oniKa
In August 1999, the seeds of oniKa were sown by myself and Iain Dowling. Drawing inspiration from the hardstyle sounds of Bloody Fist Records– also from our hometown, Newcastle, as well as the trance and techno beats we had been immersing ourselves in, we embarked on a journey to craft our own distinctive musical style.
Our tools were humble, to say the least. A PlayStation loaded with Music 2000, a Pentium computer running DDclip and Hammerhead, alongside the trusty old Windows recorder, formed the backbone of our creative arsenal. Accompanying these were a dual tape deck and a Casiotone 2-octave keyboard, each contributing its unique flavour to our sonic experiments.
As we transitioned from the rigours of the Higher School Certificate (HSC) into a whirlwind of 18th birthday parties and summer gatherings, we dedicated ourselves to the task of piecing together a 5-track tape to share with our circle of friends.
The initial response was a mixed bag, with some offering words of encouragement while others remained indifferent. Yet, buoyed by the support of those who saw potential in our work, we resolved to press on, undeterred by the challenges that lay ahead.
- Pulse
- Beake
- Thread
- What Evil Lurks
- This is Love
Unfortunately I don’t think there is any copies of this still around, certainly none that have been digitised.