Premiere: Ikonika’s ‘Shovel’ is a club workout packed with wobble and weight

In a London label market saturated by likeminded releases and club night competition, Nervous Horizon has successfully secured their position as one-to-watch for experimental bass offerings, found in both their music and their off-shoot Acid Fantasy party series.

NH claim they’re fighting to “re-shape London’s clubbing landscape”, and their next battle cry comes in the form of ‘Nervous Horizon Vol. 2’, a 10-track compilation curated by label heads TSVI and Wallwork.

The glorious nature of club music means the boundaries are malleable, creating, in this case, a compilation that flips from funky to the grime to all things in between, featuring up-and-comers Tarquin, Lloyd SB, and Loom, alongside DJ Missdevana, Jammz, Lokane, Luru and the formidable, iconic, Ikonika.

Ikonika, described by Wallwork as a “great inspiration for all the artists on the label”, is far from a newcomer, touching the comp off the back of her highly-anticipated Hyperdub LP ‘Distractions’.

And there’s just no easing into ‘Shovel’, her cutting contribution to the release. With lashings of wobble and weight, it encompasses her cross-genre capabilities in full, furious force. There are clear techno-inflections, with acidic, at times abrasive, tendencies throughout, straying from conformist drum patterns and forming breathless gulps in their place.

‘Nervous Horizon Vol.2’ is out July 21, with pre-orders available here. Check out ‘Shovel’ below.

Jasmine Kent-Smith is Mixmag's Digital Intern. Follow her on Twitter

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