INTERNATIONAL NOP UNDERGROUND (FIRST HALF)
INTERNATIONAL NOP UNDERGROUND (FIRST HALF)
Compilation
Nightcore
Liam Murphy
February 19, 2020
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January 22, 2023
Tracks in this feature
Tracks in this release
Implementing a sci-fi aesthetic with nuance and imagination is tough. It can work when an artist uses classic indicators of science fiction in a unique way, presenting work with an engaging but strange feel. The artwork on The Algorithm Don’t Like My Freek for instance, shows a self-assured humanoid seated in an old-looking car lit with a red interior glow. The individual is adorned with visor glasses sporting a piercing red dot like something from an 80s flick. It blends sci-fi and a contemporary energy, dark moody colours lit by vibrant neon beams of light.
The music itself is brimming with rich sounds from the very start. End Game delivers a panoramic feel with thick wavering synths and a resonant lead cutting in like a futuristic vehicle through an endless city under a bruised sky. Quaid’s usual funky style is still present, like in HyperReal, where pulsing synth notes join with chattering hi hats in a sultry dance track.
The artist always brings a refreshing unkempt spirit. The tracks generally feel comfortably loose. Something about the amazingly-named irememberufromtomorrow feels off-kilter, the drums rushing to the end of every beat, the notes slightly dissonant alongside the strange reversed vocal sample. There is a feeling that this is some strange club music from a futuristic alternate reality, but the slightly untidy nature of the melody and rhythm gives this vision so much unique character.
There is a sensation of heat throughout. The heady cascading melody of Future Attractions floating on the hazy synth backdrop and peaceful percussion, a laser synth emerging gradually. It soars above the instrumentation slowly, past the furniture of percussion and reaching up towards the azure skyline. A sultry warmth emits from everything.
Shepherd reprises his role from Quaid’s previous project Dream Static. SHE offers the featuring artist crooning in a fragile high pitch, lamenting soulfully about someone who is critical about everything, from his views to his friends. There’s a cool lovelorn energy present, illustrating a lustful connection fuelled by annoyance as much as it is by passion.
Not content with tinging more straightforward, structured outings with this sultry analogue sheen, tracks like Phantomz display Quaid’s desire to go to the depths of more hypnotic ambient territory. Deep synth notes pierce through an arcade machine ambience, random notes bleating out and rising in frequency to then dive back into the murky depths.
More than just a pastiche of funky retro futurism, The Algorithm Don’t Like My Freek has a pulsing otherworldliness throughout. The artist utilises an infallible sense of style and sound, creating a world dripping with coolness and soul.
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