Review Summary: Perhaps condemned to complacency, Ikonika pulls out all stops in becoming an original.
Just like grime, drum ‘n’ bass and 2-step/garage before it, dubstep has become a forerunner in London’s underground scene. Though just finally beginning to appeal to the masses, the genre has already branched off into other territories, becoming strangled and mutilated by a series of forward thinking artists ready to imprint their own idiosyncrasies and personalities into the music. These musicians are dedicated in not making a naïve D.I.Y. aesthetic become complacent in a world of clones and imitations, and a shine of light to this claim is a set of dubstep artists that fall under the term ‘wonky’. This is categorised as when the traditional 2-step, erratic beat becomes shifted so the metre becomes irregular. The beat then becomes reliant on thirds and acciaccaturas and hence becomes ‘wonkified’ (excuse the terrible terminology). There has been a marginal amount of discussion on the genre and its merits; some seeing it as a novelty, others seeing it as a true artistic statement and a reflection of the avant-garde. One of the premier acts of this style, Zomby, posted a myspace blog in which the subject was entitled “Avant-garde, NOT wonky”, so it is definitely interesting to see an artist’s perspective of it. Ikonika, I assume, does not view her music in such a serious regard, but her crafting of rhythms and disfigured melodic passages states that this is, indeed, a stern endeavour.
I must regurgitate what many other critics have spat out about this particular record, in that it is not the extreme affair that Ikonika’s past discography would suggest. On the 12” single for ‘Please/Simulacrum’, the former of the tracks is condensed in such a way that the down-pitched synth notes ooze with a shaky, unpredictable vigour. “Contact, Love, Want, Have” does not feature these irrational turns of rhythmic and melodic phrasing, but instead the intricacies boil under the surface, disguised as somewhat catchy songs that wouldn’t feel like outsiders at a nightclub. Ikonika’s biggest weapon in this recording is her dynamic shifting of the beat: as the main refrain repeats ad nauseum, the rhythms that drive the melody to intense heights gradually evolves throughout the composition. With this aspect, the use of build-ups and perfect cadences becomes a common tool used. As irregularity becomes domain in the pace, soon enough all nuances of the song become interlocked as bars and metres meet each other and swiftly say goodbye in the process. The actual sounds Sara Abdel-Hamid uses are an amalgamation of nostalgia and off-kilter warm synth pads. Inspired by videogames, Abdel-Hamid throws in a set of 8-bit sounds to compliment her computerised style (which is also commented on with some of her song titles; “Ikonclast (Insert Coin)”, “Continue?” and “Look (Final Boss Stage)” among others). Her sonic palette is very limited, but such as the noise rock bass and drum duo Lightning Bolt, the challenge of being restrained blooms a whole new breadth of creativity and refining of a particular sound. Unlike some other names in the scene, Ikonika does not need to have every nook and cranny of her sound filled with sheer audacity, who instead runs with a bare 8-bit sequence which very occasionally is accented with vast synth excursions. Behind this, like I mentioned, is a cosmic array of rhythms that pulsate delicately and push the melodies to the outer limits which they were not prepared to go to.
“Idiot”, the second offering on this LP, works off a triplet infested worm-like melodic passage and off-beat snare hits. The minimalist nature of the composition is its best asset, as throughout the duration, the irresistible refrain becomes a slave to the head, forever locked in a loop within the listener’s brain. “Fish”, in all its opulence, becomes ripe with counterpoint and displays Abdel-Hamid’s beauteous touch when it comes to melodic configuration. This is also evident in “Millie” (supposedly named after her cat) which makes full use of the before mentioned warm synths. “Psoriasis” is one of the liveliest offerings here, becoming a cult hit for the weirdo clubber in all its allegro glory. In stark contrast, the closing number “Red Marker Pens (Good Ending)” is the most timid, shy piece of the lot, diving into a pool of melancholic restraint. Though it is perhaps an oddity of the record, it is certainly the perfect swansong to one of the most interesting records to come from the year of the tiger. In a way, Ikonika is the Picasso of the dubstep universe, forever using the canvas as a platform for curved, radical brushstrokes and exposed nonsensical entities. “Contact, Love, Want, Have” certainly does not push boundaries like Abdel-Hamid’s previous catalogue inclusions, but as a debut full length, the potential in which this artist can grow is astronomical and certainly one to keep on the radar.
