Icicle – Under The Ice - Shogun Audio – 25th April 2011

Shogun Audio is proud to introduce the stunning debut album from longtime drum & bass authority, Icicle. Displaying an array of influences and ambition, ‘Under The Ice’ is a spectacular realisation of one man’s music that will delight electronic music fans the world over.

“To me the main focus with this project has been to avoid the pitfall of putting together a collection of music that may as well have come out as a selection of underground dance music singles. I wanted to fully utilise the medium that is the long player. I was looking for the highest amount of diversity without losing an essential collective sound, whilst staying true to my inner most influences and musical convictions. My hope is that this is not an LP that conforms too much to a fashionable sound. Instead I hope this LP, should you listen back to it in ten years time, still makes sense.” Icicle

Icicle talks us through the album, giving his own insight track by track:

CD
1. Step Forward ft. Robert Owens
As this is the opening track I wanted it to be a slice of what’s to come. Ice cold and abstract versus warm and melodic. It’s a merger of influences ranging from Monolake to Photek. Robert Owens has done me a great service perfectly narrating this introduction, envisioning a journey into our world.

2. Dreadnaught ft. SP:MC
This track leaves all the musical convictions behind for a minute but one. A dance floor drum and bass track in 2011 can still be comprised of nothing more than drums and bass. This track is nothing fancy it's just a piece of organic funk. Or in the words of SP:MC, Dreadnaught is '30 Hertz to your chest to increase your pulse rate'!

3. Breathing Again ft. Proxima
‘Breathing Again’ evokes sweeping emotions through the powerful female vocals and musical arrangement in the intro and breakdown. These elements pour this track into an acceptably listenable format in the context of this album. It is all a disguise though, for nothing more than fat, nasty, filthy 140 bpm bass pressure!

4. Nausea
Nausea sounds like a highly technical piece of machinery in operation, while someone plays a melody on 3 frozen icicle's hanging in the background. I wanted to combine punch and weight with ultra simplistic musical elements that will keep your attention for the duration.

5. Bitter Taste ft. DRS
The track I made was an angry one, paranoid and vengeful, carrying the working title 'Dark Passenger'. DRS must have felt this, as the lyrics he wrote and recorded for it will leave you with a bitter taste.

6. 1, 2 Go
This track was an experiment. Rooted loosely in dubstep, techno and anything wonky, it features my own singing and a fully fledged SH-101 solo. In essence it's the contents of my iPod coinciding.

7. Top Of The Page
If you’re lucky enough to be able to do something well and people know you for it, well, its hard not to do it. This track is as the sample says 'not even considered new' but I hope you can hear through the bass line, I'm not making any excuses.

8. Redemption ft. Robert Owens -- stunning video forthcoming --
When you’re a music producer and DJ, whatever you are making, deep down you wish your were a legendary techno DJ from Detroit or Chicago. This track is an acknowledgement of my own secret wish and having Robert Owens sing to it get's me about as close as I will ever get.

9. Arrows
‘Arrows’ is, to resort to a cliche, a story. The plot line is roughly as follows; you are an assassin in ancient Japan, washing your weapon in a mountain stream after it found its way into its target. As the arrows begin to fly through the air everywhere around you, you start to run to get away with your life. A Shogun warrior does not surrender.

10. I Feel U
If at heart you want to write incredibly loud and aggressive techno to echo and drone through the forgotten warehouses of Europe, but realise you’re a drum and bass producer halfway into the project and put up the tempo by 50 bpm, this is what you get.

11. Europa
Europa is about the country where I was born but no longer live. It's a melancholic piece of music based on a synthetic palette of sound.

As a final note; you may have expected techno on this album, well there is…*

* hidden techno track on finished copies only

VINYL EP – SHA043
A. Top Of The Page
B. I Feel U
C. Nausea
D. Spartan (Noisia Remix)
Devastating new remix of Icicle’s debut single release on Shogun Audio, courtesy of production power-house Noisia.

“A true sonic experience. Music production doesn't get much better than this. Sit back and enjoy.” Friction
“The drum & bass producer with the most conceptually apt name in the business is ready for the coldest snap of his career. And we’d suggest you wrap up warm.” iDJ ‘2011: People To See’
“You have to buy this LP! Essential!!” DJ Marky
“One of the most anticipated albums this year for both 140 and 170 heads.” KMag

Praise for the formidable forthcoming single ‘Dreadnaught’ ft. SP:MC released Feb 28th 2011:
“Killer!” Mixmag
“Dreadnaught is off the hook! Can’t wait for the album.” iDJ
“Yeah! So blazin!!” Bailey (BBC Radio 1xtra)
“Fantastic, got us slobbering for the album already.” Resident Advisor
80,000 hits in one week on Ukf Music / Check the video at www.youtube.com/shogunaudio
Radio support: Fabio & Grooverider (BBC Radio 1), Mistajam (BBC Radio 1 / 1xtra), Bailey (BBC Radio 1xtra), Ras Kwame (BBC Radio 1), DJ Hype (Kiss FM)


www.shogunaudio.co.uk/artist-icicle.php