Wah Wah 45s are excited to present the new single from Isaac de Martin, otherwise known as IKE – an artist who blends jazz and electronic influences into warm, smooth, and often cinematic soundscapes. A certain eclecticism is not surprising considering that the composer, producer and guitarist was born in Italy into a musical family with British roots, studied classical guitar, graduated in jazz and went on to develop his personal style through creative experimentation, live touring and collaborative work with artists from a variety of disciplines and countries.
Under the shadow of the pandemic, IKE headed to Egypt, a country that has always held a deep fascination for him. Finding sanctuary between teaching at Cairo’s Heliopolis University and observing the progress of an ecological development community, the creative foundation of IKE’s forthcoming LP, entitled On Higher Dreams began to take form.
Following the success of SIDDA, the debut single to be taken from IKE’s forthcoming LP, On Higher Dreams, the second single to be taken from the album, Rapids, is another song with a mellifluous yet perhaps uncomfortable beauty, this time featuring the stunning vocals of Middle Eastern artist Danny Kuttner.
“Rapids is a song about life’s unpredictable currents, capturing the tension between stability and change. The track reflects the emotional pull between comfort and restlessness, inspired by both personal uncertainty and the power of the water of an impetus river. Musically, the song features a repetitive double bass line, with drums, piano, and guitar shifting unexpectedly to mirror the flow of change, at this level it connects musically with the song SIDDA. While driving home one sunny afternoon, I heard on the radio the track Come Play With Me by Danny Kuttner and immediately felt her ethereal yet warm talented voice. I immediately knew that she was a person I wanted to make music with. I reached out to her, and after a few calls, Danny quickly connected with the song Rapids. She contributed a beautiful melody and lyrics that perfectly captured its essence.
Rapids was written during a time when she felt torn between the warmth of home and the turbulence of the world outside—a reflection of personal conflict and the rush of transformation.” Isaac de Martin
Reactions And Radio Play
Radio play from Ross Allen (NTS), Aly Gillani (Bandcamp Selects), Raffaele Constantino (Rai Due, Italy), Heather Wall (Voices Radio)
Featured on Apple Music Shapeshifting Playlist
“A great new project.. I’m enjoying this!” Ross Allen (NTS, UK)
“Wonderful new release: Hypnotic, Nocturnal and soft, perfect for the night’s sound.” Raffaele Costantino (Musical Box, Rai Radio 2, Italy)
“Very, very deep! I Love it! Bravo!” DJ Soulist (Souleance, France)
“UN tres beau morceau.” Diggers Radio (Albi, France)
“Sounds really interesting, can’t wait to hear more from IKE!” Sven Thomschke (Radio Z 95.8FM, Germany)
“Great Stuff!” Tiago Santos (Radio Oxigenio, Portugal)
“Beautiful music.” Markus Thon (Beat Collective, Germany)
“Another amazing track from IKE, looking forward to listening to the whole album! Full support!” Enrique Domenech (CKUT, Canada)
“Amazingly beautiful! Breathtaking!” Martijn Barkhuis (Jazzrdeville, The Netherlands)
“Great!” Robert Lochmann (Radio X, Germany)
“Fantastic!” Veronique Prebolin (Radio Krimi, France)
“Love the spacey vibe and warm organic drum sound!” Xander Rozen (Royal Groove, The Netherlands)
“Perfect sound for chilling day.” Amar Kabouche (Fauve Radio, Hong Kong)
“Nice one!” Junior (Record Breakin’, USA)
“Niiiice!!!!” Markus Miltz (Radio Corax 94.9FM, Germany)
“Nicely done! Gentle as a summer breeze on a millpond.” Steve KIW (1BTN, UK)
“Trip to innerspace.. digginn it.” DJ Snuff (Universal Magnetic B-boy, UK)
“Sweet dreamy soul.” DJ Nigel Wood (Various, UK)
“This piece has a beautifully constructed melody which grows in presence throughout the tune. Danny Kuttner’s half-heard, almost whispery vocal delivery adds to the mystique created by the music’s atmosphere. The longer version gives the composition room to move and space to further develop the suggestion of ebb & flow in the music referred to in the sleeve note.” Drummie Dave (Various, York, UK)
“Modern trippy bruk-hop on Wah Wah 45s.” Gerry Hectic (You And The Music, UK)
“Nice work guys!” Cal Gibson (Various, UK)
