- Free-floating ambient jungle that packs a punch in all the right places.
- At first, Ike's Stone Diviner EP might sound like a lot of records out there right now: glossy pads, dextrous drum programming, jungle basslines and obvious gestures towards '90s IDM. But that description doesn't really do it justice. Once you hear the first track, "Inter," you'll understand why. It's basically perfect: the synths are enveloping and airy and the drums are solid and lightweight, like they're made out of titanium. This is spacious, ultra-clean music, but too soulful to be antiseptic. And just when you think you're settling into some New Age mood, Ike pulls in the kick drums that pummel in all the right places, pushed along by hooky basslines that mirror the gymnastic moves of classic jungle tracks.
What's most striking about Stone Diviner is how it's both obviously retro yet gleamingly futuristic. The production values are high and the sounds crystalline. On the title track everything is balanced, the athletic, bounding drums ensconced in mournful synths. The same goes for "Petale," where breathy organ tones that sound like Sarah Davachi are suddenly blasted by a bassline that would make Youngsta blink. The bass only comes in for seconds at a time, but it's fierce.
You could come to Stone Diviner looking to relax or to pump yourself up—it does both at the same time. A track like "Fight Dog" is a feast for your ears, as the breaks dance through a progression of sweet synth sounds and sumptuous effects. It's also hard to get sick of that moment when the bass first drops in "Inter," which is both comforting and galvanizing. The closer, "Isobutyl," is maybe the clearest example of this record's genius, because it flips the formula: there are no dazzling jungle drums, just a gorgeous ambient swirl. It's never too lightweight, the melodies never too saccharine. On Stone Diviner, Ike taps into a deep well of '90s nostalgia, but instead of sepia-toned wistfulness, his homage bursts with colour and life.
Tracklist01. Inter
02. Petale
03. Stone Diviner
04. Fight Day
05. Isobutyl