iCvrter is a 21 year old vocalist and producer from Cleveland. His latest track is, “I Know”, which is held together by the young producer’s sense of calm. His music is effortless and relaxed, and even if it doesn’t exactly jump out at you, it has a way of pulling you into its orbit. iCvrter’s vocals have the same effect. Both radio-friendly and old-fashioned, like neo-soul filtered through ambient chill, the track is remarkably self-assured. It sets up iCvrter as someone carving out his niche. He’s a young artist with diverse taste and a wide knowledge of sound, and the raw talent to work those influences into a unique groove.
“I Know” is a chilled-out under two-minute instrumental that floats on a glistening bed of strings, synths, and tinkling piano. It’s pleasant and catchy, but it also features the smooth vocals of iCvrter. Those vocals are pushed right up front in the mix, adding a variety of complicated fills while keeping the beat going.
iCvrter seeds the song with unusual background percussion: a bass line with a frequency so low it seems to wobble coming out of the speakers and a backing vocal that sounds like it is vibrating of its own accord. That makes the song sonically interesting, and its iCvrter’s smooth vocal performance that sells it.
iCvrter makes what’s already a strong melody better, and it’s a credit to his production skills that he has managed to weave such a sublime sonic tapestry to back it up. It’s fully formed and confident, the clear product of a single person’s vision and taste.
And by the end of the song, it’s clear that this is someone who has skills beyond free time messing around. The whole production sounds like a teaser of what iCvrter can do with his sonic elements and voice.
To say iCvrter is a producer still finding his groove would be disingenuous. If anything, the track is evidence that he is a producer who has found his place and is very comfortable immersing himself into a multitude of musical contexts and expanding the possibilities of collaboration, of which he has done quite a few in the past. Here he on his own, but throughout the song, iCvrter shows that he is on top of his game.
This isn’t simple a young producer with a soundcloud account and a couple of tricks up his sleeve, iCvrter is giving us all he’s got, and what he’s got is a full bag of tools to get the job done. Hip-hop is constantly evolving.
For a genre still relatively young, it has managed to permeate global culture and has become a staple and essential to the pop cultural DNA. In return, hip-hop has blessed listeners with innumerable gifts, from awesome lyricists to tremendous innovation via the use of production tools.
Meanwhile, iCvrter seems to be elevating his sound to something greater, and more sophisticated. His greatest weapon being that he is a double-threat, and as such, can match up a track with his unique delivery and tailor it specifically to his style of singing.
So who knows what musical zones he’ll end up pursuing next? In the meantime, this release certainly satisfies the insatiable desire for more music from the artist/producer. For those interested, iCvrter also sells beats, so maybe hook up with him, if that’s what you’re looking for.
OFFICIAL LINKS: INSTAGRAM – TWITTER – SOUNDCLOUD – ITUNES – SPOTIFY – SOUNDCLOUD
