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icepop: The One-Man Army Building a New World at 33 Degrees



We talk a lot about "DIY" in this industry, but my guest today embodies that term in a way few others do. He is a vocalist, producer, engineer, video director, and label head—a true one-man army who has built a dark, hypnotic world from the ground up.

From his roots in Marbella, Spain, to making waves in the UK scene with tracks like "SCREAM" and "MINNESOTA", he is an artist who refuses to wait for permission. He is the founder of 33degrees, a partner of ESC, and a mentor to the next wave of talent.
I sat down with the man behind the vision, icepop, to talk about his origins, his relentless workflow, and why he’s betting on himself.


The Name & The Origin

Unknown Artist: Let’s start with the basics. Is there a specific story behind the name icepop, or was it just a vibe that stuck? Did you go through any terrible names before landing on this one?


icepop: Coming across the name "icepop" was kind of lucky for me, because I was about to go with this other name... and yeah, it was pretty horrible. I went through some bad ones—I think there was "Snowball" or something? I wanted to make sure it wasn't a forgettable name.


It’s kind of stupid, but I stumbled across it one night. I was in my local Popeyes, right? And I don't know how to explain it, it just came to me: icepop. It sounded too good to be true. I checked, and ever since then, it’s just been icepop. It’s always going to be icepop.

From Marbella to Manchester

Unknown Artist: You grew up in sunny Marbella before moving to Manchester. Aside from the weather, what is the biggest culture shock you still feel? Is there a specific Spanish food you crave that you just can't find in the UK?


icepop: The difference is definitely huge. In Spain, nobody speaks English apart from a few people, unlike here. And obviously, everyone speaking English here made it a bit easier for me, considering I don't know that much Spanish despite growing up there.


Food-wise, there was this one thing in a supermarket called Mercadona—they just had the best candy. Honestly, the UK can't replicate it at all. It’s crazy

The Bedroom Studio & The "One-Man Army"

Unknown Artist: Since you’re self-taught and started in your bedroom, set the scene for us. What is the one item in your studio—besides your computer—that you absolutely cannot create without?


icepop: Making music for me is the weirdest process because most people have producers or friends around them. I work fully solo. No help. It’s a weird creative process—if the mood is not right with me, I will not be able to make anything.


If we're talking about essentials, it would have to be the ambiance. I love it when it’s cold and really quiet. But honestly? It’s the equipment. I used to have this old mic for like ten dollars, and all my songs sounded terrible. But now, I’ve had to adapt.

Unknown Artist: You are famously hands-on with everything—vocal production, mixing, mastering, filming and editing your own music videos, and even handling the branding. How do you balance being a one-man army and running your label, 33degrees?



icepop: It’s just become second nature to me right now. About a year ago—maybe nine months ago—it wasn't like this. I’d make a song, and that was it. Now, it’s: I need to produce it, I need to mix it, I need to engineer it, I need to promote it.


I started spending sometimes 13 hours a day on this. It’s so much work that you kind of lose yourself, but I had to adapt. If I want to make it big, I have to just keep working and working. Otherwise, I'm not gonna make it.

Mentoring the Next Wave: rolyoo

Unknown Artist: Speaking of the label, you’re currently mentoring rolyoo, who is making waves with tracks like "like yours". What do you see in him that made you want to take him under your wing?


icepop: rolyoo and I have actually been friends for a long time—over three years now. I met him playing Minecraft back when I used to make YouTube videos! We stopped talking for a while, then reconnected.

He started making music using these Juice WRLD-type beats, and I just told him, "Yo, you probably don't want to do that right now." I showed him some of my stuff, and I’ve been guiding him... teaching him how to make songs, how to promote. He’s fully evolved into a new artist. It’s crazy to be able to do that, and now he’s on my label.

The Sound & The Future

Unknown Artist: We know you love Lil Nas X and Travis Scott, but what is one song or artist currently in your rotation that would completely surprise your fans?


icepop: Music for me is very serious, and my taste changes, but I've been keeping my eye on Chris Grey. He’s a dark pop artist who is changing the game. His music is addictive, and I love the vibes. I’ve been taking a lot of inspiration from him recently. His track "Another Life"—I love that song.


Unknown Artist: If you weren't making music right now, what would you be doing?


icepop: I’d probably be making YouTube videos again! They were really bad, but it was really fun. In my free time, I play a game called Geometry Dash—I’ve been playing it since 2013, since I was five years old. And I love to cook. Cooking has been a really big part of my life recently.


Unknown Artist: You recently crossed some major milestones. Tell us about that.


icepop: I just recently crossed 10,000 monthly listeners and over 2 million streams across all platforms. That is just going crazy. I want to thank everyone listening and reading this for the support.


My sound... it has that mainstream touch, but it has this heavenly feel. It makes you feel like you've heard it before, but you haven't. I make alternative rock, electronic pop, darkwave, hyperpop—it’s music made for when you need energy.

Unknown Artist: Any final words for the people reading?


icepop: Go listen on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Pandora, Amazon, Tidal... everywhere. If you don't, you definitely will regret it.


Unknown Artist's Note:

That is exactly the kind of mindset we love here at ESC...unfiltered, driven, and always evolving. Huge thanks to icepop for sitting down with us and letting us peek behind the curtain of 33degrees.


If you haven’t already, go stream his latest EP 'after all', check out the visuals he’s editing himself, and keep an ear out for rolyoo and the rest of the 33degrees roster.
Stay weird, stay loud.

CONNECT WITH ICEPOP

Origin: Málaga, Spain / Manchester, UK

Bio: "the best musician on planet earth"


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