Kane Ikin – Warehouses (This Thing)

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Warehouses cover

Warehouses is the latest EP from Melbourne producer Kane Ikin, the first proper follow up to his stunning 2012 full-length Sublunar. Ikin has certainly remained active since the LP providing remixes for like-minded artists, contributing to a number of noteworthy compilations, in addition to releasing the solemn two-tracker Hold Tight at the start of the year; all of which is dispersed with the highest level of quality control.

The title track aptly invokes images of large concrete expanses with its ghostly echoes and unrelenting mechanical noises of an assembly line. Like a gritty anthem for the trudging masses taking their post in the darkest regions of the factory floor. The piece begins with a swathe of unnerving drones – the kind that have become a trademark of Ikin’s sound – which pave the way for a stabbing synth signalling an impending doom, a call to arms for the aforementioned masses. The machine then reluctantly kicks into gear, slowly evolving into a lumbering vessel of whirring static rhythm before arriving at the crux; the toiling assembly line in full production. This is followed by a sudden dissolve which makes the preceding cacophony all the more affective.

The hazy veil is then lifted as we are introduced to the eerie swagger of ‘B.N.R’ which sees Ikin mining similar subterranean depths of his previous LP. And whilst there are certain sonic similarities, ‘B.N.R’ has an immediacy absent from his previous work, a theme that is apparent throughout the EP.

Where ‘B.N.R’ moves with a swagger providing a slight reprieve from the foreboding opening track, final cut ‘April’ has a propulsive urgency that quickly dismisses any sense of relief, demanding your undivided attention. There is a twinge of anxiety that runs deep throughout the track as if we’re being chased, and every time you think you’ve found an exit it turns out to be a dead end. ‘April’ is the most surprising piece on the EP incorporating new elements into Ikin’s distinct sonic palette and brimming with the confidence of an artist looking to take new risks.

Despite its short running time Warehouses is a bold, uncompromising entry into Ikin’s already impressive catalogue and is further testament to his unique vision.

Greg Stone

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Greg is a musician based in Sydney, Australia. He runs independent record label Feral Media along with label founder Danny Jumpertz

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