How authentic living brings forth unique production | I$kra

As we wake up & enjoy our first moments of the coming day, we’re still left with some work to do for the label, site & our portfolios.

I$kra is drinking her first coffee on the couch & getting ready with a friend next to her, preparing the answers for this interview.

Get up is your first solo release after Dah. What Made it the first track?

Purely intuitively, I chose that track to be the first solo in regards to how it sums up pretty much the general sound of the first series of tracks that I plan to put out. It felt right for it to be a "first".

How would you describe its production?

It started with a general idea of having those recognizable acid-like melodies that I made that you can hear emediately as soon as the track starts to play. That melody was kinda like the main skeleton from which I decided to further on develop the track.

I actually made it about 2 years ago and I recently decided to reopen it and listen to it with fresh ears.

With these types of projects I am aware that I could have left it and continued working on it to make it better, but then probably the track would never even come out.

I'm satisfied and proud with this version enough for me to be okay with showing it to the world, it is definitely a specific sound with my signature on it, maybe not everyones cup of tea, but I wouldn't want it any other way.

What genres do you like to listen to? What inspires you?

I’ve noticed that I have a tendency to listen to a lot of progressive music, whether it is within rock, jazz or electronic genres of music.

The list can go on, but I believe a good song/track can be found within any genre of music and for me personaly there are certain preferences that I have. Polyphonic rythms, tribal drummings, nice grooves within the bass, and good vocals with lyrics that have some weight to themselves, to hear it all layered nicely is what makes me tick.

Name one thing about producing that you didn’t know was going to be like/happen/require

It was obvious to me that it would require extra learning, more research and that you will definitely have some small software bugs along the way that you have to manage and resolve by yourself. Maybe the final steps are the hardest, to make all of the created elements work perfectly together. Completing projects, as well.

What can we expect from you as a producer? You’ve shown your own artwork with ‘Get Up’. Is there a story behind it?

I don't want any chains of expectations whatsoever on me, I want you to be pleasantly surprised each time, that's all.

Ok, all jokes aside, I really can not find a proper answer to that question except that

I plan to dive in and work with multiple different genres, both in production and with collaborations with other artists where you will get a chance to experience my vocal and lyrical capabilities as well.

The butterfly from the artwork for the "Get Up" track came to my room a couple of nights before the release date of the track. It came to me in a perfect time where I was still strugling about what to do for the artwork cover idea. I took a picture of the beautiful little green fela and later on found out that it was a type of night moth called "Hylaea fasciaria". I love the contrast of the imagery and the sound.

Any plans next?

I am planning to release a new track very soon. Visual expression is very important for me, so I will be putting out more of that type of content in the near future as well so that I can have s better formed representation of what I'm trying to portray, the full picture of who i am as an artist and what messages I'm trying to convey.

Gatekeeping is fun but do you have a track or two, an artist or anything music related you can share?

I don't like to gatekeep.

My advice would be for everyone to not be judgemental towards certain types of music and to share all the good tunes that they find with their loved ones because that is the purpouse of music, to be shared, to connect and to comfort ones soul.