Raised in Brixton, schooled in Sutton and of Jamaican and Grenadian descent, GAIKA has never chosen a linear path in his creative outputs. A polymath by nature, GAIKA’s creative output has always straddled different worlds, taking influence from academia, British reggae sound systems, philosophy, and political theory as much as the influence of fellow musicians. These themes intersect with meditations on his own identity through his music and are evident on his debut album with Warp Records, BASIC VOLUME, a sprawling yet cohesive album that devours genres and spits them out tangled around personal tales of love, loss and rebellion. 2018 saw the exhibition of SYSTEM, a collaboration with Boiler Room and Somerset House Studios celebrating and amplifying Carnival and sound system culture. “[It] is about space, and holding space. It’s about literally drawing a line in the sand and saying: ‘This is who we are and we’re here to stay. You can’t turn us off’." GAIKA was previously part of The Murkage Cartel, an arts organization based in Manchester and has collaborated with the likes of Jam City, Nick Leon, and Buddy Ross.