Ikonika: Aerotropolis (Hyperdub, 2013)

July 24, 2013 at 10:24 pm | Posted in Reviews | Leave a comment

ikonika: Aerotropolis

Second full length by British dubstep/house producer Ikonika (Sara Abdel-Hamid), returning to Hyperdub after a few singles on Planet Mu and Hum + Buzz. This album takes a lot of inspiration from ’80s dance music, particularly freestyle, but I also hear some Yello in there too. Of course, the production is of-the-moment (the bass definitely sounds current, it’s clearly filtered through the current UK post-dubstep/garage scene) but the melodies and some of the synth/drum sounds are pretty retro sounding. A little bit of an 8-bit sound in there too, as is typical of her sound. “Beach Mode (Keep It Simple)” is the first single and is the only track with vocals, and to be honest I prefer the instrumental. Opener “Mise En Place” is a beatless instrumental and “Practice Beats” is a short self-explanatory sketch. “Eternal Mode” is the clearest 4/4 dance workout, with bright synths and an Italo-ish bassline. “Completion V.3” is a dark, cosmic instrumental. “Manchego” totally has Yello drums, but modern bass synths. “Lights Are Forever” has a bit of a UK garage swing to it, bright starry-eyed synths, and works up to a straight 4/4 for a few moments at its climax. “Mega Church” is a collaboration with Optimum, and is more downtempo, with rattling hi-hats and somewhat trancey synths. “Cryo” is a dark stalker-y 4/4 stomper, and “Backhand Winners” has more dark bass synth and insistent, stuttering beats. “You Won’t Find It There” is a bit brighter, and has a tiny bit of a chopped-up vocal sample. “Zen Sizzle” ends everything with more heavy kicks and neon synths, but still kind of a lo-tech ’80s vibe to it.

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