title track.

Meaning of the title

According to

Robin Guthrie Robin Andrew Guthrie (born 4 January 1962) is a Scottish musician, songwriter, composer, record producer and audio engineer, best known as the co-founder of the alternative rock band Cocteau Twins. During his career Guthrie has performed ...

, the word "aikea-guinea" is a Scottish colloquialism for a seashell.

Track listing

All songs written and produced by Cocteau Twins. # "Aikea-Guinea" – 3:57 # "Kookaburra" – 3:19 # "Quisquose" – 4:10 (EP only) # "Rococo" – 3:08 (EP only)

Personnel

* Elizabeth Fraser – vocals *

– guitar *

Simon Raymonde Simon Philip Raymonde (born Simon Philip Pomerance; 3 April 1962, in London) is an English musician and record producer. He is the son of the late arranger and composer Ivor Raymonde. He is best known as the bass guitarist and keyboard player ...

– bass

Charts

References

{{Authority control Cocteau Twins albums 1985 EPs UK Independent Singles Chart number-one singles