by Grailed fashion blogger-turned-producer/DJ ICYKOF gears up for his hotly-anticipated debut EP, ZERO SUGAR—due April 3—by sharing its acid-tinged second single, ‘PAYDAY’, out January 29 on his label, RAVE NUIT.
ICYKOF—AKA Kofi McCalla—is redefining himself as one of London’s most intriguing voices in electronic music. After stepping away from the high-profile world of his Unknown Vlogs platform—where he chronicled streetwear culture at the frontier of fashion—Kofi has found a new creative outlet rooted in the raw energy of underground electronic music.
His debut EP, ZERO SUGAR, will be released in April, accompanied with a special vinyl edition. The EP channels the rebellious ethos of Detroit’s industrial techno pioneers such as Underground Resistance, Robert Hood and Steve Reich. Tracks, such as already available singles ‘BRING IT BACK’ (+ Bambounou remix) and ‘SHE KNOWS’—remixed by NYC techno hero MoMa Ready—pay homage to these artists, blending gritty warehouse grooves with hypnotic percussion. Already, ‘SHE KNOWS’ has received rave reviews from exciting names like Chloe Caillat, Bambounou, I.JORDAN, re:ni, HAAi, Yu Su as well as support from respected names in the game like Josh Wink, who called the original “good ol’ NYC trippy house”, Ryan Elliott, JeromeSydenham, DJ Bone and many more.
The EP’s new single, ‘PAYDAY’, is a breather from the deep dub techno elements found on the rest of the ZERO SUGAR EP. With its slower tempo, lo-fi drum machine drums and growling 303 acid bassline, it presents itself instantly as an acid house dancefloor devastator, nodding to the genre’s originators like Phuture, Armando, and Larry Heard.
With a vision that merges techno-punk aesthetics and his own search for authenticity, esteemed London tastemaker ICYKOF’s world-building feels like a rebellion and a reinvention all at once. ‘PAYDAY’, the second single from his colossal debut EP, ‘ZERO SUGAR’, is out on January 29th, ahead of the full EP release on April 3rd. You know what to do.
Follow ICYKOF:
TikTok | Instagram | Spotify | YouTube | SoundCloud
Follow RAVE NUIT:
Bandcamp | TikTok | Instagram | SoundCloud
