iyer : Skywalker
iyer
Skywalker
From Japan to Peru, footwork’s dynamic and structural fluidity has allowed the sound to transcend beyond its Chicago roots – for producer Nikhil Ramakrishnan as iyer, its frameworks are a conduit for him to pay homage to his Carnatic heritage, refracting nuggets of Tamil and Indian culture at large via the lenses of chopped samples and experimental club. On Singapore soil, Nikhil is somewhat of a foundational figure. Behind the electronic label Phyla Digital, his work as iyer has helped foster a burgeoning electronic landscape – most notably Fauxe, who has become one of Singapore’s foremost purveyors in synergising cultural reverence and refreshing beatwork. Now based in San Francisco, Farewell continues his synthesis of Indian sounds and juke, collisions he showcased on albums like 2019’s Third Culture Tamilian. Here, his sonic variety broadens - but a Carnatic undercurrent always underpins them.
At times, these are explicit, like Tere Bina, and the hypnotic Shah Rukh Shelldown, ostensibly named after the legendary actor Shah Rukh Khan. Packed full of bouncing bass and frenetic rhythms, they serve as bedrock for an infectious dance sequence, led by his commanding vocal snippets. But the truly delighting tracks are when these fusions are more implicit - like Skywalker, where tabla-like rhythms give way to frantic juke pulses, which all provide the bedrock for furious grime-flavoured verses. Here, the MC rides rhythms conjured by Nikhil's arpeggiator-driven grids, with glowing pad synths and sax interjections coloring the spaces in between. A student of legendary producers the likes of DJ Rashad, there's a similar melodic richness that colours iyer’s jukes. But with his sensibilities coloured by his own cultural heritage rather than locked to direct tributes - whether it be from his sample to his rhythmic choices – it's indicative of what lies at the core of footwork's increasing global appeal – leaving room as an adaptive sonic space for exciting melting pots, ready for new possibilities.
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