- Since launching a little over one year ago, Lee Gamble's UIQ label has become a leader in modern-day IDM. UIQ's sound nods to Aphex Twin and Autechre, but there's nothing nostalgic about its innovative releases. Ikea Zen, the second EP from N1L, UIQ's inaugural artist, further explores the label's oblique, experimental sound.
UIQ is most enjoyable when there's a strong connection to the club. This rings true even when the rave stabs are like the stalagmites jutting out of "Accelerate," or packed among the gabber references in "WARWARWAR." None of Ikea Zen's six tracks are DJ fodder, though "Galactic Tetris" and "Hazy One" have a woozy dance floor feel. The former sounds vaguely robotic, while the latter is psychedelic. In fact, there's a psychedelic sense across most of Ikea Zen. Even though its title implies a flat-packed, universal inner peace, there's disruption at the core. It can be a disorienting listen, but it's always exciting.
TracklistA1 Accelerate
A2 Sleep Architecture
A3 Galactic Tetris
B1 Fugu
B2 Hazy One
B3 WARWARWAR