Icicle
On September 26, 2025, Spectra Music Group and Herd Records officially released Essence, the fourteenth studio album from the visionary project Icicle. A record that defies easy categorization, Essence is a masterclass in shifting textures and thematic depth, moving seamlessly from the anthemic perseverance of “One Good Reason” to the playful, flirty energy of “We Gotta Do It.” Meticulously produced and rich with melodic “ear worms,” the album represents a mature pinnacle for artist Krassy Halatchev, offering a listening experience that is both profoundly emotional and remarkably vibrant, capped off by the stunning guest vocals of Albane Chateau on the closing track.
In this candid conversation, Halatchev reflects on a career that spans continents—from the underground garage bands of Communist Bulgaria to the atmospheric “Bristol sound” of the UK. He discusses the vulnerability required to write tracks like the soul-baring “I Am so Afraid,” the importance of finding a “partner in crime” in songwriting, and why he remains a “lucky bastard” after decades in the industry. What follows is an exploration of the creative heartbeat behind Essence, a record that flows like a fresh gust of air and leaves the listener wanting more.
After fourteen albums, how do you define the “essence” of your music today compared to when you first started playing in Bulgaria?
Krassy Halatchev: Well, in all truthfulness, the record label cherry-picked these 13 tracks for Essence. I was cool with that because I do write and record a lot, and am rather biased and sensitive about my work. 😉
As for comparing my songwriting today with the tunes I wrote shortly after leaving Bulgaria—it’s like talking about two different individuals. A lot of time has passed since then and I’d like to think I have grown, learned, and honed my skill and craft.
The press release mentions that it is difficult to select focus tracks because the record shifts so swiftly—was this eclectic, unpredictable flow intentional from the start?
Krassy Halatchev: It is kind of my signature. I started this particular project in 2012 and more often than not found it restraining if I had to follow a narrative or a specific genre. I need to feel loose and open even if I tend to fit in the Indie/Alternative category. Always looked up to artists like David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Damon Albarn, Gaz Coombes, Thom Yorke… because of their diversity and open-mindedness.
You moved from Sofia to Montreal in the middle of winter in 1990; how much of that “Icicle” cold and the spirit of a new adventure still influences your creative persona today?
Krassy Halatchev: Ha-ha! A lot, I suppose. Still not used to Canadian winter after 35 years of practice! 😉 But you just can’t have it all, can you? Our first band was called The Clouds. I have always been fascinated by water and all its forms and states. So, Icicle came as an offshoot of sorts.
“One Good Reason” is described as a manifesto for perseverance—what was the specific “obstacle” in your career that tested your commitment the most?
Krassy Halatchev: It is still being tested either by external forces or from within. There wasn’t a specific “obstacle” per se. It’s just life… Reminds me of this quote I read sometime ago—“The music business is filled with sharks, snakes, weasels, bottom feeders… and then, there’s a negative side to it too!” 😉
Life is a struggle filled with suffering and grief, misfortunes and disappointments. It also gets harder with time to remember that there is more to it. I do not believe in failure. For me that’s just another word for giving up, and the way I see it, life is most colorful and beautiful when you remind yourself how much more there is to it.
You grew up as a “music maniac” analyzing bands like Pink Floyd and The Police; which specific musical technique from those legends did you find yourself applying to this new record?
Krassy Halatchev: I doubt I can pinpoint any… It just comes through. It is somewhere there in the back of your head or in the stream of your consciousness. It finds its way and manifests itself. It’s more of a feel rather than a specific skill or technique. “Good composers borrow; great composers steal” — Stravinsky. I’d like to think I have stolen plenty! 😉
“The Man on the Moon” is famously not about the man on the moon, but about a partnership—how has having a “partner in crime” changed the way you approach the complexities of songwriting?
Krassy Halatchev: A perfect example of that colorful and beautiful thing I was on about! It is so hard to find a soulmate. But when you do, all of a sudden, everything becomes so easy, so right, so perfect. It is inspiring, fulfilling, motivating, uplifting… I count my blessings every day! By the way, said partner-in-crime has also written some lyrics for Icicle and they are nothing short of colorful and beautiful! ‘I Know That What I Don’t Know Is the Only Thing I Know’ is one of them.
You have described “I Am so Afraid” as a profound confession; does being that vulnerable ever get easier after fourteen albums, or do you still feel a sense of trepidation when releasing such personal lyrics?
Krassy Halatchev: It feels just as natural if not more so. It’s what got me into it in the first place. Plus, I tend not to worry about what hasn’t happened yet. I needed an outlet, a way/medium to express feelings, emotions… to connect, to resonate. I find it healing and liberating; it soothes and relieves the soul. It is what keeps me sane in this mad world of ours. One of my favorite proverbs is: “He who sings thinks of no evil.”
What drew you to your first Fender Musicmaster, and is that same bass-driven foundation still the “heartbeat” of your compositions on this album?
Krassy Halatchev: Hah! That bass! Well, my friend Bobbi (rest his mesmerizing soul), told me that he and Ivo are forming a band. Both were already quite advanced guitar and drum players, respectively. So, he goes, “You can join on bass and vocals because guitar and drums are already taken.” To which I replied: “But you know, I don’t know how to play the bass, right?” “So, learn it,” he says. “Learn it how?! I don’t own one!”
Fast forward a few months, all three of us raised the cash and begged this guy who was playing in a restaurant to sell it to us. (You couldn’t just go to the store in those days, in Communist Bulgaria.) Eventually he gave in and the rest is history, as they say. And yes, the bass is still the driving force in my songwriting. I can’t help it. 😉
“We Gotta Do It” is a very playful and flirty track; how do you balance that mischievous energy with the more mature and emotional themes found elsewhere on the record?
Krassy Halatchev: Well, there is always a balance, much like laughter and tears; bitter and sweet… I like flirting in general, except when it comes to flirting with death. Just don’t have the stomach for it. But I do like flirting with people, ideas, stances. It opens dialogues, possibilities, opportunities. It triggers thoughts and emotions which otherwise may remain dormant and/or underdeveloped.
How did your experience working with Steve Whitfield and the “Bristol sound” influence the meticulous production and atmospheric textures we hear on this album?
Krassy Halatchev: Tremendously! I learned so much from Steve. His work ethic is unparalleled. The man is a machine. His attention to detail is borderline disturbing. I simply can’t thank him enough! Recording in Bristol was a sublime experience. I was heavily into Portishead and Massive Attack at the time. Being in Wayne Hussey’s (The Mission) studio; driving up to borrow gear from Massive Attack’s studio… just felt surreal.
The final track “Bouquet of Sun Rays” features Albane Chateau; what was it about her specific vocal energy that made her the right choice to close out this journey?
Krassy Halatchev: I mean… Just listen to that voice! It is exactly what the song called for. In fact, I knew it as I started writing it. The words and music came from me but the soul is entirely her. She brought it to life.
Having lived through a transition from a communist regime to the Western music industry, how do you view the concept of “creative freedom” in 2025?
Krassy Halatchev: I feel that I am one lucky bastard, plain and simple. I live in one of the best countries in the world, full of diversity and free spirits; surrounded myself with people whom I love; got to do what I love! Yup, one lucky bastard, indeed!
If you could go back to the version of yourself playing in garages in Sofia and play them one song from this album to show them the future, which track would it be?
Krassy Halatchev: Oh, no! Now you’re asking me to favor one child over another! 😉 Probably ‘One Good Reason’—for life is too short and too precious to give up on dreams or settle on compromises.
What is the single most important thing you want a listener to feel when the final chord of this record fades out?
Krassy Halatchev: Is this it?
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