EP: ill-esha & K.E. On the Track – Autopilot EP
ill-esha is known to push the boundaries of electronic music and her new EP is no different. On Autopilot, premiered by The Untz, ill-esha teams up with resident hip-hop/trap hitmaker K.E. On the Track. Whether K.E. is producing for Nicki Minaj or lacing Rick Ross and Jay-Z with the menacing “The Devil Is a Lie,” the Florida-based producer knows how to make a distinct sound. With Autopilot, ill-esha and K.E. marry both of their influences into a hyper-fueled combination of pop, R&B, and electronic music.
Co-produced by ill-esha and K.E. On the Track, both artists drift through an electronic galaxy of synth-driven emotions and subtle guitar feels. ill-esha’s soft, hypnotic vocals marinate with unhinged optimism as the duo takes listeners on their playfully love-laden journey. The EP was described by The Untz as “a myriad of contemporary production stylings with the clever twists of each veteran beatmaker,” adding, “this sound is only going to serve to bring both of these talented producers to a wider audience.” Autopilot begins with the sugar-pop ode, “Stop Playin,'” with EARMILK describing ill-esha’s vocals as “fun and exciting, and she’s got talent to back it all up.” “Lighting Strikes” continues the momentum of “Stop Playing” with a searing guitar rift and another infectious hook. Psalm One and Fluffy stop over on the club-ready “Tell Me More” to add a little edge to ill-esha and K.E.’s already undeniable chemistry.
Autopilot is ill-esha and K.E. delivering one dance gem after another. When describing how they met, ill-esha says “We met up while we were both passing through LA and really dug each others’ production. The next time I played in Atlanta, I stayed at his studio and developed most of the ideas that ended up on the EP… based on other ideas he’d already sketched out. The finishing touches were done back at home in Denver.”
Listen to Autopilot: https://soundcloud.com/ill-esha/sets/autopilot-ep
Check out The Untz premiere: http://www.theuntz.com/news/premiere-ill-esha-and-ke-on-the-track-autopilot-ep/
Buy Autopilot on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/
Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with ill-esha.
For many years ill-esha has weathered the dynamic, often ephemeral soundscape of electronic music, simply by being an original. “I’m not really an observer. I’m very much a participant and a creator,” self-describes the Vancouver, British Columbia-born artist, songwriter, producer, and DJ. From growing up in the EDM hotbed of the Pacific Northwest, attending raves in her teens, ill-esha accelerated her musical passions to the fullest. Authenticity has been a driving force in ill-esha’s albums, including 2008’s The Perfect Circuit, 2010’s Circadian Rhythms, and most recently, 2014’s Open Heart Surgery, among a plethora of singles, EPs, and various appearances and side projects. After years of suffering the music industry’s sexism, from being mistaken as a visual designer or a dancer to being discounted despite her expertise, it’s only made her sound hit harder. “I have to be better cause people expect me to be worse,” ill-esha says, noting that she plans to lead workshops that inspire at-risk youth—young women especially, to pursue the technical arts.
With turntables, keytars, vocal loopers, and other instrumentals integrated within her sets, all of the iterations of ill-esha’s journey are represented. A blissful ill-esha describes her newest creations as upbeat, positive parallels to her life. “I feel resolved now. Hopefully my happy music is just as good.” With that constant driving bass, freestyle, and soulful lyrics, it surely is.
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Autopilot: https://soundcloud.com/ill-esha/sets/autopilot-ep
“Stop Playin'”: https://soundcloud.com/ill-esha/stop-playin
“Eye Of The Tiger” (Remix): http://youtu.be/9wVd6mvW1i0
Open Heart Surgery: The Remixes – http://music.gravitasrecordings.com/album/open-heart-surgery-the-remixes
Open Heart Surgery: http://music.gravitasrecordings.com/album/open-heart-surgery