COMPETITION: Magnitude Launch Party W/ Ikonika

There’s something very winning about Sara-Abdel-Hamid aka Ikonika. Her refusal to be swept up by the all-encompassing ‘Bass Music’ tag has left her free to experiment with different tempos, styles and structures without feeling the need to adhere to or acknowledge current trends. Her complete devotion to her own uncompromising sound is refreshing to say the least, and while others may claim to produce with the same unrestricted freedom, we sense that Ikonika is one of the few who genuinely doesn’t take notice of what other people are doing. “I don’t really care about UK genre names anymore. From wonky to future garage to post dubstep, I’ve had them all. I’m bored. I just want to rave” - a statement which perhaps epitomises her attitude to what is undoubtedly one of the biggest developments in modern club music over the last few years.

Playing at the launch party of Magnitude next Friday, her new EP ‘I Make Lists’ puts this theory into practice, fusing jacked up 4x4 rhythms with big synths and damaging basslines. Of course she’s well noted for having dabbled with that increasingly dividing genre known as Dubstep, but listening back to 2010’s debut album 'Contact Want Love Have’ on Hyperdub, it becomes immediately obvious that her sound has always explored the outer regions of what was traditionally expected from 140BPM. With recent appearances on Boiler Room as well as the launch of her own label Hum + Buzz, it seems that this could well be a pivotal year in her already impressive career, taking her sound one step further than what any one genre can adequately contain.

Support on the night comes from Synth favourite, and rapidly ascending local talent, Mirrors, as well as Offbeat and Magnitude residents. Check out a preview of the 'I Make Lists EP' below, as well as recent mix for Mary Anne Hobbs. An interview with Ikonika and the competition follows...





Synth: In researching this interview we found an article entitled ‘Ikonika: The Woman Pushing Dubstep Forward’. That was 2010, how do you feel about Dubstep now and its continuing domination of the mainstream?

Ikonika: It’s not something I follow these days, but I have a lot of respect for it and there’s no doubt in saying that it was an influence in my productions.

Synth: Of course your sound is far more diverse than straight Dubstep, with latest EP ‘I Make Lists’ using elements of House, Techno and Acid – how would you describe your sound in 2012 and what do you think has influenced its development?

Ikonika: I think a lot of it has to do with what I play when I DJ. I usually go from 120bpm House and Techno to whatever 130bpm UK relevant stuff, to more Ghetto and Grime. This emulsification makes little cameos in my productions. I’ve never been satisfied with just one thing. It’s what I go through with absorbing so much music. It’s the same for a lot people, it means they’re clever. On a lighter note, it’s really just a paper plane simulator loosely based on Starfox.

Synth: Your debut album ‘Contact Love Want Have’ also dropped back in 2010, since then you’ve been pretty consistent with releases, do you find it essential to keep moving with music and what ultimately drives you to turn out beats?

Ikonika: My last release feels like such a long time ago. After CLWH, I needed to take a break from releases - that was the intention. I wanted to DJ more and to work on Hum + Buzz.  ‘I Make Lists’ took a while to make. I found it hard to A&R myself, but I’m really happy to be releasing it on my own label.  Although it doesn’t necessarily continue from where I left off with CLWH, it’s definitely how I wanted my sound to progress.


Ikonika: in the zone   
Photo by Shaun Bloodworth

Synth: Obviously ‘Bass Music’ has become a bit of a buzz phrase over the last year or so – do you find that has any relevance to you and do you see it as genuine sound or is the term simply something journalists have conjured up when for music which goes beyond standard labelling?

Ikonika: I don’t really care about UK genre names anymore. I’ve been traumatised with an abundance of them throughout my short career. From wonky to future garage to post dubstep, I’ve had them all. I’m bored. I just want to rave with you.

Synth: The last time you played Glasgow was two years ago, you’re back this month to play the Magnitude launch party, what can we expect from you this time round and for those who haven’t seen you how does an Ikonika set take shape?

Ikonika: It really depends on how long I’ve got. I like it when promoters just let me play till whenever. It gives me time to really develop a vibe. There’s not really a science to it, people will dance and have a good time if you play good tunes and mix them with respect.

Synth: Finally, we’ve seen your tour dates for the rest of the summer which look pretty extensive, what else are you looking forward to in 2012 and when can we expect to see a new album?

Ikonika: Hopefully more shows, I love DJing and travelling to different cities. I have started work on my second album, it’s taking shape and going where I need it to go, which is great. Hopefully I can share that with you sometime next year.

Synth: With her new EP 'I Make Lists' incoming on recently established label Hum + Buzz, plus a positive diversity stapling her tunes to the dancefloor, this is definitely an exciting time for Ikonika. Her appearance at Magnitude's launch party next week should be nothing short of electric, so to celebrate this the guys have kindly offered up five spots on the guestlist, an initial winner claiming three places and the runner-up winning two.

If you want to be in with a chance of winning, simply email info@synthglasgow.com with the words MAGNITUDExIKONIKA in the subject line. We’ll select two winners at random and notify them via reply shortly after.

Terms & Conditions: Please note that this prize is for five places on the guestlist for the Magnitude Launch Party on Friday 20th July. There will be two winners - the first will win three places on the guestlist and the runner-up will win two. The competition closes at 6pm on Thursday 19th July and the winners will be notified via Facebook shortly after. The winners must be 18 years or older. After we have passed on the winner’s details to the event organisers we then pass on responsibility for entry on the night.

Door prices come in at £5 before midnight and £8 after. Ikonika's 'I Make Lists EP' is out July 16th via Hum + Buzz

Magnitude on Facebook
Ikonika on Soundcloud
Mirrors on Soundcloud
Offbeat on Facebook
Facebook Event: http://www.facebook.com/events/202629889855695/