Artists To Watch: iKen
Ike Ngala, stage name iKen, creates the type of music that forces you to stop whatever you’re doing and just listen. A 16 year old Nairobi-native, currently based in South Africa, he blends neo-soul and alt-R&B and creates immersive, emotive music that makes you want to sit in that moment forever.
I came across his music through the recommendation of a fellow Tangaza contributor and I’ve been hooked ever since. His latest release, “At Second Sight”, is an ethereal, moving three track offering whose quality and retrospective nature reflect a maturity beyond his years. iKen has mastered creating the perfect pockets for his soothing vocals within his tracks and possesses an adept ability to build lush, hypnotic and enveloping layers.
At just 16, he shows tremendous potential and I, for one, am excited to watch his growth. I caught up with the budding artist via email to learn more about his life, goals and future plans
Where are you from? Can you speak briefly about your upbringing and how you got into music?
As I mentioned before, I’m from Kenya. Although I was born there, I’ve moved around from country to country my whole life - I haven’t lived in any one place for more than 3 years. I was introduced to music when I was around 5 years old, at which point I was living in Bangladesh. My parents would often hear me playing songs I liked on my little toy keyboard, so they ended up getting me piano lessons, which I’m very grateful for. Over the years, I’ve been introduced to many different types of music, and I feel like the various places I’ve lived - such as Iran, Zimbabwe and Kenya my home country - have influenced my musical tastes as well. I started learning how to produce music in Grade 8… I’d use online tools to make EDM remixes of songs I liked, and although I often pretend that those remixes don’t exist, they ended up helping me learn how to use real software. I don’t know exactly when I decided I wanted to make original music… it may have been at some point during the end of middle school/beginning of high school, but I know that it’s something I’m very passionate about.
Who did you grow up listening to?
I was (and I am still) surrounded by a lot of music around the house - My dad would usually listen to a lot of 80s/9os music, so Michael Jackson, Boyz II Men, Lionel Richie, and plenty of others are artists that I would hear around the house when I was younger. My mother, on the other hand, loves gospel.
When did you start putting music out? What was the first project you released and how did that moment feel?
I started putting out original music in December 2019.... My first release was called “Too Much”, which I released on the 20th of December. Honestly, just thinking about that release makes me cringe! Lol.
Still, releasing something that was truly original, all produced and sung by me, felt amazing! As much as I may not love the song as much, I feel proud that I released it, and that day will definitely be one that I’ll remember.
Who/what have been your main influences?
My main influences are UMI, Alina Baraz, and Emawk. If my songs had to sound like anyone else’s songs, I would love it if they sounded like theirs. Generally, I try to take aspects of their music I really like, and adapt them into something unique that I can call my own.
What is your creative process?
I’m not sure whether I have an explicit process when making music. It tends to vary a lot; sometimes I’ll think of a melody out of nowhere, other times I’ll sit down and start with some lyrics, other times I’ll hear a sound I like and try to make something out of it. Whatever happens happens, really. Generally, a full song will take a month or two to complete, what with school and other events going on. Recently, I’ve been keeping random ideas in my voice memos so I can come back to them later.
Tell us more about your latest release, ‘At Second Sight’. What inspired the project?
During the making of “At Second Sight”, I had wanted to make a few songs that felt really airy and ethereal. At that point in time, I had been listening to a lot of Alina Baraz, FINNEAS, and Lianne La Havas, so the songs on the EP ended up being modeled after those artists’ songs; A lot of acoustic elements, but with enough layers and instruments to make their songs feel thick and lush.
When coming up with the title, since the album’s theme was going to be about love, I started thinking about the whole “love at first sight” trope, what it meant, and what I could do with it. The songs on the EP were quite retrospective, in my opinion, and I feel like calling the EP “At Second Sight” reflected that, introducing listeners to the idea that some sort of relationship/spark had already happened, but recently ended, so the songs are about what I thought when looking back at it, or “at second sight”.
What artists would you love to collaborate with and why?
Internationally, I would absolutely LOVE to collaborate with Orion Sun or Alina Baraz… for both artists, I feel like their music is just as creative and captivating as their voices - separate one from the other and I’d still adore them! They both inspire me to be more creative and to find new, unconventional ways of making music! In terms of the African scene, I would love to collaborate with Xenia Manasseh - I love her voice, and her songs (especially ‘Probably Never’) are all absolute vibes.
What message do you want listeners to take from your music?
I’m really not sure yet… I’d love for people to be encouraged to express themselves in whatever their passions are, no matter what they are, and I’ll be trying to convey that message a lot more in my songs. One thing I know for sure is that I want people to be able to dive into my music whenever they need an escape and/or if they want music that they can get lost in.
Who are you currently listening to?
Currently, I’m listening to all sorts of artists in the R&B/neo-soul/indie sphere… I’ve been listening to Snoh Aalegra, Orion Sun, Alina Baraz, Giveon, Alex Isley, Men I Trust, Emawk, Frank Ocean, UMI, The Marías, and many more.
When you’re not making music, what are you up to?
Homework rules my life. Currently, I’m in Grade 11, and working towards getting my IB Diploma. The IB curriculum takes up a lot of my time, so when I’m not studying or making/listening to music, I tend to read, go for runs, and maybe even meditate. Before the quarantine, I would play a lot of sports, but nowadays I don’t really get to do that as much.
What is a song, album, or movie that elicits a strong sense of nostalgia for you?
Do Disney series’ intros count as songs? Lol. I would probably have to choose a Disney song, whether it’s from one of the movies, like “Almost There” in Princess and the Frog, “Gospel Truth” from Hercules, or a series, like the “Kim Possible” intro.
What’s next for IkeN?
Who knows? I’m really not sure haha! Recently, I’ve taken a bit of time to focus on creating songs, so in the coming few months, I think people should expect quite a lot of new music, and maybe even hints towards bigger projects. I’m doing my best to improve my songwriting, producing and quality of music in general since, after all, I’m still learning. Hopefully listeners will like what comes out!
Keep up with iKen here.
