Ikonika's bleep-fuelled percussive bass adventures have pushed her to the top of the London dubstep scene. With her genre-hopping sounds having won her a DJ Mag nomination for 'Best British DJ', it looks like Ikonika is now one of the UK's brightest stars.
Sara Abdel-Hamid, from South West London, grew up listening to and playing hardcore and post punk while her elder sisters were obsessing about hip-hop. For her, Dilla and Dillinger Escape Plan were next-door neighbours from the get-go.
After starting out in hip-hop, the dubstep bug bit her hard in 2006. Her musical tastes, ranging from Pretty Girls Make Graves to Burial, are reflected in her music: rather than a forced fusion of diverse sounds, though, her musical musings move from the sweetly melodic to atonal clang clusters quite effortlessly.
This seamless approach made her a natural addition to the Hyperdub roster, with Kode9 first inviting her to release a 12-inch on the label, before coaxing her into thinking about what an Ikonika album might sound like.
The results are as odd and iconic as anyone might have wished for. Expect Ikonika to keep pushing things forward in the months and years ahead. Get a glimpse of things to come with this unblinkered world view in a Fireside Chat on Red Bull Music Academy Radio.
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