Musique Non Stop | eMusic Electronica

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Ikonika, Aerotropolis Posted: 29 Jul 2013 01:00 AM PDT Straightforward rhythms and good hooks, with a homespun quality The throwback impulse has become so predominant in electronic dance music that it’s almost cliché to mention it, and yet it’s hard not to think about the ’80s when you hear Ikonika’s second album. On Aerotropolis, the West London producer (real name: Sara Abdel-Hamid) favors neon-plastic synths redolent of the Miami Vice era, crossed with the beat structures and floor-filling imperative of early house music and techno. (No surprise the album’s title recalls Cybotron, the band Juan Atkins was in before nailing the techno blueprint solo with Model 500.) Like a lot of people who were identified with dubstep in the late 2000s, she’s moved into more straightforward 4/4 rhythms, but even the most obviously anthemic tunes have a homespun quality. She writes good hooks, too, none better than “Lights Are Forever,” a G-funk synth whine that’s far better L.A.-freeway music than most of Random Access Memories.

Musique Non Stop | eMusic Electronica

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Ikonika, Aerotropolis Posted: 29 Jul 2013 01:00 AM PDT Straightforward rhythms and good hooks, with a homespun quality

Ikonika – Aerotropolis: exclusive album stream

Ikonika's second album is inspired by a stint DJing in an airport city. Have a listen and let us know if you think it flies

Ikonika's second album is inspired by her time DJing in an airport city, a place where she felt like she could "teleport" to different places. "The album is dreamy at times, in the clouds," she says. "It's pressurised but not cluttered. It's not supposed to be distracting."