Eyes II by Ikävä Pii

Following the launch of the Eyes series, Early Reflex welcomes back Ikävä Pii for “Eyes II”, the second entry in this exploratory two-tracker format.

Possibly the darkest tracks Ikävä Pii has produced to date, ‘False Binaries Fight for Primacy’ and ‘Permaweird’ are two detailed and twisted club tunes, encapsulating the perennial state of frustrated urgency of our times.
Uneasy feelings are conveyed in both tracks, and refracted through the artist’s signature playful approach.

False Binaries Fight for Primacy is driven by the eerie ambiguity of its major/minor harmony, and a relentless rhythmic section that nods to post-punk as much as the track’s distorted, shouty vocals. The unsettling main theme of Permaweird is hinged on an alteration of the Locrian mode (often deemed the “weirdest” mode), and its timbre, albeit recalling familiar patches from the Process Fatigue era, here paints a much darker picture.

Topical and heartfelt, these tracks update Ikävä Pii’s sound with an uncanny mutation, material for a standout moment in a club set. Already secret weapons in Ikävä Pii’s live show for nearly a year, they’ve left heads spinning on dancefloors in UK, Europe and beyond, and now find their proper home on Early Reflex.

Ikävä Pii said:
“What’s the purpose of club music in a climate where alienation is the norm and outdated narratives are collapsing?
We live in the permaweird: reality gets increasingly absurd, and yet we adapt to it every day.
Nothing to fight for: digital vs physical, liberal left vs authoritarian right, old vs young - just false binaries. There must be another way.
In the meantime, activate punk mode, shout in the mic, use stranger scales.
The only real binary is rich vs non-rich (and that’s what clubs should be about).
Thanks Venkatesh Rao and David Rudnick for the inspiration.”

‘Eyes II’ is available on all platforms starting from Friday 2nd May 2025.

Tracklist

1.	False Binaries Fight for Primacy	5:59

2.	Permaweird	5:21

Credits

License