Multi-talented music producer, Ionika delivers a triumphant performance in his latest single, “Perfect (feat. 808 Carter)”
Eddie Cai, better known as Ionika, is a gifted producer who works within the creative realms of Electronic, Hip-Hop, and Pop music. Born in New Jersey but hailing from Philadelphia, he began writing and producing dance music influenced by a variety of artists including Skrillex and Avicii.
In the summer of 2018, he grew to become more comfortable with writing music, and now raps and records his own lyrics rather than having other artists featured on his productions.
Ionika finds a way to incorporate his Chinese background with modern music in a way to convey his musical journey. With his latest release, “Perfect (feat. 808 Carter),” Ionika continues to captivate his listeners and gain attention from people all over the world.
“Perfect (feat. 808 Carter)” carries an up-tempo ambiance with every sparkling element displayed through the production. The enticing hi-hats add that bop to the music that truly has you tapping your fingers and toes to the beat.
The smooth and reverberated sounds of 808 Carter’s vocals create a euphoric ambiance that has you instantly lost in the sounds of the top-notch production quality. The instrumentation matches the theme of this record in such an effortless manner by fusing Contemporary R&B, Hip-hop, and Electronic music together in this mesmerizing melody about having your eyes on that significant other and letting your guard down to be with them, even if just for the night.
Ionika fascinates listeners by the passion that is put into the finer details of the production elements. Every single vocal effect and ongoing progression of the composition stands out and takes listeners on a sonic voyage.
Captivated by the unforgettable chorus, we’re able to allow our emotions to flow as we sing, “Yeah, your smile shines deeper than the surface. Yeah, your smile shines deeper than the surface,” at the top of our lungs.
Ionika and 808 Carter offers listeners an exhibition of desire in, “Perfect.” This record is a heartfelt display of talent and you can easily listen to it in all settings.
Congratulations on the release of “Perfect (feat. 808 Carter” Welcome to BuzzMusic, Ionika! Could you please take us into the creative process of how this record was made?
So this song was made after I hit up my good producer friend, Jad Walker. He loves producing R&B beats and making really space-like atmospheres in his music, so he played for me a couple of beats over Zoom, and this one really stuck to me because I loved how simple, yet alive it was. Before this song was even conceived, I took a songwriting class at Drexel and wrote part of this song to a completely different beat in a completely different tempo.
For some reason, the song sounded a LOT better after I was messing around with melodies and rhythms over the beat Jad Walker sent me. I rearranged the flow of the chorus "You're so perfect, and girl you're worth it" and it stuck with me that the chorus you're hearing in the song was the one that was it. So I laid down everything I had and decided the chorus was so catchy and dope that I should repeat it twice, so that's exactly what I did after the first one.
How did you come to collaborate with 808 Carter for this beautiful piece of work?
808 Carter is one of Jad Walker and I's best friends, and when I played this beat for him, I didn't know exactly what he would come up with, but he came up with something completely different from what I was talking about. Instead of talking about how amazing this girl was, he was talking about the negatives in the relationship, and when his second verse hits, he's meeting this new girl and just vibing with her. It really tells a story in my opinion, of how two different guys see meeting a potential partner. He's really creative with his words and storytelling, and I think that his verses in the song made it THAT much more visual and interesting to listen to.
What does this song mean to you? Was the same vision always there?
Like I said in the previous answer, it was a very spontaneous collaboration that just happened to work out the way it did. I didn't envision the song to be your typical R&B song, being very romantic and happy, but rather being more realistic. I talk about someone being so perfect and amazing, but Carter helps anchor it back down to reality by talking about that even though a girl is perfect, there are always going to be issues in a relationship because you're with a stranger who is completely different from who you are. In my opinion, the song really ties to the saying "No one is ever perfect", but we like to think that the people we look up to and adore are.
What would you like listeners to take away from, “Perfect (feat. 808 Carter)”?
Don't set your expectations too high, and be realistic about meeting someone. It's interesting because Carter and I are two very different people. The way I describe this girl is very dreamy, very fantasy-like whereas Carter is extremely down-to-earth and honest about his emotions and feelings. Despite that, however, you can view your potential partner as 'perfect' but in reality, you have to understand that there will be hardships that arise from that relationship.
What has been keeping you inspired in 2020?
2020 for me has been a very reflective year. I kinda looked into myself and realized what I needed to do and what I didn't need to do. And in terms of musical creativity and drive, for me, it was experimentation. It has always been experimentation. I don't like to be tied down to genres of music or categorized as a "rapper" or "singer". I like to jump all over the place. So to be very honest, like, this was my first ever R&B song I have ever written and performed.
I think that my voice has the potential to be a very powerful tool in music, and developing it was important to me so that I could expand my horizons and dive into more genres such as R&B instead of being stuck with the same hip-hop cycle every day. So, now I just make whatever music sounds good to me, and if it makes me feel good, then I know the fans and audience will like it as well.