How burnout, the loss of their demos and a trip to Pakistan turned their album DREAMER upside down.
“A lot of people use the word ‘melancholy’ to refer to my work. And I think to myself: wow, I sound really depressed”, jokes Nabihah Iqbal and still knows: “Especially with a view to DREAMER it makes much more sense to use this word. It’s an attempt to look at things positively and at the same time deal with very frustrating, difficult situations.” Three years ago, the London-based producer suffered from burnout and broke her hand when her studio was broken into. All her equipment and her laptop – stolen. Then the almost finished second album. Just as forensic investigators were investigating the crime scene, she received a call from her family in Pakistan: her grandfather had suffered a cerebral hemorrhage. Iqbal immediately gets on the plane to Karachi.
Overcoming shock
What sounds like a series of incredibly dark events ultimately shaped the production of their second album DREAMER. After overcoming the shock, Iqbal bought an acoustic guitar in Karachi and recorded new song sketches with her mobile phone. “This process of being far from my studio with so little gear, while it wasn’t revolutionary, it helped me get back to basics.” Many of these sketches became the backbone of the record. The album that was lost with the burglary left her behind. It couldn’t be recreated.
In addition to said acoustic guitar, other instruments from Iqbal’s visit to Pakistan have also left their mark on the production: “The harmonium and the sitar can be heard on this album and it is also the first time that I have instruments from my cultural heritage on my tracks use. The album even begins and ends with the harmonium.”
On opener ‘In Light’ that instrument melds with shoegay guitars and their productions’ signature use of synths and lo-fi vocals that sound so dreamy, as if they were recorded with half-closed eyes. The fact that Iqbal is at home as a DJ in the London club scene shines through, as does her teenage preference for post-punk and new wave: electronic genres and classical guitar music mix on DREAMER. From house to wave to shoegaze.
“I never stop working”
The musician has her fingers in many cakes: After studying law, ethnomusicology and history, she works as a DJ, producer, radio presenter, journalist and curator, among other things. She found out for herself three years ago that the high level of employment in the art and culture industry that goes with self-employment has consequences: “The burnout was definitely a ‘wake-up call’ for me. At the age of 29 I became very ill. I never thought that was a thing that would ever happen to me.”
When she’s not rehearsing, touring or preparing her radio shows, there’s another meeting coming up, explains Iqbal. “As an artist you are your own boss and you have so many responsibilities. It feels like I never stop working.” A comprehensive tour is planned for the release. She is happy, but also knows: “I have to be very careful not to end up in the same position as last time.”
This text first appeared in the Musikexpress issue 06/2023. Order here.