Sicaria Sound to end project due to "health and wellbeing factors"

Sicaria Sound have announced they are ending the collaborative DJ and production project at the end of this year, saying “there’s some health and wellbeing factors we need to prioritise.”

One half of the duo Sancha Ndeko is launching a solo venture called Mia Koden, with the “full support” of fellow member Imbratura Lou.

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In an open and detailed statement posted on Instagram, Sicaria Sound wrote about the history of the project and explained why it’s coming to a close.

It states: “Our story really begins with how we met just over 7 years ago: bonding over music at the back of a university lecture hall, gassed to find a soul sister who also liked similar sounds. So what’s important here is that we’re best friends first and foremost ahead of being ‘Sicaria Sound’. Once we started taking DJing seriously we promised each other to never let the music industry get in the way of that. Over the years we’ve had many incredible experiences and hit unforgettable milestones, some of which you may have seen us share across our social media platforms. We worked hard, we had some good luck and we were supported by some amazing people which is truly a blessing.

“We’ve always tried to be private about our personal lives and endeavoured to share positivity online where we could. But we do want to be transparent with our community in that behind the positivity of what we choose to share online and regardless of how strong we come across, we have personal issues to deal with just like everyone in this world. We had versions of this conversation at the start of last year - ahead of the pandemic - and eventually aimed to resolve it by keeping faith and continuing to work hard. So Many people told us how lucky we were - and in many aspects, they are fully right. However, addressing health and wellbeing is and will always be of the highest importance.

“Fast forward to almost a year into this pandemic: all around us fellow creatives, friends, family & strangers...so many of us have all had our livelihoods disrupted by COVID-19, and the the physical and mental health toll on us all has been pretty intense to say the very least. In light of this, the way that we choose to run Sicaria Sound is no longer sustainable so with a heavy heart but in order to protect our health and wellbeing, we are going to wrap up this project awt the end of 2021 and just stay best friends. We still have loads planned for this year, some of which has been in the works for a very long time so we’ll be giving it 100% - like we always do - right until the the end. The only difference is that Sicaria Sound now has an expiry date.”

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The duo also expressed thanks to all their supporters and people they’ve worked with, and revealed their label Cutcross Recordings will continue into 2022 with what has already been signed.

The statement adds: “We know to some it will look like we’re giving up a dream position but we truly feel empowered walking away from something we’ve nourished for half a decade and with great pride in our achievements; finding people in knowing when to walk away.”

Across the past five years, Sicaria Sound played at leading European clubs and festivals such as fabric, Corsica Studios, Outlook, CTM, as well as touring the US, and broadcasting mixes on radio stations such as BBC Radio 1 and 1xtra, NTS and Rinse FM.

In 2020 they launched the Cutcross Recordings label with a slit four-track EP featuring E3 Breaks, L U C Y (now known as LCY), Sir Rah and an anonymised artist.

To find out more about Sicaria Sound, revisit our 2019 Impact feature. Follow Mia Koden here.

Read the full statement below.

Patrick Hinton is Mixmag's Digital Features Editor, follow him on Twitter

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