I Clown is a moniker that reverberates through the underground music scene in Sri Lanka. Rated as one of the most genre progressive producers in Sri Lanka, iClown aka Sasith Gamage focuses on genres from dubstep, trap and bass, drum and bass and drumstep. He has been producing since 2012 as I Clown and currently has accumulated around four million streams online. He has released 3Eps so far and his fourth EP Neon Dystopia was released via Hai Chai Recordings on July 16. It was iClown’s second EP to be released via this high profile, New York based record label. Sasith’s first EP released via Hai Chai Recordings was Brain Damage which hit the Beatport featured page.
Sasith has been forcusing on the Circus Festival which was held on September 14. His other current project is the Kuweni, sheduled for October 3 at the Nelum Pokuna. All the non-live music will be played and performed by Sasith where he will be handling all non live elements such as the electronic elements (pads and synths), sampletriggering and everything that is electronic.
Introduced to the world of music as a tiny tot of two, Sasith continued to grow and hone his musical talent. At Wesley College, he was member of the College brass band and led it for three consecutive years. Here, from playing the clarinet he graduated to handling all aspects of percussion.
Sasith was enrolled at the Academy of Music run by Directress Shyama Perera to further improve his musical education and can boast of being one of its oldest students. He has passed his Grade eight exam of the Trinity College of London as well as the Grade five exams in the theory of music and bagged national prizes for Grades three, five and eight.
Sasith is not only a musician but he is also an artist. However, after his Os he opted to continue with music and put his artistic talents on the backburner. Currently, he uses art as a medium of inspiration for the music that he creates.
He entered University of Sri Jayawardenepura to read for his degree in Accounting. He is also CIMA qualified and is now doing his Master’s in Business Administration at the American National College in Colpetty. Currently, he is a LeanEnterprise Executive at Mas Holdings. It says much for Sasith’s versatility, passion for creation and musical talent that despite heavy educational and professional commitments he never let go of his music. On the contrary, he musical creativity kept growing more and more.
While immersing himself in organ music Sasith was drawn to heavy bass musicand metal music and firmly believes that it is a culture and a way of life which he has embraced fervently.
In 2012, Sasith became intrigued with the fusion of electronic metal music with other musical genres after listening to a fusion album between the popular metal band KORN and a plethora of bass musicians including Skrillex and Noisia, where he realised how electronic music can be fused seamlessly with acoustic and metal elements.
Sasith draws his inspiration for his music from sci fi, games in other words anything and everything connected to the Cosmos. He is also inspired by acts such Post Malone, Joe Ford, and Noisia in the production of drum and bass and other heavy music genres. Progressive metal bands suchas Animals as Leaders, Earthside, Tesseract, Messhuggah, Periphery and Northlane are artistes who Sasith listens to and draws inspiration from.
Explosive dreams were the number which placed iClown’s footprint on the sphere of Sri Lankan heavy music. It was broadcast by TNL and Yes FM in 2013 with a two week #1 on the charts. Thereafter, he just leapfrogged into the limelight with thousands of fans on Youtube as well as locally in Sri Lanka.
He ended up releasing his first EP ‘Retaliation’ with Round One Records from UK, where the title track was featured on EDM.com, which is considered the biggest EDM promotion platform Later, he was fortunate enough to work with Ranidu on a remix for his ‘Wahi Andure’ EP. The remix was well received, ended up on EDM.com and later on the BBC Asian Network. Ranidu also played the remix at the Ultra Music Festival in Miami, earning Sasith, his very first festival play.
iClown also produced the famous CYPHER 14/15 with Drill Team Westnahira, which is considered a modern Sinhala rap anthem.
Uptonow, iClown has received more than eight plays on the BBC Asian Network with a comeback week on popular demand, and many radio stations in India, Russia, and Australia.
iClown’s first song to be streamed on a popular YouTube channel was Clown Riot in the dub step genre. Among his other hits are songs like Man without Fear which has accumulated over one million plays, Emotions Integrate featuring Arjun Dhas, ‘Love and a freak condition’ featuring Maria Soysa and Avenger, 8 bit Journey, Haunting Memories, Retaliation, Cyberpunk Love featuring Gayan Danthanarayana, Lobotomy, Leviathan Party, Rahath Himiwarun with Charitha Attalage, Dhyan Hewage and Ravi Jay and others. They belong to the genres of Drum and Bass and Trap. He also specialises in creating musicscapes which are an integral part of his EPs.
Sasith relies on FL Studio, Reaper and Ableton to create his music in his own unique style. His favourite Vsts are Waves which he uses for mixing and mastering purposes, and Uhe bundles equipped with Native Instruments Massive and Kontakt.
iClown’s fourth EP Neon Dystopia’s theme is Cyber Punk Culture with the focus onorchestral, ambient and 8o’ s synth elements. It has four songs including a very special collaboration with Gayan Danthanarayana, lead guitarist of Neurocracy, the metal band. Neon Dystopia has two musicscapes as well. Cyberpunk Love featuring Gayan Danthanarayana was played by Ashanti Omar at BBC Asian Network. The same was also played at RTRFM in Australia by Chris ‘DART’ Kelly on his Drum and Bass show.
He has also released stellar remixes for local artists including metal acts such as Constellation, Tantrum, Hopeless Poet, Coat of Arms, Linkin Park and for mainstream acts such as Ravi Jay, Charitha Attalage, Supun Perera and Nuwandi Eranga.
He has also made two tribute remixes for the popular Tv series Marvel’s Daredevil and Game of Thrones.
Currently, iClown DJs under his own moniker and is also a part of the live drum and bass duo Mad Scientist. He is also the bassist/ producer for the popular progressive metal band from Colombo, Constellation.
He is signed to two record labels, namely ‘Heavy Artillery Recordings’ from LA, and ‘High Chai Recordings’ from NYC.
iClown would love to thank all his fans for the support through the years, and would specifically like to thank Yazmin, Chase, Maria, Ranidu, Hasanka and Asanka from Drill Team, Ranidu, Ravi Jay, Charitha Attalage, Constellation, Gayan Danthanarayana, Sacrament, Ashanti Omkar, Christ Dart Kelly and Andy Carpenter, Dimm Summer, DJ Faust and Shorty, KJ Sawka, Arkitekt, Brig, Arjun Dhas, and last but not least, his family who has been supportive from the word go.
For the readers, all of iClown’s Eps are available on iTunes and all other digital platforms which are namely, Retaliation, 3 x F, Brain Damage and Neon Dystopia.
iClown’s future goal is to be the top in the Underground Music scene locally and globally
Good luck iClown – may your music spread to all corners of the globe!