101 with Kenyan Music Producer Ic4beast

5th July 2019

More available is his music than you’d find any details about him on the Internet. Playing well under the radar, Ic4beast has been on a remix spree with a signature sound of full-bodied Moombahton tracks which are hard not to give a nod.

Stephen Mwangi aka Ic4beast is a Kenyan Electronic Music Producer who stands out through his Moombahton type of music. To be on the same lane with everyone, Moombahton is a sub-genre of electronic music, conceived when house music and reggaeton are merged. Identifying characteristics of moombahton include a thick and spread-out bass line, dramatic builds, and a two-step pulse with quick drum fills. Occasionally moombahton includes rave music synthesizers and acappella rap samples.

I had a quick link-up with Ic4beast. He did not mind answering some of my questions.

What is your background; How did you get in Music?

I first got interested in music in primary school. Hiphop to be specific. So I started rapping. In high school, I wanted to record a song, but none of the producers I went to were making the beats the way I had imagined them in my mind. In Form Four a friend of mine told me about Fl Studio, so immediately I got home I downloaded a demo version. And that’s how I started my journey.

Define your style of Music?

Hmmmm, this is actually very difficult to answer lol. I make a wide variety of music, from Moombahton to Chillstep, from happy to super dark. So tbh I really don’t know. I’ll let people who listen to my music decide that.

Define your Creative Process. What tools do you use?

I use a 1GB RAM laptop lol, I’m not kidding. It’s almost 12 years old now. I use Fl 11(Since my laptop won’t handle any higher versions) and earphones. I’m seriously looking to upgrade though. I’d define my creative process as spontaneous, I never plan out what I’m going to make because I always end up making something I either don’t really like or deviates from the original idea. So most of the time I just open the DAW (Digital Audio Workstation), load up some sounds and let my imagination build from there.

We’ve heard your banging remixes of Kenyan Tracks just days after release. How do you do that so fast?

Haha I don’t always do it that fast. But most of the time immediately I hear a track I get a sort of vibe of how I could approach it differently and I start working on it immediately before I forget it. Other times(Most times) I just open Fl Studio and hope that I get an idea worth building up on.

Mention notable milestones in your music career?

When I started sharing my music on Soundcloud, the plays were pretty dismal. Last year though, I did a remix for a song by Ethic and The Kansoul – New Position and the amount of plays it got was really refreshing. To some they might not be as impressive, but to me they meant a whole lot. I also got to hear the track play in a couple of popular clubs too. This is my first milestone and I aspire to achieve way more.

What do you perceive of the Kenyan Music scene. Is there anything you’d like to contribute to change?

The Kenyan music scene is growing in its own way. More people are starting to embrace music from their homeland. All I want to do is bring a little diversity to the table with music that people from Kenya and outside the country can relate to.

What are you currently working on in music ; anything to look forward to?

I’m stepping of the remix scene. It’s fun and all, but I’d like to have music that i can claim to be my own. So I’m currently working with a few upcoming singers/vocalists and hopefully original tracks will be dropping very soon.

What is that which your fans don’t know about you!?

Most of my fans (if I have any lol) do not know what I look like. I have kept a very low profile on the internet with a few posts here and there. I promise you I am not a bot. If curiosity is really getting to you just hmu and offer lunch. I’ll be there ASAP!

Follow Ic4beast for more