From his first set almost a decade ago in his hometown Salisbury, Joe Wells aka Ikon had become an integral part of Young Guns Records and in his hometown collective Home Grown Crew (HGC).
Having made appearances across the South in London, Portsmouth, Southampton and Bournemouth, Ikon was also building his reputation as a DJ, and was well loved by everyone he crossed paths with. The love for Joe can be best illustrated by his memorial event in Southampton last year, which featured D&B legends like Hazard, Skibadee, Eksman, Nicky Blackmarket, Fatman D and Turno all representing for Ikon.
The drum and bass community was rocked by the untimely demise of the young prodigy. A year after the tragic loss, Young Guns Records have continued the celebration of Joe’s life with the first part of his long awaited final release in the form of Ikon:ik Part 1.
Continuing the celebration of Joe’s life, “Dish Dub”, the EP’s deepest cut, with dark, brooding synth-line hammering over a weighty bass and drums, delivering a finished product that would be at home amongst any Neurofunk or Jungle set. Ikon’s final piece of solo production comes in the form of Ganjaman Let Loose, which starts with powerful sub, before firing into the up tempo jump up vibes which Young Guns Records has become so synonymous with.
Ikon:ik Part 1 is closed out with Limited’s remix of Murderer, with its opening ragga vocals setting the tone for its drop, which manages to walk the line between minimalistic and heavy well ell with irregular synths and intense bassline.
Overall the EP is both a celebration of what Ikon had accomplished in such a short time, and an indication of what his sound could have become if it had continued to evolve.
