#2 Feat. New Releases in Bass / Club

This is an album travelling through seasons in your mind. Its as close to my final form as Ive known, Ikonika aka Sara Chen says, describing in evolutionary Pokémon terms, their Sad and Sexy new album. With SAD, they take the reins as producer, songwriter, and singer for the first time, SAD marks a distinctive development from their past as a producer. Its Ikonika, transformed, intimate and of course beautifully made – with their sultry, unvarnished vocals directing the journey across an arc of ten tracks. An album for pop lovers and club music lovers alike. At a crossroads a few years back, both personally as a new parent, and with their future in music, Ikonika stepped into the hot light of the frontstage, picking up the mic to start singing and performing their own lyrics. Simultaneously, they reckoned with being queer and trans in public life and its reverberations: finding my voice without fear speaking first as Sara shares. The goal became to be undeniable, celebrated and rewarded. The albums airy production reflects the music they DJ and enjoy; theres credit to a plethora of African electronic music on the album. Sara is half Egyptian and tracks such as WHATCHUREALLYWANT feature rhythms that their long ago dad taught them on the Egyptian tabla, carried over and spoken into other hand drums such as the djembe. A log drum preset on a DX7 cartridge used for their early records, became a prelude to their later interest in Amapiano culminating in an early 80s-ish wedding music sound – fiddly solos, overlays and trills. Through their close-knit circle of dancing queers too, Ikonika became inspired by more music of South Africa; Gqom and Bacardi. Ikonika got pen and paper out with interdisciplinary artist and writer Tice Cin to add further nuance to the narrative world of SAD. Cin finishes SAD on Make It Better, barring in her North London vernacular, as the only vocal guest on the album. Ikonika was encouraged by Tice to see SAD from a writers point of view, taking the listener into SAD WORLD. Ikonika weaves a storyline into the project, that begins on a sloshing train and ends on a stolen Lime bike. Whatsmore In light of a recent diagnosis of Autism (which Sara first clocked through videos on socials), every lyric is towards activating an understanding of self. Living post-diagnosis has offered the direct clarity that so many live without and has shifted Saras life. Enjoy this new adventure into Ikonikas world, more intimate than ever before.

Ikonika, JLSXND7RS, SHE Spells Doom, Tice Cin

#14 Feat. New Releases in Electronica

This is an album travelling through seasons in your mind. Its as close to my final form as Ive known, Ikonika aka Sara Chen says, describing in evolutionary Pokémon terms, their Sad and Sexy new album. With SAD, they take the reins as producer, songwriter, and singer for the first time, SAD marks a distinctive development from their past as a producer. Its Ikonika, transformed, intimate and of course beautifully made – with their sultry, unvarnished vocals directing the journey across an arc of ten tracks. An album for pop lovers and club music lovers alike. At a crossroads a few years back, both personally as a new parent, and with their future in music, Ikonika stepped into the hot light of the frontstage, picking up the mic to start singing and performing their own lyrics. Simultaneously, they reckoned with being queer and trans in public life and its reverberations: finding my voice without fear speaking first as Sara shares. The goal became to be undeniable, celebrated and rewarded. The albums airy production reflects the music they DJ and enjoy; theres credit to a plethora of African electronic music on the album. Sara is half Egyptian and tracks such as WHATCHUREALLYWANT feature rhythms that their long ago dad taught them on the Egyptian tabla, carried over and spoken into other hand drums such as the djembe. A log drum preset on a DX7 cartridge used for their early records, became a prelude to their later interest in Amapiano culminating in an early 80s-ish wedding music sound – fiddly solos, overlays and trills. Through their close-knit circle of dancing queers too, Ikonika became inspired by more music of South Africa; Gqom and Bacardi. Ikonika got pen and paper out with interdisciplinary artist and writer Tice Cin to add further nuance to the narrative world of SAD. Cin finishes SAD on Make It Better, barring in her North London vernacular, as the only vocal guest on the album. Ikonika was encouraged by Tice to see SAD from a writers point of view, taking the listener into SAD WORLD. Ikonika weaves a storyline into the project, that begins on a sloshing train and ends on a stolen Lime bike. Whatsmore In light of a recent diagnosis of Autism (which Sara first clocked through videos on socials), every lyric is towards activating an understanding of self. Living post-diagnosis has offered the direct clarity that so many live without and has shifted Saras life. Enjoy this new adventure into Ikonikas world, more intimate than ever before.

Ikonika, JLSXND7RS, SHE Spells Doom, Tice Cin

#23 Feat. Staff Picks in Bass / Club

A distinct blend of Nikki Nair and Foodmans musical styles, Nagoya EP started life in March when Nikki, on tour in Japan, visited Foodman, and they started to build tracks together. Later, across the net, they continued working up the material, which is flavoured as much by the memory of their days socialising together in Nagoya is it is by their time in the studio. Sorry I Lost My Glasses In The Public Bathhouse is the wild opener, Nikkis chopped and edited live drumming gives the rhythm an off kilter, jungle-like feel, switching around a strange, alien melody and occasional soft chords that in combination exude unusual energy. Deep Miso has sparse dizzying drums, chasing hiccuping sounds around the speakers, until it finally resolves over a single held chord.

Foodman, Nikki Nair

#34 Top Tracks in Bass / Club

2025-11-28 Bass / Club

Ikonika

#41 Feat. New Releases in Bass / Club

A distinct blend of Nikki Nair and Foodmans musical styles, Nagoya EP started life in March when Nikki, on tour in Japan, visited Foodman, and they started to build tracks together. Later, across the net, they continued working up the material, which is flavoured as much by the memory of their days socialising together in Nagoya is it is by their time in the studio. Sorry I Lost My Glasses In The Public Bathhouse is the wild opener, Nikkis chopped and edited live drumming gives the rhythm an off kilter, jungle-like feel, switching around a strange, alien melody and occasional soft chords that in combination exude unusual energy. Deep Miso has sparse dizzying drums, chasing hiccuping sounds around the speakers, until it finally resolves over a single held chord.

Foodman, Nikki Nair

#83 Top Releases in Bass / Club

Heavee is a Queer Chicagoan DJ & producer with a long history in footwork. His 2022 Audio Assault EP on Hyperdub showcased synth-driven, melodic footwork, but Unleash goes much further into audio worldbuilding, with a fresh, spongy and citrus-y sound palette and rich, bright chord sequences. Its minimal, airy, balancing light and dark, sometimes breezy and sometimes clinical. Heavee works simultaneously outside and inside the box, rebuilding footworks framework and vibe to his own unique specification. Rhythmically, its dance floor ready, using footworks 160 template as a springboard for building new drum sounds to express these rhythms, and draws from R&B, rap, jazz and grime, with a sprinkling of bitter-sweet vintage Detroit techno. Unleash takes footworks eats all approach to music and leads it in a fresh direction with a freedom of spirit. Its a strong addition to the footwork cannon and shows that experiments in dance music can be fun.

Heavee, BABii, DJ Paypal, DanTOG, Homesick, Takuya Nakamura