- A near-orchestral, heavily introspective EP that pushes at the emotional limits of Afro house.
- A kingpin of the UK's Afro house scene, DJ IC can make any subgenre his own. Earlier this year, for example, he absolutely nailed an album of amapiano. But he's most comfortable in the Afro house and tech realms, and he favours dramatic, almost orchestral tracks. These qualities come to the fore on My Story, which features some of the most impressive tracks he's made to date. As the title hints, it's a little on the introspective side, with melancholy melodies that temper the rousing percussion—in other words, bittersweet bangers.
The title track might as well be an autobiography: with its heartwarming glockenspiel, cello-like synths and gently propulsive brushed drum pattern, it's uplifting with a hint of yearning. It feels like reaching the end of some arduous journey, its marching pace keeping steady. "Reflection" is a bit of an odd duck, with some bluesy piano contrasting samples of a vocal battle cry and percussion that leans on the flickering pulse of amapiano. Here, the feeling is like being on the precipice of something new but not quite all the way there. The closing track "Gratitude" is the pick of the litter. Touching on the more Afro tech side of DJ IC's output, piano dominates again, but this time it's more positive, buoyed by massive drum hits and an insistent synth melody that hints at better times to come. But for now, on My Story, DJ IC sounds content, taking stock of all he's accomplished and figuring out where to go next.
Tracklist01. My Story
02. Reflection
03. Gratitude