A staple of the Shogun Audio team for the past decade, Jeroen Snik – aka Icicle – has commanded the attention of electronic music fans globally with releases on labels such as Hospital Records and Renegade Hardware.
With a new EP out, the London-based drum & bass producer will head to Australia this month for four live dates.
The 'Differentia' EP; how does it showcase the current Icicle sound?
I think I've tried to look for identity within a techier, heavier sound. It's an EP after all, and can be a little more dancefloor minded in my opinion, compared to an album for instance.
Tasha Baxter features on the release; how did the collaboration come about?
We'd spoken a few times about doing something in the past, and then when this track came around we thought she'd be a good fit.
What music have you recently been working on?
I've been working with quite a few different people recently: Ulterior Motive, Prolix, Teddy Killerz and lots more. Plus I've started a new album too; it'll take a bit more time to distil it down to what I want it to be, but it’s really starting to take shape.
You've said we are currently in 'the middle of a tech drum & bass boom'. Where do you think the drum & bass genre is headed next?
I think as with any boom, there will be a backlash. Already the heavier, techy stuff has become very crowded and a bit watered down. Exactly how it will develop we'll see, but there is definitely a resurgence of funk.
You've been based in London for almost a decade now… what makes the city feel like home?
This is probably a bad time to ask that question as an EU passport holder. London obviously shaped me as I've lived almost my entire adult live here; it's really allowed me to grow in music and it's a place where you can do anything. There's an energy here that you can't find almost anywhere else. At the same time London is quite a transient city: settling here, you need have stakes in oil or something, so it feels like my 'home for now'.
Can you forecast a future that has you based in another territory?
Yeah, I think mainland Europe is becoming more and more appealing, with growing scenes and far more affordable rent.
Icicle live compared to in the studio… how do you approach your live sets?
The live show I toured last year was based around machine studio and lots of outboard hardware. I created a platform where I really have to perform to make it sound good, versus a laptop based set-up where I might be doing anything, but you'll just see someone that may as well be checking his emails. The stage set-up was a streamlined and simpler derivative of my actual studio workflow basically.
Do you prefer the studio to the live stage?
I used to say studio and maybe I still would, but the stage becomes a part and good shows are very addictive. I think really, the inspiration for the studio now comes from a large part of being on the stage.
You're headed to Australia in September including the launch event for Earth Frequency in Brisbane… looking forward to the trip?
Always! Australia has a great atmosphere. There are so many people I look forward to seeing again too!
How have your past Australian experiences been like?
Always really good, if not a little out of hand! I've done a lot of tours now and always come home with epic stories!
The rest of 2016, leading into 2017; what else does Icicle have planned?
At the moment a new live show is being put together in which I'm doing the music and visuals all live on stage. Other than that, a lot of writing new music.
Icicle Tour Dates
Fri 26 Aug - Rubix Warehouse (Melbourne)Sat 27 Aug - Psyfari Festival (Sydney)
Fri 2 Sep - Metro City (Perth)
Sat 3 Sep - Earth Frequency launch @ Max Watts (Brisbane)
