IPT Journeys Through A Hot Summer’s Day with Aquarian Mixtape

Based in London in the UK, we are joined by multi instrumentalist and songwriter, IPT (Isabelle) as she talks all about her EP release, ‘Aquarian Mixtape’.

Having been a classically trained musician, playing violin, flute and piano from the very young age of six, Isabelle has brought influences from this upbringing to her current eclectic genre mix of metal, prog, rap, and post-rock music.

Whilst playing her solo tracks, Isabelle continues to play in classical orchestras to continue with her musical roots.

IPT’s latest EP release, ‘Aquarian Mixtape’ was created and recorded in her bedroom studio during the Covid-19 lockdowns.

The EP was a distraction from the feeling of being trapped inside and became an exploration of what was possible with the limitations of instrumentation and sounds in lockdowns.

Mixed by Jack Davenport at Owl Shed Studios and mastered by Maxi Curnow at Horizon Mastering, ‘Aquarian Mixtape’ takes listeners on a cohesive journey, beginning with the start of a long hot summers day and ending with the turning of nightfall.

You can listen to ‘IPT’ below:

Tell us a little about who you are in everyday life.

In my everyday (9-5) life I work a corporate office job in technology, but I’m known as a collector of extracurricular activities and I’m always caught up in music, sport, and exploring.

I’m based in London UK, and I’m currently loving being able to soak up so much novelty on my doorstep.

What was it that first got you into music?

I’ve been involved with music since I was really small! Some of my earliest memories involve being sat at a piano, being taught the names of the notes – I started learning violin when I was 6 and flute not long after.

All through school and college I played in youth orchestras and the occasional competition.

However, as well as classical music I was also a big metal fan and tried to get to local gigs whenever I could.

Much later on I picked up bass and started learning jazz – which was a huge learning curve!!

How would you describe the feel of your music?

I think the music I’ve created reflects my fairly eclectic taste – it is probably quite hard to fit into any one genre.

One thing that I hope ties my music together is a strong sense of atmosphere, and I try to use rhythmic and melodic hooks as well as ambient sounds to achieve this.

You are classically trained in a range of different instruments.. what made you decide to move from your classical style to what you create today?

As much as I loved playing classical music (and still do!), I always felt like there wasn’t very much room for self expression and creativity without restriction.

Also, with the instruments that I grew up playing (violin, flute, piano), I didn’t really feel like I had the opportunity to make the sort of sounds that I was really interested in.

When I picked up bass a few years later on, and studied jazz and production, I realised that I suddenly had the tools to create the sounds that really excited me. It really grew from there!

You have released your new EP, ‘Aquarian Mixtape’.. tell us a little about how this EP came about.

The EP really started out as a few ideas that I had bounced around while stuck in lockdown in early 2021.

Although I was still working at my job from home, I suddenly found myself with limited opportunities to play music in the ways that I would normally be used to, so I got stuck into sitting every evening playing my ideas straight into Pro Tools.

It was the first time I had really tried to go through this process on my own, but once I had initial ideas captured for each track, I actually found it surprisingly easy to complete the full structure.

The difficult part was making myself finish everything… I relied on some very supportive friends to push me through!

What do the songs on the EP mean to you?

The tracks were actually all inspired by the feeling of sitting in a garden on a summer’s day, and the EP follows the day from early morning through to nightfall.

I have tried to capture a range of different moods, but keep a consistent sense of place throughout.

The final track ‘… And The Moon Replied’ is a spoken word piece accompanied by solo bass and piano, and as I was writing this I imagined lying under the stars and tuning into a far off radio broadcast.

What is your creative process like, when you are creating your music?

I struggle with getting rid of too many of my initial ideas… but once I’ve managed to capture a fragment of melody or rhythm that I really buy into, I often seem to be able to flesh out a lot of the rest of the track pretty quickly, as I have a fairly clear vision of what I want the finished piece to sound like.

For this EP, I didn’t seek any outside input until quite late in the process, but I really appreciated being able to bounce the almost-completed tracks off my musical friends and take a couple of suggestions about instrumentation and structure.

That outside perspective was exactly what I needed to be able to stop worrying about my ideas and commit!

Has there been anything along the releasing process that you would do differently next time?

I took a long pause in the middle of producing the tracks, as I felt like I’d listened too much and could no longer be objective at all about them.

I actually started being really self critical and convinced myself that I shouldn’t actually release anything.

I think what happened is that I’d probably just spent so long working on the music so intensively, that I’d totally burnt out on it.

It was several months down the line that I eventually sent the tracks for mixing, without making any further changes.

I think next time I’ll try to be a little bit more measured in my approach… in the end, I really like what I put out and I would love to have done it without so much angst.

What would success in your music look like to you?

Really, I’d just like to feel that my creative output has found a bit of an audience, and that some people resonate with the ideas that I put into the world.

I’d like to feel like I’m making the most of the instruments that I’ve learned to play over the years, and to be able to create cool things with other talented people. Beyond that, anything is a bonus!

Is there any message that you would like to share with your audience?

For anyone who’s wondering if it’s worth starting a new instrument, or a new direction, or writing their ideas down, and maybe worrying if it’s too late… just have a go!

I actually didn’t play bass at all until I was well out of university, and I really wondered whether I’d get anywhere with it. And now I feel super excited by the opportunities I’ve got coming up, and can’t wait to see what the next year brings.

It’s definitely worth it.

Where can people go to find your music?

I’m on all the main streaming platforms as IPT – or you can also find me on Instagram at www.instagram.com/iptbass . I’m super grateful for anyone who checks out my music!!