Alice Okada is an innovative artist hailing from the vibrant music scene of Portland, OR. Her music revolves around the lines of Drum N’ Bass, a sub-genre she adapted and made her own. Her music is inspired by the likes of Shy FX and Congo Natty. This is one of those artists who likes to explore new sound while preserving the essence of her originality. Each track in her discography showcases her intricate musical abilities that push the boundaries of the current DnB scene. If you love to bang your head and race your heart, this is an artist you’ll surely enjoy.
“Alice’s music is like that first coke bump on a high school reunion.”
I recently came across this amazing artist through her latest release which is a six song EP that will make you wanna strip off your clothes and go for a run! The way this artist has woven such immersive experiences through her musicality is remarkable. the album starts off with “Mice in my Walls” which is the perfect way to start off this amazing EP. This track sets the tone and the feel for the EP while introducing the experimental abilities that Alice holds. It’s followed by “Murderer” which is my personal favourite from this project. The tracks starts off with subtle melodies and gradually treads into much heavier vibe. Each track plays it’s role perfectly throughout the EP.
The next track on the EP is “Dancing with the Dead”, which blends the best parts of two worlds. Laced with captivating synth sounds, this track is bound to make your body move. The characteristic drums feel like a statement while various different sounds engulf you into the tracks realm. The next track “Muddled Shoes” act as a bridge between the calm and chaos. The track starts off with conventional musical patterns and transitions into a much deeper and chaotic feel towards the end. This is something worth experiencing.
Next up on the list is “Watering Dirt”, which creates the perfect space for “Dreams of Oceans Beyond Eyesight” to bring this masterpiece to an end. The way this artist wraps up such vast soundscapes into this project is truly spellbinding and this is surely a goldmine for people who love to explore new sounds.
If you’ve been looking out for someone who can make you break your neck while making you feel vivid emotions, Alice is the artist you got to explore.
We also had a chance to have a little chat with the artist and here’s how it went-
1- Why frame your debut as “chapter one: the beach episode” rather than a standalone project? What does the beach represent in your creative narrative?
The reason why I framed it as chapter one was that I wanted to have a blend of varying and different environments to be explored within the genre of drum and bass. For example, the beach represents a more toned down, chilled out vibe that can sometimes turn a little rocky with the water reaching high tide, that representation of the environment is what I’m going for.
2- You’ve only been producing Intelligent Drum N’ Bass for a year. What was the biggest technical challenge you faced when creating this album?
The largest technical challenge most likely was trying to scout and incorporate samples, as I personally try to make sure that the samples I use fit the overall sonic signature of the song, and don’t stand out like a sore thumb. Instead, it compliments the track with its presence.
3- Your bedroom studio is described as a “cozy world.” Do spatial limitations shape your creative decisions, or do they free you from overthinking production?
To be honest, no. I personally find the bedroom studio to be something intimate, something that I find to be easiest to just take a few steps and walk over to your recording area and get those ideas out onto audio as fast as possible.
4- Shy FX and Congo Natty inspired your drum chopping approach. Can you walk us through your process of deconstructing and reimagining breakbeats?
My process of making something new tends to be a bit odd: I will sometimes use a mobile app I have in order to test out how a few breakbeats sounded in my head as soon as I can, and if it’s sounding okay, then I record that drum loop on the app. From there, I import the loop to FL Studio, and try to recreate the loop and build it up from there.
5- This is labelled “chapter one” without spoiling future releases. What narrative or thematic arc are you building toward?
The thematic arc is environments. I want to bring my listeners through different sound stages, new places, and greater opportunities.
6- You mention hoping listeners connect with the emotions in each track. What feeling or memory were you processing while making this album?
To be honest, a lot of the feelings I was having were rather negative due to my mental health, but the ability to create something new, the feeling of inspiration, of creation, of rebirth (not to be pretentious or anything), that’s what pushed me to keep going, and make this album a reality.
7- Were there any tracks or ideas that didn’t make the final cut? What did they teach you about your creative process?
There was a few cut ideas such as a slower paced song, some drum loops and samples that didn’t make the cut. The lesson I learned was you don’t have to use every sample you find, you just have to use the ones that fit the sonic signature and then it’ll take care of itself.
8- If this is chapter one, can you hint at what territory chapter two might explore? Will you continue evolving within DnB or branch into new genres?
To be honest, I’m not entirely sure yet. I have a couple of ideas, one of which being to potentially blend DnB and House together, but I haven’t begun working on that yet. For now, I’ll continue to hone in on DnB, and evolve from there.
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